Delivering the goods is no longer enough. Sales, marketing and customer service activities are behind those in many other industries and there are many hidden opportunities for the LSPs that focus the sales aspect of client handling technologies. This report examines how to unlock these opportunities with technologies that have agility and superior response times for engaging customers meaningfully.  Some of the key findings are:

LSPs are widening focus on client handling strategies.

LSPs are shifting focus from a mere service centric client handling process to sales centric. LSPs are now keen on efficient client handling to avoid missed opportunities and to allow them to identify valuable customers and target higher revenues. System agility and pace of response will be critical success factors for engaging customers meaningfully.

LSPs have client handling technologies but don't make optimum use of them

Most LSPs surveyed have CRM technologies but fail to make optimum usage of them towards realizing higher revenues and profit margins. Many of the LSPs are still using spreadsheets or in-house applications which lack in integrated capabilities. LSPs lack integration between CRM and ERP, SCM, TMS and WMS, thereby limiting the overall usage of client handling. LSPs do not support centralized account management, opportunity management, sales and marketing, up-selling and cross-selling with their existing client handling technologies. LSPs are not yet geared to serve the fulfillment level demanded by shippers with their existing client handling framework.

The survey reveals higher need for flexibility, visibility and integrated framework in LSPs' client handling operations to empower customer relationship

LSPs do not have flexibility in customer management in terms of accepting orders from multiple channels, supporting last-minute orders or changes. LSPs take longer onboard time to integrate customers. LSPs do not provide sufficient transparency to the shippers across connected business functional areas. Due to no visibility into accounting details, LSPs' customers find discrepancies in the invoices, resulting in weaker relationship. LSPs need flexible client handling to accommodate new customer lists and business processes, while consolidation is hitting every segment.

Click here to download this white paper and learn more about the evolution of Client Handling Technologies.

About SAP

SAP for Logistics Service Providers is a set of leading-edge solutions that help logistics service providers, such as third-party providers, lead logistics providers, forwarding companies, and carriers - companies like yours - gain enterprise wide visibility, reduce costs, and win new business. With SAP for Logistics Service Providers, you can flexibly integrate with your customers' and partners' IT systems, allowing you to share a common system landscape and language. Plus, the solutions empower you to provide industry-specific services in multiple industries, so you can adapt quickly to customer needs, drive innovation in your key business processes, contain costs, and reduce risk. And you can do it all regardless of the size of your company.

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Website: www.sap.com/industries/logisticservices/index.epx