A wise man once said that if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. The world around us is changing rapidly and companies struggle everyday to keep in sync with evolving customer demands. Long term planning and implementation are essential to ride the high waves of success. Typically, in the freight and logistics industry there are three types of customers.
The first kind, are the early adopters or trend setters. They are the aggressive, forward-thinking, market-driven players who are always on the lookout for cutting edge freight management software that will help them simplify their operations, streamline business and deliver a better customer experience. Such companies are often the 'game changers' in the logistics world and can redefine industry norms by offering better and differentiated service through IT systems. They have the vision to realise that a state-of-the-art freight management platform can directly impact their operations. They utilise the current recessionary and sluggish economic environment to improve and upgrade their systems enabling them to cut costs and bounce back stronger when the market picks up. Such companies set aside an IT upgradation budget every year along with an annual soft skills training program that allows them to seamlessly weave the new tools and skills into their day to day operations. These early adopters are eager to phase out or upgrade their old legacy systems and replace them with new 'feature rich' systems.
The second type of freight forwarding companies, follow the 'game changers' or market leaders. They follow a 'wait and watch' approach. Once the IT-oriented leaders of the pack have established their supremacy the ‘followers’ then struggle to keep pace by demanding and initiating similar upgraded freight management solutions.
The third is the conservative "if it's not broke, don’t fix it" philosophy. These companies are typically tied down to old legacy systems, even if it is slowing them down. Very often, they only decide to upgrade when their customers start demanding for better services or because a new feature set is absolutely required to get the job done. Sure, your day-to-day work will go on, but that kind of thinking is shortsighted and may leave you with fewer chances of a full and quick recovery on the rebound, when the market recovers from the slowdown. When the market is in full swing, competition is cut throat and companies which offer the most value addition, in terms of customer experience and breakthrough IT solutions, will grab the most market share.
Needless to say, that a proactive approach is always better than a reactive one. Logistics companies need to realise that constant upgradation of their freight management software is essential to stay at the top of their game. It is thus imperative to formulate a plan and timeline for upgradation. That's why a good software solutions provider like Softlink Global offers products with inbuilt 'scalability' options. Your vision for your company's growth must incorporate a long-term plan that takes into account future trends, growth and changes in the business environment and how that will affect your upgrade needs.
Upgrading your freight management system is vital to keep step with end customers, many of who have already adopted newer technology and are in turn insisting on integration from their logistics service providers. For instance, end customers are demanding for more services like online tracking, scheduler reports, mobile tracking, SMS and email alerts, MIS and business reporting. The question you need to ask is ‘am I, as a logistics service provider, geared up to offer these value additions to my customers?’
Upgrading to feature rich freight management software like Logi-Sys offers several benefits and adds value to your services. As a web-based application, it enables you to control costs at the same time increase your team’s productivity. Proactively upgrading your service offerings will delight your customers and enable you to offer a consistently high level of service.
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