THE DIGITAL IMPERATIVE

IN FREIGHT FORWARDING
By Jens Riedl, Ted Chan, Simone Schöndorfer, Frederik Schröder, and Michael Sønderby

A
Lackluster Customer Experience.

Manual Processes.

What’s Driving the Digital Rush

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The Digital
Imperative in Container Shipping • Integrators

Disruption on Many Fronts

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• Customers
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• Startups

• Competitors -

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• Suppliers
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The Freight Forwarding Landscape Is Under Attack from Five Types of Companies

Suppliers digitize

Competitors Integrators
incubate enter logistics

Startups emerge
TRADITIONAL Customers become
FORWARDERS competitors

Source: BCG analysis.

 Improved customer experience

Instant price quotation

DIGITAL IN
FREIGHT
Lower unit
FORWARDING shipment data costs

Automatic invoicing
Higher customer
stickiness and
satisfaction

$
Greater
Enhanced forecasting

Automated shipment

Instant updates on
parties

Source: BCG analysis.

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Capital Follows Opportunity -

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• Matching Demand with Supply.

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Connectivity Through Platforms.

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Innovative Digital Business

Models Could Alter the
Landscape
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- Forwarding Freight Digitally.

Matching Connecting Forwarding

Marketplaces Visibility players Digital forwarders

With internal
Shipwise Amber Road With external operations operations
Freightos
Degree of digitization

Skuchain Haven GT Nexus Fleet FreightHub Flexport Twill

Logistitrade FourKites DHLResilience360
InstaFreight Transporteca Kontainers KN FreightNet
Elementum E2open
NYSHEX
Manhattan Associates AXIT Turvo iContainers

Brokers and agents Traditional forwarders

Panalpina C.H. Robinson Damco Kuehne + Nagel

Collection of smaller agencies
and individual brokers
GEODIS DHL Global Forwarding DB Schenker

Operational intensity
Source: BCG analysis.
Note: Company examples provided for the purpose of illustration.
 • Digital Forwarders with Internal
Operations.

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• Digital Forwarders with External
Operations.

Freight Forwarding’s Likely

Future

Legacy brokers will fade away.

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Traditional forwarders will digitize. -
Digital forwarders will intensify operations. Digitize the customer experience. -

Digital business models will evolve.

Automate operations.

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Companies will consolidate.
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Digitize support functions.

Metaplatforms might emerge.

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Build, partner with, or acquire a digital
startup.
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Implications for Incumbents

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Rejuvenate people and systems.

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About the Authors

Jens Riedl

Ted Chan

Simone Schöndorfer

Frederik Schröder -
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Michael Sønderby

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