Air freight software is flying to new heights. Freight forwarders can automate many processes such as dispatch, customer service, data entry and accounting. By decreasing paperwork, eliminating tedious telephone coordination and comparing rates and prices, freight forwarders are able to focus on improving service and increasing market share.

What can air freight forwarding software do for you?

If you’re in the freight forwarder business, a lot. It can boost productivity, increase business opportunities and cut costs. The ability to integrate operations increases responsiveness to customers, ensures on-time deliveries and provides vital financial data.

Air freight software benefits

Air freight software improves your company`s efficiency by saving your staff time. Many of the labor- intensive processes, such as booking orders and requesting quotes, are fully automated. As a result, freight forwarders who employ automation software can put much of their air freight operations on autopilot.
It also increases control of daily air freight operations. The software allows for real-time tracking. Freight forwarders can easily determine where every piece of freight is at any time. This is especially helpful in cases where freight has encountered a delay, such as during inclement weather or trapped in a customs bottleneck.

Customer service

Air freight software provides customer service screens that not only track freight but also alert representatives when a delay occurs. This saves time because it eliminates the need to be constantly monitoring multiple shipments. Instead, staff can focus on higher priority tasks and respond to alerts when needed. The customer service screen also allows the user to enter shipments and pickups by a route ID. This provides convenience and saves time. From the same screen, freight forwarders can dispatch drivers between any service points.

Dispatch

A great deal of time can be lost on manually tracing dispatch requests and recurring dispatch orders. Air freight software dispatch systems automatically store all recurring pickups. Freight forwarders can rest assured that their drivers will be dispatched at the right time every time. Air freight software also offers online air freight dispatch. Agent settlements can also be automated, saving cost on all recurring dispatches.

Automatic bill entry

Data entry consumes time and ultimately eats into freight forwarders’ profits. The solution is to employ freight forwarder software with automatic bill entry. This allows for all types of bills to be generated without the hassle of a manual process. The bills are also stored in the system, saving space and eliminating the possibility of the bills being lost or damaged. Having the documentation organized and backed up on the software prevents the whole host of problems that can result from misfiled, lost or destroyed bills.

Metrics for increased profitability

Increasing efficiencies continues to be a priority in the freight forwarding business. Air freight accounting systems that are built into the software provide the metrics needed to determine where profitability can be enhanced through process alteration. They are generally easy to use. They allow freight forwarders to report, review, and control their financial standing. Detailed reports drill down on specific areas, such as labor costs. The company can also view the overall picture and see how well different facets of the business are coordinating. With the ability to see where each dollar is going and the ROI on all operations, freight forwarders can make the changes needed to drive profitability upwards.

Accounting

Integrating freight forwarder software and accounting functions provides convenience and increased financial analytics opportunities. All accounting functions can be run within the software. This increases efficiencies because accounting does not need to access other systems to get needed information and reports. All are available in one system, making retrieval simple. Accounting function include the following:

• Invoice entry
• Accounts payable
• Payroll solutions
• General ledger
• Fuel & mileage reporting
• Preventative maintenance
• Vehicle maintenance
• Repair systems
• Driver settlements logs
• Sales analysis
• Claims tracking

Customer support

When choosing a freight forwarder software provider, it’s always wise to inquire about customer support. Implementing a new software system always takes some time and causes some headaches. Many software companies provide technical support via telephone or online. Their staff can assist customers with installation, understanding how to navigate and how to import/export important data. Many providers have 24-hour emergency support.

The 24-hour emergency support is an essential in the freight forwarding business. Freight never sleeps and a breakdown can lead to a disaster that takes days to sort out. A quick call to emergency support can often head off a catastrophe.

Air freight software is modernizing the freight forwarding business. The old days of reams of paperwork, time consuming telephone coordination and laborious price comparisons are a thing of the past. With air freight software, freight forwarders can automate many processes and shift their focus to improving service and increasing market share.

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. We offer comprehensive custom software solutions to handle special requests and customer specific requirements, because no two companies are alike. Contact us today if you would like a Free Demo of our software!