Nine times out of ten, technology can help solve supply chain issues.
Don’t know where your containers are? Track them with data from a real-time transportation visibility provider (RTTVP). Tired of sending hundreds of emails when booking and quoting freight? Digitize your systems so customers can book digitally. Unable to keep up with hours of manual data entry? Integrate your data directly into your TMS or WMS to save time and effort. The list goes on.
But technology isn’t always the immediate answer to everyone’s problems.
Take this story:
A furniture shipper is incurring millions of dollars in demurrage and storage costs annually. The shipper approaches my team about integrating ETAs directly into their operating system. We can certainly leverage our connected network and get that data integrated wherever. But does that solve this shipper's problem?
No.
Our integration platform can't fix bad ETAs. Instead, we took the time to think through their real issues and share advice on what could be done. In this case, we had an idea on how they could solve their immediate problem.
Unfortunately, helping them move bad data around the org wasn’t gonna do it. Instead, we recommended they start with good visibility data and then let us help move it, push it, and get it where it needs to go.
Partners, Not Vendors
For many software vendors and logistics companies, they offer a product or service, like the ability to track your shipments or create online bookings. The relationship is mostly transactional. You pay them for their service or product, and they provide it to you.
If you want to really stand out as a true partner, for current and prospective clients, offering value beyond your service or product is essential. In this recent example, we shared our industry knowledge and referred them to our partners that could help fix their bad ETAs, and we built stronger relationships in the process.
Our Advice for Building True Partnerships
You have to listen to your existing and prospective clients’ concerns, share advice and connections that could help them solve their problems, and you will likely earn customer loyalty or consideration for the next project.
During a time of major supply chain disruptions and great demand to digitize operations, being a true partner to those in your network will set you apart and even benefit your business in the long run. Learn more about becoming a trusted partner for your network.
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