As a cargo business owner, the rise and growth of your business will significantly depend on the software you choose for the management and operational processes.
It might be hard to choose the right software, as you have to go through many options. To increase the chances of buying the right software, you must be careful.
To help you out, here are things you should think about when choosing software for your cargo business:
Reason for the software
Why do you need the software in the first place? What problem are you looking to solve? You need to answer this question before you do any other thing.
Do you need help planning your fleet, managing your warehouse or staff? You need to define the problem. When you do this, you easily find the right software as you know what you want.
Once you know the problem you have in your business and the problem you are looking to fix, you should embark on a research journey and find what is in the market.
Software company you are buying from
As mentioned above, it is crucial to research the various software cargo companies in the market. As you research, pay attention to the technologies they use and the problems they solve.
To make the process easy, make a list of software companies that make systems that have the answer to your problem.
Remember that it’s rare that you will have a single problem in your company, so if you have many of them, it’s wise to go for end-to-end cargo management systems.
These systems help you manage forwarders, ground handling agents, warehouses, general sales agents, and many other aspects of the business.
If you need clarification about the right software you should go for, get an experienced professional’s input.
Ask for a trial
It’s one thing for a software company to demonstrate how a program works and an entire ballgame to have the program working in your company.
Before you pay for the program, first request a trial. Most companies will give you a 14-day or even a month trial. During this time, you should confirm whether the program is right for your company and whether it solves your problem.
The ideal software for your cargo company should:
- Do everything you want it to. As the bare minimum, it should solve the problem that you have.
- Have useful functionalities that reduce the number of people you hire and the amount of work needed.
- Has a user-friendly interface and is easy for employees to use and understand.
- Make the various business processes quick and easy.
- Provide error-free results
- Save you money, which means more profit for the business
Other things to consider
Besides the above things, there are others to pay attention to. They include:
Cost of the software
You should consider the cost of the software and the payment module. Do you buy the software once you are done, or does it have renewal fees?
When deciding whether the software is worth the amount of money the company is asking for, consider the return on investment.
Before deciding, it’s important to know how to answer questions like “How much can we pay?” and “How much is it worth?”
This price will affect how much the business grows, so it’s important to take it seriously. Of course, the software should be cost-effective and give the most benefits while also meeting your needs and expectations.
Features and ease of use
The program should have features that will help you fix the issues you are having in your organization.
These features should improve how the various processes in the company work.
You can have the best software program, but it’s pointless if people can’t use it. During the trial period, you should find out how easy it is for the staff to use the software, how fast the staff or employees can learn, and if customers would find it easier to use.
As mentioned above, the ideal software should be easy to use, learn, and understand.
Post sale support
In most cases, you will need support. This is because the software program can break and stop working anytime.
It’s important to not only buy the software but also figure out if the support that comes with it is worth it.
Support after the sale is critical if you have any software trouble.
Before you purchase, discuss with the sellers and agree on how they will help you in case of a problem. To make the agreement binding, have them sign an agreement form.
Will you have to pay for the support? You should know this, as you don’t want surprises.
You should only pay for the software once you are satisfied with everything about it, from its functionalities to its cost and maintenance needs.
Additional needs
Are you considering adding a warehouse, more staff, opening more branches, etc.? Can the software handle the additional needs in the future? You should know this before buying the program, as the last thing you want is to buy a new program after a year or so.
Parting shot
These are some of the things you should look out for when choosing a software program for your cargo company in the Philippines or anywhere else.
As mentioned, the key to finding the right company is taking time and visiting as many companies as possible.
While looking at the various programs, always have the question at the back of your mind as to whether the software will solve the problem that you are having in your company.
After identifying a program that will be right for your business, ask for a trial period to determine whether the program will be a right fit for your business and whether your employees will find it easy to work with.
Remember that software programs always have bugs, so always buy your program from a company ready to offer after-sale services and fix the program in the quickest time possible in case of a problem.
