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11/15/2023

How Digital Freight Forwarding Optimizes Your Shipping

Digital freight forwarding is revolutionizing the online shipping experience. Discover how you can take advantage in a rapidly changing industry.

In today's global marketplace, freight shippers face multiple challenges—from navigating complex supply chains to meeting constantly changing customer demands. Fortunately, shippers have a powerful ally: Digital freight forwarding. Digital freight forwarding provides many benefits that are transforming the shipping experience, particularly across global ocean freight and international air freight.

 

We'll explore how digitization is reshaping the freight forwarding industry, and explain how that can optimize your freight shipping.

Key takeaways

 

  • Digital freight forwarding provides real-time visibility and control over all aspects of your shipments
  • Digital freight forwarding typically takes place through a software platform that can integrate and present data from multiple stakeholders and systems
  • A freight forwarding platform helps you to optimize costs, deal with disruptions, and collaborate with others
  • Digitization gives you a competitive advantage in freight forwarding and helps you to boost profits

Streamline operations for freight shippers

Digital freight forwarding maximizes shipping efficiency. Shippers no longer need to grapple with time-consuming paperwork, endless emails, or fragmented communications. Online freight forwarding platforms combine automated processes with an intuitive interface that makes it quick and easy to manage your shipments.

 

You can seamlessly book, monitor, and manage shipments, all from a single interface. Streamlining your operations saves you precious time and resources. You can focus on core business activities, strategic decision-making, and delighting your customers. Digital freight forwarding simplifies complex logistics tasks, making them more accessible and manageable for businesses of all sizes. 

Instant digital air and ocean freight quotes

Get real-time freight visibility and control

One of the biggest advantages for freight shippers is real-time visibility of your shipments through IoT tracking devices. Digital freight forwarding offers a comprehensive, end-to-end view of any cargo in transit, from its place of origin, throughout its international journey, to its destination.

 

You'll be able to track the location, timing, and other information about your cargo across air, land, and sea, and ensure everything is running smoothly. Shippers get unprecedented control over supply chains, enabling you to react swiftly to disruptions and make informed decisions.

 

This level of transparency reduces the risk of costly delays and enhances customer satisfaction. Shippers can proactively communicate with customers about the status of their shipments, improving overall service quality and building trust. 

Deal with freight disruptions and build resilience

Supply chain disruptions are a fact of life. A digital freight forwarding platform allows you to get early sight of potential problems and get contingencies in place. Digitization helps you build resilience. You can model various risks and scenarios, and build in continuity planning that lets you get your freight to its destination. 

Optimize costs through data-driven shipping insights

Digitization empowers shippers through data-driven insights that can drive substantial cost savings. Digital freight forwarding uses advanced analytics and artificial intelligence to provide deep insight into the supply chain. Shippers can identify trends, inefficiencies, and opportunities with their logistics. This means you can optimize routes, streamline inventory management, and minimize any waste.

 

Predictive analytics allows you to forecast and prepare for potential challenges. These might include capacity constraints, weather disruptions, or black-swan events. Modeling these scenarios lets you take action to mitigate risks and maintain smooth operations.

 

Digital freight forwarding allows you to make smart, strategic, and cost-effective decisions. 

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Enhance collaboration and communication across supply chain partners

Successful shipments rely on you being able to collaborate with other stakeholders from across your supply chain. Digital freight forwarding platforms allow you to easily communicate with your supply chain partners through instant messaging, document sharing, and progress tracking. This collaborative environment ensures that all stakeholders are on the same page, reducing misunderstandings and delays. 

Integrate across supply chain and freight forwarding systems

Suppliers, manufacturers, shippers, carriers, and others will all capture information about particular freight shipments. Digital freight forwarding consolidates this data together into one place, giving you "one view of the truth" across the supply chain. You'll be able to monitor your cargo throughout its journey and access detailed insights from multiple sources.

Identify supply chain partners who can meet your budget and freight forwarding needs

A digital freight forwarding platform isn't limited to just the logistics companies and freight forwarders you normally work with. Many platforms allow you to access a pool of service providers that allows you to find the most cost-effective and reliable solutions for your shipping needs.

Improve sustainability and reduce your freight shipping impact on the environment

As sustainability becomes increasingly important, digitization plays a central role in helping shippers reduce their environmental footprint. By optimizing routes, minimizing idle times, and maximizing load capacity, digital freight forwarding platforms can contribute to lower emissions and more sustainable shipping practices.

 

These platforms can help shippers to track and report on their sustainability efforts more effectively. This can help you meet your commitments to corporate social responsibility, and provides a competitive edge in a world where environmental responsibility is a growing concern.


Digital freight forwarding is reshaping the shipping industry and providing shippers with significant benefits. From streamlining operations and enhancing visibility to optimizing costs and promoting sustainability, digitization offers shippers a host of advantages that empower them to thrive in an ever-evolving global marketplace. As technology continues to advance, shippers who embrace digital solutions are positioning themselves for greater success and resilience in the logistics landscape.

Frequently asked questions about freight forwarding and shipping

Real-time visibility is achieved through Internet of Things (IoT) technology. IoT devices are attached to your cargo and shipping containers and provide constant updates on the location of your products. This is matched with carrier data to ensure your shipments are moving smoothly through the supply chain. Some IoT devices can also measure other important information about your cargo, such as its condition.

Yes, a freight forwarding software platform will store all of your documents in once place. You'll be able to collect, review, collate, share, and manage all of your shipment documentation from one portal, ensuring you aways have the latest data.

Freight forwarding platforms out you in control. You can quickly adapt to changing supply chain circumstances, customize your shipping needs, and understand what's happening at every stage of your shipment.  

You can reduce expenses in several ways: 

  • Get quotes from multiple suppliers so you can choose options that balance cost, speed, and other requirements
  • Give you more visibility and control so you can avoid costly delays and disruptions
  • Let you automate low-value tasks so you can focus your team on revenue-generating activities

How GEODIS can help

GEODIS is one of the biggest freight forwarding providers in the U.S. and around the world. Here's what you can expect when you forward :

 

  • Discover a trusted freight network of carriers to and from the U.S. and around the world
  • Forward your air freight with a range of cost-effective services
  • Take care of your ocean freight with our worldwide network
  • Get access to a wide and deep transport network in the U.S. 
  • Access our IRIS digital freight forwarding platform to track and manage your shipments
  • Expect the highest standards of freight operations and control
  • Leverage our team’s industry knowledge to meet your exact freight needs
  • Integrate with GEODIS customs brokerage, drayage, transportation, warehousing, and other logistics services 
  • Optimize your supply chain with leading freight management technology
     

GEODIS manages millions of shipments a month, and we’re trusted with more than $3 billion dollars of freight value every year. Get in touch to find out how we can help you. 

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