PTN Events hosted this virtual conference where digital innovators in next-generation technologies assembled to discuss on insightful topics
Andrea Martin, Globalia Logistics Network’s FreightViewer Coordinator participated as a speaker in the Container Shipping Conference 2023 that took place from 30th– 31st May, where she presented the topic “The importance of a digital strategy for freight forwarders.” Organized by PTN Events, the seminar provided a platform for trailblazers in next-generation technologies to convene and engage in discussions centered around digital innovation.
Container Shipping Conference 2023
FreightViewer team chose this topic with the aim of emphasizing the importance of adopting unique strategies to navigate the changes brought about by Industry 4.0. In the course of her speech, Andrea Martin comprehensively covered three crucial aspects: the profound impact of Industry 4.0 on the logistics sector, the importance of adopting a digital strategy to secure a position in this evolving industry, and the diverse challenges that may arise during the process of digitization.
In her presentation, Andrea Martin underscored the critical importance of formulating a digital strategy within the freight forwarding sector to successfully navigate the industry’s technological transformations. She also brought attention to the valuable role played by FreightViewer in supporting members’ digitalization efforts. Additionally, she emphasized two key advantages of the platform: the seamless connectivity it provides between members and the ability to conduct operations online. Wrapping up her participation, Martin addressed the several obstacles that arise during the implementation of digital strategies in the logistics business.
A panel of experts participated in the Container Shipping Conference who spoke on a range of topics such as container optimization, platform collaboration, port congestion and its consequences, the acceleration of digitization, investment scenarios, and solutions aimed at enhancing efficiency. This conference served as a platform for global professionals in the container shipping industry to comprehend and discuss international market issues as well as technical challenges.
To quote Antonio Torres, CEO and Founder of Globalia Logistics Network, “We are always keen on participating in conferences that showcase digital innovations within the industry. Such events not only keep our members and us well-informed about the latest developments in the logistics sector but also provide an opportunity to position our member-exclusive transport management software, FreightViewer, in the context of the new era where establishing a digital strategy has shifted from being optional to becoming a mandatory requirement for freight forwarders. We extend our thanks to PTN Events for extending the invitation to us, and it has been a pleasure to be a part of this event.”
Globalia Logistics Network has exceeded 200 members in 130 countries for the first time in its history
Globalia Logistics Network has set a record by reaching 209 members from across 133 countries around the world. Globalia’s territorial exclusivity and its rigorous selection process, the yearly conferences, the digitization opportunity it offers the agents and several other factors contributed to the quick rise in the number of members. Eleven renowned web portals from the supply chain sector and beyond have covered the news of Globalia’s achievement of this new milestone
Globalia Logistics Network
AJOT or the American Journal of Transportation is a prominent transportation and logistics website publishing relevant news from the industry. Additionally, this website features the latest and most relevant news and reports from the international freight forwarding industry.
Forwarder Magazine is an all-inclusive resource for logistics, shipping and forwarding news, information and insight. From expert opinions to trade-specific knowledge in the air/sea/road freight sector, this website covers everything of relevance in the transportation and logistics market.
Yahoo Finance is a media property and a part of the Yahoo network. It features financial news, commentaries, stock market updates, press releases etc. Moreover, with its headquarters in New York City, it is one of the largest news and media websites.
Grupo Todologisticas is an international multimedia publication. It has been helping companies in the port, logistics, transport and foreign trade sectors to generate new business opportunities and enhance their marketing and promotion strategies.
Novologistica is a web portal that covers news related to the logistics, transport and maintenance and storage sector. This Spanish language website publishes articles, news, reports, and interviews from the logistics and transport sector. Additionally, it publishes articles on the main innovations in products and services aimed at logistics and transport professionals.
Actualidad Marítima y Portuaria is an initiative of the students and professors of the International Master in Maritime and Port Administration (MIAMP) at International Maritime Business School. Moreover, their online magazine has been publishing news and resources from the logistics industry since 2009.
Globenewswire is one of the world’s largest news distribution networks publishing real-time news releases from international brands. Additionally, they drive brand awareness and generate media coverage with targeted news distribution to media and consumers worldwide.
NTB is an independent Norwegian news agency. They produce and deliver news, visual content, entertainment, and communication services. Moreover, they publish news and press releases allowing companies to distribute their content quick to the Norwegian newsrooms.
Benzinga is a financial news website that guides the readers through topics such as personal finance, investing, trading. It was launched in 2010 by founder Jason Raznick. Today the company is headquartered in Detroit, Michigan.
Veintepies is a Spanish language logistics news portal. It publishes relevant news and articles for people working in the logistics industry. Furthermore, with a large audience in Spain and Latin America, it covers news, articles, and opinions from the freight and logistics sector.
Spain News Currents is a part of the Affinity Group Publishing. It aims to create a global footprint of carefully moderated news.
More than 100 international freight forwarders traveled to Phuket, Thailand, to attend Globalia’s 4th Annual Meeting that took place from 15th to 17th March
Globalia Logistics Network’s 4th Annual Meeting which took place at Le Meridien Phuket Beach Resort in Phuket, Thailand, was an out-and-out success. More than 100 network members from over 50 countries came to Phuket to participate in three days of business discussions and networking with their logistics partners. Eight websites from the freight and logistics sector have covered the news about the successful conclusion of Globalia Logistics Network’s Annual Conference at Phuket.
Globalia’s 4th Annual Meeting
The news published on these websites mainly talks about the success of the in-person meetings, and how they fostered networking and helped to further the interests of the members’ companies.
Listed below are the websites that have published the news about Globalia’s 4th Annual Meeting.
Actualidad Marítima y Portuaria is an initiative of the students and professors of the International Master in Maritime and Port Administration (MIAMP) at International Maritime Business School. Moreover, their online magazine has been publishing news and resources from the logistics industry since 2009.
AJOT or the American Journal of Transportation is a web portal publishing relevant news from the transportation and logistics industry. This website features the latest and most relevant news and reports from the international freight forwarding industry.
Forwarder Magazine is an all-inclusive resource for logistics, shipping and forwarding news, information and insight. From expert opinions to trade-specific knowledge in the air/sea/road freight sector, this website covers everything of relevance in the transportation and logistics market.
Grupo Todologistica is a company that has been helping entrepreneurs in the logistics industry to generate new business opportunities by helping them to enhance their marketing and promotion strategies.
Maritime Gateway has emerged as South Asia’s premier publication focused on the shipping and logistics industry during the past decade. They are committed to create a meaningful space that presents useful information on the latest happenings, topical issues and current trends in the industry.
Darysa Freight is a Cambodia-based company that has established itself as one of the foremost players in the freight and logistics markets of Phnom Penh.
The Heavy Lift Group is an international group of specialized heavy transport companies which combine their forces to offer the best expertise and service according to customer needs.
Freight Mergers are specialists in the sales, mergers and acquisitions of companies within the global freight and logistics market. They work with some of the most renowned names in the industry, from SMEs to publicly listed companies and everything in between.
Globalia’s territorial exclusivity, its rigorous selection process and the continued trust of members have contributed to the quick rise in the number of agents
Globalia Logistics Network, an exclusive network of the most reliable freight forwarders, has set a record by reaching 211 members representing 133 countries. Globalia Logistics network took shape in 2017 with 50 members and has steadily increased its coverage during the last 6 years.
In the words of Antonio Torres, President and Founder of Globalia Logistics Network, “We created Globalia 6 years back with the express objective of providing a solid global platform for independent freight forwarders which would allow them to gain new businesses while boosting their brands”.
200 Members- Globalia Logistics Network
One of the factors that has contributed to this growth is Globalia members, who are the key of the stability and growth of the network: “Overall, we owe this achievement to our members. This could not have been possible without the faith and trust of Globalia members, who have believed in the network even in the most difficult moments. We are like a big family and Globalia is proud to be the link”, continues Antonio Torres.
Another important aspect that has boosted this increase is the Annual Meetings organized by Globalia. In these yearly events, Globalia members get face to face and discuss the prospects of enhanced collaboration and finalize their deals. Moreover, their territorial exclusivity ensures that only one forwarder gets to represent each major city/port to avoid any kind of competition.
Other causes are the wide array of online tools to make business easier for its members. In a bid to digitize the process of quote preparation, they have introduced the FreightViewer- an online freight rate management software which is available for free for all members of the network. It allows the members to create an accurate and professional quotation for their clients within less than a minute.
“The trickiest aspect of my job is to provide quick solutions to issues and inquiries from hundreds of agents from so many different countries. I believe that on-time response, empathy towards the complaining agent, and a degree of familiarity with the agent’s history are a few ways to efficiently handle the agent’s issues.”
Latifa is a part of Globalia’s Agent Coordination Team whose main responsibilities are to assist members with any issue they may have and ensure that agents get the promptest solutions.Latifa has previously worked with multinationals as a project coordinator and interpreter. Also, she has worked for 12 years as a sales manager in an export/import company where she gained experience in maritime transport and the export/import procedures. In this interview, she talks about her experience of working at Globalia, the benefits of Globalia’s referral programme, the importance of attending the Annual Meetings and more. Additionally, she also provides useful tips to safeguard the members from online fraud.
Q. Tell us about your experience of working with the Globalia team?
A. My experience with Globalia has been really satisfying so far. We have a small close-knit team and working with them is a productive and pleasant experience. Globalia’s Agent Coordination Team works together to provide quick solutions to our member’s problems. Additionally, Globalia has taught me a great deal about client communication, customer-care, and ensuring better coordination among the network and its members. I try my best to help the members in the best way possible, regardless of the issue.
Q. How do you think your previous work experience can contribute to the Globalia team?
A. As a sales manager I have many years of experience with customer handling and client management. Moreover, working as an interpreter has allowed me to be familiar with people from several cultural backgrounds. This is surely a factor that allows me to do my job better. Lastly, I have worked for more than a decade with an export/import company which has helped me to gain considerable knowledge of the intricacies of the freight forwarding sector.
Q. Which do you think are the best benefits of becoming a Globalia member?
A. To begin with, Globalia is one of the best logistics networks in the world, that not only allows members to find new partners and serve new territories but also offers resources and tools to help the members digitize their operations. Covering more than 196 cities across 129 countries, Globalia accepts only one agent per city, who is solely responsible for the traffic from/to that territory. Moreover, Globalia’s extremely rigorous selection process guarantees that all our members are trustworthy and financially solvent. Lastly, our highly professional team is always on hand to assist members in the best way possible both quickly and efficiently, whatever the issue.
Q. Which are the most important achievements of Globalia along these years?
A. In the last 5 years, Globalia already has achieved many significant milestones. It is the first freight forwarders network to launch a tool that is allowing the members to digitize their businesses. Our TMS FreightViewer is reducing members’ expenses, saving their time, eliminating manual error, augmenting visibility and security, and minimizing the steps involved in shipping operations.
Secondly, every year Globalia organizes an Annual Meeting that offers an ideal networking platform for the agents. Even in the last two years when physically meeting wasn’t possible because of the pandemic, we arranged for cloud conferences. Globalia’s 4th Annual Meeting is all set to happen from 15th to 17th March in Phuket, Thailand.
Lastly, Globalia has partnered with the top supply chain course provided CIFFA and open an online academy. The logistics courses are allowing the members to augment the expertise and industry knowledge of their employees. Above all, the courses are helping the newcomers in the logistics industry to get an in-depth understanding of all the important supply chain processes.
Q. How can Globalia’s referral programme be beneficial for the agents?
A. We always encourage our members to refer their reliable industry peers to our network. When this referred agent eventually becomes a part of the network, the referring agents can greatly benefit by obtaining a discount on their membership. Firstly, he gets a 25% discount on their next year’s annual fee. Additionally, when members refer more than one agent, they stand to get a maximum of four discounts (of 25% each) which makes them eligible to pay zero membership fees for the next year.
“Forging a collaborative and profitable relationship with the partners is one of the keys in our sector and the Annual Meetings are crucial in this regard. Most agents who have attended the Meetings have increased their business volume and created a long-term business relationships with their partners. I strongly recommend all our members make it to Globalia’s 4th Annual Meeting.
Q. Which are the new achievements you foresee in the coming days?
A. Very soon we will launch an app that will allow increased communication among the network members This innovative mobile platform will allow the Globalia agents to maintain and foster a close-knit community that can connect with each other any time of the day right from their mobile devices. Additionally, with 196 members and still going strong, we are also hoping to reach 200 members very soon.
Q. Which is the most challenging aspect of your work? How do you deal with it?
A. The trickiest aspect of my job consists of providing quick solutions to issues and inquiries from hundreds of agents from so many different countries. I firmly believe that on-time response, empathy towards the complaining agent, and a degree of familiarity with the agent’s history are a few ways to efficiently handle the agent’s issues.
Q. Do you get complaints from members regarding scam emails? How are you coping with this problem?
A. Yes, scam emails are a persistent threat in the age of digital communications. Members have notified us about receiving payment-related emails from another member in which they were asked to make the payment to the new bank details provided. It goes without saying that, such emails are sent by scammers and not by any member of our network. This is why we always urge our members to verify the bank details of their partner to whom they are supposed to make a payment by talking to them directly over the phone.
Q. Why do you think attending the Annual Meeting is important for the agents?
A. Forging a collaborative and profitable relationship with the partners is one of the keys in our sector and the Annual Meetings are absolutely crucial in this regard. Most of the agents who have attended the Meetings say that they have increased their business volume and created a long-term business relationships with their partners. I strongly recommend all our members to make it to Globalia’s 4th Annual Meeting that will take place from 15th to 17th March 2023 in Phuket, Thailand.
The newsletter includes the latest news from the network, the agents and pertinent news and articles from the freight forwarding industry
Globalia Logistics Network’s June Newsletter for 2022 is now out and available for viewing and downloading from the website. The newsletter includes all the relevant news from the network along with a selection of news and articles from the transportation and logistics sector. It starts with the details of Globalia’s 4th Annual Meeting that will take place in Phuket, Thailand, in March 2023. Additionally, there is a page on the newest activity of this in-person meeting viz. a day trip with the delegates and how it will strengthen the bonding among the network members.
Globalia’s Newsletter for June
Click on the above image to read the newsletter
Globalia’s June newsletter has published the news of the recent achievements of agents in Seoul, Sao Paolo, Itajai, Southampton, and Piraeus. Additionally, there is a special news about Globalia Ankara who are extensively using FreightViewer to generate their quotations. In the interview section, there is an interview with Rania Skouta from Globalia Piraeus who talks about the history of her company, the challenges in the industry and the keys to success among other things. In the interview with Globalia’s Membership Development Coordinator Dustin Brown, he talks about his experiences at Globalia, the benefits of the agents in sales terms, the sales objectives of the team, the challenging aspects of his job and more.
The sector news for this edition is about the emergence of Brussels airport as one of the top air cargo hubs in Europe. Furthermore, there are also several pertinent news headlines from the industry. Lastly, there is an article on Smart Cost Optimization Tips that will help freight forwarding companies to reduce their operational expenses.
The agents will get to access this certification from the Members’ Area of the Globalia website
Globalia Logistics Network is now offering an online certification that the members can download from the website. They have launched this online certificate to digitize their services, offer enhanced accessibility of the network’s intranet and to provide innovative benefits for the network members. To this end, Globalia’s IT team has developed a new section in the intranet from where the agents can access and download the certificate attesting their membership of the network. Moreover, this certificate also includes the date on which the network accepted the agent.
New membership certificate from Globalia
To quote Antonio Torres, CEO and Founder of Globalia Logistics Network, “Only the most reliable, professional, solvent companies with a significant business volume and a good credit history make it to our network. This certificate will confirm the fact that our members are some of the most competent freight forwarders in the market who have passed a rigorous selection process. Additionally, the new online membership certification is a part of our plan for digitizing every aspect of our services for facilitating our members’ work.”
Agents can download and print the soft copy of this document from the Members Area. Moreover, the members just have to access Globalia’s intranet, and click on the “Certificate” tab to find it in the Dashboard.
In the last few years, the freight forwarding industry has witnessed a new phenomenon viz. the rise of digital freight forwarders.The tremendous need for automation and technological innovation culminated in the emergence of this new category of online freight forwarders. But why didn’t this happen earlier? Why were freight forwarders so reluctant to the digital transformation and why are they still bottled up in the old working ways?
Our topic for this week is a little chat with Manuel Cardona, Globalia’s IT Manager and FreightViewer Developer, who has provided us with interesting inputs and anecdotes about the hidden reality behind the freight forwarding industry that he discovered while launching FreightViewer. By taking an in-depth look at this, he has been able to create a truly practical and useful TMS.
Manuel Cardona- Globalia’s IT Manager
The factors that motivated Globalia to create a new TMS
Around 4 years back, Antonio Torres, Globalia’s President, and CEO understood that digitization was no longer an option for freight forwarders- it was a necessity. Companies across all sectors were moving ahead with online platforms and services. Nevertheless, independent freight forwarders were somewhat late in waking up to the call for digitization. This is when Mr. Torres started exploring the possibility of investing in a new software that could enable hundreds of Globalia agents to automate their operations while cutting down costs.
“Soon after we started having long brainstorming sessions during which we started exploring new avenues that would help our agents to finally discard the backdated manual data entry processes. We understood that without a definitive solution, our agents were at the peril of losing out businesses to their multinational competitors,” explains Mr. Cardona. Precisely at this point, Globalia Logistics Network started moving ahead with its digital transformation endeavours.
After a lot of hard work and considerable private investments, Globalia finally started testing the platform in mid-2018. The objective of FreightViewer was to offer a digital infrastructure that enabled the establishment of an automated data transfer of carrier rates and tariffs. For the first time, independent freight forwarders could create instant accurate quotations and have a 24×7 showcase for their freight rates without any investment on their part.
“We were confident enough to dream big and expected it to become a success. Our member-exclusive TMS- FreightViewer came with a remarkable advantage over any other similar platform. Unlike the rest, Globalia is an international network consisting of 191 agents in 129 countries. This allows our agents to have rates from almost every corner of the world,” continues Mr. Cardona.
The launch of FreightViewer and the problems Globalia found out
It was during Globalia’s 2nd Annual Meeting at Kuala Lumpur that FreightViewer was first presented to the agents. It provided a very opportune moment to launch the platform as the meeting witnessed a 60% increase in the attendance of new members.
To quote Mr. Cardona, “This was a very exciting moment for our team as we knew that we were doing something that no other freight forwarding network had done before. Andrea Martin, Globalia’s FreightViewer Coordinator, played a key role in conducting the FreightViewer workshops for the network members.”
“However, it was then when we found out the hidden truth about the difficulties to digitize the freight forwarding industry. Our members were very enthusiastic about this platform, but some showed a distrustful attitude over it. There were lots of doubts about the software, about how they would upload rates, the constantly changing transportation fees, etc. Members also saw that there were a lot of features they needed but the TMS didn’t allow them to have. It goes without saying that this didn’t discourage us to further invest in the platform. On the contrary, it made us realize that not every software in the market would serve the purpose. We had to increase our efforts to create a personalized tool with all the required utilities to make it functional.”
With this in mind, the IT department of Globalia continued working hard. The objective was clear: FreightViewer aimed to allow Globalia members to be at the cutting edge of technology and compete with the stalwarts in the industry by digitizing a very important part of their operations.
The process of enhancing the platform
“We thought that the only way to build a more convenient tool for our members, they had to test it in order to give us their feedback about how to optimize it. In this regard, the efforts of Andrea deserves special appreciation. She spent hours with our agents to get their feedback on how the tool can be made more efficient and practical. Even now she keeps helping the GLB members with any doubts about the use of the software”.
Following Globalia’s 2nd Annual Meeting, the next step involved finding industry leaders to collaborate with. Back in 2019, Globalia teamed up with SHIPCO, one of the world’s leading neutral NVOCC’s. This was a very big step for the network since it allows the members to access LCL rates in over thirty countries right from FreightViewer. In other words, this partnership enabled members to digitize a substantial chunk of their day-to-day paperwork
The next step was to further enhance the platform’s accessibility to encourage the agents to discard the manual quoting process for good. “In the same year, we added a very useful feature to FreightViewer that allowed agents to send and receive quote requests to/from any of their partners including those operating outside the Network. As a result, members were able to store quotations provided by any freight forwarder on a single platform.”
The process of improving the tool did not stop here. Globalia continued forging partnerships with industry leaders like Onus Cargo Services, an insurance broker or BlueX an API developer.
FreightViewer in 2022: a revolutionary freight quotation software
Presently, FreightViewer has come up as an indispensable tool for the members. It is allowing them to instantly generate accurate and professional quotations. Additionally, their clients can go almost through all the logistics processes by themselves through the website for customers, where different quotes can be compared quickly and easily. This TMS is currently helping members to manage rates, create personalized quotations, and even follow up with the customers and customize their website. Most importantly, it is enhancing the customer-relationship for our agents.
By processing all the freight forwarding operations within a unique channel, FreightViewer is enhancing the visibility for all the stakeholders of the shipping process. In a sector when an instant response is absolutely crucial, FreightViewer is greatly adding to operational efficiency. Additionally, the platform is reducing the members’ expenses, saving their time, eliminating manual error, augmenting visibility and security, and minimizing the steps involved in shipping operations.
The future potentials of FreightViewer
The digital transformation has finally become a hard reality and logistics companies of all sizes are competing to adapt to the big changes and come up as digital freight forwarders. As Mr. Cardona points out, “The pandemic has brought a very important fact to our attention- Freight Forwarders need to digitize their services. Keeping pace with Logistics 4.0 has become crucial to be well positioned in the freight forwarding industry. Simply put, independent freight forwarders who fail to digitize their operations and come up as digital freight forwarders will soon fall behind the competition.”
This is one factor that motivates Globalia’s IT team to works hard to further upgrade the tool. At the moment, Globalia is negotiating new partnerships with other leading companies in this sector. Globalia is presently dealing with Webcargonet to upload and update more than 14 million buying airfreight rates to FreightViewer. Additionally, they are also trying to reach cost-effective cargo insurance rates for the members. Lastly, Globalia is working to implement a new way that make the process of rate uploading even easier.
As Mr. Cardona aptly sums up, “FreightViewer enables our agents to leverage digital trends for facilitating seamless communication among all the stakeholders of a shipping project. More importantly, it entails the use of a completely transparent cloud-based system that allows for easy comparison of several shipping rates to provide the best deal to the customers. One of the main aims of this tool is to reduce paperwork and manual processes. I can confidently state that we have been successful in fulfilling the objectives of launching this platform. Nevertheless, we still continue to work hard as we believe there is always room for improvement.”
The December edition of the newsletter includes a special feature on Globalia’s 5th Anniversary, along with trending news from the industry and from the network members
The winter edition of Globalia’s quarterly newsletter has been published and can be viewed on our website. On the occassion of Globalia’s 5th Anniversary, we have published a special feature about how the network successfully implemented a comprehensive strategy to boost our agents’ growth and performance. Additionally, you will get to read what Globalia members have to say about the efficiency of the network.
Globalia’s Newsletter for December
Like always, you will find all the recent news about our members in the last three months plus an interview with GLB Tangiers. The report on Container Prices will help you keep a pulse on the latest container shipping trends. Our sector news in focus is about the current air cargo operations by DHL. Furthermore, you will also find the trending news headlines from the supply chain sector. Lastly, our report on the rise of smart ports will update you with the digitization endeavours of ports around the world.
Don’t forget to send us the news about your company’s achievements and we will feature it in our upcoming newsletter!
The Autumn edition of Globalia’s newsletter includes all the latest news from our member, the network, and the sector along with several other interesting posts
Globalia Logistics Network’s newsletter for September 2021 is now online. This newsletter comes with all the highlights of our recently concluded Virtual Meeting. Moreover, there is also an article about Post-Conference Follow-up Tips that will come in very handy for the members.
Globalia’s September Newsletter
Click on the above image to read the newsletter
Inside the newsletter there is a news compilation of the latest achievements of our members in the past 3 months. The report on the challenges of the sea freight sector by Globalia Porto Alegre is surely going to be an interesting read. Additionally, there is another report where our member in Piraeus talks about how they’re growing their operations by productive collaboration with Globalia partners.
We have also published an interview with Maria Serrano, Globalia’s PR and Event Coordinator. In this interview she talks about the advantages of attending Globalia’s Annual Meetings, the marketing goals of the network in 2021, and other relevant topics. Like every time this newsletter is packed with all the important news and news-bits from the transportation and logistics sector. The post on Cargo Theft Tactics and How to Prevent Them will definitely make for a very engaging read.
If you want to feature your company’s latest news in our upcoming newsletter then kindly send us an email with a few lines about your recent undertakings.
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