Logistics is an essential part of our daily lives. Whether in manufacturing, distribution, or as an end-user or consumer, all of us are a part of a delicate chain. Even before the rise of e-commerce and the strain caused by the stringent requirements imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, maintaining the delicate balance of our interconnectivity is essential to keeping the global economy healthy. The balance of maintaining this interconnectivity is precarious, and each segment of the logistical chain should work perfectly together. One of the industries with the tremendous burden of maintaining this balance is the freight forwarding industry. Aside from being responsible for ensuring the material flow between ports, they produce and process documents that logistics and shipping require, such as bills of lading and airway bills, among others. For decades, many smaller freight forwarding companies were able to get by handling their tasks using non-interconnected systems. However, with the ever-increasing demand of today’s business environment, freight forwarding companies will need all the help they can get to do their tasks efficiently. That is where ideal freight logistics software comes in.
What is Freight Logistics Software?
Freight logistics software is designed specifically for freight forwarding companies to manage and operate their logistics business efficiently. Moreover, they need freight forwarding software to generate essential shipping documents, such as bills of lading and airway bills. The ideal freight logistics software can increase operating efficiency and boost team productivity by controlling accounting status, generating invoices and quotes, managing forwarder business, and integrating all essential aspects of the logistics business in an easy-to-use interface that is usable by all levels of the organization, wherever they are.
What sets freight logistics software apart from older systems is its ability to enable logistics companies to migrate to paperless freight. By generating, managing, and completing digital copies, the freight logistics software can provide a more efficient way for a logistics company to operate. The logistics industry is evolving to take on this approach to working with documentation.
Feature #1: A User-Friendly Interface
Empowering your shipment operation relies on how well each of your employees blends into your automated workflow. To do that, they need an interface that they can use easily. With a user-friendly interface, training turnaround times will be significantly quicker when the demands on your freight logistics business increase in the future, whether you add more employees or train existing ones to take on more tasks. Moreover, you will need customizable software, so your employees won’t be overwhelmed by too much data and miss tasks related to their function.
Feature #2: It Should Track All Your Shipments in Real-Time
All-in-one Freight Forwarding Software – GoFreight
By having a track-and-trace function, you will have peace of mind knowing the location of all the shipments entrusted to you. All you need to do is to check an easy-to-use interface. A track-and-trace function can enable you to impress your customers by providing accurate estimates on times of arrival.
Feature #3: Manage All Your Documents on a Single Platform
GoFreight Reviews 2022: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2
A significant portion of the routines in the operations’ aspect of the freight logistics business involves managing documents, whether for issuing billings, quotations, bills of lading, manifest documents, or other purposes. As the freight logistics business evolves, so does the need for accommodating paperless shipments. For freight logistics companies that still rely on legacy systems to get by, it is just a matter of time to acquire freight logistics software to survive. They need freight logistics software to handle and manage all required documents on a single platform. Even companies already using similar systems need a way to manage a growing list of documents as the demands on their business grow.
Feature #4: Secure and Cloud-Backed System for Accessibility and Security
All-in-one Freight Forwarding Software — GoFreight
Freight logistics businesses manage shipments worldwide and have personnel working at various sites that could be anywhere. To ensure the freight forwarding system works seamlessly and securely, the freight logistics software should use a cloud-backed system running on a secure server, such as AWS provided by Amazon. A secure cloud-backed server can ensure your system won’t have downtime, as preventing downtimes is an essential requirement for a freight logistics company. Moreover, being in a cloud-backed system can interconnect API & EDI. All information among overseas agents, carriers, 3PL, various digital platforms, and other service providers is coordinated securely and seamlessly.
Feature #5: An Accounting Module Designed Specifically for Your Business
A dependable integrated CPA-certified accounting module is one of the essential functions freight forward software should have. Automated invoicing will automatically help determine freight rates and charges among its functions. Moreover, this module can provide real-time information to support the profit and loss statement. These are items that are frequently overlooked when applying charges and credits to customer accounts.
Feature #6: Real-Time Manager Insights With Smart Reporting
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Among the available user interfaces, an ideal freight logistics software should have a dashboard designed for managers to see the big picture of the business. In tandem with a dependable accounting module, a manager can view the profit & loss statement, which will enable them to see the overall health of the business and provide them with the flexibility to take action if necessary.
Feature #7: Customer Support
Even with the most straightforward freight logistics software, there will always be a learning curve for everyone who uses it. Users demand more from their software, with ever-increasing demands imposed on freight forwarding businesses. With dependable customer support manned by people familiar with the software and the freight forwarding business, customers are assured of getting the ideal customized service that enable the software to become a perfect fit for their businesses.
Feature #8: Availability of Upgrades
One of the greatest lessons freight forwarders learned from the recent impacts of COVID-19 is how important their part is in maintaining the delicate balance of the world’s economy. Freight forwarders are confronted with improving their systems to ensure they can have the flexibility to take on even more significant challenges in the future. Overcoming these challenges is crucial to maintaining the competitive edge of freight logistics companies. If they were to select the best freight logistics software out there, what they need is an industry-leading tech solution that will grow, evolve, and be updated as the needs of the industry change.
Takeaways:
An ideal freight logistics software with all these features is essential for a freight forwarding company to survive in a competitive industry. The software should enable each employee to adapt to the ever-increasing challenges confronting the sector by making day-to-day operations more straightforward. It should also be one that updates to take on ever-changing challenges of the future. With GoFreight’s Cloud-Based Freight Forwarding System, you can have all these features and more. Designed by people who have worked in the freight forwarding industry for decades, we know what each freight forwarding company needs regardless of scale, complexity, and location. With top-notch customer service manned by people who know the freight forwarding business and constant updates that keep up with the demands of the time, you can be rest assured that you will be at the top of the game for years to come!
