That is, provided the agents opt for driving their business forward by using software modules marketed by the CHAMP daughter in order to enhance their daily activities and improve
customer service.
The Luxembourg-based software developer claims to be the first to provide freight forwarders with the “first true Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution.” However, competitors
such as Logixbord, CargoWise or Descartes, state similar claims.
So, what exactly is Logitude’s USP, their differentiator, convincing potential accounts to opt for their solutions rather than the ones offered by competing IT companies? This and other
questions we addressed to Ali Ghaffar, Global Head of Sales of Logitude World.
To start with, here is his reply regarding SaaS:
AG: Firstly, I should stress that CHAMP Forwarding System is the pioneer of cloud-based solutions for the freight forwarding industry. Cloud computing allows them to set up what
is essentially a virtual office to give them the flexibility of connecting to their business anywhere, any time.
Moving to cloud computing would reduce the cost of managing and maintaining IT systems, rather than purchasing expensive systems and equipment for the business. It would also enable freight
forwarders to scale their operation and storage needs up or down quickly to suit their business requirements.
Understood. But Logitude is not CHAMP. Which are the differences between both IT providers?
Our by far most important target group are forwarding agents, for whom we have developed tailored software solutions at affordable prices for sharing data anywhere and anytime. Prior to
introducing a new concept for digital solutions benefitting freight forwarders, we had to consider different aspects in our design. One of them we term “Collaboration Efficiency.” Collaboration
in a cloud environment gives your business the ability to communicate and share data more easily outside of the traditional methods. This leads to a concept we call “Shared Logistics,” enabling
our customers to share shipment information instantly with their clients, in this case shippers and consignees, including their agents and international offices. Seamless and instant information
flows between all parties involved is the result.
Being the pioneer in this sector has given us a great advantage compared to our competitors. We now have a mature and feature packed system that has enabled us to scale up our business and have
gained a substantial number of forwarders in a relatively short period of time, using our system globally.
CFG: Is your platform meant to replace systems forwarding agents already use or does it complement their existing electronic tools
instead?
Logitude is a full freight forwarding operational system. Freight forwarders can manage their day-to-day business such as sales, operations and accounting issues in our system, including
documents, email templates & notifications to customers, dashboards & other business tools. Our solution ensures that you stay on top of your freight management needs.
Some of our unique feature are:
- Shared Logistics: this enables 24/7 online visibility of our client’s shipment status, statistics, business trends and more.
- Logitude’s combination of CRM and operational data is a standalone system designed for the specific needs of freight forwarders.
- Mobile app: for receiving instant notifications, warnings and more.
- Value for Money: We are offering competitive prices which means that Logitude users save money.
The service package your company offers consists of four options users can book: Startup, Economy, Business, and First Class. What are the 4 products’ key
differences and according to which criteria should a medium-sized air freight forwarder opt for one of the offerings?
Coming from the freight forwarding industry, I have a great understanding of the day-to-day sales and operational requirement of the agents. Forwarding companies belong to different categories,
are of different sizes and require tailored service offerings. Bearing this in mind, we have formulated our offering to cater for all forwarders’ needs in a cost-effective way. We know how
competitive the industry is and how tough it is to secure business. Therefore, our mission is to partner with our clients by supporting their business with our technology, helping them to become
even more successful.
We have a modular platform, offering different packages for different forwarders tailored to their specific needs. With our Economy package, clients can handle the operational side of their
business by booking and managing air, road or ocean freight shipments. However, should they require additional services they are invited to opt for the other packages that Logitude offers.
Users booking your Business package need to pay US$65.00 per month. Is this limited to the individual subscriber, i.e. an individualized offer, or does the
term ‘user’ imply that the service can be used by all employees of a given company without additional costs?
Our pricing model is dubbed PUPM (Per User Per Month), so charges depend on the number of employees within an enterprise using our platform. Considering the different features offered by each of
the packages, we strongly believe that our pricing structure is quite reasonable. Payments can be made on a monthly basis via secure online payment methods. It is also fair to mention that
clients are not charged with an installation or implementation fee.
Does this also account for your CRM module that offers customers “end-to-end” solutions, where Operations, Finance and Sales work seamlessly together? The
result, Logitude claims on its website, is “streamlined quotation preparation, better shipment data, less mistakes and satisfied customers.”
Indeed! We are the first platform offering a bespoke CRM module designed for freight forwarders, which means our clients don’t have to customize their traditional CRM system to fulfill the
freight industry needs. Logitude CRM supports sales staff throughout the entire sales cycle with powerful capabilities: opportunity management, business activities, tracking and email
communications, quote management, cross-selling and upselling tools, graphical presentation of performance data and other company metrics, sales funnels, prioritization of pending activities and
opportunities, visual cues for capturing important information, email notifications and collaboration facilities for keeping their sales teams on top of their activities.
Of the 14 general features Logitude offers customers, which are the top three? Is it Track + Trace, Invoicing, Collection, Personalization and
Customization, or others? What does your data say?
We are currently selling the solution in more than 70 countries worldwide. And as you can imagine the requirement of every single market is different. Therefore, it would be really hard to
specify which feature of our system stands on the top, as different customers have different priorities. However, I can tell you, based on the general feedback on our platform, that simplicity
and accessibility have been very effective and also the concept of “Shared Logistics”, which allows users to instantly update their clients.
Supposedly, Logitude is profitable. If so, which is your main source of revenue: charges for eAWBs, for instance, $180 / month for up to 200 eAWBs, the
monthly fees paid by your subscribers, or your Customer-Relationship-Management package?
The main source of revenue from our platform is from the core module subscribers. All the other add-ons you are referring to, are complementary features we are offering our clients, helping them
to efficiently run their business. Therefore, interested agents reading this interview should not hesitate to get better acquainted with Logitude World, booking the product for a trial period of
7 days – free of any charge. Specifics are displayed on our website:
Interview: Heiner Siegmund
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