Potential for improving clerking efficiency in forwarding

Forwarding companies seen as a whole have under certain conditions the potential to increase clerical producitivity by focusing on limited market segments, by the following amounts: 19 per cent in export processing, 15 per cent in import processing, and 29 per cent in customs clearance. While the potential productivity increase per assignment from focusing on limited market segments is about 10 per cent for airfreight forwarders, it is 25 per cent for road groupage operators. The difference can be explained in part by assuming that air forwarders have already adopted more focused strategies. Clerking productivity in air forwarding is 4-5 times greater for exports, and 2 times greater for imports, than in road groupage, even where air forwarders do not profess a focused strategy.