‘Pressure on forwarders to remain relevant'

Change is the only constant in the clearing and forwarding industry, says operations director of CargoCare Freight Services, Sue Wood. “While some developments have fallen upon us with shocking speed, such as the introduction of import VAT collection in 1991, others have come much more gradually – such as the improvement from handwritten bill of entry submissions to the fully electronic transactions of today.” But for Wood the most noteworthy development is not an operational or statutory change but an approach to the fundamentals of the clearing and forwarding agent’s entire business model. “Given the challenges posed by Sars modernisation as well as the increasing innovation demands of supply chain developments, the biggest development is the need to reposition the hardest thing of all – our own mind-set about the clearing and forwarding business. “Generally speaking when systems and processes change it is not an impossible task to realign to newly required standards,” Wood told FTW. “However, changing a business’s raison d’etre requires an open and enquiring approach if one is to stay in the game. “Do we fully grasp the reality of the need to re-educate our staff in order that they will possess the necessary skills required five years from now? Have we deeply understood the impact of Sars modernisation on our financial business model? These questions and others that will no doubt arise as we move ahead, will increasingly challenge our ingenuity to a point where we can no longer identify a single major development that has stood out for us – but a continuous and growing pressure to remain relevant. My wish for the future of the logistics chain is that it continues to feature the professional contribution of the clearing and forwarding agent, having now created the framework for professionalisation to take place. INSERT & CAPTION We need to reposition the hardest thing of all — our own mind-set about the clearing and forwarding business. – Sue Wood