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The world is ever-changing and advancing. We see advancement in every field and with the ongoing pandemic, these advancements are becoming more and more effective and necessary. One of the biggest advances we have seen because of the pandemic is the digitalization of multiple businesses and organizations. 

Digitalization is the conversion of everything that was formerly in-person to digital, or more precisely, to a computer screen. With the advent of coronavirus in December of 2019, it moved from an epidemic to a pandemic causing the entire world to more or less go digital. Companies and businesses were especially affected by the coronavirus. Many small businesses were affected so much that they had to shut down because the profit was not as much as the spending. The companies and businesses that did survive did so by the help of digitalization. Digitalization became one of the biggest resources in helping companies get through the pandemic and still maintain quality.

The role of digitalization in business growth is immense. Having had to go remote during the pandemic would not have been possible without the digitalization of technology. 

So, how did digitalization impact the freight forwarding businesses? 

Freight forwarding is essentially a growing field. And with the world continuously advancing, it is only right that the field of freight should also be further developed. Going digital is one of the important ways moving forward and thus, freight forwarding should also be digitized. 

What is Freight Forwarding?

Freight forwarding is the art of organizing shipment for a person or a company. It is taking the goods and valuables of someone and then safely having that delivered to another location. Freight forwarding companies are not responsible for the shipping itself but utilise their contacts in the shipping industry to ship products nationally and worldwide. 

Thus, a freight forwarder is an intermediate step in the process of shipment. Freight forwarding is beneficial and has tons of benefits for a company or an individual. 

You can find more on the benefits of freight forwarding in the article below:

Digital Freight Forwarding:

It is no doubt we are well and underway into the world of digitalization. Freight forwarding is another aspect of our lives that is soon to and/or has become digitized. Digital freight forwarding is one step into the future. With the coronavirus spreading throughout the world, digitalization is slowly becoming the new normal and with many companies declaring to work remotely from future onwards even after everything gets back to normal, it is no doubt that if freight forwarding wants to stay relevant in the future, it too, has to become digitized. 

As technology evolves, the main aim of any resource is to provide comfort to the user. The more that a technology makes a user’s work easier, the more it is preferred. The same is the case with freight forwarding. The digitalization of freight forwarding will not be beneficent to the user but also the provider. How so? Below, we have listed down some of the biggest advantages of a digitized freight forwarding plan. 

Benefits of Digital Freight Forwarding:

• Reduction In Errors:

Humans are prone to error. There is no doubt about that. Human error is likely to increase the likelihood of errors leading up to the actual delivery and working. A freight forwarding company thrives on the efficiency of working so with the increase in errors caused by humans, this hugely puts a setback into the working and maintaining of a freight forwarding company. 

It is thus, a very good alternative to look into a digitalized freight forwarding plan and system. Automation is likely to make fewer mistakes than a human being would so the use of a digital system will provide greater efficiency. A human can make a silly error but with a machine, this margin of error reduces to a negligible point. 

There are also many cases where the customer can also be at fault. There are times when a customer provides incomplete or improper information. With the help of a digital system, this problem can be drastically reduced to ensure the proper functioning and working.

• Improved And Updated Tracking System:

One of the many benefits of a digitalized freight forwarding business plan is that it allows room for a very well and up-to-date tracking system. There is a lot of competition in the freight forwarding business. So, what you need to stand out among others is a plan which will ensure that it is the best possible solution for a buyer. A digital tracking system is more efficient and can provide better and faster results than a human being.

As a customer, the most important thing that they are likely to worry about is if the products they are shipping will be delivered properly or not. And with the unpredictability of the weather and other unforeseen circumstances, a customer will likely worry a lot. But with an improved and high-quality tracking system, this won’t be a problem.

Your tracking system will become a huge asset when you sell your services and with a digitalized system, a customer is likely to believe in the credibility of your services. 

• Improved System of Documentation and Compilation:

One of the most important things for a freight forwarding company is documentation and their safekeeping. 

As a freight forwarder, you would know how important it is to store your documents properly and be able to access them whenever needed. This is why a digitalized system is very useful because it can effectively keep your data accounted for. Data safety is no doubt one of the most important features when running a business. It is not possible to have your documents completely secured and well protected without online documentation.

Another very important thing for a freight forwarder is the compilation of data. With the number of sales and deals increasing, you would need an effective system for the compilation of data so that no useful piece of information gets lost in the process. This is where a digitalized system would be very useful and valuable. A digitalized system would keep track of your data and keep it safe for you to access whenever you need it.

• Better Reach:

We are living in an age of digitalization. Everyone is on their phones, laptops, and just in front of a digital screen. 

With a digitalized freight forwarding system, you will be able to acquire more customers and have a better reach than you would otherwise. It is possible that through a digitalized system, you would be able to get more orders in less time than before. This would drastically improve your chances of developing an edge in comparison to your competitors in the same marker.

With a digitalized freight forwarding system, not only would you be able to get better reach for customers but also establish new relationships with shipment companies. This would, in turn, help you in gaining valuable and trustworthy clients. 

Anyone who hires you would need some sense of security from your end and with well known and established corporations working with you, you are more likely to get hired for the job.

• Integration with Different Platforms:

Freight forwarding is very vast and substantial. There are many ways the process of shipment is carried out such as air and water shipments. 

With the use of a digital freight forwarding system, this is another hurdle which can be accessed and done so properly. A digitalized freight forwarding system is very helpful in establishing good integration between different platforms and provides more room and access to the workers. 

With the help of integration between platforms, the need to depend on people is further reduced. This would also enable faster freight forwarding helping in saving a lot of the valuable time. 

• Improvement in Customer Experience:

As a seller, your main priority is that your customers are 100% satisfied with what you are providing them. This is one of the reasons why a digital freight forwarding system is very useful and helpful. Most up and coming freight forwarding companies are taking advantage of this digitized system to get ahead in the game. Which is why the old ones mustn’t stay in the past but grow as the world around them is growing. 

People are more likely to select you and work with you for long projects if you can provide extra-fast and updated customer experience. They are even likely to recommend you if the services you provide not only meet the standard but also exceed it.

• Improved Values and Standards:

As we go further into a world of digitalization, everything starts to change and somethings for the better. When it comes to freight forwarding, digitalization is the way to the future. 

A digitalized freight forwarding system is only going to set the bar higher and with the old traditional companies opting not to go digital, they will be at a potential loss. 

Freight forwarding can greatly benefit from a digitalized system because it helps in creating an improved set of values and increases the standards of the system itself.

• Growth and Diversification:

We live in a constantly changing and growing world. Growth has become a part of our daily lives. So is the case with freight forwarding. 

Freight forwarding, although late, but is well underway into the world of digitalization.

A digitalized freight forwarding system provides room for growth and further diversification in the system. It is thus, very necessary for freight forwarding businesses to adopt this new style to stay updated with the rest of the world. Your freight forwarding business will see new changes and grow over long distances with the help of a digitalized system. It is thus, very important that you consider a digitalized freight forwarding plan for your company.

• Sense of Security:

One of the biggest issues that stop older companies from adopting a digitalized freight forwarding system plan is the loss of sense of security. 

This is somewhat of a myth. There is no doubt that with a digitalized freight forwarding system you are likely to see some issues with cybersecurity but there is a solution for that. You can always hire a good IT staff to help to keep your company safe from computational threats. This will not only give you the sense of security that you need to help you get your foot in the digital world of freight forwarding but will also help you understand and appreciate the benefits of security that digitized freight forwarding systems provide.

It is no doubt that a digitized freight forwarding system is the way to the future for freight forwarding businesses. There are many reasons why companies are still hesitant to take up this new style of freight forwarding. Some of this reason include the cybersecurity issues and threats which might arise in the system. Hackers can steal data from your systems and manipulate it. And other such threats are likely to make people stick to the old way of freight forwarding.

This, however, should not be the case. Freight forwarding is a growing field and needs to be updated with the rest of the world. We live in a world which is constantly evolving, so staying stuck in your comfort will only damper your success and future growth. This is why companies need to get into the world of digitalization and make their plans clean cut. With the coronavirus spreading throughout the world, the need to convert your freight forwarding business digital-only becomes even more necessary and essential for growth and development.

It is always up to you to decide how you want to run your company but with the world evolving it is very important that you do so as well and with the help of a few good investments in the IT sector, your digital freight forwarding company will only ensure success in the future.