Ocean freight forwarder software is helping freight forwarders’ profits soar. By automating once laborious tasks, companies eliminate the need for telephone bookings, dispatch and paperwork. Before ocean freight forwarder software, employees were forced to spend hours on the phone each day comparing rates and prices. Now they can upload contracted rates into their software systems and automate most of the process. The increased efficiencies go right to the bottom line.

What are the benefits of ocean freight forwarder software?

If you are interested in boosting productivity, providing superior customer service and cutting costs, ocean freight forwarder software provides the means. Here are the key benefits of these affordable systems.

Saves time

In previous eras, freight forwarder company employees spent copious amounts of time booking orders, requesting quotes, tracking quotes and comparing and contrasting offers. By fully automating these processes, ocean freight software frees staff from these tedious and repetitive tasks. They can now focus on customer service, business development and operational improvements. Employee concentration can be on developing business and superior processes rather than routine tasks that are more efficiently completed through automation.

Real-time tracking

Tracking freight was a laborious and inexact process before freight forwarder software. When reliant on telephone calls, knowing precisely where freight is at a certain time is impossible. By employing the software, the location and status of each piece of freight can be seen on a real-time visual display. The display shows which shipments are on time and provides alerts for those that are behind schedule. This allows freight forwarders to intervene when shipments go awry and provide superior customer service.

Customer service

Sometimes customers need to know the exact status of their freight, and ocean freight forwarder software makes it easy to provide this information. The software can even integrate with the customer’s, allowing them to track their own shipments. Your staff, rather than monitoring shipments, can focus on higher priority tasks, such as getting shipments through customs quickly. Customer service personnel have the ability to input shipments and pickups by a route ID, and freight forwarders can dispatch drivers between any service points.

Saves time by automating recurring dispatches

With ocean freight forwarder software, there is no need to manually track dispatch requests and recurring dispatch orders. All recurring orders are automatically stored, ensuring that drivers are accurately dispatched every time. Online dispatch is also available.

Automatic bill entry

Manual data entry comes with a labor cost that ocean freight forwarder software can eliminate, boosting freight forwarders’ profits. Automatic bill entry generates all types of bills, which are stored in the system, reducing the need for paper files and securing bills against being lost or damaged.

Metrics that boost profits

Today’s competitive marketplace requires increased efficiencies to keep prices in line. Ocean freight forwarder software provides built-in metrics programs that help pinpoint areas where processes can be improved. These programs are user friendly. They allow management to run various reports that show financial data for specific areas, such as labor costs. Reports can encompass the overall operation or drill down on specific areas. They can also show how different ends of the company coordinate and where money is going. A bottom-line ROI shows profitability and provides clues on how to enhance it.

Accounting integration

Freight forwarder software integrates easily with accounting software. Accounting departments appreciate this capability because they are able to access all financial data without switching back and forth between systems. Accounting can integrate many functions, including invoicing, accounts payable, payroll, vehicle maintenance, driver settlement logs and claims.

Access segmentation

A fully integrated freight forwarder software system contains vast amounts of data. By segmenting access to parts of the system according to job title, private information can be secured, and users have an easier time navigating. For example, upper management needs access to high-level, company wide data and department managers need access to their department’s data.

New technology continues to drive change across all industries. Ocean freight forwarding provides no exception. The old days of managing paper files, making numerous phone calls and struggling to find out where shipments are located are a thing of the past. Ocean freight forwarding software makes it easy to track shipments, respond to contingencies and create the efficiencies that boost ROI. Today’s business world moves like a supersonic jet. Ocean freight forwarders need the software that keeps pace with the supersonic evolution of technology.

CSA Software offers freight management software services for over 35 years! Our Cloud-based freight forwarding software is efficient enough for use with the smallest of transportation companies – however comprehensive enough for the most advanced multi-office, global organizations. Our Freight Forwarding Software Services include a wide range of advantages including freight forwarder software tools, accounting for freight forwarders, air freight, LTL, warehouse management software and more. Call us at 734-953-5600 and schedule your Free Demo!