The Value Of Accurate Data Entry In Freight Billing

[Neha Rely]

Freight Billing and Data Entry Accuracy? Of course, accuracy matters. Accuracy matters in Freight Invoice Processing. Accuracy matters in Freight Billing. Accuracy matters. In almost everything. We'd say "everything", except there might be some endeavor that we don't know about where accuracy doesn't matter. We doubt it, but it could happen. Let's just say "everything". So "Accuracy Matters in Everything"! We know this is the case since every serious enterprise requires it, be it business, science, industry, sports, you name it. Accuracy matters in Logistics Outsourcing. You wouldn't hire a company to handle your logistics if they couldn't get the Freight Invoice done accurately, would you? inaccuracy in the Freight Billing Process would lead to chaos. Freight Bill Processing and the rest of the process must be accurate. Period, the end.

Why Accurate Data Entry Services Is Important In The Freight Billing?
But how do you get there, and stay accurate? Freight billing. A freight bill, like any other invoice, informs you of what your business owes the logistics company for moving your freight. Ever hear of the "paper monster"? Well, freight billing certainly fits that description. And in the old days, when everything was done with multiple paper copies, filled out by hand, things were really complicated. And complicated things often lead to problems with accuracy. There are many stages involved in the process, and many stakeholders are involved in the process.

The complications involved lead many enterprises to outsource the whole process with a BPO, a Business Process Outsourcing partner.

Without an accurate, clear picture of the entire freight process, there is no realistic chance of a successful transaction. Get the address wrong and there are delays or failures in delivery. Everything involved in manufacturing demands accuracy, or failure is the likely result. And accuracy demands Data entry quality. What is data accuracy? Just what it sounds like. Data you can rely on. The old saying "garbage in, garbage out" means faulty data makes for faulty conclusions.

Key to much of this confusion is the absence of standardization in freight billing. Many, many companies handle freight, and they use many, many different billing systems. Forms with different fields to fill, in different places on the form. Confusion.

Covid 19 added fuel to the fire burning in the freight billing world. Everything seems to change daily, if not hourly. Shipping schedules and charges. Government regulations. Late delivery penalties. Business relationships are strained. Surcharges.

Searching for ways to make freight billing more reliable, accurate, and thus more efficient, many companies have turned to outsourcing the entire logistics chain. In other words, after the completion of production, a third party gets the product to the customer. They handle or subcontract the rest of the process. Increased accuracy is only one happy benefit of using logistics BPO. Reduced delivery time and costs are others. Employee expenses are slashed, as are customer complaints. It’s a win-win.

What Are The Data Entry Challenges In Freight Billing?
Back to the paper monster. It's real and it's coming for you. and it keeps getting larger and more destructive. Here's how.

Freight billing and paper. In the past three centuries, logistic companies did all of their paperwork manually, which means inefficiencies and inaccuracies because the data got garbled or distorted. A shipment might have multiple entities involved which make things even more complicated, with all the opportunity for mistakes that implies. To add to the problems, these different entities probably use different paper forms because there is no standardization.

Both the supplier and the logistics company spend a lot of time verifying that the data on the freight bill is accurate. One field filled out incorrectly could lead to a shipment being misrouted, lost, returned, delayed, or otherwise unsuccessful. Adding to the cost in both time and money.

The Pandemic made things a lot more complicated. Not only were the supply chains stretched and interrupted, but they were also coming apart at the seams. And they're still suffering. Getting things to point B became more and more challenging. Customers were upset, terms of contracts were violated, and business relationships were dented.

Where are the standards? There are no centralized methods or applications in the freight billing process. Even domestically there are issues. Import and export is another pitfall of gigantic proportions.

Returns accepted. Another huge problem since a returned item entails all of the issues that the original shipment did. More lost or delayed shipments.

Why You Should Outsource Freight Billing?
If you want to build a factory or an office building, would you try to do it yourself? If you need your car repaired, do you grab some tools, and with little or no knowledge of how to do it, fix it yourself? Given all that we've discussed with the dangers of freight billing and accuracy, don't you feel that you should give some consideration to outsourcing the process?

Outsourcing provides:

High-quality data management - Since your outsource partner is deeply invested in doing the best job possible for you, and it's something that they do again and again for a multitude of clients, you're going to get nothing but high-quality work.
On-time document processing - Your outsourcing partner wants to deliver nothing but the best product since they know that their business is on the line for every transaction
Enhanced accuracy - As mentioned earlier, this is the name of the game. You can rely on an experienced, highly-trained team to seamlessly deliver accurate logistics processing.
Faster billing - Outsourcing traditionally offers quick turnaround, and this is very evident in the processing of freight bills, which results in you getting paid more quickly.
Enhanced Data Security - BPOs go to great lengths to keep client's information secure. Probably more effort than the clients themselves. Data security is a cornerstone of the outsourcing marketplace, so BPOs use the latest methods and equipment.
Reduced costs - Labor and admin costs can be drastically cut, since the bulk of logistics is outsourced. This means no additional hiring to staff a shipping department.
Scalable Solutions - When using in-house staff, increases in work means overtime pay. Decreases in orders means wasted time for employees. Outsourcers can scale their resources to fit your needs, no wasted time or money.
Customer service - With a reduction in billing and logistics errors, the customer is happier, and your business gets a well-deserved sterling reputation. Job well done!
Freight Billing and Data Entry Accuracy. Explore the Next Step.

Want to slash expenses and boost profits? Partnering with a BPO may be your best move. We recommend contacting a reputable one today to get the details. Rely Services has all the information you could ask for.