What do you mean by Freight Forwarding Software?
It is a Digital platform or tool that helps freight forwarders to manage their logistic processes and operations in an efficient way. It allows forwarders to handled shipments, track cargos, manage all documentation including customs, coordinate with carriers, provide the estimation for customer enquiries, and provide real time visibility of shipments to forwarders customers – all from single digital platforms.
Why is Freight Management Software needed?
Due to rising complexities in international regulations, the availability of diverse transportation options, and the demanding nature of the freight forwarding business, adopting a freight forwarding technology has become even more important. Freight Forwarding Software streamlines your freight forwarding operations and makes it more efficient for everyone.
Some advantages of Freight Management Software:
- Forwarders and their customers will get real-time visibility on shipments.
- Automated document management process with centralized access.
- Communicate seamlessly to all the parties involved in the shipping process.
- Improve efficiency and reduce human errors, which results in higher customer satisfaction.
Features to look for Freight Forwarding software for UAE businesses
- End-to-end Freight Management: End-to-end freight forwarding solutions cater to all aspects, from freight procurement, freight tracking, sending RFQs for bidding, real-time monitoring, invoicing, and other backend operations. This way, businesses can manage everything using a single software solution without having to spend much on different systems.
- Types of Freight Modes: The best freight forwarding system software allows you to organize your shipments based on the mode of transport. Intermodal and multimodal transportation is common types in the shipping industry. Freight tracking software should have the capability to track and trace shipments in air, sea, and road modes. Regardless of the transportation mode, the dashboard of your logistic software should display all active shipments on the map on your screen.
- User-Friendly Interface: Manual freight operations give excess burden on forwarders employees, who are assigned to perform tedious duties. “Employee productivity” is one of the claims logistic software providers make towards freight forwarders. The only scenario that leads to shorter training times for your team members is one where you’ve invested in user-friendly freight forwarding software and a self-learning portal with AI Automation. Forwarder employees should be able to manage and learn automated processes independently and learn the product without causing serious delays. The logistics technology supporting your operations is supposed to make things easier for your team, boosting productivity.
- Software Integrations with other carriers and logistics platforms: Integrations allow the freight booking software to communicate with third-party software such as carriers’ systems and logistics platforms. With these integrations, forwarders can quickly create carrier booking, fetching carrier rate etc through freight management software only.
Also integrate the warehouse management systems (WMS), enterprise resource planning (ERP) tools, and more with your flexible freight forwarding software to save on expenditure.
- Real Time Shipment Tracking: The accuracy with which you can track the exact location of your shipment anywhere in the world is a major factor to consider when selecting the ideal logistics technology as a freight forwarder. The tracking features of freight forwarder software to go beyond pinpointing the precise location of cargo on a map. Facilitating internal and communication, freight software allows you to send real-time notifications about shipment dispatch and delivery to the receiver.
- Instant Notifications & Communication: The main purpose of freight forwarding software Dubai is to connect every team running freight operations, including third parties. You receive alerts every time your shipment crosses a milestone. Since you get notifications about your cargo tracking in real-time, you can make better business decisions using logistic software. Maintain seamless communication channels with all stakeholders, including suppliers, customers, and partners. This integration fosters better relationships and more coordinated efforts.
Integrated Customer Portal empowers forwarder customers so they can track their shipments, view documents, and communicate directly. This will enhance customer satisfaction and reduce your support workload.
- Financial & Invoice Management: It takes several employees to manage invoices manually, and even then, the first draft of an invoice has mistakes because there’s always a margin of human error when people are handling paperwork. Your freight software solution can eliminate the possibility of such human mistakes from invoices and doesn’t require corrections at a later stage. Automated invoice management saves you time, energy, and resources. Transparency in tracking payment outstanding helps maintain cash flow and economic health. Advanced analytics can provide insights into your costs and profitability. This information can help you make informed decisions that could transform your operations’ profitability.
- Workflow Automation: While technologies like IoT, blockchain, cloud, etc., are becoming increasingly popular in the UAE, several businesses still rely on human elements, leading to operational inefficiencies, errors, and delays in processes. A freight forwarding software in UAE that offers automated workflows could help. Using smart automation, businesses can digitize all their processes, from managing freight, data entry, invoicing, and other back-office tasks to boost their operational efficiency and survive in the highly competitive freight market.
- Digitized Documentation and Compliance management: Digital storage solutions offer secure, cloud-based access to all your shipping documents anytime and anywhere. Generating shipping documents automatically reduce manual inputs, human errors, and increase the productivity of employees. Freight forwarding software simplifies compliance processes with automated filings, ensuring compliance and swift passage through customs. Forwarders stay up to date with the ever-changing landscape of international trade laws. Freight Audit Software ensures you’re always compliant, avoiding costly penalties and delays.
- Rate Management & Quotation Tool: A freight rate management software can generate accurate quotes very quickly and with high degrees of accuracy because employees not scrambling for rates all the time. Forwarders have central access to up-to-date carrier rates, surcharges, and other costs. You can also define customer contractual rate and use it wisely while preparing digital quotation to your customers.
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM): CRM is very useful for Sales and customer success team. It keeps track of previous customer conversations and manages customer relationships. CRM is centralised source of information about customer database, sales pipelines, client communications and interactions.
- Analytics and Reporting Capabilities: Data is the heart of the Freight Forwarding business. Forwarders monitor operations with customizable dashboards that briefly provide key performance indicators. It also suggests, what could be the actionable insights to drive your business forward. The data analytics tool identifies trends, anticipate market changes, and position your business for success. Choose best software for freight forwarders that comes with features for data organization and automated reporting where you can quickly share reports with other stakeholders.
Conclusion
The adoption of SaaS based ERP in freight forwarding software making a new era for the logistics industry. Companies that invest in cloud-based solutions can significantly improve their operations, reduce costs, and gain a competitive edge.
Our cutting-edge technology solution, NewageNXT, plays a crucial role by offering features like real-time tracking, secured cloud access, centralized data management, automated freight processes, and many more. It provides end-to-end Freight Management services for Air, Sea, and Road transportation. By investing in the right technology, any modern forwarder can not only increase operational efficiency but also boost customer satisfaction. Learn more about how NewageNXT can help you enhance the supply chain visibility by requesting a demo on the below email ID
mktg@newage-global.com
