Toby Edwards is CEO of Shipa Freight, an online platform for booking air and ocean freight shipments. The views expressed here are those of Maron and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of FreightWaves.
Commentary
No matter what size a firm is, you should always be looking for ways to outsource as many processes as possible. For this reason, if your business requires shipping processes, then working with a freight forwarder will assist you in making everything a whole lot easier as freight forwarders specialize in transporting goods between destinations.
But, in this day and age, you don’t merely need to work with just any old freight forwarder; instead, forward-thinking firms are partnering with online freight forwarders to take advantage of developing technologies and also to ensure the most reliable and efficient shipping practices possible.
You may not realize how many challenges can be solved (or at least dramatically helped) by reconfiguring your firm’s shipping solutions. To show you, read on to learn about three common challenges your firm may currently be facing, and the ways that an online freight forwarder can solve these.
1. Your global processes are not efficient enough.
If you find that your firm spends too much time dealing with shipping-related issues or is continuously wasting precious time while striving to handle all the relevant parts of the process, then it is time to consider changing the system.
Your team needs to be spending as much time as possible focusing on the core of your business, not on administering the organization of shipments or ensuring that there is a strong back-up-plan in place. Instead, by working with an experienced online freight forwarding platform, you can be assured that a significant amount of time will be freed up and your concentration can be directed towards more profitable areas.
Additionally, the best freight forwarding companies will already have a backup plan ready to go and will have the experience necessary to ensure you are warned of any obstacles that may affect your shipments and to find other options to get your goods moving.
Online freight forwarders can further guarantee reliable tracking for both yourself and the customer as you both always have the ability to check the status of shipments and payments online.
2. Your current shipping costs are too high.
One of the most common concerns for small- or medium-sized businesses that are striving for a competitive advantage is that their current shipping costs are too high. This is a shame as it can hinder anyone’s ability to grow internationally.
By working with a reputable online freight forwarding service, you can make sure that you are getting the best shipping costs available as they maintain exceptional relationships with carriers, enabling them to negotiate competitive shipping rates. As your partner, online freight forwarders will work with you to determine your shipping needs over the long-term and to make a plan for your future.
3. You are looking to expand to overseas markets.
In the past, most companies could only dream about accessing overseas markets, but that is no longer the case as global shipping becomes more and more accessible for everyone. Whether you are a start-up or a multi-conglomerate, you can have your goods moved around the world through an online shipment platform.
The invaluable knowledge and expertise that an online freight forwarding platform can bring to your firm will ensure that you are aware of all of the options and services that can be utilized (sea, road, air, rail). If you are looking to expand to overseas markets, they will work with you to figure out how to find the best combination for you and to map out the first few steps towards world domination.
More than just that, they should also offer quality supply chain value-added services (such as documentation, shipment tracking, and cargo insurance) which can make it a lot less daunting to get started.
How does your firm currently deal with international shipping? Have you started working with an online freight forwarding service? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments below!
AUTHOR BIO
Toby Edwards is the CEO of Shipa Freight and is based in Dubai. Shipa Freight is a new online platform powered by Agility that makes it easy to get air and ocean freight quotes, book, pay and track shipments online. Shipa Freight empowers small and medium-size businesses, taking the complexity out of International Freight Forwarding, making it easy to manage legal, regulatory and compliance issues, and offering convenient ways to pay to move their goods.
