AIR CARGO SOFTWARE TO INCREASE SALES FOR CARGO TRENDS
Matthieu PETOT, CEO of CargoAi
1. What is currently missing in the air cargo industry world that prevents players from increasing their sales?
There are a few elements which we have identified for which we are providing solutions. In general, these elements currently take more work hours to complete manually than they do through automation. When those elements can be digitized, the workforce can be upskilled to add value to the service element of the business, leading to increased revenue.
The key bottleneck that we have identified, and are solving, is the time taken to complete workflows that can be automated. We have found that forwarders are making several emails or calls of the same nature (asking for space and quotes) for the same 100kg of cargo. Paying one’s workforce to do a process that can be automated is a sure way to increase sales as the workforce is freed up to add value to the business by providing faster response time (using the results from the automated solutions), and by focusing on customer service, which helps foster customer loyalty, and ultimately increases sales.
Efficient storage of data to make projections also needs to be factored into decision-making to ensure that strategies remain sound and future-proof. Business strategies based on reliable data, will help companies increase revenues and sales. The readiness of data availability also needs to be highlighted. With quick access to data, companies can pivot quickly to make critical decisions based on external influences, and reduce risk/costs and/or increase revenue.
Finally, when a technological solution is adopted, more often than not, it is not an end-to-end application that can be used by all stakeholders in the company (IT teams, business teams, procurement, revenue management, export or import managers, inside sales colleagues, etc). There are often multiple programs or systems for different departments to retrieve the same data or workflows, leading to a time-consuming process of “converting” the information from one department to the next to make it usable and relevant.
2. How can software programs fill this void?
Digitization and technology don’t necessarily “fill the void” since processes can be done manually. Rather, they improve the way processes can be sped up while maintaining the accuracy and reliability of the results.
3. Why is this important to freight forwards booking air freight and their customers?
By drawing on the same platform or interface to obtain data in a readable format across all business units (i.e. speaking the same language), organizations gain efficiency to allow for better customer service and retention, improved decision making and robust strategizing.
Digitization helps employees redirect their focus on tasks that bring greater value. When employees identify with the greater value they are bringing to their clients, including when they are recognized for their efforts, the customer satisfaction is at a high.
4. What are the challenges to implementing a program?
At its core, every organization has the human factor as the driver or blocker of the future. Naturally, resistance to change is the key challenge with the human element that comes through when implementing any new technology. The current processes, for which we are providing solutions, are still functional, so there is always the mindset that change is unnecessary and unwelcome. There is also the misconception that new technologies, specifically legacy solutions, are hard to use and adopt, and more so because humans are naturally programmed to cherish habits.
5. Specifically what does your company offer in this regard?
From the beginning, CargoAi has always put its clients first. In all our product iterations, our foremost priorities are to maintain an intuitive design for both the front-end user and the back-end integration. This applies to both our marketplace solution and our API Suite. All our solutions are designed to be easy to use and integrate into existing organizational processes.
In addition, our remote-first mindset has enabled us to hire diverse individuals across the globe and from different segments of the industry. This gives us two key benefits: culturally, we are able to build strong business connections with forwarders or airlines when conversing with them about integrations or improvements to be made – understanding local nuances and human factors is key for every company and industry. Secondly, having experienced industry players on our team ensures access to a wealth of knowledge when developing the solutions we want to deliver to the market. This, combined with tech experts within the team and the fact that we are part of CargoTech, allows us to develop efficient and reliable solutions that cater precisely to customer and market needs.