July/Aug 2005

The ability to track and trace products on international journeys and notify customers of problems are among the top priorities for the freight forwarding industry, according to a new survey by Transport Intelligence.

The Global Freight Forwarding 2005 report says that after reliability, forwarders rate the ability to alert shippers of transit problems as their main priority, and providing supply-chain visibility (often part of the same process) as the next priority.

Users seem to agree; in a separate survey or shippers, the organisation has found that they cite exactly the same three priorities: proactive problem notification, reliability and track and trace capabilities, if not in the same order.

The report adds: 'The capacity to plan production schedules around reliable inbound logistics, along with the ability to anticipate problems of supply through proactive notification and exception reporting, offers far more potential benefits than a narrow focus on international freight rates alone.'

 

The full report, which ranges over many other issues, costs £695.