Frank from Frankly, Forwarding, Inc. is celebrating the fifth anniversary of his freight forwarding company. He is sitting alone in his office on a Friday evening, with all of his staff have left for the weekend after commemorating this momentous day. He feels grateful for having such a great staff. “If it weren’t for them, who knows where I’d be”, Frank thinks to himself.  Yet, he can’t help to feel like he has not done enough for the company and his employees.

These thoughts give Frank enough cold chills to compel him to really analyze the state of his company. He begins to jot down some questions that he has put off answering. After some thought, he comes to the following conclusions:

“Frankly, Forwarding needs to begin searching for ways to differentiate itself. What about all of those great ideas that I had when I first started this business? If I don’t take a chance now, then when will I ever? “

“Our shipment coordinators and warehouse staff have been working with inadequate software all of this time. I have heard all of the complaints about our cargo software and all of the manual processes that we have to perform. I know that it is frustrating and that they deserve better. It also frustrates me to know that I am getting less productivity out of them than I know that is possible.”

“We shopped around for software when we first started the company. We were just starting back then, so simple software worked well. Since then, we have started working with clients in niche industries. We found that our software couldn’t adapt to the processes and data requirements of those industries. When we approached them about possible modifications to the software, they turned us away like all of the other times that we approached them with ideas and suggestions. It’s like they only listen to their bigger clients.”

 

We here at Potencia have heard Frank’s story numerous times. It’s the typical crossroads that every business owner encounters on the road to success. Logistics entrepreneurs often have to juggle the need for growth with the reality of today. The good news is that technology is advancing at a record pace. Technology that was once outside of a smaller company’s budget is now realistically affordable.

 

A Customized Logistics Software Solution

Frank has never considered building his own software solution because the idea always seemed far-fetched. He always believed that it was too expensive, and required too much of his time.

What Frank doesn’t know is  that advancements in technology have allowed software development to become easier and less costly than ever before. When coupled with a software development company that specializes in global logistics, the solutions to Frank’s challenges would only be a decision away – along with these potential benefits:

•  A Competitive Edge

We would equate building your own software solution to drawing on a blank canvass. The only limit is your imagination.

Frank has long wanted to implement his unique ideas into his business. He also needs to provide his niche clients with a customized experience. With a customized solution and team of developers with experience in global logistics, he can have built the solution he needs today, and be able to adapt to tomorrow’s needs.

• Improved Operations:

Owning your own software solution means that you can dictate your operational process to the software and not the other way around.

Not only will this allow Frank to streamline his operations, he can also add those features that employees have long been asking for. Working with a team of experienced logistics professionals would help Frank refine his vision and apply it to his software solution.

Ability to Scale

The problem with Frank’s off-the-shelf software is that it is rigid.

Since these solutions are sold to the masses, their products and services tend to be limited to a target audience. This inflexibility has made it hard for Frank to take advantage of opportunities. A customized global logistics solution would allow Frankly Forwarding to become a dynamic service provider – jumping on new opportunities when they arise and adapting to changes in the market.