Web-based applications have gained traction in all industries, particularly in the freight sector, where it has grown in relevance, says Ridwaan Mohammed, general manager of Advanced Customs Solutions (ACS).“With the freight industry culture being what it is, direct integration between various applications have become a mandatory part of technological advancements,” he explains. “Having systems communicate seamlessly with one another is the main goal. Also, allowing main and subsystems to communicate, transfer data and store information in a global network is key to ensuring efficiency in the entire logistics process – unless you have one software solution that replaces the need for integration, such as the ACS Freight System.”With artificial intelligence and digital transformation becoming more prominent in the freight industry, stakeholders are nowadays being forced to ensure that their applications are ready for what’s to come.“This is where we, as a business, strategically place ourselves to ensure that our client base remains ahead of the pack.”According to Mohammed, ACS continues to take advantage of and invest in the latest research and technological advancements in order to ensure optimal software performance for its client base.“This, together with offering complete software applications –such as accounting, freight forwarding and customs clearing, communications, and electronic bill-of-entry tracking systems – removes the need for integration. It gives clients what they need instead of cutting corners and depending on multiple software systems to accurately talk to each other, making the entire process difficult to manage.”Mohammed says with Industry 4.0 showing rapid growth – particularly in the manufacturing sector, where the entire process is being digitalised – change is inevitable for the logistics sector as well.“All sectors closely related to the manufacturing sector, including the freight industry, are following suit. The need to conceptualise ideas about what may require a mandatory modernisation of certain processes within the freight process to start off with, is becoming a reality,” he says. “Manufacturing and logistics go hand in hand, and once they are optimised to work with each other through data sharing and communicating via digital connections, systems will become more efficient and productive – and that will ref lect the true power of Industry 4.0.”From a spectator’s perspective, he says, ACS is seeing organisations like the South African Revenue Service (Sars) embrace change with the intention to advance its processes d ig it a lly. “We saw this process start 10 years ago with the Sars modernisation initiative. Thinking forward for any company is mandatory to ensure that it evolves with technology, and partnering with the right software partner is the best way to bring ease to the evolution of modernising systems and processes. “Digital transformation is the life-blood of modern businesses. Companies are required to embrace digital transformation or they’ll get left behind.”According to Mohammed, digital transformation is reinventing businesses – not only by applying technology, but also by strategically remodelling how business occurs on the foundation of technology.Innovation, he says, becomes mandatory and having the know-how in upskilling staff and applications to digitally transform every aspect of your company is where a company such as ACS can add value.Cost, however, remains the biggest challenge. “Technology makes life easier. This convenience comes at a cost, but in the long run, the cost is an investment.”
