With smartphones, tablets and laptops the world is increasingly electronically switched on and connected. These devices give us access to a wealth of information and services, not least through a dizzying array of App’s designed to make our lives easier. You can do your grocery shopping, pay your household bills, book flights and play games all from the comfort of your armchair.
But is an App the answer to everything? Is the simplicity it promises suitable to the complexity of, for example, international trade and freight forwarding?
Sending an envelope of documents via courier from China to the UK is one thing, but a container of books, garments or electronics, for example, is another matter altogether. Linking the supply chain can be challenging, with each link a moving and multi-layered target.
Is there an algorithm capable of understanding and adapting to changing circumstances, human interventions or events of nature? The supplier’s packing specifications change, a Customs officer questions the information shown on documents or there’s a tropical storm somewhere en-route. The simple answer is no. You don’t expect a surgeon to take on a complicated procedure with a single clean sharp blade. You expect them to have an array of instruments and a support team of experts on hand to tackle all eventualities, seen and unseen.
Is a single App going to tell you how to complete the Customs’ documents? Advise you on insurance? Arrange for suitable packaging? Tell you how many cartons you can load into a container? Re-arrange delivery when the booked truck breaks down?
Knowledge, experience and agility across a broad horizon combine to build a seamless end to end solution. This is what human, not electronic, freight forwarders provide. They connect, assist, advise and facilitate all parties and processes, with a flexible and holistic view. There’s a place for on-line information and assistive app’s, but only within the real world of personal interaction.
To discover the added value of using a global freight forwarder please contact the Seaspace International team today and notice the difference we can make to your international trade and shipping experience.