The evolution of technology in logistics industry

Implementing technology innovations is creating a big movement among industries, especially in the logistics sector. 

But, is every logistics and forwarder agent adapting to these changes? 

Do all logistics and freight forwarder agents see the evolution of technology as a real improvement to their company?

The evolution of technology in logistics

As we know, working in the logistics industry involves a lot of heavy work, and technology is a great ally to help improve and optimize the job. 

For the past five years, technology has evolved in areas like artificial intelligence, automation, and database analysis, to name a few. 

With all this evolution, some logistics companies held on to it and started to grow and improve their business.

However, the number of people who are engaged in the forwarder and logistic industry evolution is still low compared to what technology has to offer.

Some tools offered by technology shouldn’t be a matter of question in a freight forwarding company.

For example, having a good website is one of the main contacts that any company will have with yours.

We are living the evolution of technology in logistics and forwarding business.

Therefore we need to use it in our favor to bring efficiency and optimization to the processes inside the freight forwarder company.

Freight forwarder digitization

Although many forwarders are operating with minimum help from technology, the digital transformation in freight forwarding is getting forwarders around the world.

This is because freight forwarder digitization can bring to the companies.

Freight forwarder digitization refers to the process of implementing digital technologies within the operations of a forwarding company. 

Traditionally, freight forwarding has involved a lot of manual paperwork, phone calls, and physical documentation. 

However, with digitization, these processes are streamlined and automated using various digital tools and platforms.

According to Fundação Getúlio Vargas, at each 1% a company increases in its technology investments, the profit of the company in two years increases by 7%.

Other than that, there are other ways technology can help logistics and forwarder businesses to be more efficient.

Through technology, the job can get faster, easier, and optimized, which automatically leads to an increase in the business. 

Nevertheless, freight digitization is still a new and ongoing process.

That’s why forwarders must keep in mind that choosing to implement a digitalization process inside the company must make sense.

Besides that, it needs to be helpful to the workflow of your employees, your forwarder partners, and clients. 

Keep in mind that technology shouldn’t be an enemy, with technology you can save time and money.

Consequently, more profit and less work without losing the traditional side, but complementing it. 

It shouldn’t be about having to implement technology innovations in your forwarding company.

On the contrary, it should be about how technology can help you to improve one of the processes inside your forwarder.

Freight forwarder challenges that technology in logistics can solve

Technology plays a crucial role in addressing the complex challenges faced by freight forwarders in the logistics industry.

For example, one of the biggest challenges freight forwarders have been facing daily is finding qualified forwarder partners and forwarder partner management. 

Gladly technology is a big help to freight forwarders when it comes to these matters.

The use of technology in logistics can help forwarders recognize challenges, improving efficiency, transparency, and overall performance. 

Some of the key challenges that technology can help solve include:

Find qualified forwarder partners

As you know there are many ways to resort to finding forwarders to partner with, such as Google, logistics directories, and logistics networks, which can be time-consuming. 

However, with help from the advance of technology in logistics, there is a better option for you to find qualified partners in only a couple of clicks, and that is Parnity.

Parnity is an up-to-date digital logistics network optimized to meet the needs of today’s freight-forwarding industry.

With forwarder members in more than 75 different countries, at Parnity you can filter the searches by type of cargo, country, services, or company name.

Improve the visibility of your forwarder partners

Using new technology in the freight forwarding industry helps your forwarder company to have a better view of your partnerships.

Having your freight partners gathered in a single place leads you to make faster quotations and, therefore, faster decisions.

A great freight forwarder management system to help you with that is Parnity’s add-on feature:

• map your actual partners by quality, modal or region, etc;
• centralize all partnership information in one single place;
• let your team quote only selected partners, with incontestable credibility information;
• add notes to your forwarder partner’s board;
• share the board with the whole company.

Efficient connection with freight partners 

Gather your freight forwarder partner’s information in a single place, enables your whole team to have access to the communication between you and your partners.

Consequently, the communication will flow a lot better because you accelerate the process of closing a business. 

The connection flows better here once you don’t have to go back and forth with the many emails you exchange.

Multiple sales channel 

Another freight forwarder technology solution that will help you with your digitization process is the variety of options you have to increase your business opportunities.

For example, being part of forwarder directories, and digital logistics networks, having a good website, and being active on social media.

All of this helps you to improve the reach of your company and increase the chances of expanding sales.

Provide the best experience to your partners 

The more you provide a good experience to your freight forwarder partner the more likely it is for him to close a shipment with you. 

And that starts from the simplest of things, for example having a good website, a complete profile on the logistics networks, and forwarder directories you are part of.

This also increases the chances of your partner indicating you to others, and that is a win-win.

How Parnity can help you with freight forwarder digitization

Parnity is a digital logistics network updated to today’s freight forwarding market, and that means digitization!

Forwarders inside Parnity can exchange business with forwarders members from more than 75 countries that make up to 1,500 quotations per month.

Inside Parnity, our members have a complete profile with all the information forwarders need to send quotation requests.

Besides that, Parnity members quote only validated forwarders and can check all documents that went through our transparent validation process. 

This will allow you to speed up your quotation process. 

Forwarders can add quotations inside Parnity and answer other requests made by members. 

Not to mention that they can start a real-time chat to talk about business opportunities.

As mentioned above, you can also enjoy Parnity’s freight forwarder management system to manage your current partnerships.

Go digital

Technology indeed can bring many benefits to your freight forwarding company, however, you must bear in mind the best way to use it in your favor.

Check out the video below if you want to see the conversation we had with Sarah Barnes-Humphrey and her point of view on the evolution of technology in logistics.