When it comes to freight forwarding, domestic dilemmas are only a small piece of a global equation. Much of our daily stress arises when navigating the shipping regulations of countless international territories. From customs to border rules, keeping everything straight while keeping all the plates spinning can feel like an uphill battle. Luckily, time is on our side, and in 2022, more solutions are available to us than just a sticky notes pad and the reliability of human memory.
So how can freight forwarding software help with customs and international shipping?
Beyond a fancy tool for project management, the best software available to freight forwarders streamlines international shipping by automating busy work and providing real-time updates on everything from pricing to ever-changing custom regulations and delivery delays. Here’s a full breakdown of reasons freight forwarding software is a must for those dwelling in international waters.
Automation
Part of the international arm means adhering to global trade policies, absurd amounts of export and customs reporting documentation, and time-sucking on-the-fly carrier consolidation. When you’re a high-volume shipper, there are simply not enough hours in the day to manage all of it. Luckily, freight software automates tasks like tracking trade compliance which streamlines shipments and eliminates the risk of costly human error.
Not to mention, while minor, an error like incomplete documentation or license mistakes can hold up shipments and cost your customer their cargo. The best software automates all documentation, saving you precious time and ensuring that all custom and export reporting is accurate.
Finally, if you’re looking to consolidate shipments with a global multi-carrier solution to reduce costs, you can manage on-the-fly consolidation with a great multi-carrier software. And because selecting carriers is complicated and time-consuming, the best software provides an automated routing guide, applying your business rules to automatically choose the best carrier for the shipments in question.
Easy Access
Speaking of automation, enjoy information at your fingertips with a software system that provides real-time updates on unanticipated global costs and changes to rating rules. Tracking down potential updates or worse yet, failing to realize an international cost update before it’s too late, can slow down your day and derail efficiency. Great software alerts you to all important price and regulation updates so you can focus on big-picture strategy and let your cloud-based employee handle the busy work.
And if you’re itching to leverage multiple carriers to save costs in the first place, but are worried about leaving the responsibility of managing carrier standards up to multiple, at times unfamiliar, vendors, consider software an excuse to take the plunge and save on carrier costs.
Transparency
While international shipping and customs regulations are the epitome of complexity, we’re going back to the basics with customer service. Because software isn’t just for the freight forwarder. We all know that shipping can change in the blink of an eye. Tracking cargo for customers is an antiquated time waste, especially with unexpected changes derailing shipments across the globe in real-time.
Providing customers with access to a transportation logistics dashboard that tracks their shipments eliminates frequent cargo questions and puts customers at ease. Whether their shipments are traveling by air, ocean, or land, the best dashboards have their peace-of-mind covered. Ultimately, with transparency comes loyalty, and there’s nothing more transparent than an interface with real-time updates and a freight manager on the other end who can utilize that same dashboard for effective and immediate advice.
Summary
In an industry that demands extraordinary attention to detail, you need every ally on your side to prevent human error and keep workflow efficient. When every mistake counts, the last thing you need is something as minor as incomplete documentation delaying a major international shipment. Luckily, freight forwarding software has you covered, no matter which corner of the globe your cargo is traveling to.
Suit your business’ needs
Streamline your import and export process with efficiency, transparency, and compliance with a customized transportation management system from CSA Software. Everything you need is offered through a full suite of freight forwarder software products. They include domestic, international, warehouse and accounting operations. For more than 35 years, our cloud-based software has been a top choice for freight forwarders, air cargo, ocean freight, air freight operations, and more around the world. Minimize error, save time and normalize your shipments from the starting point. Call for your Free Software Demo today!