Software advancements make comparing both negotiated- and spot freight rates more efficient and cost effective. Rather than juggling multiple carriers’ websites, you can consolidate all carriers into one system and simultaneously view the prices for each shipment.
Freight management software works on any carrier’s system, automatically loading the costs into a convenient display.
Companies that employ freight management software get the best pricing every time.
It’s human nature to keep doing things the same way, and that tendency often makes us slow to adapt to more advanced technology. In the freight forwarding business, this delay costs big money. Because using the old technology requires navigating multiple clunky websites, it’s not possible to search every possible source.
Freight management software makes finding the best rates possible in the same way Expedia finds the best flight options. Imagine if you had to navigate half-a-dozen airline carrier websites to find the best option for the time you want to travel. Chances are you wouldn’t do much comparison shopping. Freight forwarding software makes selecting the best freight option as easy as booking a flight on Expedia.
Never overpay on your freight again
Before freight forwarding software, we all over payed sometimes. When you have competing priorities and are under time pressure, you can only spend so much time and effort on comparing rates. With freight forwarding software, you can comparison shop rates across all of your freight carriers at once, making it possible to get the best price every time.
Additionally, when you negotiate new rates, the freight management software updates instantly, allowing you to move forward right away. Freight forwarding software is designed to interface with any carrier system, so you can avoid any time-wasting technical glitches. For spot quotes, the software manages real time bids for any equipment type.
Efficient shipping
Saving money means a lot in today’s competitive marketplace, but it’s not what matters to your customers. They have three priorities: speed, speed and speed. Freight management software gets the freight out of the door right away. It tracks all shipments and contracts, so redundant data entry becomes a thing of the past. Freight management software means bigger profits and happier customers.
BOLs and labels express
Bills of Lading and labels are one of the many moving parts that must be managed in the freight industry. Software that provides a printing interface makes them easy to create. Multiple labels can be setup on one sheet.
Real-time tracking
Freight forwarders know their job isn’t done just because the freight has gone out the door. It needs to be delivered on time and in pristine condition. Freight management software provides a detailed view of freight movements. The software shows indicators for on-time deliveries and sends alerts when a delivery has encountered a problem, such as delays due to bad weather. The freight is never out of your view.
Analytics tools
Today’s business world runs on analytics, and the freight forwarding business provides no exception. Freight management software offers tools that allow freight forwarders to drill down on the performance of carriers. Data also offers insights that help in negotiating better rates. Reports on freight spend help manage expenses and increase profits.
Choosing freight management software
Freight management software should offer a user-friendly experience. After all, creating efficiency is a large part of its purpose.
Freight forwarders report satisfaction with software that automatically imports contracted rates and updates them immediately. The best analytics tools offer many types of customizable reports. These reports can provide a bird’s eye view or drill down to the granular level. Users also express satisfaction with systems that make freight tracking convenient and provide alerts before shipments get far off track. The sooner a problem is spotted, the easier the fix.
Today’s software automates many of the repetitive and time-consuming tasks that once were viewed as stealing time away from operations that create direct revenue. With freight management software, freight forwarders can automate many of these necessary but unprofitable duties. This allows them to focus on better customer service, more effective pricing models and reduction of expenses. As technology advances, the opportunities to benefit increase. The successful companies of the future will be those that stay ahead of the technology curve.
CSA Software is a developer of state of the art, Cloud-based software solutions for freight forwarding, transportation management, air freight, ocean freight, and logistics organizations. Contact us today if you would like a Free Demo of our software!