A strong partnership with a reliable freight forwarder is among the most powerful advantages for business. Nothing builds loyalty more than good customer relations. And when you have a reputation for offering competitive rates and delivering on time, you will quickly build a reputation as a preferred provider in your niche.
No matter what kind of business you’re in—whether you’re an ecommerce company, an auto parts manufacturer, or a small business doing drop-shipping—we’ve got a few tips that can help.
Five Top Tips to Improve Your Freight Forwarding Processes
These five simple steps are foundational steps to improving your freight forwarding process. Implement them successfully, and you’ll be that much closer to dominating your market in 2023.
1. Plan Well
Going into anything without a plan is a recipe for failure. Before establishing a relationship with a freight forwarder, you should know what success looks like. You need to be able to articulate your expectations as to the service level and costs you expect, as these items will impact your bottom line and, ultimately, customer satisfaction.
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2. Clearly Establish Stakeholder Roles and Responsibilities
Building on the previous point, the more transparent your processes are, the less uncertainty you’ll have to deal with. Do not assume anything, as doing so often leads to crossed signals, missed opportunities, and increased costs. Standard operating procedures must be in place to ensure consistency. You can avoid unnecessary misunderstandings when all stakeholders know who is responsible for what.
3. Choose a Trusted Freight Forwarder to Partner With
Consistency is the hallmark of a successful business. Once you identify a reliable freight forwarder to partner with, be sure to sign an agreement to outline expectations from both parties and solidify the relationship. A long-term contract helps you lock in better rates, mitigates market fluctuations, and reduces risk.
4. Monitor Performance of all Processes as a Team
Establish and define key performance indicators (KPIs) and monitor them frequently to identify areas that can be improved. When all parties know their performance is under scrutiny, it encourages attention to detail and ensures nothing slips through the cracks.
5. Maintain Transparency and Consistency in Communication
Communication is critical in logistics. Today’s supply chain is many-layered and requires input from multiple stakeholders. Transparency, responsiveness, and consistency are essential to ensure the best possible outcome.
How DTS Helps
DTS World Cargo is a trusted freight forwarder with global reach. We are well-known in the business for the quality of our services and willingness to go the extra mile to ensure our customers’ success. Our value-added freight forwarding services include international transportation, customs clearance and documentation, trucking, short-term storage, and so much more.
As a business owner, you could engage multiple partners to access all these services; that’s your prerogative. However, working with a single provider that offers all the services you need under one umbrella makes life simpler, more cost-effective, and less stressful. Let DTS take care of your logistics so you can focus on what you do best.
