As the pandemic is slowly, but surely changing how so many industries and businesses operate, we are able to witness the changing communication dynamics and the rising need for collaboration. This trend is particularly prominent in the world of shipping, since so many processes lie in the hands of competent companies in this sector, providing manufacturers, vendors, and suppliers with all they need to stay afloat at this critical time. Improved interactions are at the heart of these changes, and as a shipping business yourself, you should consider solutions that ensure a range of improvements to your operations.
Enter: VoIP, as the go-to communication system for various industries already, ranging from e-commerce giants to small-scale local companies. However, the benefits of VoIP for your shipping business are specific, so understanding them beforehand can help you not just make the switch, but choose a provider that you can trust with your needs. Here are a few perks VoIP ensures to shipping organizations across the world, and simplify their operations, especially during these challenging times.
Integrated communication channels
Automated notifications, the simplicity of setting up international video conferences, and the ability to keep your email, phone, and fax systems all interconnected helps keep your communications far easier to manage. If you’ve used separate platforms so far, you already know the cost of losing an invoice, failing to attend a relevant meeting, or missing out on an opportunity to build an international partnership with a new supplier. VoIP helps keep all of these intricate communications in a single place, letting you monitor, analyze, and improve the performance of your business through simple tool integration.
Cost-effectiveness and reduced expenses
Some advanced tech solutions, especially in such a vast industry such as shipping can cost an arm and a leg to implement and maintain. Then there’s VoIP in all of its simplicity, which does require some adapting, but it’s incredibly affordable both in terms of its implementation and long-term logistics management. If you take a look at various VoIP solutions available for your industry, you’ll find that the cost of their services come with a slew of available features and functionalities.
Free calls for all of your registered users, texting, emailing, faxing, paired with call recording and analytics, as well as long-term expense management all help you keep your budget in line. In fact, by switching to VoIP, you are able to communicate on a global scale within the service package you choose, without incurring massive phone bills. Considering the costs necessary to run a shipping company, cutting freight costs in such an effective way does indeed make sense for the long haul.
Enhanced service and experience
Everyone in your own chain of command, your partnership network, and all the way to the end consumer can always benefit from smooth interactions. Now, being internet-based, VoIP helps major corporations switch to advanced, more refined logistics tools and technology in every possible sector. So, not only will you be able to reach your freight drivers on a moment’s notice, for free, via your VoIP app, but you’ll also be able to spot a supplier complaint or a question from a customer, and respond quickly and efficiently.
What may seem like small changes in how you interact with your employees and how they communicate amongst themselves will turn out to be a major shift towards a seamless communication strategy. In turn, you’ll be able to find quicker routes for your drivers, avoid late deliveries, respond to queries in time, and make it easier to implement green initiatives, boost energy-efficiency, and enhance fuel conservation.
Simplified collaboration for your teams
Local and especially global trade is growing every day, and how your own shipping company handles the increase in demand will make all the difference in how well you handle your own growth. One key step in how you manage your business internally includes quality control and monitoring, as you need to find ways to boost how you manage your freight and container ships over time. Even those seemingly spotless routes have the potential to be improved with the help of the right analytics.
VoIP systems offer just that: a unified, cloud-based communication toolbox enabling your team to continuously collate data from all of your shipping efforts and spot gaps in your efficiency. “Blind” improvements are impossible, and you never really know where your next improvement may lie unless all of your departments can interact seamlessly and have access to the most pivotal data. Since VoIP includes more than phone calls, you can integrate all of your other tools such as CRM, accounting, and the like, to keep everyone on the same page and leverage data to boost your operations.
VoIP is becoming a toolbox of useful apps and functionalities that can be applied in all industries, but especially in those sectors that require ongoing data analytics, precise and timely interactions, and connectedness on a global scale. It’s replacing legacy phone systems and similar communication channels, thus unifying all platforms into a single, secure place your shipping business can conduct its business. Whether you need to reach out to a vendor, confirm an order with a supplier, or collect feedback from your own staff, VoIP has the potential to boost your operations and enhance productivity on many different levels.
