Digitizing the Supply Chain: The Digital Container Booking Process
There is hardly any other process that demonstrates the advantages of digitizing the supply chain in container shipping as clearly as the container booking process. It has never been easier, more effective and faster to plan and commission the transportation of important goods and products on time and on budget as it is now thanks to digitalization of processes. Especially in comparison to the analog era, it is clear what progress digitalization has brought. So let's first look back:
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How did analog container booking work before the digitalized supply chain?
If a company wanted to transport freight from A to B, the responsible person would either send an email, make a phone call or even send a fax. He or she got in touch with the respective contact person at the container shipping company of their choice. In a personal ping-pong exchange, in which the information went back and forth between the two for hours and sometimes even days, the personal contact at the shipping company researched the costs, the available container capacities and the most practical route in a manual and time-consuming process.
These are web-based tools that enable freight forwarders and other logistics customers to contact container shipping companies such as Hapag-Lloyd online and use the web services to obtain quotes, compare prices, find the best tariff or find out which routes are available and when. It is also possible to amend existing bookings or add further services to enhance the booking.
What are the problems with the analog container booking process?
The associated problems are obvious with today's digital knowledge of container booking. The old form of communication is not only prone to errors, with misunderstandings and ambiguities arising not rarely because one side has not fully understood what the other wants or needs. It is also a process that is too opaque - at least from the client's point of view. To a certain extent, they were at the mercy of their contact partner to ensure that they really had researched and offered the best route, the best prices and the most advantageous conditions. We will take a closer look at what is possible in this area today thanks to digitalization later on.
Another disadvantage was the time factor - in two aspects. Firstly, the booking process took a very long time. Sometimes not just hours, but days. Secondly, both sides suffered from the dictates of the other's office hours. When the shipping company was off work, the booking came to a standstill, just as the process came to a standstill as soon as the potential client left his desk – this gets even more complicated thinking about international businesses reliant on different time-zones.
What are the advantages of booking containers online?
However, all of these problems are now a thing of the past. In recent years, booking has become increasingly digitalized. Digitalization has turned out to be a real game changer, especially for potential clients. There is not a single step in the container shipping booking that has not become simpler, more efficient and more transparent. This can be seen, for example, from the very first click on Hapag-Lloyd's online container booking.
Let's take a closer look at the advantages:
Less communication: In the digital process, booking is fully automated. The customer enters all relevant freight, destination, time and route information into a web form. The system then calculates the price, route, etc. very quickly. No more phone calls, faxes or time-consuming searches are necessary.
Binding answers in real time: The customer receives a binding offer very quickly. Some systems, such as Hapag-Lloyd's, can now even respond well and reliably to many special requests.
Greater comparability and transparency: Even if many container shipping companies may not like it, simply obtaining a quote digitally ensures maximum comparability and transparency. It is simple and straightforward to obtain several offers digitally from different players in a short space of time.
Flexible adaptation of bookings: In the analog world, small changes to the offer meant a considerable amount of extra work - in terms of time and resources. This no longer applies digitally. Every offer can be adapted to changes or new circumstances with just a few clicks.
24/7 availability: Office hours are a thing of the past. Digital tools such as the digital booking tool from Hapag-Lloyd is available at all times - and with consistent quality.
Important documents are immediately available in digital form: Without fax, nothing worked in logistics, and therefore one of the most important building blocks of the supply chain. So today it's no problem at all to digitally customize Booking Amendment from anywhere at any time.
How will digital container booking continue to develop?
A decisive advantage of digitalization is that there are no limits to its further development. It is easy to expand the system and incorporate new services. With the new possibilities offered by artificial intelligence, we can expect another major development step soon. The advantages of digital booking already outweigh the disadvantages. The entire process is faster, more efficient and more transparent. This benefits not only the clients, the logistics service providers such as container shipping companies, but also the entire supply chain. Furthermore, digital booking also makes it easy to integrate additional services into the booking, such as Additional Freetime, Ship Green or a Shipping Guarantee.
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