The Hard Truths of Procurement in Freight Forwarding

In logistics, the big costs are usually clear: transportation, warehousing, procurement. 🚚🏢 But very often, the hidden operational costs are the ones that hurt the most without being noticed. For example: 🔹 Delays in internal communication → lead to idle time. 🔹 Poorly classified inventory → causes unnecessary storage expenses. 🔹 Small documentation errors → can result in fines or customs delays. 🔹 Unused transport capacity → means paying for air instead of goods. From my experience, identifying and fixing these issues can save between 5% and 15% in operational costs without major investments. 👉 What other “invisible costs” have you spotted in your operations? I’d love to hear your thoughts. #SupplyChain #Logistics #CostReduction #Operations #ContinuousImprovement

📑 For Supply Chain Managers Explaining Documentation Risks Your CEO just asked: “Why do we need 40 different shipping documents?” Here’s how to answer without putting them to sleep 👇 🚫 Don’t say: “We need comprehensive documentation for regulatory compliance.” ✅ Do say: “Each missing document costs us $50K in delays and penalties.” 🚫 Don’t say: “Proper documentation ensures smooth customs clearance.” ✅ Do say: “Wrong paperwork = 3-week delays that kill customer relationships.” 🚫 Don’t say: “We follow international shipping protocols.” ✅ Do say: “We prevent the mistakes that cost our competitors millions.” 🎯 The 3-Slide Executive Explanation That Gets Buy-In: 1️⃣ Here’s what happens when documentation goes wrong → show real cost examples 2️⃣ Here’s our current risk exposure → quantify potential losses 3️⃣ Here’s how we eliminate 90% of documentation risks → present your solution 💡 Example: A logistics manager used this approach to secure $200K approval for a documentation system upgrade. 🔑 Takeaway: Stop selling paperwork. Start selling profit protection. ❓ How do you explain the importance of documentation to your leadership team? #SupplyChain #Logistics #Documentation #RiskManagement #Leadership #GlobalTrade #FreightForwarding #CustomsClearance #Shipping #BusinessGrowth #ExecutiveCommunication #TradeCompliance #SupplyChainManagement #LogisticsInnovation #ImportExport

Freight procurement is one of the most critical functions in global supply chains—yet, for many enterprises, it still runs on emails and spreadsheets. This creates inefficiencies, delays in decision-making, limited transparency, and a lack of standardized records. The outcome? Higher costs, slower responses to market changes, and added operational risk. The Shipwaves RFQ (Request for Quotation) Module changes this by bringing freight procurement into a fully digital, centralized, and data-driven environment. Here’s how enterprises benefit: ✔️ 40% reduction in RFQ cycle time through streamlined quote collection and faster award decisions ✔️ 100% digital traceability of RFQs, contracts, and negotiation history for audit readiness ✔️ Centralized dashboards to compare, benchmark, and evaluate quotes side-by-side ✔️ Seamless collaboration with multiple freight forwarders and internal teams in real time The result is not just faster procurement—but smarter procurement, enabling organizations to secure competitive freight rates, enhance transparency, and make confident, data-backed decisions. At Shipwaves, we believe procurement should be a strategic advantage, not an operational bottleneck. #RFQ #FreightProcurement #Shipwaves #SupplyChainTech #DigitalLogistics Mohammed Haris, Abid Ali, Sajid Mohammed, Huseni Vohra, Sahim Haris, CA Ajay M Bhat, Uday Karkera, Sheel Ruparelia, Rahul Thakkar, Nishreen Vohra

Your contract might look perfect… until it costs you £500K in penalties. Logistics contracts are one of the most deceptively dangerous documents in procurement. Unless you've walked through every clause - and considered what could go wrong, you’re playing a dangerous game. Here's what we’ve seen: 🔧 A warehouse contract with a hidden obligation to repair the roof. The cost? Over £1 million. 🧨 A logistics provider who consistently failed KPIs - but the contract defined "breach" so vaguely, we couldn't enforce anything. These weren't rookie errors. These were deals approved by senior teams and validated by “Big 4” consultants. The problem? ❌ No real operational input. ❌ No alignment between legal and procurement. ❌ No foresight on what happens when things go wrong. Great contracts are not written by lawyers alone. They're shaped by procurement and operational experts who know what risks matter. If you're signing your next 3PL or warehouse deal without this collaboration, you’re building your future disputes today. Ask yourself: - Who defines your breach clauses? - Have your KPIs been made enforceable? - Have you stress-tested your liabilities in an exit scenario? If you want to increase your "Smarts" talk to us sales@loguru.co.uk, or simply message me here. #contractdisaster #smartlogisticsbuying #logurultd

Your contract might look perfect… until it costs you £500K in penalties. Logistics contracts are one of the most deceptively dangerous documents in procurement. Unless you've walked through every clause - and considered what could go wrong, you’re playing a dangerous game. Here's what we’ve seen: 🔧 A warehouse contract with a hidden obligation to repair the roof. The cost? Over £1 million. 🧨 A logistics provider who consistently failed KPIs - but the contract defined "breach" so vaguely, we couldn't enforce anything. These weren't rookie errors. These were deals approved by senior teams and validated by “Big 4” consultants. The problem? ❌ No real operational input. ❌ No alignment between legal and procurement. ❌ No foresight on what happens when things go wrong. Great contracts are not written by lawyers alone. They're shaped by procurement and operational experts who know what risks matter. If you're signing your next 3PL or warehouse deal without this collaboration, you’re building your future disputes today. Ask yourself: - Who defines your breach clauses? - Have your KPIs been made enforceable? - Have you stress-tested your liabilities in an exit scenario? If you want to increase your "Smarts" talk to us sales@loguru.co.uk, or simply message me here. #contractdisaster #smartlogisticsbuying #logurultd

Your contract might look perfect… until it costs you £500K in penalties. Logistics contracts are one of the most deceptively dangerous documents in procurement. Unless you've walked through every clause - and considered what could go wrong, you’re playing a dangerous game. Here's what we’ve seen: 🔧 A warehouse contract with a hidden obligation to repair the roof. The cost? Over £1 million. 🧨 A logistics provider who consistently failed KPIs - but the contract defined "breach" so vaguely, we couldn't enforce anything. These weren't rookie errors. These were deals approved by senior teams and validated by “Big 4” consultants. The problem? ❌ No real operational input. ❌ No alignment between legal and procurement. ❌ No foresight on what happens when things go wrong. Great contracts are not written by lawyers alone. They're shaped by procurement and operational experts who know what risks matter. If you're signing your next 3PL or warehouse deal without this collaboration, you’re building your future disputes today. Ask yourself: - Who defines your breach clauses? - Have your KPIs been made enforceable? - Have you stress-tested your liabilities in an exit scenario? If you want to increase your "Smarts" talk to us sales@loguru.co.uk, or simply message me here. #contractdisaster #smartlogisticsbuying #logurultd

🚢 The Secret Language of Logistics — Do You Speak it? 📦 In logistics, shipping, and supply chain, abbreviations aren’t just letters… they’re the codes that keep global trade running smoothly. That’s why I created this visual cheat sheet — a quick guide to the acronyms every professional should know. From booking containers to reviewing freight terms, these shortcuts save time, cut errors, and keep communication crystal clear. 📸 Check out the image above for essentials like: ✅ POL / POD → the start and finish of every shipment ✅ ETA / ETD → timelines that impact money and efficiency ✅ FCL / LCL → how your cargo is shipped ✅ DDP / DDU → who pays what in the process …plus more must-know terms that simplify the complexity of logistics. 💬 I’m curious to hear from you: 👉 Which abbreviation do you use most in your role? 👉 Did you spot one here you didn’t know before? 👉 If you were mentoring a newcomer, which acronym would you explain first? At the end of the day, these aren’t just random letters — they’re the language of global trade. 🌍 #Logistics #Shipping #SupplyChain #FreightForwarding #InternationalTrade #Maritime #ImportExport #ContainerShipping #Transport #LogisticsManagement #OceanFreight #Warehousing #Trucking #Procurement #BusinessNetworking #SupplyChainManagement

⚠️ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 “𝐍𝐨 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭” 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬. In many small businesses, procurement doesn’t exist as a department. Instead: The owner, finance, or operations manager handles purchases. Goods and services are bought quickly, without structure. It may look efficient, but here’s the hidden cost: ❌ Overpaying due to no negotiations. ❌ Poor quality from unchecked suppliers. ❌ Compliance and fraud risks. ❌ No transparency in spending. ❌ Missed opportunities to add strategic value. 💡 Procurement isn’t about paperwork — it’s about protecting value. Without it, small companies lose money, credibility, and competitiveness. 𝐵𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑝𝑜𝑜𝑟 𝑝𝑢𝑟𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑎 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑓𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙. 𝐵𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑑𝑜𝑛’𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑦𝑧𝑒, 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑝𝑎𝑦 𝑓𝑜𝑟. #ProcurementProfessionals #BusinessExcellence #Leadership #SupplyChain #RiskManagement #SmallBusiness

Tender negotiations often go wrong before they even begin. Three red flags can weaken your position and lock in higher costs: Relying on incomplete or outdated data Entering negotiations without alignment between procurement, logistics, and finance Drowning in conflicting reports that lead to guesswork As Shubham Bhattacharya, Lead Product Manager at Xeneta, explains: “Carriers might have good on-paper transit times. But after you’ve made the deals, you might realize that particular carrier had very high blank sailings and a lot of their cargo gets rolled over. Then, by the time the issue surfaces, they've already cost you millions in potential revenue opportunities.” Read the full analysis here: https://hubs.ly/Q03Jvvmw0 #freightprocurement #supplychainstrategy #tendernegotiation #xeneta

This analysis by Xeneta could not be more accurate. I have seen it time and time again, importers hampered in their tender negotiations by a lack of data or taking an ‘all my eggs in one basket’ approach hoping for favor only to be left with rolls and paying high spot rates. An effective tender strategy requires the following: 1. Good Data - you can not make decisions or strategy blindly. 2. A balanced approach - a good mix of direct carriers and NVOCC’s as your volume allows. 3. Relationships - in this industry despite automation it is now more important than ever to have strong relationships and advocates at your service providers who will go to bat for you (and has the clout to do so) when space and equipment get tight. 4. A good back up plan - always hope for the best but plan for the worst, no one ever expects key shipping lanes to shut down, but knowing ahead of time what your options are in case such a thing occurs is imperative to managing a robust and successful global supply chain.