Freight forwarding systems like Cargowise and Magaya are essential tools for managing the logistics of air and ocean freight. These platforms help streamline processes such as shipment tracking, invoicing, and compliance management. However, users often face challenges in generating actionable reports. A recent survey from Expedock highlights how 8 out of 10 freight forwarders report difficulties in generating real-time reports that are easily actionable by managers, accounting teams, and operational staff.

Cargowise and Magaya users often struggle with extracting meaningful data from these platforms due to a few key limitations:

• Limited Data Export Capabilities: Users are often restricted in the amount of data they can export, which limits the ability to generate comprehensive reports across extended time periods. This means multiple files have to be exported and manually merged, which is time-consuming and prone to errors.
• Lack of Real-Time Data: The process of exporting and cleaning data delays the availability of real-time insights, which hampers decision-making and operational efficiency.
• Missing Functionality: Both platforms' default reports lack customization options, which makes it hard for different departments like accounting or operations to access the specific data they need.
• Lack of Training: Many users are not fully trained on how to maximize the reporting features, leading to a reliance on manual methods that are inefficient.

The reasons for the difficulty of report generation on Magaya Transport Management System are the following

Missing functionality

The default Magaya reports are missing key reports and customization that empowers the individual consuming the information. This means that the reports are hard to customize for the different needs of different departments such as Accounting and Freight Import operations.

‍

Top 10 Reports that Cargowise users are looking for

A lot of these reports that people are looking for are a result of a lack of functionality or real time visibility

Mandatory field compliance reports  

• Freight forwarders are looking for the ability to identify which shipments are not compliant to data integrity standard operating procedures so that they can a) correct incomplete or missing information immediately, b) increase timely data entry compliance, and c) identify and correct operators and processes that are resulting into missed compliance timelines.
• Given the push for data visibility to shippers in the last few years, data integrity and compliance plays a more critical role in ensuring that forwarders are able to generate the visibility they promise to their sha

Invoicing speed report

• Branch managers and accounting teams are looking for reports on how fast their team is billing a customer upon shipment delivery or departure and how fast their team is able to collect in real-time so that they can properly manage cash flow

Vendor credit balance

• Accounting teams are looking for the ability to instantly see their total outstanding credit balances with your vendors per invoice and shipment. This helps them keep track of their balances with their agents.

AP aging reports

• Accounting teams are looking for a pivot table of all the invoices that need to be paid account by account, by shipment, and by invoice level in real time.

Dormant account identification report

• Branch managers and sales team are looking for a report that proactively tells them which accounts are dormant (have not done business in more than 30 days) so that they can ensure a sales person or manager can either get in touch with them. This helps freight forwarders proactively retain customers

Top and bottom 10 accounts by margin and volume report

• Branch Managers are looking for a report that shows them the top and bottom 10 accounts by margin and shipment volume so they know which levers to move in the business to hit their goals

Branch performance report

• Regional Directors and Owners are looking for real time visibility on the costs, revenue, margins, and shipment volume across their different branches.

Department performance report

• Branch managers are looking for real time visibility on the performance on their different departments and transport modes

Staff Performance Report

• Branch managers are looking for how different staff members are performing based on shipment volume, gross revenue, and margins of their shipments

Powerful freight specific filters - out of the b

• Freight forwarders from branch managers to operators are looking for powerful freight filters that enable them to drill down on their data based on transport mode, container mode, trade lane, route, branch, etc.

Conclusion: The Role of Automation in Freight Reporting

Automating the generation of these reports not only saves time but also ensures higher accuracy and real-time data availability. Platforms like Expedock provide specialized solutions for automating freight reporting, offering businesses access to critical data instantly. With better reports, companies can improve operational efficiency, ensure compliance, and drive better business outcomes.

‍

Discover the power of Expedock's FreightBI, where data visualization meets seamless integration to transform your business insights. Unlock the potential of your operations with intuitive analytics that empower informed decision-making and drive efficiency.