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The growing global middle class will lead to more products coming to market and therefore more opportunities for forwarders.
But those who fear the transparency digitisation brings should get out now.
This was the view of executive director of the Canadian International Freight Forwarders Association (CIFFA) Ruth Snowden when discussing the emergence of digital forwarders.
At the International Air Cargo Association’s (TIACA) executive summit in Miami last week, she said digital tools gave the industry the opportunity to remove waste.
“Despite the benefits, there is a fear among ...
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Comment on this article
P Balasubramanian
October 26, 2017 at 11:13 pmCongrats to Ruth for a well articulated direct message. Industry needs a ‘ruthless’ (pun intended!) approach to digitisation and Ruth has provided it. Every forwarder’s family, I am sure, have embraced technology including the forwarder as a person in his/her personal capacity. When it comes to implementing it in ‘office’, they seem to get into ‘Jeckyl and Hyde syndrome’. Why? Under what logic? I concur with Troels Stovring on his observation to treat technology is an ‘enabler’ and not as ‘disruptive’. One more reason to support that stance – to call emerging technologies as ‘disruptive’ does sound sexy and appealing. However, it brings a negative mindset along with it – people associate loss of jobs with that term which distorts the picture and further loses steam and support. If the mindset and approach is towards digitisation as an ‘enabling technology’, it brings about the much needed positive approach to the topic. Time to think deep and act fast.