Descartes Releases New Functionality to Help Freight Forwarders and Brokers Digitize Operations

Descartes Systems Group, the global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, released its new Descartes Digital Rate Management™ solution and made significant enhancements to its Broker Forwarder solution suite. The suite provides logistics service providers (LSP) with a pre-integrated solution for shipment lifecycle management, customer digital interaction including quoting, booking and tracking shipments online, accounting and customs compliance. The combined technologies help LSPs to more rapidly digitize their end-to-end operations to better adapt to industry and regulatory changes and drive profitable growth.

“Many customs brokers and forwarders reached the limits of their capabilities over the last year and are rethinking how they will operate in the future,” said Ken Wood, EVP Product Management. “Descartes’ comprehensive, integrated solution suite facilitates the digital transformation required to compete in a highly evolving market.”

With a focus on rapid deployment, the new Descartes Digital Rate Management solution provides sophisticated rate management and customer engagement capabilities to mid-market forwarders. By putting a quote-to-book-to-track processes at customers’ fingertips on any Internet-enabled device, the solution gives customers full control over the booking process and instant feedback to inform decision-making.

In addition, recent enhancements to Descartes’ Broker Forwarder solution suite include:

Back-office and Accounting

-- Enhanced ocean visibility to minimize detention and demurrage costs and preserve margin by automatically calculating ETAs using real-time shipment status data combined with port and terminal information;

-- Digitized documents generated through machine learning (ML) that converts unstructured documents (e.g., PDF of commercial invoice) into structured EDI data. For example, with this capability, a user no longer needs to spend hours typing in a 1000-line commercial invoice and can instead convert it to EDI in minutes.

Customs Compliance

-- Integration of foreign trade zone (FTZ) capabilities that allow U.S.-based shippers to lower import costs and increase supply chain velocity while ensuring compliance with customs regulations;

-- New integrated Section 321 Type 86 customs entry filings that allow LSPs to expedite the import of low value goods without the payment of duties and taxes by automatically filing basic shipment details at the air and ocean manifest level with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP); and

-- Support for Import Control System 2 (ICS2) regulations coming into effect on March 1, 2023 that mandate the electronic transmission of data to EU customs authorities—prior to loading for cargo and arrival of mail—on all goods entering or transiting the EU.

“In Descartes’ 7th Annual Broker & Forwarder Benchmark Survey, 77% of the respondents cited that investing in technology was their top strategy for addressing the challenges they are facing today and going forward,” said Scott Sangster, General Manager, Global Logistics Service Providers at Descartes. “Our latest innovations help customs brokers and freight forwarders of all sizes around the world to better engage their customers and move shipments more securely, compliantly and profitably despite these types of disruptions in the marketplace.”

Descartes will showcase the full solution suite in its Broker, Forwarder & Customs Innovation Forum, a virtual event series taking place September 13-15, 2022. The agenda features customer success stories and topical industry presentations, including by James Moore, Program Manager, Cargo and Conveyance Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Click here for more information on Descartes’ Broker Forwarder solution suite: https://www.descartes.com/solutions/broker-and-forwarder-enterprise-systems