Freight forwarders and customs brokers who were earlier averse to invest in technology realised the need for digital transformation and the requirement to run their business from anywhere using integrated Cloud ERP software like Logi-Sys. Amit Maheshwari, CEO & MD, Softlink Global shares the details.
The pandemic not only pushed the global supply chains and the logistics companies to be resilient, but for the freight forwarders and customs brokers too it was time to rework processes and business models. The first step towards building resilience in their business was to create KPIs like agility, visibility, collaboration, transparency, and contingency planning. At this point, well-designed ERPs like Logi-Sys came to their rescue.
Amit Maheshwari, CEO & MD, Softlink Global, explains, “When the world was shut down, logistics service providers who had already implemented Cloud ERP software, Logi-Sys, continued to manage their end-to-end operations accurately and efficiently.
The COVID-19 crisis reinforced the need for a digital transformation to rapidly shift to more digital and remote ways of working, collaborating, controlling, managing operations, and so forth. The freight forwarders have understood the importance of digital collaboration to help them run their business from anywhere using integrated Cloud ERP software like Logi-Sys. Digital collaboration is required to integrate and bring all the available data across ports, customs, carriers, shippers, consignees, warehouses, and other stakeholders to eliminate redundancy.”
It is not only the freight forwarders and the logistics service providers who are realising the need of digitisation, shippers too are pushing hard for the same. Adds Maheshwari, “Shippers are increasingly creating pressure on their logistics service providers to reduce turnaround time and provide transparency. Freight forwarders and customer brokers have no choice but to explore ways to increase operational efficiency to reduce the turnaround time and provide real-time visibility to give a better customer experience to retain their consumers.
The pandemic made shippers realise how important it is that their freight forwarders and customs brokers are technologically upgraded. Shippers learned the hard way that the logistics service providers are critical for creating supply chains that are resilient, agile, optimised, and future-ready. Using the right technology became more and more a ‘must’ for freight forwarders and customs brokers to remain relevant and meet their customers’ ever-changing expectations.”
