How Does an Intelligent System Simplify the Complex Process of Freight Transport and Customs Clearance?

Freight transport and customs clearance involve a series of interconnected stages, from choosing the transport method and requesting cost quotes to recording information, coordinating documents, tracking shipment status, and clearing goods.

This process becomes complicated for the importer when each step is done through a separate channel; Part of the information should be transferred by phone call, part by messenger and part by email.

This dispersion makes order management time consuming. For this reason, intelligent logistics systems have been developed with the aim of centralizing information, orders and follow-up procedures to make shipping and clearance management simpler and more organized.

In the following, we will examine what problems the lack of a centralized system creates for importers, how smart systems help manage these challenges, and finally, we will get to know a real and practical example of these systems.

The challenges of managing the transportation and clearance of goods in the traditional way

In traditional methods, the importer usually carries out each stage of transportation and clearance separately; From asking the price and placing an order to sending documents and tracking the shipment.

The fact that the steps are separate makes the seller do many coordinations and follow-ups to advance an order.

This issue manifests itself in practice in several main areas:

Dispersion of information and manual execution of the initial stages of the order

To register a shipping request, information such as the type of goods, weight, dimensions, origin, destination and shipping method must be specified. In traditional methods, this information is usually transmitted through different routes; Part in phone call, part in messenger and part in file or email.

As a result, it becomes more difficult to coordinate the order and it takes more time to receive the inquiry and final registration of the order. If part of the information is incomplete or there is a change in the order, it is usually necessary to coordinate with the expert again and start a part of the process from the beginning.

This issue shows itself more for merchants who manage several shipments at the same time; Because tracking information, inquiries and placing orders for each shipment becomes more time-consuming and complicated.

After placing the order, the user's needs change. At this stage, the main question is no longer about the shipping price; Rather, the owner of the goods wants to know:

What is the status of the order?

Has the cargo entered the shipping stage?

Is a new action required by the customer?

What stage is the process in?

If you need to call or send a message to answer any of these questions, tracking the status of each shipment becomes a separate task.

This problem shows itself more when managing several orders; Because the owner of the goods must know what stage each shipment is in and which order needs further action or follow-up.

In such a situation, having a clear path to view or track the status of the order can reduce a large part of these repetitive trips.

Dependence on the call and response of experts

In the traditional method, many tasks such as taking inquiries, registering order changes or receiving the latest shipment status depend on direct communication with the expert.

This can make part of the process dependent on people's working hours or response time.

Several shipping methods may be selected for a shipment; For example, air, sea, land or rail transportation. Each of these methods are different in terms of cost, shipping time, route restrictions, and product conditions.

In traditional methods, to check each option, a separate inquiry should be made and the information of each route should be received separately. When this information is not together in one place, it becomes more time consuming for the importer to compare the options.

In such a situation, choosing the right shipping method may require several steps of calling, getting rates and checking different conditions.

The role of intelligent systems in the integration of the process of transportation and clearance of goods

Intelligent logistics systems help to carry out various stages of goods transportation in a specific platform; For example, the importer registers cargo information such as origin, destination, type of goods and shipping method in the system once. After that, he can get a quote based on the same information, place an order and track the status of the shipment. In this way, for each step it is not necessary to re-send the cargo details via call, message or file and the process continues from the same registered order.

This does not mean that all shipping and clearance operations are done automatically. Examining the condition of the goods, carrying out transportation operations and many matters related to clearance still need experts and executive operations.

The difference is that the user has a more specific path for tasks such as registering a request, receiving an inquiry, and tracking an order, and an expert enters the process in areas that require specialized review. The Atlas PSP Express system is an example of this model, which places online services alongside actual shipping and clearance operations.

Atlas PSP Express system; Integrated shipping and clearance management

With the increasing need for more centralized management of shipping orders, PSP Express has also provided users with the Atlas system to simplify part of the shipping and clearance process.

Atlas is an online platform through which the user can start their shipment request and perform registration, inquiry and follow-up procedures in a specific environment.

This process in Atlas begins with the registration of the basic information of the shipment and receiving the inquiry and continues until the registration and follow-up of the order:

Registration and inquiry of transportation services in Atlas

On the main page of the Atlas system, the user can specify the origin and destination and choose the desired option from among the different transportation methods.

Air, sea, land and rail transportation are considered in the structure of the system and the user can enter the related process according to their needs.

For the routes that can be provided, it is also possible to enter the price inquiry section. As a result, the rate request process starts from the same environment where the initial order information is registered.

This structure makes the transportation request start from a certain point and the user is not faced with a different route for each stage.

In addition to inquiries, Atlas also provides users with the possibility of placing an order and tracking the order.

This feature makes the user's connection with the system not interrupted after registering the request. The registered order is still the basis for the continuation of the process, and the user uses the same platform to track it.