QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN SELECTING FREIGHT FORWARDING
How quickly will your system allow us to set up new customers , and how easy is it to on-board them ? Find out if your operational staff can be easily trained to do this , for example , by configuring / re-configuring workflows or if the process is more complicated – and thus more timeconsuming and expensive .
How will the system handle billing ? You want something that can handle the complete order-to-cash process . Most importantly , ask the vendor to give you a detailed breakdown of how the system handles cost and revenue allocation . Does it allow you to identify unprofitable customers and / or lanes ?
What degree of customer visibility will the solution enable ? Does the solution facilitate a dedicated web portal for each customer ( or multiple portals if required ), allowing customers to access shipment data and saving both you and the customer time and money by avoiding the need to process information manually and removing risk of error ?
How does the solution handle customs compliance ? Ask the vendor to detail whether the solution will interface directly with customs or do so via a customs service provider to ensure compliance with ALL of the countries you need . And how easy will it be to comply with the requirements of other countries in the future ?
17