In the fast-paced world of freight brokerage, staying ahead of the competition requires having a future-proof tech stack. By leveraging reliable connectivity and building strong partnerships, brokers can streamline their operations, improve customer services, and enhance efficiency. In this blog post, we’re recapping a recent roundtable with leaders from Cargo Chief, Highway, 3PL Systems, and bitFreighter as they discussed the importance of building a future-proof tech stack that is adaptable, customer-centric, and built for success.
Reliable Connectivity: Meeting Customers Where They Want to Be
One of the key aspects of building a future-proof tech stack for your freight brokerage is ensuring reliable connectivity. By leveraging technology and automation, logistics service providers (LSPs) can significantly improve their operations and provide better services to their customers. However, it is crucial to remember that automation alone cannot replace the human element in the freight brokerage industry.
Building trust with carriers and understanding their unique needs enables brokers to provide a higher level of service. Automation should be aimed at simplifying processes, reducing cognitive load, and enabling brokers to focus on building meaningful relationships with their customers.
Michael Caney, VP at Highway, highlights the importance of listening to customers and meeting them where they want to be.
Customer-Centric Approach: Collaboration and Community-Driven Experience
As technology continues to advance, it is essential for brokers to adopt a customer-centric approach. This means actively collaborating with partners and industry peers to solve common problems and improve services collectively.
By building an ecosystem of reliable partners, brokers can leverage their expertise and unique solutions to enhance their own offerings. Creating a community-driven experience fosters collaboration, cross-conversation, and the sharing of best practices. This collaborative approach not only benefits individual brokers but also helps drive the entire industry forward.
Cameron Robertson, CEO of 3PL Systems, a TMS provider, emphasizes the value of integrating with best-in-class partners who focus on what they do best.
Balancing Automation and the Human Element: Protecting Your Investment
When building a tech stack, it is crucial to strike the right balance between automation and the human element. Brad Perling, CEO of bitFreighter, who understands the challenges from the integration side, highlights the importance of people working together and being willing to collaborate. While automation can streamline processes and improve efficiency, it is the human touch that builds lasting relationships and drives customer satisfaction.
Balancing automation with the human element is especially critical for tasks that require negotiation, relationship-building, and problem-solving. Automation should free up brokers’ time so they can focus on these valuable tasks, rather than inundating them with more administrative work. The goal is to protect your business investment by enabling your team to leverage technology without compromising the personal touch that differentiates their services.
Future-Proofing Your Tech Stack: Adaptability and Flexibility
To future-proof your tech stack, brokers must prioritize adaptability and flexibility. Collaboration and partnerships play a vital role in this process. Freight brokerages need to leverage the expertise of best-in-class tech providers to enhance their service offerings and stay ahead of the competition. By constantly evaluating and integrating solutions that truly meet your requirements, you can rest assured that your tech stack will exceed expectations and provide ongoing value to your operations.
