Tips For Outsourcing Freight Invoicing For Businesses

Tips for Outsourcing Freight Invoicing? Let's paint a picture. You are one of many Freight Carriers, all vying for the same business, looking to land the same clients. How do you get a leg up on your competition? Well, you can outperform your competition- get the goods from point A to point B faster or consistently on time. You can do it for a lower fee and more efficiently, saving time and money. Let's say you've built a reputation for doing all of that, but the battlefield is shifting. Now you've got more competition, offering lower fees and more efficient service. Now, what do you do? You're in danger of losing valued customers; you need some new edge to recover your competitive advantage. First, let's look at what your new rivals are doing. Why is their Freight Bill lower than yours? You've seen their Freight Invoices, and their Freight Billing is consistently lower. How do they do it?

Well, they might be doing what so many freight carriers, both big and small, are doing. They've outsourced their Freight Invoice Processing. They've taken that part of the business offshore to a third-party partner with a team of experts who do nothing but Freight Invoicing. How did they do that? And does it work?

Let's examine precisely what a freight invoice is.

A freight invoice is an essential document generated to ship something. Freight invoices contain important facts vital to the shipping process.

• Shipment Details - This would include the type of Freight, weight, and dimensions, the number of items, and the shipment date.
• Information about the Shipper, Sender, and Recipient - Freight invoices contain addresses and contact information for the carrier, the sender, and the recipient.
• Origin and Destination - A freight bill has detailed information about the point of origin and the delivery destination.
• Transfer Points and Route - The route of travel is specified, as well as the transfer points.
• Additional Charges - Those would also be included if there is a surcharge because of fuel or storage price increases.

Top 7 Reasons For Outsourcing Freight Invoicing

And not just because your competition is doing better than you using outsourced services! But seriously, isn't that enough? Here are some other reasons.

• Quality of data - Logistical operations generate much paperwork: freight bills, permits, bills of lading, load verification documents, and shipping documents. Processing these documents requires several human and technological resources. Outsourcing bill of lading data entry and logistics document processing makes managing all this information more accessible and accurate.
• Accuracy - Outsourcing allows you to more efficiently manage core operations more while your workforce concentrates on critical operational duties. Right now, the back office functions may be done part-time by a staff member pulled from that core. This can lead to less-than-ideal performance.
• Quicker billing and payment - Outsourcing can speed the processing of bills and payments; outsourcing partners have teams with deep industry experience, technical expertise, and strict quality checks to process freight bills quickly and with greater efficiency. This eliminates incorrect amounts, conflicting freight rates, under and over-charges, double billing, and overdue invoices.
• Increased Data Security - All of the documents involved in logistics, including load confirmations, freight bills, and bills of lading, are filled with confidential information. The security of these documents is vital. Outsourcing can ensure that this sensitive data is protected and secure. Third-party vendors typically have special security measures for their clients.
• Reduce Costs - Outsourcing the Freight invoicing means a smaller staff, which means huge savings for you. The costs of hiring individuals- advertising, interviewing, obtaining records, ordering drug testing, payroll, vacation replacement, and taxes disappear. A superior BPO can do the job for about 60% of in-house employees.
• Scalable Resources - When you choose to outsource, your partner will supply a team of a size that is fitted to the job. There are no idle hands. If your business grows, they add more people; if there's a slow time, they can drop staff. You save either way.
• Improve customer experience - Your outsourcing partner has a team with deep experience and up-to-date training in customer relations. They have all the skills you could ask for to make the customer experience pleasant, encouraging customer retention.

Take A Look At The Complex Freight Invoice

When you use the term "freight invoice," you might conjure an image of a single form, maybe in triplicate, with a "to" space and a "from" area. But it's much more profound in information than that. It will contain all of the shipment details from origination to destination and any stops in between. It has all the contact information for the shipper, the carrier, and the recipient. It outlines the charges and any surcharges that might apply. It contains a list of the shipment contents and any customs forms or additional government forms that may be required. The trick is getting all that information correct and onto the invoice since any wrong info or blank spaces can delay shipment and receipt.

Why Would You Outsource Freight Invoicing?

There are many advantages to going to a third-party partner to handle your freight invoices. And they get better as you understand the Outsourcing process more thoroughly.

Since outsourced services can be done at a lower price point because of all the savings in the workforce, equipment, and office space, you should see a 40% reduction in your overall freight invoicing expenses.

The quality of the work will improve, with fewer errors, increased accuracy, and faster execution of the process. A qualified, highly trained, motivated, and experienced team of professionals will handle your freight invoicing operations. They work fast, and they react quickly. Since they're available 24/7/365, they can keep on top of any problems that develop. Is there a snowstorm that will delay arrival? They'll come up with a workaround. A question about the shipment from a customer after business hours? They will handle it. They are always available for answers to your questions.

Need more staff to handle a larger than usual order? They're on it. Need fewer people for a period? They can take care of that as well. You only pay for what you use; there are no "idle hands" drawing pay during downtime.

keep In Touch With The Correct Person

Not only does outsourcing deliver everything we discussed to this point, but it also does it quicker, for less money, and with more accuracy than your in-house staff. Reason enough to explore the options that a Business Process Outsourcing partner can offer. For more advice and further information, please get in touch with the good folks at Rely Services.