Criteria and indicators of the quality of road transport. Criteria for assessing the quality of transport and forwarding services Development of criteria for assessing the quality of services of a transport organization

The concept of "quality" in a broad sense is a philosophical category that expresses the essential certainty of an object, thanks to which it is precisely this and not another. In this sense, the quality of one object (service) cannot be compared with the quality of another, it cannot be said which object is better or worse. This aspect of quality is extremely important for the characterization of services and the practice of evaluating them.

Currently, there are no effective quantitative methods for assessing the quality of services. According to GOST R 50691 - 94 "Model of service quality assurance", service quality is a set of characteristics of a service that determine its ability to meet established or anticipated consumer needs. The works of many specialists are devoted to the analysis of the concept of "quality". Despite the predominant coincidence of views, their opinions can be divided into two groups.

Representatives of the first group believe that the production of such products and services, the characteristics of which satisfy specific requirements that have a numerical value, should be considered quality. The main provisions of this position are as follows:

It is necessary that the quality be defined (established), otherwise it is impossible to control it;

If the requirements are set as numerical values, the performance of the service can be measured to determine if it meets the requirements.

Representatives of the second point of view believe that quality is determined by the degree of satisfaction of the consumer's expectations regarding the service provided, and not by any measurable characteristics.

Quality is thus inextricably linked to needs. For example, in modern international standards (IS) of the ISO 9000 - 2000 series, quality is defined as the degree to which a set of its own characteristics meets the requirements. It is characteristic that in this definition there is no word denoting the bearer of quality - “object”. Here, quality and requirements are directly related. At the same time, the standard, speaking of quality, implies not just the service itself, but also the process of its provision, and the concept of “requirements” also includes the anticipated needs.

The composition and structure of quality indicators of freight traffic for all types of transport are established by GOST R 51005 - 96 “Transport services. Freight transportation. Nomenclature of quality indicators ",

The key parameters of the quality of transport services to consumers include:

time from receipt of the order for transportation to delivery;

reliability and delivery on demand;

availability of stocks, stability of supply;

completeness and availability of order fulfillment;

convenience of placing and confirming the order;

objectivity of tariffs and regularity of information on service costs;

the possibility of providing loans;

efficiency of cargo handling in warehouses;

quality of packaging, as well as the ability to perform batch and container shipments.

Each of the indicators under consideration plays a more or less important role depending on specific market conditions. The quality of customer service is the result of the activities of employees of structural divisions of enterprises in all links of the supply chain. Quality is achieved through careful planning, employee training and continuous improvement in service performance.

The most important complex indicators for assessing the quality of services from the point of view of the consumer include:

environment (office furnishings and interiors, equipment, staff appearance, etc.);

reliability (diligence and trust in the results of work and services; delivery of goods at the right time and in the right place). A significant factor affecting the reliability of delivery is the presence of obligations (guarantees) provided for by the contract, by virtue of which the supplier is responsible for violation of the delivery time. The reliability of information and financial procedures is also understood. Reliability refers to the ability of the service system to function without failures;

availability (ease of establishing links with the performer). Affordability also means having a stock of products to meet customer product needs without interruption. In the case when it comes to a freight forwarding company, it may be the ability to order transport or a forwarding service.

safety (absence of risk and mistrust on the part of the consumer of services), for example, ensuring the safety of the cargo;

diligence (guarantees of the provision of services by experienced and competent personnel);

courtesy, responsiveness of the staff, mutual understanding with the consumer (sincere interest, the ability to understand the problems of the consumer);

the sociability of staff (the ability to communicate with the consumer of services in an accessible and understandable language);

functionality (characterized by the duration of the service cycle from the receipt of the order to its execution). Functionality measures the ability of the service system to maintain expected timelines and acceptable flexibility of operations.

The service cycle (order fulfillment) is the interval between the sending of the order for the supply of products and the receipt of the ordered products by the consumer. This indicator must be considered from the point of view of the consumer. The time it takes to complete the lead cycle depends on the structure of the service system. It can last from several hours to several months. Order fulfillment cycles differ depending on the service level, the type of customer and the degree of market uncertainty.

The order fulfillment cycle is determined by the following indicators:

the degree of satisfaction of the consumer's expectations in terms of the lead time;

uninterrupted performance of logistics operations;

flexibility of logistics operations;

level of service deficiencies.

To ensure the required level of continuity, the management of the logistics service should:

determine the minimum lead time;

prioritize with limited resources;

For a more complete assessment of the quality of service, other indicators are also considered:

response time to a consumer's request;

completeness of the order - delivery of the entire range and the required quantity of products ordered by the consumer;

the frequency of deliveries during the required period.

The considered indicators are the main indicators of the quality of customer service. Defining them, monitoring compliance and evaluating them determine the effectiveness of the service system. Moreover, for each parameter there are two (conditional) values: the first characterizes the consumer's expectations, the second - the consumer's perception in relation to this parameter. When a consumer evaluates the quality of services, he compares the actual values \u200b\u200bof the quality parameters with the expected ones, and if they coincide or turn out to be close, then the quality is considered satisfactory or acceptable. Consumer expectations of a client are determined by information about services transferred by consumers of services to each other; the client's personal ideas about quality (his requests, past experience); external sources of information (radio, television, press).

Foreign experience testifies to the increased attention to the problems of transport services. Thus, in countries with developed market economies, the following trends in the development of transport services take place: an increase in the volume of transportation of goods of increased value with a simultaneous reduction in low-value goods; an increase in average delivery distances and an increase in the share of international traffic; increasing responsibility for the quality and timing of transportation along the entire transport chain;

an increase in the volume of traffic between enterprises while reducing the volume of traffic within enterprises; a decrease in the volume of bulk cargo and an increase in the volume of piece cargo in containers and on pallets; increasing the coefficient of carrying capacity of rolling stock; an increase in the volume of transportation of goods (passengers) in specialized rolling stock; the predominance of logistic approaches in the organization of transportation and management of the transport process.

In our country, the importance of logistics services is also constantly increasing, the service industry is expanding, and an increasing number of companies and employees are joining it. Many logistics intermediaries are becoming service businesses whose services are inextricably linked to the promotion and sale of goods, and the cost of services can exceed the direct costs of production.

One of the important factors of logistics transport service is the price as the expected compensation for the general set of services that the service organization offers to the consumer. Determining the price of logistics services is much more difficult than the price of the transportation itself, since the price of logistics services largely depends on the client's perception of the entire service system. The choice of the optimal level of customer service is determined by the completeness of logistics services and the amount of costs. Solving the price-quality problem requires the development of many options and optimization solutions. So, for example, when the level of quality rises above 70%, service costs grow exponentially, while at a service level of 90% and above, the service becomes practically unprofitable. Expert assessments and calculations of specialists showed that with an increase in the level of service from 95 to 97%, the economic effect increases by 2%, and costs - by 14%.

To identify the rational level of service, costs, revenues and profits are compared, implementing the principle of a compromise solution in which firms achieve the best

the relationship between prices and service levels, between costs and revenues. In fact, the procedure boils down to comparing the costs associated with an increase in the level of service, with the loss of income that grows with a decrease in the number and quality of services. As a result of the comparison, some optimum service level is found. As the service level rises, the costs rise, but the revenue losses associated with the service level decline decrease. The resulting curve is obtained by summing the coordinates of the two named components. Due to significant difficulties in finding and practical implementation of the optimal level of service, service providers and their clientele are guided by a “good enough solution” - a rational, acceptable ratio of costs and incomes.

In accordance with the prevailing logistic views on quality, the manufacturer must devote all his attention to meeting the needs and wishes of consumers. Ultimately, it is the human needs, as defined by the American scientist A. Maslow, that are the "engine" of the market.

When considering the quality of transport services, it is necessary to take into account the following features:

the choice of a range of services requires consideration of all possible options for the levels of transport services;

the client may have several needs, which entails the correspondence of the properties and characteristics of services simultaneously to several and often contradicting requirements;

when concluding a contract, customer requests and needs are clearly negotiated and recorded;

in many cases, the needs of the client change over time, which necessitates periodic marketing research. Each type of transport service requires serious study and analysis;

customer needs and requests are usually expressed in certain properties with a quantitative characteristic and include aspects such as safety, functional suitability, availability, reliability, economic factors, environmental friendliness, etc .;

for a quantitative assessment of quality, expressions such as "relative quality", "quality level", "quality measure" are used.

In order to improve transport services, information about the quality of transport services obtained on the basis of the accumulated experience and wishes of customers should be carefully studied and analyzed.

In transport logistics, there are essentially two consumers - the sender and the recipient. Customer focus means, in particular, building a specific customer chain and defining the requirements of each of the categories of customers for a comprehensive and effective deployment of activities focused on them. The principles of quality management found practical implementation in the international standard ISO 9001 - 2000.

Quality is assessed only by the consumer, and therefore should be made dependent on his needs and wishes. This means that the consumer is a participant in the process carried out by the manufacturer and is interested in the final result, being the main arbiter in its assessment.

Of course, a quantitative assessment of the level and feasibility of service is multifactorial and multi-criteria. Since this or that type of service, which has advantages in some respect, may be inferior in other respects, a practical assessment of the level of service can be correctly carried out only using the method of expert assessments. Proceeding from this, it is important to determine the list of criteria for assessing quality inherent in a transport and forwarding company. Above, many criteria for assessing quality have been listed. For ease of use to assess the situation directly in the company, the following classification of quality criteria is proposed, by combining them into 4 main groups (see Figure 2.1):

Figure 2.1 Classification of quality assessment criteria

Time characteristics:

The time from receipt of the order to delivery of the goods to the client, one of the most important qualities of efficiency, is often the main defining requirement for the client, even bypassing the cost of service.

Availability to ensure the implementation of the service at the request of the client. This characteristic speaks of the company's ability to fulfill the client's request as quickly as possible, which may depend on the availability of a free fleet, on the breadth of established relations with contract agents. It is also about security of supply.

Response time to customer requests. It is also a very important characteristic at the preparatory stage, before directly working with the client's transportation.

Price characteristics:

The cost of basic and additional services in comparison with competitors, of course, is a key characteristic, but it is not enough and incorrect to rely on it when assessing only.

Objectivity and transparency of tariffs for services is of great importance when it comes to standard tariffs - tariffs of lines, ports, terminals.

Regularity of informing the client about costs, especially about additional costs arising already in the process of transportation.

The possibility of lending to the client, granting him a deferral in payments to customs and for transport. Payment of advance payments to line agents.

Prompt and accurate calculation of preliminary costs. First of all, it influences the choice by the client of a particular company for work. It makes it possible to evaluate the efficiency of transportation as a whole, both for the client and for the feasibility study.

Professionalism in choosing the optimal delivery scheme. This characteristic can also be included in the list of efficiency indicators.

Reliability characteristics:

The degree of safety of cargo during transportation and processing, as one of the main indicators.

Informativeness of the transportation process, namely, the possession of the company's employees of operational and relevant information about the location of the cargo at any time.

Reasonable distribution of risks between the client and the company in case of force majeure. These points, of course, are legally enshrined in the contract, but taking into account the realities of modern business, it is important for the client in exceptional situations to be confident in the reasonable behavior of the company and its reliability from this point of view.

Legal and financial literacy of staff. This characteristic affects many points in the process of transportation. This is the execution of contracts, calculation of payments and expenses, transfers of funds to counterparties and much more.

Performance guarantees. Here, along with the existence of the contract, guarantees must be present and confirmed in practice. Most often, customers initially associate guarantees with the company's good reputation in the market, its popularity and scale of work.

Professional competence of personnel as a guarantee of correct representation of the client's interests in the customs authorities. Confidence in choosing reliable contractors. Solving all possible problem situations. Experience and personal approach.

Additional characteristics:

Functional flexibility in the work of the company. This refers to the possibility in the process of transportation under the influence of various circumstances, to adjust previous plans, to seek opportunities to solve emerging problems.

Complexity of services. This criterion has already been discussed in the previous chapter. It is very important, since more and more clients who outsource the logistics of their company, it is very important to receive services as a package, in a complex.

Communicative characteristics of staff. Accessibility - ease in establishing connections, politeness, responsiveness, sociability, interest. They are important both at the initial stage of the development of the service project and in the process of its execution. This is the key to long-term cooperation.

Company environment. These are such moments as the furnishings and interior of the office, the appearance of employees, equipment, etc.

Having designated all the above criteria, it is important to emphasize that, of course, in each individual company, their set will be diverse. In different subgroups of the classification, characteristics can be repeated, since they can simultaneously characterize several qualities. When choosing priorities in improving quality characteristics, it is important to understand that the growth of the company's competitiveness, caused by an increase in the level of service, is accompanied, on the one hand, by a decrease in losses in the market, and on the other, by an increase in service costs. The task of the logistics service is precisely to find the optimal level of service.

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Table of contents
Introduction
2.1 The concept of freight forwarding services.
2.2 Legal regulation of the activities of freight forwarding companies in Russia.
3. Development of criteria and assessment of the quality of services of the freight forwarding company Fortek
3.1 General diagram of business processes of the company "Fortek"
3.2 Substantiation of the criteria for assessing the quality of the work of OOO Fortek
3.4 Problems of the company's business processes. Improvement suggestions
Conclusion
List of sources used
Introduction
International freight forwarding services are an integral part of the process of transportation of foreign trade goods. Freight forwarding companies, as a transportation operator, organize the transportation of goods in international traffic from the manufacturer to the consumer, which is an extremely complex process, and it is not without reason that freight forwarders are sometimes called a "transport architect". Describing the specifics of the Russian transport and forwarding business at the present stage, it can be noted that, in current conditions, this is the business of many small companies with rather limited resources. The field of transport forwarding is distinguished by low capital intensity, which, in the absence of state licensing, allows creating new companies without special costs and efforts, it is for this business that there is a high risk of frequent transition of corporate clients to competitors and the departure of key employees along with the client base in order to create their own enterprises.
Based on the foregoing, it can be summarized that the freight forwarding business in Russia in modern conditions is still in the development stage, is antimonopoly, and its conduct is taking place in the conditions of the fiercest competition for customers and freight flows, taking place both within the industry and with actual carriers. different types of transport. As a consequence, there are no entry barriers to this market and the highest level of entrepreneurial risk.
For the normal functioning and development, a high quality of service to cargo owners is required, compliance with special international rules, precise execution of contract conditions, orders of customers, carriers, banks, insurers, compliance with customs and state laws.
The existing growth in traffic volumes does not at all exclude intense competition among transport and forwarding companies, and it is in such tough competition that improving the quality of transport services for cargo owners becomes one of the main ways to conquer or expand the transport market. To do this, it is necessary to know well the needs of consumers of transport services, their capabilities and the capabilities of competitors, to correctly determine the marketing strategy of transport services for specific cargo owners and skillfully implement it. This strategy, first of all, should provide for a high level of quality of the offered transport services, capable of meeting the needs of cargo owners better than that of a competitor. Formation of an effective quality management system in any company is impossible without their identification, updating, systematization and analysis.
The works of many specialists are devoted to the analysis of the concept of "quality". Despite the predominant coincidence of views, their opinions can be divided into two groups. The representative of the first point of view on quality as “conformity to requirements” is, for example, F. Crosby. A. Feigenbaum, E. Deming, V. Schuhart can be referred to the second group of specialists who associate quality with meeting the needs and expectations of consumers. Quality assessment issues are certainly analyzed in the development of various standards and regulations.
This work is devoted to the assessment of the quality of the work of a freight forwarding company. The aim of the work is to analyze the existing situation and develop a quality assessment system on the example of the functioning of the freight forwarding company LLC Fortek.
To achieve this goal, the following tasks will be solved in the work:
- Considered the theoretical foundations of the concept of quality of transport and forwarding services, legal regulation of this area of \u200b\u200bactivity.
- the currently existing methods and methods of quality assessment are described.
- a system of quality assessment criteria most relevant to the company has been developed.
- the main business processes of the company are described.
Using a group of selected criteria, it is planned to implement the main task of this work - to analyze the main problems of the company at each stage of the business process.
The result of this work will be the development of proposals for improving the company's business processes and improving the quality of its services in order to increase competitiveness and strengthen its position in the market.
1. General characteristics of the forwarding company LLC "Fortek" and its place in the market of logistics services
1.1 Description and organizational structure of the company
This work is devoted to the analysis of the quality of the activity of the freight forwarding company "Fortek", therefore, acquaintance with the company, a description of the organizational structure, and a place in the market of freight forwarding services in this part of the work is necessary.
Fortek is an independent company in the form of a limited liability company within the Forum Group holding. In this regard, in order to describe the scope of activity and determine the place of the company in the holding, it is necessary to first tell directly about the Forum Group holding. Holding "Forum-group", was organized in 2002 as a small company "Forum" - an intermediary, providing for its clients the service of customs clearance of goods at the Baltic customs of St. Petersburg. Over time, the freight traffic handled by the company has increased, the number of clients has increased, and it became necessary to create its own forwarding department within the company. On the basis of this department, a separate forwarding company Fortek was later formed.
Due to the increase in the volume of cargo handled, over time it was decided to abandon the services of third-party brokers and organize its own customs broker company, with a staff of declarants and license its activities. At the moment, the holding forum of groups includes several companies (see Figure 1.1)
Forum-Broker is a leading customs broker in the North-West of Russia, licensed by the State Customs Committee of the Russian Federation, operating mainly in the area of \u200b\u200bsubordination of the Baltic and St. Petersburg customs. The company successfully operates in the customs services market, constantly increasing its potential and improving its experience.

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Figure 1.1 Organizational structure of the "Forum Group" holding
The list of the company's services includes consulting services for clients in the field of foreign economic activity; services for the classification of products according to the nomenclature of goods subject to foreign trade; calculation of the amount of customs payments, provision of reference information on customs rates; preparation of the documentation required for the registration of customs declarations; submission of declarations to customs, provision of documentation and additional information required for the passage of customs procedures to the customs authority of the Russian Federation; payment of payments related to customs procedures. Extensive experience of interaction with customs authorities, professionalism of employees and an individual approach to each client enable the company to carry out customs clearance and customs clearance of goods in the shortest possible time.
Fortek is a freight forwarding company that provides intra-port forwarding services in different areas of the port of St. Petersburg, forwarding road transport from Europe to the Russian Federation. The list of the company's services includes tracking (monitoring) the movement of goods from the sender to the point of destination, forwarding goods directly in the port, taking out goods from the port and delivery to recipients, coordinating the transportation of goods "door-to-door" by sea and road transport, handling goods at customs terminals of the Baltic States and St. Petersburg, organization of transportation of oversized and dangerous goods.
To perform the functions of the company, work is underway with agents of sea lines, with structures of the port of St. Petersburg, with carriers and forwarders in Russia and abroad, insurance companies, customs terminals and commercial warehouses.
Many years of experience and officially concluded contracts with agents of sea lines, stevedoring companies, large transport companies give Fortek the opportunity to provide its services at a high level, but competition is growing every year in the market of freight forwarding companies, especially in St. Petersburg, where their countless number makes the company's management look for ways and directions to improve the quality of services and, accordingly, attract more and more customers.
It should be emphasized that it is extremely difficult to consider the work of the company as carrying out separately transport, forwarding and brokerage activities. Nowadays, external conditions and growing competition among similar companies force companies to offer their customers a combined service. In the case of which the client receives a full package of services with door-to-door delivery, the solution of all issues with customs clearance and, as a rule, a common integral rate for all services, which can only change in case of force majeure, which gives the client a safer ... reliable service, service in the complex. And the company, on the other hand, allows the most successful coordination of processes within the company, while avoiding the problem of dividing information flows and workflow for different forwarding and brokerage companies. and provide the service in a better and more efficient manner.
It is impossible to consider the organizational structure and functional areas of activity of the Fortek company without a preliminary comment on what place the company occupies within the structure of the Forum Group holding. The organizational structure of the Forum Group holding is quite simple (see Figure 1.2).

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Figure 1.2 Organizational structure of the Forum-group holding
The company is headed by several founders, the management and overall coordination functions are carried out by the CFO and CEOs of the two companies. Since the main activity of the holding and directly of the LLC Forum-Broker, which is part of the holding along with LLC Fortek, is customs clearance of goods, the structure, traditionally for a company of this direction, includes customs declaration departments, a client department and an analytical department. which perform the main functions of the company. Financial services - the accounting department and the finance department, headed by the CFO, handle all economic issues. Although the legal department, human resources, security and IT departments are subsidiary, the work of the company would be difficult without them. The organizational structure of the Fortek company (see Figure 1.3) should be highlighted and explained as a separate diagram, since it is this company within our holding that is engaged in the transport and forwarding business.

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Figure 1.3 Organizational structure of Fortek
Such an organizational structure primarily reflects several areas of the company's activities, such as ordering sea container transportation, their coordination, ordering transportation by road and their coordination, intra-port forwarding of goods, removal of goods from the port, delivery of goods to a client, mediation in solving financial issues in the lines by clients.
The functions of each of the departments and their relationship will be discussed in more detail in the third chapter when describing business processes within the company.
1.2 The place of the company in the market of logistics services
The general crisis of the world and national economy could not but affect negatively the work of the transport and forwarding industry of the Russian Federation. According to the estimates of the Association of Freight Forwarders, the total freight turnover of Russian transport in 2009 amounted to approximately 87% of the level of 2008. However, in 2010, and this is especially true of transportations by sea transport, the situation improved significantly due to the growth of freight traffic. The volume of cargo transportation by sea for 6 months of 2010 amounted to 17.8 million tons, which exceeds the same indicator in 2009 by 1.5%.
Considering this situation in the industry, we can say that the line of activity of the Forum-Group holding in general and LLC Fortek in particular is very promising. However, the factor of strong competition in the market and the presence of a host of negative external factors force us to look for ways to increase the company's competitiveness and strengthen its place in the market. It is necessary to give an overall brief assessment of the company's activities, identifying strengths and weaknesses. The internal advantages of the company in a competitive environment include:
- the ability to offer clients a combined customs clearance service together with forwarding, which is an important factor when choosing a company from the client's point of view. Promotes greater clarity and efficiency of work.
- availability of an official license for brokerage activities. This factor increases the reliability of the company in the eyes of customers and counterparties, allows you to speed up the processes of working with customs.
- a wide range of services provided by the company. Due to the presence of specialists in various logistics areas on the staff of the company, the company can satisfy the broad needs of its customers and offer them a variety of services.
- the result of many years of experience in the market of forwarding services and the positive reputation of the company was the presence of a sufficient number of large regular customers, this allowed the company to survive the crisis year and continue to develop further.
You can also highlight some weaknesses in the organization of the holding, which should be paid serious attention to when analyzing.
-Insufficiently effective personnel policy of the company. Lack of specialists in certain departments. Private change of personnel and their surplus in others.
-Conservative policy of the company owners. This mainly concerns long-term development plans for conquering new markets, opening new offices, expanding the package of services.
-Lack of a PR department in the company and, as a result, insufficient awareness of the company in the market of potential clients.
Speaking of external positive and negative factors, one can single out as advantages a stable demand for the services provided by the company, a good reputation of the company in the customs and client circles. And as external threats to the company: the instability of the customs policy of the Russian Federation, strong competition in the market of forwarding services, the specifics of working with shipping lines - monopolists.
As a result of this chapter, it is important to emphasize that it is necessary to conduct a subsequent analysis and assessment of the quality of the company's services, taking into account all the factors listed below. Only in this case the assessment will be sufficiently objective and applicable in practice.
2. Assessment of the quality of transport and forwarding services
2.1 The concept of freight forwarding services
Freight forwarding in foreign trade is usually understood as the commercial activity of intermediary firms carried out in the transportation of foreign trade goods and complementing the main activities of carriers, cargo owners and other persons interested in the cargo. From a legal point of view, transport and forwarding activities can be carried out in the national legal or international legal regime, if there is an international element in it.
Freight forwarding service in foreign economic activity is the practical implementation of forwarding support, the object of which is foreign trade turnover (cargo turnover). The purpose of the feasibility study is to assist in the transportation of foreign trade goods and the development of the export of transport services. Freight forwarding services begins from the moment a decision is made on the need or possibility of transportation and ends at the moment when the cargo is delivered to its end consumer.
Freight forwarding services include several groups of basic operations.
Consulting services. The operations of this group precede not only the contractual relationship for the carriage of goods, but also the contractual relationship between the participants in the foreign trade contract of purchase and sale.
Organization and registration of transportation. The operations of this group are carried out after the selection, search and finding of transport companies that meet the conditions of the client, as well as the establishment of business contact with them. If this is done, then the main functions of the freight forwarding company are:
-conclusion of contracts with participants in the transportation process;
-operative planning of transportation (filing applications for transportation, agreeing the dates of delivery of vehicles, booking seats on ships and aircraft, agreeing on the timing of cargo arrival at the port, etc.);
-preparation of transport, shipping and other documents necessary for the transportation process;
-conclusion with the insurance company of the contract of transport insurance of cargo and obtaining from it the necessary insurance documents;
- settlement of accounts with all participants in the transportation process and the insurance company;
- the conclusion of contracts for the leasing of containers and the practical receipt of the latter.
Preparation of cargo for transportation. Bringing the cargo into a transportable state includes practical work on packaging of goods, their packing, labeling, as well as on packing goods into containers, consolidation (consolidation) and unbundling of container lots and the formation of transport packages. Requirements for these operations are determined by the terms of contracts for carriage, transshipment and purchase and sale.
Customs clearance. For the passage of foreign trade goods through the customs authorities, the freight forwarding company prepares the necessary customs documents.
In a number of countries around the world, freight forwarding firms carry out customs clearance operations for goods for export and import, and pay customs duties, taxes and fees. The customs activities of intermediary firms are subject to licensing by the state customs authorities.
Acceptance and delivery of cargo. A freight forwarding company interacts with carriers and transport infrastructure enterprises, accepting goods from some and transferring them to others
Loading and unloading and stevedoring works and warehousing. The freight forwarding company itself can carry out loading and reloading operations or engage any other professionally trained companies for their execution. Warehouse storage is directly related to the transportation of goods (in anticipation of loading, reloading operations, as well as for customs purposes), therefore, warehouse operations are one of the functions of a freight forwarding company.
Claim and claim work. Performed in the event of non-delivery of the goods to the destination, delivery of it in a commercially defective condition, or in violation of the delivery time.
The above list of functions of transport and forwarding companies is not exhaustive and can be supplemented, but at the request of the parties, other works and services.
Transport and forwarding support of foreign trade turnover as an integral part of international trade should be based on common approaches to the organization of this activity. In order to unify, on May 31, 1926, the International Federation of Freight Forwarders - FIATA (abbreviated name in French) was founded by sixteen national associations of freight forwarders. FIATA is a non-governmental non-profit international organization. The main goal of FIATA is to ensure the interests of freight forwarders at the international level.
FIATA members are about 40 thousand forwarding companies from more than 150 countries, and the number of these companies is constantly growing. Russia is represented in FIATA by the Freight Forwarders Association of the Russian Federation (AER), which has about 170 members.
The results of FIATA's practical activities were the development and implementation into practice of forwarding documents that have received official recognition throughout the world: forwarding receipt, freight forwarder's transport certificate, warehouse receipt, shipper's declaration for the transport of dangerous goods, multimodal transport bill of lading, etc.
2.2 Legal regulation of the activities of freight forwarding companies in Russia
The international legal regulation of the transport forwarding agreement has not yet been created. Private international law does not contain agreements and conventions that determine the main conditions of the expeditionary agreement. Some attempts to unify the conditions of expeditionary activities are being undertaken by FIATA. Thus, the FCR (Forwarder "s Certificate of Receipt) pro forma specifies the basic rules for the performance of forwarding services. However, all freight forwarding contracts are governed by the norms of national civil law, which, in the absence of necessary provisions, are supplemented by the Anglo-American law.
The procedure for the legal regulation of freight forwarding activities in Russia is enshrined in the Civil Code of the Russian Federation (Civil Code of the Russian Federation). The transport expedition is devoted to ch. 41 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation (Articles 801 - 806). According to the law, under the freight forwarding agreement, one of the parties (the freight forwarder) undertakes, for a fee and at the expense of the other party (the client - the consignor or consignee), to perform or organize the performance of the services specified in the freight forwarding agreement. Freight forwarding agreements are concluded in the form of a commission agreement (Chapter 49 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation) or a commission agreement (Chapter 51 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation).
The law contains a norm that allows combining the duties of a forwarder and a carrier in one person. A written form of a transport forwarding agreement and a power of attorney issued by the client to the forwarder are mandatory. The forwarder is not liable to the client for non-performance or improper performance of the contract of carriage, except in cases where the forwarder and the carrier are one and the same person. The limit of the forwarder's liability for improper performance of the contract is not defined. The client is obliged to provide the forwarder with full information and the necessary documents for the latter to fulfill the obligations to organize transportation and data on the nature of the presented goods. The client is responsible for the completeness and accuracy of the submitted documents and information. The forwarder has the right to involve any other person to fulfill his obligations under the contract, however, in this case, he is liable to the client in the same amount as if he himself performed the required work and services.
The final provisions of Chapter 41 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation explain the procedure and consequences of a unilateral refusal to fulfill obligations under a freight forwarding agreement. It is indicated, in particular, that such a refusal by one of the parties may entail compensation to the other party for losses caused by the termination of the contract.
On July 3, 2003, the Federal Law of June 30, 2003 No. 87 FZ "On Freight Forwarding Activities" came into force. which, however, did not introduce any fundamentally new norms for regulating TED. Despite the very specific content, the terms "freight forwarder", "forwarding", "transport and forwarding operations" do not always define unambiguously those functions that transport intermediaries assume under contracts concluded with clients.
In the subject of a freight forwarding agreement, which a client concludes with a transport intermediary, it is often indicated that the client instructs, and the freight forwarder takes over the organization of cargo transportation. Attention should be paid to the fundamental difference in the concepts of "organization of transportation" and "implementation of transportation".
The forwarder assumes the obligation to organize transportation, informs the client about the progress of the goods and violations of the delivery time. The fulfillment of the forwarder's obligations is the presence of the carrier, the conclusion of a carriage agreement on its own behalf, but at the expense of the client, providing the customer with a vehicle for loading in accordance with the terms specified in the application, and informing the client about the arrival of the cargo at the destination.
The client in his application is obliged to provide the forwarder with all the information necessary to conclude a contract of carriage. At the same time, he undertakes to reimburse all expenses incurred by the forwarder and pay him remuneration.
The client undertakes to ensure the loading, unloading of the vehicle and customs clearance of the cargo within the terms specified in the contract. The liability of the parties contains force majeure clauses, declares provisions on the material liability of the parties for losses caused to the counterparty due to improper performance of this agreement, and sets specific penalties. For example, for non-delivery of vehicles, for their untimely loading and unloading, etc.
The freight forwarding agreement contains an article "claims and claims", but the client should understand that they can only be brought under the forwarding agreement, and not under the transportation agreement.
The agreement also indicates whether its parties can transfer their rights and obligations to third parties
2.3 Features of intra-port forwarding
Since the main activity of the Fortek company is connected with intra-port forwarding, let us touch on this type of transport and forwarding business in more detail. Intermediary activities carried out by professional participants in the transport and forwarding services market at transport infrastructure enterprises have a number of features associated with the specifics of freight forwarding on certain mainline modes of transport. Each of the objects of transport infrastructure (port, airport, station, terminal) has its own organizational, legal, economic and technological features. For the development of international trade, the procedures for organizing cargo handling in seaports are of paramount importance - more than half of the physical volume of foreign trade goods in most countries is transported with the participation of sea transport.
When considering the fundamentals of transport and forwarding activities in ports, two aspects should be taken into account.
On the one hand, the specificity of the forwarder's activities in the port is that he must organize the interaction of various types of transport. At the seaport, as in a transport hub, the flows of at least three types of transport converge and are distributed - sea, rail and road. Therefore, the forwarder must be sufficiently trained in the commercial operation of these modes of transport and their interaction.
On the other hand, the freight forwarder must carry out his activities directly in the port. He must know the laws and customs of the port and strictly follow them. In addition, the port, which belongs to the category of natural monopolists, is inclined to dictate its terms to all its clients. The forwarder, as a person representing the interests of the cargo owner, has to convince the port administration of the need to give preferences to his clients.
Let's consider the structure and content of the contract for the transshipment and processing of goods between the forwarder and the port. This agreement has two features. First, it does not reflect the agreements between the cargo owner and the forwarder. These agreements may be different than those agreed by the port and the forwarder. Secondly, none of the norms of international and national legislation provides for special rules and procedures for contractual relations with ports. Therefore, the pro forma of the contract is developed by the port itself and, as a rule, is offered to the forwarder. The port is a monopolist in its region and is not inclined to adapt to each of its clients.
Most often, in accordance with the subject of the contract of the forwarder with the port, the port, on behalf of the forwarder, accepts goods from the railway and road carriers, short-term storage and loading onto ships of containers with export goods and empty ones, as well as similar operations with imported goods in containers arrived at port on sea vessels.
The port determines the places (berths) where operations for handling containers will be carried out, the type of navigation, the maximum capacity of the vessels with which the port will work, and the daily ship's norms for loading and unloading containers.
The main obligations of the forwarder under the contract are:
compliance with the planned system of coordination of the volumes of container processing in the port and their import (for export) or export (for import).
conclusion of contracts of carriage (domestic and international) with carriers of certain types of transport and coordination of schedules for the delivery of vehicles to the port;
declaration and licensing of goods in containers in accordance with the current rules at the regional customs. The forwarder decides in advance with the customs authorities all issues regarding the unimpeded release of goods from the port;
guaranteeing the loading of goods into containers with a gross mass not exceeding the carrying capacity of the containers, ensuring the loading of goods only into technically sound containers;
sending their representatives to the port, who participate in the acceptance of containers by the port from carriers of one type of transport and their delivery by the port to carriers of another type of transport. All possible claims for containers and cargo in them are regulated by the forwarder independently;
registration of waybills for railway and road transport, issuance of export orders to the port (with a permit stamp from customs) with all the requisites necessary for processing bills of lading, including the procedure for dispatching shipping documents;
ensuring the export of containers from the port territory within the terms stipulated by the contract;
independent performance of freight forwarding services for those operations that are not provided for by the contract;
ensuring compliance with safety regulations by its employees in the port.
In accordance with the agreement, the port assumes the following obligations:
anchorage of the vessel, declared in the schedule, to the berth without delays in the roadstead, if this is not impeded by weather conditions or the berth being occupied by another vessel;
unimpeded reception of cars arriving at the port and wagons transferred to it by rail;
carrying out loading and unloading and stevedoring works, ensuring the loading and unloading of containers within the terms specified in the contract;
acceptance of containers from carriers of various types of transport with the participation of a representative of the forwarder, external inspection of containers with verification of their serviceability and conformity of the seals with the information specified in the shipping documents. If necessary, drawing up acts-notifications and general and commercial acts, which reflect the results of inspections;
registration of acceptance of containers with acceptance certificates (for export) and delivery of containers to the forwarder with expense orders (for import), extract of export and shipping notices, respectively;
storage of containers in accordance with the procedure, terms and rates specified in the contract.
delivery of containers to a ship, railroad, road carriers with the participation of a forwarder's representative - by external inspection with keeping a number of containers behind customs seals, and also, if necessary, by the sender or the forwarder;
proper execution of bills of lading and ensuring that the captain of the vessel signs bills of lading and other shipping documents;
rendering other services to the forwarder under separate contracts or requests and for a fee.
The contract between the port and the forwarder always contains clauses on the responsibility of the parties, tariffs for the port's performance of works and services.
Thus, intra-port freight forwarding undoubtedly has its own characteristics that cannot be ignored in the process of organizing and operating a company engaged in this area of \u200b\u200bbusiness.
2.4 Quality as a factor in increasing the competitiveness of freight forwarding services
Regarding the issue of quality, it is very important to note that freight forwarding services belong to the service sector. Let's turn to the definition of this concept.
Service (maintenance) - activities for the provision of services, accompanying or ensuring the implementation of a certain process.
In a generalized sense, a service is an action that benefits the consumer.
In the international standard ISO 8402 - 86 “Quality. Glossary containing general terms and definitions in the field of quality "service is defined as an activity associated with the exchange of values, aimed at meeting needs expressed in the form of demand, which is not limited to the transfer of ownership of a material product.
Transport service (service) is defined as the activity of freight forwarding enterprises associated with the process of moving goods in space and time with the provision of transportation, handling and storage services.
Forwarding service is an integral part of the movement of goods from the manufacturer to the consumer and includes the performance of additional work and operations, without which the transportation process is impossible.
Transport service, therefore, is a part of the system for the circulation and distribution of goods, which includes, in addition to the carriage of goods, the performance of warehouse, handling and commercial operations.
The quality of transport services is determined by the speed, time and reliability of delivery on time, the degree of safety, safety of goods and passengers, tariff cost, the presence of a large number of related services, etc.
The emergence of a market economy in our country made it possible to further develop transport services through the inclusion of specialized organizations, in particular forwarding activities, which previously existed only in the structure of state-owned enterprises of mainline transport and worked, as a rule, in its interests.
The modern concept of freight forwarding activity (TED) can be defined as the activity of providing transport services in the logistics process of delivering goods, carried out in the interests of shippers and consignees.
Freight Forwarders, as entrepreneurs operating in a competitive environment, must be able to respond flexibly to customer requests to offer and provide the required services at an appropriate level of cost and quality. Such conditions are provided by the freight forwarder, who, on the one hand, can offer a wide range of services performed independently, by his own efforts and means, and on the other hand, he knows how to attract intermediaries to ensure the complexity and minimize the costs of fulfilling the client's order. The solution to this problem, i.e. the ability to implement one of the basic principles of logistics, referred to as "make or buy problem", is one of the most important and difficult.
Freight owners (shippers, consignees), including foreign ones, as well as other forwarding and agency organizations, act as clients to whom freight forwarders provide their services. In turn, forwarders themselves may be clients of banks, mainline transport enterprises, customs and insurance companies. Thus, the transport and forwarding activity is due to a wide range of technological, financial and legal relations.
The logistic process of cargo delivery mentioned in the definition of TED presupposes an organization that, ensuring optimal delivery conditions, in a developed, competitive market of freight forwarding services with an established priority of the buyer, not the seller, is focused on the interests and requests of the consignee.
The past perestroika years were accompanied not only by an intensive growth in the number of forwarding organizations, but also by their often short duration of work due to the lack or lack of relevant knowledge and experience.
A modern freight forwarder, ensuring the high quality of services provided, must meet all the requirements that apply to him as a logistics operator.
The range of services provided as part of the logistics service is quite diverse and affects the competitiveness of the company and the amount of costs. A characteristic feature is that the services are systemic in nature. In this regard, the company needs to accurately determine the strategy in the field of logistics services to consumers.
The scope of each specific service includes a large set of various operations, the performance of which is determined by the client's requirements. However, in some cases, due to the client's lack of the necessary experience, the forwarder must notify him of his capabilities.
The process of providing each specific forwarding service is evaluated primarily from the point of view of technological completeness and legal literacy of the documentation confirming the result of its execution, as well as the professional competence of the personnel of the forwarding organization involved in its implementation. The basis of this documentation is the documents confirming the fulfillment of the transport forwarding agreement, other contracts with customers, railway transport enterprises, insurance companies, customs brokers and other organizations that provide for the forwarder's obligations to perform or organize the performance of operations and services specified in these contracts.
Today, inadequate logistics services, whether provided by a manufacturer or someone else, make it easier for competitors to penetrate the emerging market sector. Consumers take into account not only the prices, appearance and quality of goods, but also the quality and range of logistics services offered. In other words, customer service (satisfaction of their needs) is a key factor shaping the needs of logistics.
Research and analysis of the problem of the quality of transport and forwarding services to consumers showed that the basis of existing service concepts is the assertion that a high level of quality of transport services is achieved subject to the provision of comprehensive services: the more services are provided to consumers, the higher the level of service quality. At the same time, in market conditions, service with a wider range of services offered than is necessary for the consumer is more expensive for the latter.
In the course of further advancement of our economy from the manufacturer's market to the consumer's market, the requirements of shippers and consignees (clients) to the quality of transport and forwarding services at all sections of the logistics chain are increasing. At the same time, the logistics approach is not limited to individual functions: transportation, transshipment, warehousing, picking, etc., but comprehensively covers all functions and value creation processes.
A modern highly organized service is a prerequisite for improving the quality of the transport system in Russia during the formation of a new economy.
2.5 Criteria for assessing the quality of freight forwarding services
The concept of "quality" in a broad sense is a philosophical category that expresses the essential certainty of an object, thanks to which it is precisely this and not another. In this sense, the quality of one object (service) cannot be compared with the quality of another, it cannot be said which object is better or worse. This aspect of quality is extremely important for the characterization of services and the practice of evaluating them.
Currently, there are no effective quantitative methods for assessing the quality of services. According to GOST R 50691 - 94 "Model of service quality assurance", service quality is a set of characteristics of a service that determine its ability to meet established or anticipated consumer needs. The works of many specialists are devoted to the analysis of the concept of "quality". Despite the predominant coincidence of views, their opinions can be divided into two groups.
Representatives of the first group believe that the production of such products and services, the characteristics of which satisfy specific requirements that have a numerical value, should be considered quality. The main provisions of this position are as follows:
it is necessary that the quality be determined (established), otherwise it is impossible to control it;
if the requirements are set as numerical values, the performance of the service can be measured to determine if it meets the requirements.
Representatives of the second point of view believe that quality is determined by the degree of satisfaction of the consumer's expectations regarding the service provided, and not by any measurable characteristics.
Quality is thus inextricably linked to needs. For example, in modern international standards (IS) of the ISO 9000 - 2000 series, quality is defined as the degree to which a set of its own characteristics meets the requirements. It is characteristic that in this definition there is no word denoting the bearer of quality - “object”. Here, quality and requirements are directly related. At the same time, the standard, speaking of quality, implies not just the service itself, but also the process of its provision, and the concept of “requirements” also includes the anticipated needs.
The composition and structure of quality indicators of freight traffic for all types of transport are established by GOST R 51005 - 96 “Transport services. Freight transportation. Nomenclature of quality indicators ",
The key parameters of the quality of transport services to consumers include:
time from receipt of the order for transportation to delivery;
reliability and delivery on demand;
availability of stocks, stability of supply;
completeness and availability of order fulfillment;
convenience of placing and confirming the order;
objectivity of tariffs and regularity of information on service costs;
the possibility of providing loans;
efficiency of cargo handling in warehouses;
quality of packaging, as well as the ability to perform batch and container shipments.
Each of the indicators under consideration plays a more or less important role depending on specific market conditions. The quality of customer service is the result of the activities of employees of structural divisions of enterprises in all links of the supply chain. Quality is achieved through careful planning, employee training and continuous improvement in service performance.
The most important complex indicators for assessing the quality of services from the point of view of the consumer include:
environment (office furnishings and interiors, equipment, staff appearance, etc.);
reliability (diligence and trust in the results of work and services; delivery of goods at the right time and in the right place). A significant factor affecting the reliability of delivery is the presence of obligations (guarantees) provided for by the contract, by virtue of which the supplier is responsible for violation of the delivery time. The reliability of information and financial procedures is also understood. Reliability refers to the ability of the service system to function without failures;
availability (ease of establishing links with the performer). Affordability also means having a stock of products to meet customer product needs without interruption. In the case when it comes to a freight forwarding company, it may be the ability to order transport or a forwarding service.
safety (absence of risk and mistrust on the part of the consumer of services), for example, ensuring the safety of the cargo;
diligence (guarantees of the provision of services by experienced and competent personnel);
courtesy, responsiveness of the staff, mutual understanding with the consumer (sincere interest, the ability to understand the problems of the consumer);
the sociability of staff (the ability to communicate with the consumer of services in an accessible and understandable language);
functionality (characterized by the duration of the service cycle from the receipt of the order to its execution). Functionality measures the ability of the service system to maintain expected timelines and acceptable flexibility of operations.
The service cycle (order fulfillment) is the interval between the sending of the order for the supply of products and the receipt of the ordered products by the consumer. This indicator must be considered from the point of view of the consumer. The time it takes to complete the lead cycle depends on the structure of the service system. It can last from several hours to several months. Order fulfillment cycles differ depending on the service level, the type of customer and the degree of market uncertainty.
The order fulfillment cycle is determined by the following indicators:
the degree of satisfaction of the consumer's expectations in terms of the lead time;
uninterrupted performance of logistics operations;
flexibility of logistics operations;
level of service deficiencies.
To ensure the required level of continuity, the management of the logistics service should:
determine the minimum lead time;
prioritize with limited resources;
calculate the available warehouse stock.
For a more complete assessment of the quality of service, other indicators are also considered:
response time to a consumer's request;
completeness of the order - delivery of the entire range and the required quantity of products ordered by the consumer;
the frequency of deliveries during the required period.
The considered indicators are the main indicators of the quality of customer service. Defining them, monitoring compliance and evaluating them determine the effectiveness of the service system. Moreover, for each parameter there are two (conditional) values: the first characterizes the consumer's expectations, the second - the consumer's perception in relation to this parameter. When a consumer evaluates the quality of services, he compares the actual values \u200b\u200bof the quality parameters with the expected ones, and if they coincide or turn out to be close, then the quality is considered satisfactory or acceptable. Consumer expectations of a client are determined by information about services transferred by consumers of services to each other; the client's personal ideas about quality (his requests, past experience); external sources of information (radio, television, press).
Foreign experience testifies to the increased attention to the problems of transport services. Thus, in countries with developed market economies, the following trends in the development of transport services take place: an increase in the volume of transportation of goods of increased value with a simultaneous reduction in low-value goods; an increase in average delivery distances and an increase in the share of international traffic; increasing responsibility for the quality and timing of transportation along the entire transport chain;
an increase in the volume of traffic between enterprises while reducing the volume of traffic within enterprises; a decrease in the volume of bulk cargo and an increase in the volume of piece cargo in containers and on pallets; increasing the coefficient of carrying capacity of rolling stock; an increase in the volume of transportation of goods (passengers) in specialized rolling stock; the predominance of logistic approaches in the organization of transportation and management of the transport process.
In our country, the importance of logistics services is also constantly increasing, the service industry is expanding, and an increasing number of companies and employees are joining it. Many logistics intermediaries are becoming service businesses whose services are inextricably linked to the promotion and sale of goods, and the cost of services can exceed the direct costs of production.
One of the important factors of logistics transport service is the price as the expected compensation for the general set of services that the service organization offers to the consumer. Determining the price of logistics services is much more difficult than the price of the transportation itself, since the price of logistics services largely depends on the client's perception of the entire service system. The choice of the optimal level of customer service is determined by the completeness of logistics services and the amount of costs. Solving the price-quality problem requires the development of many options and optimization solutions. So, for example, when the level of quality rises above 70%, service costs grow exponentially, while at a service level of 90% and above, the service becomes practically unprofitable. Expert assessments and calculations of specialists showed that with an increase in the level of service from 95 to 97%, the economic effect increases by 2%, and costs - by 14%.
To identify the rational level of service, costs, revenues and profits are compared, implementing the principle of a compromise solution in which firms achieve the best
the relationship between prices and service levels, between costs and revenues. In fact, the procedure boils down to comparing the costs associated with an increase in the level of service, with the loss of income that grows with a decrease in the number and quality of services. As a result of the comparison, some optimum service level is found. As the service level rises, the costs rise, but the revenue losses associated with the service level decline decrease. The resulting curve is obtained by summing the coordinates of the two named components. Due to significant difficulties in finding and practical implementation of the optimal level of service, service providers and their clientele are guided by a “good enough solution” - a rational, acceptable ratio of costs and incomes.
In accordance with the prevailing logistic views on quality, the manufacturer must devote all his attention to meeting the needs and wishes of consumers. Ultimately, it is the human needs, as defined by the American scientist A. Maslow, that are the "engine" of the market.
When considering the quality of transport services, it is necessary to take into account the following features:

Development of criteria and assessment of the quality of services of the freight forwarding company "Fortek" (essay, term paper, diploma, control)

Introduction

2.1 The concept of freight forwarding services.

2.2 Legal regulation of the activities of freight forwarding companies in Russia.

3. Development of criteria and assessment of the quality of services of the freight forwarding company Fortek

3.1 General diagram of business processes of the company "Fortek"

3.2 Substantiation of the criteria for assessing the quality of the work of OOO Fortek

3.4 Problems of the company's business processes. Improvement suggestions

Conclusion

List of sources used

Introduction

International freight forwarding services are an integral part of the process of transportation of foreign trade goods. Freight forwarding companies, as a transportation operator, organize the transportation of goods in international traffic from the manufacturer to the consumer, which is an extremely complex process, and it is not without reason that freight forwarders are sometimes called a "transport architect". Describing the specifics of the Russian transport and forwarding business at the present stage, it can be noted that, in current conditions, this is the business of many small companies with rather limited resources. The field of transport forwarding is distinguished by low capital intensity, which, in the absence of state licensing, allows creating new companies without special costs and efforts, it is for this business that there is a high risk of frequent transition of corporate clients to competitors and the departure of key employees along with the client base in order to create their own enterprises.

Based on the foregoing, it can be summarized that the freight forwarding business in Russia in modern conditions is still in the development stage, is antimonopoly, and its conduct is taking place in the conditions of the fiercest competition for customers and freight flows, taking place both within the industry and with actual carriers. different types of transport. As a consequence, there are no entry barriers to this market and the highest level of entrepreneurial risk.

For the normal functioning and development, a high quality of service to cargo owners is required, compliance with special international rules, precise execution of contract conditions, orders of customers, carriers, banks, insurers, compliance with customs and state laws.

The existing growth in traffic volumes does not at all exclude intense competition among transport and forwarding companies, and it is in such tough competition that improving the quality of transport services for cargo owners becomes one of the main ways to conquer or expand the transport market. To do this, it is necessary to know well the needs of consumers of transport services, their capabilities and the capabilities of competitors, to correctly determine the marketing strategy of transport services for specific cargo owners and skillfully implement it. This strategy, first of all, should provide for a high level of quality of the offered transport services, capable of meeting the needs of cargo owners better than that of a competitor. Formation of an effective quality management system in any company is impossible without their identification, updating, systematization and analysis.

The works of many specialists are devoted to the analysis of the concept of "quality". Despite the predominant coincidence of views, their opinions can be divided into two groups. The representative of the first point of view on quality as “conformity to requirements” is, for example, F. Crosby. A. Feigenbaum, E. Deming, V. Schuhart can be attributed to the second group of specialists who associate quality with meeting the needs and expectations of consumers. Quality assessment issues are certainly analyzed in the development of various standards and regulations.

This work is devoted to the assessment of the quality of the work of a freight forwarding company. The aim of the work is to analyze the existing situation and develop a quality assessment system on the example of the functioning of the freight forwarding company LLC Fortek.

To achieve this goal, the following tasks will be solved in the work:

- considered the theoretical foundations of the concept of quality of transport and forwarding services, legal regulation of this area of \u200b\u200bactivity.

- the currently existing methods and methods of quality assessment are described.

- a system of quality assessment criteria most relevant to the company has been developed.

- the main business processes of the company are described.

Using a group of selected criteria, it is planned to implement the main task of this work - to analyze the main problems of the company at each stage of the business process.

The result of this work will be the development of proposals for improving the company's business processes and improving the quality of its services in order to increase competitiveness and strengthen its position in the market.

1. General characteristics of the forwarding company LLC "Fortek" and its place in the market of logistics services

1.1 Description and organizational structure of the company

This work is devoted to the analysis of the quality of the activity of the freight forwarding company "Fortek", therefore, acquaintance with the company, a description of the organizational structure, and a place in the market of freight forwarding services in this part of the work is necessary.

Fortek is an independent company in the form of a limited liability company within the Forum Group holding. In this regard, in order to describe the scope of activity and determine the place of the company in the holding, it is necessary to first tell directly about the Forum Group holding. Holding "Forum-group", was organized in 2002 as a small company "Forum" - an intermediary, providing for its clients the service of customs clearance of goods at the Baltic customs of St. Petersburg. Over time, the freight traffic handled by the company has increased, the number of clients has increased, and it became necessary to create its own forwarding department within the company. On the basis of this department, a separate forwarding company Fortek was later formed.

Due to the increase in the volume of cargo handled, over time it was decided to abandon the services of third-party brokers and organize its own customs broker company, with a staff of declarants and license its activities. At the moment, the holding forum of groups includes several companies (see Figure 1.1)

Forum-Broker is a leading customs broker in the North-West of Russia, licensed by the State Customs Committee of the Russian Federation, operating mainly in the area of \u200b\u200bsubordination of the Baltic and St. Petersburg customs. The company successfully operates in the customs services market, constantly increasing its potential and improving its experience.

Figure 1.1 Organizational structure of the "Forum Group" holding

The list of the company's services includes consulting services for clients in the field of foreign economic activity; services for the classification of products according to the nomenclature of goods subject to foreign trade; calculation of the amount of customs payments, provision of reference information on customs rates; preparation of the documentation required for the registration of customs declarations; submission of declarations to customs, provision of documentation and additional information required for the passage of customs procedures to the customs authority of the Russian Federation; payment of payments related to customs procedures. Extensive experience of interaction with customs authorities, professionalism of employees and an individual approach to each client enable the company to carry out customs clearance and customs clearance of goods in the shortest possible time.

Fortek is a freight forwarding company that provides intra-port forwarding services in different areas of the port of St. Petersburg, forwarding road transport from Europe to the Russian Federation. The list of services of the company includes tracking (monitoring) the movement of goods from the sender to the point of destination, forwarding goods directly at the port, taking out goods from the port and delivery to recipients, coordinating door-to-door transportation of goods by sea and road transport, handling goods at customs terminals of the Baltic States and St. Petersburg, organization of transportation of oversized and dangerous goods.

To perform the functions of the company, work is underway with agents of sea lines, with structures of the port of St. Petersburg, with carriers and forwarders in Russia and abroad, insurance companies, customs terminals and commercial warehouses.

Many years of experience and officially concluded contracts with agents of sea lines, stevedoring companies, large transport companies give Fortek the opportunity to provide its services at a high level, but competition is growing every year in the market of freight forwarding companies, especially in St. Petersburg, where their countless number makes the company's management look for ways and directions to improve the quality of services and, accordingly, attract more and more customers.

It should be emphasized that it is extremely difficult to consider the work of the company as carrying out separately transport, forwarding and brokerage activities. Nowadays, external conditions and growing competition among similar companies force companies to offer their customers a combined service. In the case of which the client receives a full package of services with door-to-door delivery, the solution of all issues with customs clearance and, as a rule, a common integral rate for all services, which can only change in case of force majeure, which gives the client a safer ... reliable service, service in the complex. And the company, on the other hand, allows the most successful coordination of processes within the company, while avoiding the problem of dividing information flows and workflow for different forwarding and brokerage companies. and provide the service in a better and more efficient manner.

It is impossible to consider the organizational structure and functional areas of activity of the Fortek company without a preliminary comment on what place the company occupies within the structure of the Forum Group holding. The organizational structure of the Forum Group holding is quite simple (see Figure 1.2).

Figure 1.2 Organizational structure of the Forum-group holding

The company is headed by several founders, the management and overall coordination functions are carried out by the CFO and CEOs of the two companies. Since the main activity of the holding and directly of the LLC Forum-Broker, which is part of the holding along with LLC Fortek, is customs clearance of goods, the structure, traditionally for a company of this direction, includes customs declaration departments, a client department and an analytical department. which perform the main functions of the company. Financial services - the accounting department and the finance department, headed by the CFO, handle all economic issues. Although the legal department, human resources, security and IT departments are subsidiary, the work of the company would be difficult without them. The organizational structure of the Fortek company (see Fig. 1.3) should be highlighted and explained as a separate diagram, since it is this company within our holding that is engaged in the transport and forwarding business.

Figure 1.3 Organizational structure of Fortek

Such an organizational structure primarily reflects several areas of the company's activities, such as ordering sea container transportation, their coordination, ordering transportation by road and their coordination, intra-port forwarding of goods, removal of goods from the port, delivery of goods to a client, mediation in solving financial issues in the lines by clients.

The functions of each of the departments and their relationship will be discussed in more detail in the third chapter when describing business processes within the company.

1.2 The place of the company in the market of logistics services

The general crisis of the world and national economy could not but affect negatively the work of the transport and forwarding industry of the Russian Federation. According to the estimates of the Association of Freight Forwarders, the total freight turnover of Russian transport in 2009 amounted to approximately 87% of the level of 2008. However, in 2010, and this is especially true of transportations by sea transport, the situation improved significantly due to the growth of freight traffic. The volume of cargo transportation by sea for 6 months of 2010 amounted to 17.8 million tons, which exceeds the same indicator in 2009 by 1.5%.

Considering this situation in the industry, we can say that the line of activity of the Forum-Group holding in general and LLC Fortek in particular is very promising. However, the factor of strong competition in the market and the presence of a host of negative external factors force us to look for ways to increase the company's competitiveness and strengthen its place in the market. It is necessary to give an overall brief assessment of the company's activities, identifying strengths and weaknesses. The internal advantages of the company in a competitive environment include:

The ability to offer clients a combined customs clearance service together with forwarding, which is an important factor in choosing a company from a client's point of view. Promotes greater clarity and efficiency of work.

- availability of an official license for brokerage activities. This factor increases the reliability of the company in the eyes of customers and counterparties, allows you to speed up the processes of working with customs.

A wide range of services provided by the company. Due to the presence of specialists in various logistics areas on the staff of the company, the company can satisfy the broad needs of its customers and offer them a variety of services.

The result of many years of experience in the forwarding services market and the positive reputation of the company was the presence of a sufficient number of large regular customers, which allowed the company to survive the crisis year and continue to develop further.

You can also highlight some weaknesses in the organization of the holding, which should be paid serious attention to when analyzing.

Insufficiently effective personnel policy of the company. Lack of specialists in certain departments. Private change of personnel and their surplus in others.

Conservative policy of the company owners. This mainly concerns long-term development plans for conquering new markets, opening new offices, expanding the package of services.

Lack of a PR department in the company and, as a result, insufficient awareness of the company in the market of potential clients.

Speaking of external positive and negative factors, one can single out as advantages a stable demand for the services provided by the company, a good reputation of the company in the customs and client circles. And as external threats to the company: the instability of the customs policy of the Russian Federation, strong competition in the market of forwarding services, the specifics of working with shipping lines - monopolists.

As a result of this chapter, it is important to emphasize that it is necessary to conduct a subsequent analysis and assessment of the quality of the company's services, taking into account all the factors listed below. Only in this case the assessment will be sufficiently objective and applicable in practice.

2. Assessment of the quality of transport and forwarding services

2.1 The concept of freight forwarding services

Freight forwarding in foreign trade is usually understood as the commercial activity of intermediary firms carried out in the transportation of foreign trade goods and complementing the main activities of carriers, cargo owners and other persons interested in the cargo. From a legal point of view, transport and forwarding activities can be carried out in the national legal or international legal regime, if there is an international element in it.

Freight forwarding service in foreign economic activity is the practical implementation of forwarding support, the object of which is foreign trade turnover (cargo turnover). The purpose of the feasibility study is to assist in the transportation of foreign trade goods and the development of the export of transport services. Freight forwarding services begins from the moment a decision is made on the need or possibility of transportation and ends at the moment when the cargo is delivered to its end consumer.

Freight forwarding services include several groups of basic operations.

Consulting services. The operations of this group precede not only the contractual relationship for the carriage of goods, but also the contractual relationship between the participants in the foreign trade contract of purchase and sale.

Organization and registration of transportation. The operations of this group are carried out after the selection, search and finding of transport companies that meet the conditions of the client, as well as the establishment of business contact with them. If this is done, then the main functions of the freight forwarding company are:

Conclusion of contracts with participants in the transportation process;

Operational planning of transportation (filing applications for transportation, agreeing on the dates of delivery of vehicles, booking seats on ships and aircraft, agreeing on the timing of cargo arrival at the port, etc.);

Preparation of transport, shipping and other documents necessary for the transportation process;

Conclusion with an insurance company of a contract for transport insurance of cargo and obtaining from it the necessary insurance documents;

Conducting settlements with all participants in the transportation process and the insurance company;

Conclusion of contracts for the leasing of containers and the practical receipt of the latter.

Customs clearance. For the passage of foreign trade goods through the customs authorities, the freight forwarding company prepares the necessary customs documents.

In a number of countries around the world, freight forwarding firms carry out customs clearance operations for goods for export and import, and pay customs duties, taxes and fees. The customs activities of intermediary firms are subject to licensing by the state customs authorities.

Acceptance and delivery of cargo. A freight forwarding company interacts with carriers and transport infrastructure enterprises, accepting goods from some and transferring them to others

Loading and unloading and stevedoring works and warehousing. The freight forwarding company itself can carry out loading and reloading operations or engage any other professionally trained companies for their execution. Warehouse storage is directly related to the transportation of goods (in anticipation of loading, reloading operations, as well as for customs purposes), therefore, warehouse operations are one of the functions of a freight forwarding company.

Claim and claim work. Performed in the event of non-delivery of the goods to the destination, delivery of it in a commercially defective condition, or in violation of the delivery time.

The above list of functions of transport and forwarding companies is not exhaustive and can be supplemented, but at the request of the parties, other works and services.

Transport and forwarding support of foreign trade turnover as an integral part of international trade should be based on common approaches to the organization of this activity. With a view to unification, on May 31, 1926, the International Federation of Freight Forwarders - FIATA (abbreviated name in French) was founded by sixteen national associations of freight forwarders. FIATA is a non-governmental non-profit international organization. The main goal of FIATA is to ensure the interests of freight forwarders at the international level.

FIATA members are about 40 thousand forwarding companies from more than 150 countries, and the number of these companies is constantly growing. Russia is represented in FIATA by the Freight Forwarders Association of the Russian Federation (AER), which has about 170 members.

The results of FIATA's practical activities were the development and implementation into practice of forwarding documents that have received official recognition throughout the world: forwarding receipt, freight forwarder's transport certificate, warehouse receipt, shipper's declaration for the transport of dangerous goods, multimodal transport bill of lading, etc.

2.2 Legal regulation of the activities of freight forwarding companies in Russia

The international legal regulation of the transport forwarding agreement has not yet been created. Private international law does not contain agreements and conventions that determine the main conditions of the expeditionary agreement. Some attempts to unify the conditions of expeditionary activities are being undertaken by FIATA. Thus, the FCR (Forwarder "s Certificate of Receipt) pro forma specifies the basic rules for the performance of forwarding services. However, all freight forwarding contracts are governed by the norms of national civil law, which, in the absence of necessary provisions, are supplemented by the Anglo-American law.

The procedure for the legal regulation of freight forwarding activities in Russia is enshrined in the Civil Code of the Russian Federation (Civil Code of the Russian Federation). The transport expedition is devoted to ch. 41 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation (Articles 801 - 806). According to the law, under the freight forwarding agreement, one of the parties (the freight forwarder) undertakes, for a fee and at the expense of the other party (the client - the consignor or consignee), to perform or organize the performance of the services specified in the freight forwarding agreement. Freight forwarding agreements are concluded in the form of a commission agreement (Chapter 49 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation) or a commission agreement (Chapter 51 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation).

The law contains a norm that allows combining the duties of a forwarder and a carrier in one person. A written form of a transport forwarding agreement and a power of attorney issued by the client to the forwarder are mandatory. The forwarder is not liable to the client for non-performance or improper performance of the contract of carriage, except in cases where the forwarder and the carrier are one and the same person. The limit of the forwarder's liability for improper performance of the contract is not defined. The client is obliged to provide the forwarder with full information and the necessary documents for the latter to fulfill the obligations to organize transportation and data on the nature of the presented goods. The client is responsible for the completeness and accuracy of the submitted documents and information. The forwarder has the right to involve any other person to fulfill his obligations under the contract, however, in this case, he is liable to the client in the same amount as if he himself performed the required work and services.

The final provisions of Chapter 41 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation explain the procedure and consequences of a unilateral refusal to fulfill obligations under a freight forwarding agreement. It is indicated, in particular, that such a refusal by one of the parties may entail compensation to the other party for losses caused by the termination of the contract.

On July 3, 2003, the Federal Law of June 30, 2003 No. 87 FZ "On Freight Forwarding Activities" came into force. which, however, did not introduce any fundamentally new norms for regulating TED. Despite the very specific content, the terms "forwarder", "forwarding", "transport and forwarding operations" do not always define unambiguously the functions that transport intermediaries assume under contracts concluded with clients.

In the subject of a freight forwarding agreement, which a client concludes with a transport intermediary, it is often indicated that the client instructs, and the freight forwarder takes over the organization of cargo transportation. Attention should be paid to the fundamental difference in the concepts of "organization of transportation" and "implementation of transportation" (https: // site, 22).

The forwarder assumes the obligation to organize transportation, informs the client about the progress of the goods and violations of the delivery time. The fulfillment of the forwarder's obligations is the presence of the carrier, the conclusion of a carriage agreement on its own behalf, but at the expense of the client, providing the customer with a vehicle for loading in accordance with the terms specified in the application, and informing the client about the arrival of the cargo at the destination.

The client in his application is obliged to provide the forwarder with all the information necessary to conclude a contract of carriage. At the same time, he undertakes to reimburse all expenses incurred by the forwarder and pay him remuneration.

The client undertakes to ensure the loading, unloading of the vehicle and customs clearance of the cargo within the terms specified in the contract. The liability of the parties contains force majeure clauses, declares provisions on the material liability of the parties for losses caused to the counterparty due to improper performance of this agreement, and sets specific penalties. For example, for non-delivery of vehicles, for their untimely loading and unloading, etc.

The freight forwarding agreement contains an article "claims and claims", but the client should understand that they can only be brought under the forwarding agreement, and not under the transportation agreement.

The agreement also indicates whether its parties can transfer their rights and obligations to third parties

2.3 Features of intra-port forwarding

Since the main activity of the Fortek company is connected with intra-port forwarding, let us touch on this type of transport and forwarding business in more detail. Intermediary activities carried out by professional participants in the transport and forwarding services market at transport infrastructure enterprises have a number of features associated with the specifics of freight forwarding on certain mainline modes of transport. Each of the objects of transport infrastructure (port, airport, station, terminal) has its own organizational, legal, economic and technological features. For the development of international trade, the procedures for organizing cargo handling in seaports are of paramount importance - more than half of the physical volumes of foreign trade goods in most countries are transported with the participation of sea transport.

When considering the fundamentals of transport and forwarding activities in ports, two aspects should be taken into account.

On the one hand, the specificity of the forwarder's activities in the port is that he must organize the interaction of various types of transport. At the seaport, as in a transport hub, the flows of at least three types of transport converge and are distributed - sea, rail and road. Therefore, the forwarder must be sufficiently trained in the commercial operation of these modes of transport and their interaction.

On the other hand, the freight forwarder must carry out his activities directly in the port. He must know the laws and customs of the port and strictly follow them. In addition, the port, which belongs to the category of natural monopolists, is inclined to dictate its terms to all its clients. The forwarder, as a person representing the interests of the cargo owner, has to convince the port administration of the need to give preferences to his clients.

Let's consider the structure and content of the contract for the transshipment and processing of goods between the forwarder and the port. This agreement has two features. First, it does not reflect the agreements between the cargo owner and the forwarder. These agreements may be different than those agreed by the port and the forwarder. Secondly, none of the norms of international and national legislation provides for special rules and procedures for contractual relations with ports. Therefore, the pro forma of the contract is developed by the port itself and, as a rule, is offered to the forwarder. The port is a monopolist in its region and is not inclined to adapt to each of its clients.

Most often, in accordance with the subject of the contract of the forwarder with the port, the port, on behalf of the forwarder, accepts goods from the railway and road carriers, short-term storage and loading onto ships of containers with export goods and empty ones, as well as similar operations with imported goods in containers arrived at port on sea vessels.

The port determines the places (berths) where operations for handling containers will be carried out, the type of navigation, the maximum capacity of the vessels with which the port will work, and the daily ship's norms for loading and unloading containers.

The main obligations of the forwarder under the contract are:

Compliance with the planned system of coordination of the volumes of container processing in the port and their delivery (for export) or removal (for import).

Conclusion of contracts of carriage (domestic and international) with carriers of certain types of transport and coordination of schedules for the delivery of vehicles to the port;

Declaration and licensing of goods in containers in accordance with the current rules at the regional customs. The forwarder decides in advance with the customs authorities all issues regarding the unimpeded release of goods from the port;

Guaranteeing the loading of goods into containers with a gross mass not exceeding the carrying capacity of the containers, ensuring the loading of goods only into technically sound containers;

Sending their representatives to the port, who participate in the acceptance of containers by the port from carriers of one type of transport and their delivery by the port to carriers of another type of transport. All possible claims for containers and cargo in them are regulated by the forwarder independently;

Registration of waybills for railway and road transport, issuance of export orders to the port (with a permit stamp from customs) with all the details necessary for the registration of bills of lading, including the procedure for dispatching shipping documents;

Ensuring the export of containers from the territory of the port within the terms provided by the contract;

Independent performance of freight forwarding services for those operations that are not provided for by the contract;

Ensuring compliance with safety regulations by its employees in the port.

In accordance with the agreement, the port assumes the following obligations:

Mooring of the vessel, declared in the schedule, to the berth without delays in the roadstead, if this is not prevented by weather conditions or the berth being occupied by another vessel;

Unimpeded reception of cars arriving at the port and wagons transferred to it by rail;

Carrying out loading and unloading and stevedoring works, ensuring the loading and unloading of containers within the terms specified in the contract;

Acceptance of containers from carriers of various types of transport with the participation of a forwarder's representative, external inspection of containers with verification of their serviceability and compliance of seals with the information specified in the shipping documents. If necessary, drawing up acts-notifications and general and commercial acts, which reflect the results of inspections;

Registration of acceptance of containers with acceptance certificates (for export) and delivery of containers to the forwarder with expense orders (for import), extract, respectively, of export and shipping notices;

storage of containers in accordance with the procedure, terms and rates specified in the contract.

Delivery of containers to a ship, railroad, road carriers with the participation of a forwarder's representative - by external inspection with keeping a number of containers behind customs seals, and also, if necessary, by the sender or the forwarder;

Proper execution of bills of lading and ensuring that the captain of the vessel signs bills of lading and other shipping documents;

Provision of other services to the forwarder under separate contracts or requests and for a fee.

The contract between the port and the forwarder always contains clauses on the responsibility of the parties, tariffs for the port's performance of works and services.

Thus, intra-port freight forwarding undoubtedly has its own characteristics that cannot be ignored in the process of organizing and operating a company engaged in this area of \u200b\u200bbusiness.

2.4 Quality as a factor in increasing the competitiveness of freight forwarding services

Regarding the issue of quality, it is very important to note that freight forwarding services belong to the service sector. Let's turn to the definition of this concept.

Service (maintenance) - activities for the provision of services, accompanying or ensuring the implementation of a certain process.

In a generalized sense, a service is an action that benefits the consumer.

In the international standard ISO 8402 - 86 “Quality. Glossary containing general terms and definitions in the field of quality "service is defined as an activity associated with the exchange of values, aimed at meeting needs expressed in the form of demand, which is not limited to the transfer of ownership of a material product.

Transport service (service) is defined as the activity of freight forwarding enterprises associated with the process of moving goods in space and time with the provision of transportation, handling and storage services.

Forwarding service is an integral part of the movement of goods from the manufacturer to the consumer and includes the performance of additional work and operations, without which the transportation process is impossible.

Transport service, therefore, is a part of the system for the circulation and distribution of goods, which includes, in addition to the carriage of goods, the performance of warehouse, handling and commercial operations.

The quality of transport services is determined by the speed, time and reliability of delivery on time, the degree of safety, safety of goods and passengers, tariff cost, the presence of a large number of related services, etc.

The emergence of a market economy in our country made it possible to further develop transport services through the inclusion of specialized organizations, in particular forwarding activities, which previously existed only in the structure of state-owned enterprises of mainline transport and worked, as a rule, in its interests.

The modern concept of freight forwarding activity (TED) can be defined as the activity of providing transport services in the logistics process of delivering goods, carried out in the interests of shippers and consignees.

Freight Forwarders, as entrepreneurs operating in a competitive environment, must be able to respond flexibly to customer requests to offer and provide the required services at an appropriate level of cost and quality. Such conditions are provided by the forwarder, who, on the one hand, can offer a wide range of services performed independently, by his own efforts and means, and on the other hand, he knows how to attract intermediaries to ensure the complexity and minimize the costs of fulfilling the client's order. The solution to this problem, that is, the ability to implement one of the basic principles of logistics, referred to as "make or buy problem", is one of the most important and most difficult.

Freight owners (shippers, consignees), including foreign ones, as well as other forwarding and agency organizations, act as clients to whom freight forwarders provide their services. In turn, forwarders themselves may be clients of banks, mainline transport enterprises, customs and insurance companies. Thus, the transport and forwarding activity is due to a wide range of technological, financial and legal relations.

The logistic process of cargo delivery mentioned in the definition of TED presupposes an organization that, ensuring optimal delivery conditions, in a developed, competitive market of freight forwarding services with an established priority of the buyer, not the seller, is focused on the interests and requests of the consignee.

The past perestroika years were accompanied not only by an intensive growth in the number of forwarding organizations, but also by their often short duration of work due to the lack or lack of relevant knowledge and experience.

A modern freight forwarder, ensuring the high quality of services provided, must meet all the requirements that apply to him as a logistics operator.

The range of services provided as part of the logistics service is quite diverse and affects the competitiveness of the company and the amount of costs. A characteristic feature is that the services are systemic in nature. In this regard, the company needs to accurately determine the strategy in the field of logistics services to consumers.

The scope of each specific service includes a large set of various operations, the performance of which is determined by the client's requirements. However, in some cases, due to the client's lack of the necessary experience, the forwarder must notify him of his capabilities.

The process of providing each specific forwarding service is evaluated primarily from the point of view of technological completeness and legal literacy of the documentation confirming the result of its execution, as well as the professional competence of the personnel of the forwarding organization involved in its implementation. The basis of this documentation is the documents confirming the fulfillment of the transport forwarding agreement, other contracts with customers, railway transport enterprises, insurance companies, customs brokers and other organizations that provide for the forwarder's obligations to perform or organize the performance of operations and services specified in these contracts.

Today, inadequate logistics services, whether provided by a manufacturer or someone else, make it easier for competitors to penetrate the emerging market sector. Consumers take into account not only the prices, appearance and quality of goods, but also the quality and range of logistics services offered. In other words, customer service (satisfaction of their needs) is a key factor shaping the needs of logistics.

Research and analysis of the problem of the quality of transport and forwarding services to consumers showed that the basis of existing service concepts is the assertion that a high level of quality of transport services is achieved subject to the provision of comprehensive services: the more services are provided to consumers, the higher the level of service quality. At the same time, in market conditions, service with a wider range of services offered than is necessary for the consumer is more expensive for the latter.

In the course of further advancement of our economy from the manufacturer's market to the consumer's market, the requirements of shippers and consignees (clients) to the quality of transport and forwarding services at all sections of the logistics chain are increasing. At the same time, the logistics approach is not limited to individual functions: transportation, transshipment, warehousing, picking, etc., but comprehensively covers all functions and value creation processes.

A modern highly organized service is a prerequisite for improving the quality of the transport system in Russia during the formation of a new economy.

2.5 Criteria for assessing the quality of freight forwarding services

Currently, there are no effective quantitative methods for assessing the quality of services. According to GOST R 50 691 - 94 "Model of service quality assurance", service quality is a set of service characteristics that determine its ability to meet the established or anticipated needs of the consumer. The works of many specialists are devoted to the analysis of the concept of "quality". Despite the predominant coincidence of views, their opinions can be divided into two groups.

It is necessary that the quality be defined (established), otherwise it is impossible to control it;

If the requirements are set as numerical values, the performance of the service can be measured to determine if it meets the requirements.

The composition and structure of quality indicators of freight traffic for all types of transport are established by GOST R 51 005 - 96 “Transport services. Freight transportation. Nomenclature of quality indicators ",