For too long, we in freight forwarding have accepted a simple, costly lie: that growth must come at the cost of complexity. This acceptance has created a structural burden, a hidden financial cost we call the Tax on Fragmentation.
The CXO's Urgent Mandate: You've automated your day-to-day transactions, yet 91% of forwarders still face acute margin pressure [1]. This isn't just market risk; it's a systemic failure. We provide the 10 criteria required to future-proof your rate governance and eliminate this tax.
Let us help you with your journey
Book a discovery call with us see how we can help you provide a world-class digital quoting experience to your customers!
[1] Ti Insights. (2024). Global Freight Forwarding 2024 Report (Referencing survey data that 91.1% of forwarders are experiencing increased pressure on margins).
1. What is the Tax on Fragmentation in freight forwarding?
It is the hidden financial loss created by siloed rate data, outdated spreadsheets, and disconnected systems. This fragmentation leads to incorrect pricing, margin leakage, execution delays, and customer friction.
2. Why do forwarders still face margin pressure despite digitalization?
Because most digitalization focuses on transactions (via TMS/RMS), not the intelligence layer that governs rates, pricing, and profitability.
3. How much do data errors cost freight forwarding companies?
According to Gartner, companies lose $12.9 million annually on average due to data errors, misaligned processes, and poor rate governance.
4. What triggers margin leakage in freight procurement?
Outdated rate files
Inconsistent surcharge structures
Manual validations
Regional silos
Misalignment between Procurement, Pricing, Sales & Ops
High senior staff turnover
5. How does AI improve rate governance?
AI automates extraction, normalizes rate data, compares markets in real time, and enables orchestrated decisions across the procure-to-sell cycle.
6. What makes a modern Rate Management System “automation-first”?
It integrates AI, workflow automation, and human-in-loop verification into one continuous flow—from procurement to pricing to quoting.
7. Why is TMS not enough for rate governance?
TMS platforms are built for execution and record-keeping, not for real-time margin governance, rate comparison, or volatile market responsiveness.
8. What pillars should CXOs evaluate when choosing a next-gen RMS?
Data & security
Automation intelligence
Enterprise connectivity
Vendor commitment and product evolution
9. How can forwarders future-proof their freight procurement decisions?
By consolidating rate intelligence, eliminating fragmentation, adopting AI-enabled automation, and ensuring a unified rate governance model.
10. How can Freightify help?
Freightify delivers an integrated, AI-enabled RMS that centralizes rate intelligence, orchestrates procure-to-sell workflows, and removes the Tax on Fragmentation permanently.
Claus-Robert Heinze
SVP: Enterprise Product & Professional Services
Freightify
Claus-Robert Heinze is the Senior Vice President (SVP) of Enterprise Product & Professional Services at Freightify. He has over two decades of experience in freight forwarding and IT management from previous roles at DB Schenker, Maersk DAMCO, and ECU.
Summary
Tag 1
Education
November 5, 2025
From Gut to Data-Driven: Building Freight Procurement Decisions That Scale
Most large forwarders are Stage II—governed but fragmented—and must adopt Stage III intelligence-led orchestration to scale and amplify human judgment.
From Gut to Data-Driven: Building Freight Procurement Decisions That Scale
Most large forwarders are Stage II—governed but fragmented—and must adopt Stage III intelligence-led orchestration to scale and amplify human judgment.
For too long, we in freight forwarding have accepted a simple, costly lie: that growth must come at the cost of complexity. This acceptance has created a structural burden, a hidden financial cost we call the Tax on Fragmentation.
The CXO's Urgent Mandate: You've automated your day-to-day transactions, yet 91% of forwarders still face acute margin pressure [1]. This isn't just market risk; it's a systemic failure. We provide the 10 criteria required to future-proof your rate governance and eliminate this tax.
Let us help you with your journey
Book a discovery call with us see how we can help you provide a world-class digital quoting experience to your customers!
Claus-Robert Heinze is the Senior Vice President (SVP) of Enterprise Product & Professional Services at Freightify. He has over two decades of experience in freight forwarding and IT management from previous roles at DB Schenker, Maersk DAMCO, and ECU.
Summary
Tag 1
Education
November 5, 2025
From Gut to Data-Driven: Building Freight Procurement Decisions That Scale
Most large forwarders are Stage II—governed but fragmented—and must adopt Stage III intelligence-led orchestration to scale and amplify human judgment.
From Gut to Data-Driven: Building Freight Procurement Decisions That Scale
Most large forwarders are Stage II—governed but fragmented—and must adopt Stage III intelligence-led orchestration to scale and amplify human judgment.
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