Cogoport's Flemming Frost roots for efficiency through technological disruption

June 7, 2019: Web platform Cogoport president Flemming Frost has stressed on the role of technology in more efficient shipping. He was speaking at the Evofenedex SCM Summit, a shipping conference in Zoetermeer, Netherlands.

"The demand for a more efficient shipping industry isn't going away, technology is here to stay. Those who grasp this opportunity will survive and thrive in the long term. Others who fail to exploit the savings that technology can offer them will wither and struggle to survive," he warned.

The Evofenedex SCM Summit's theme was 'Logistics and platforms: future music or harsh reality?' Organisations like Capgemini, Uber freight, Tradelens, DiManEx, etc participated in the discussions on the progress of new platforms and marketplaces, and their role in today's supply chain and economy.

Frost, previously director of logistics at Tesla and European CEO for Damco, the Maersk Group's global logistics business, is now a core part of a leadership team spearheading the rapid development of Cogoport - a Mumbai-headquartered global online freight marketplace.

"Traditionally the industry has been marred by opacity, information asymmetry and inefficiency. But now our freight industry is slowly being rethought and disrupted by technology, with conventional processes being transformed and transparency being demanded by customers in the market. Technology, like the Cogoport platform, is helping companies to recast value chains, improve client satisfaction, customer and financial management, and to increase their profitability - which can only be good for the global economy," he said.

Underlining how Cogoport is delivering a digital transformation, Frost said, "It's a change for the better - providing clarity and transparency to shippers, while reducing their costs with a simpler, more efficient and effective booking product. Customers themselves say that Cogoport is saving them between 10-15 percent on every container shipment and these efficiencies will continue to increase as we remove archaic and timely processes."

Headquartered in Mumbai, Cogoport launched its digital freight marketplace in 2017, and currently has 12 offices across India and the Netherlands.