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 broad sense is a philosophical category that expresses the essential certainty of the object, due 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.

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

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

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

If the requirements are set as numerical values, the characteristics of the service can be measured to determine whether they meet the requirements.

Representatives of the second point of view believe that quality is determined by the degree to which the consumer's expectations are met in relation to 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 own characteristics fulfills 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” includes the expected needs.

The composition and structure of the quality indicators of freight traffic for all modes of transport are established by GOST R 51005 - 96 “Transport Services. Freight transportation. Nomenclature of quality indicators”,

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

time from receipt of the order for transportation to delivery;

reliability and the ability to deliver on demand;

availability of stocks, stability of supply;

completeness and degree of 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;

the quality of packaging, as well as the possibility of performing package and container transportation.

Each of the considered indicators plays more or less important role depending on specific market conditions. The quality of customer service is the result of the activities of employees structural divisions businesses throughout the supply chain. Quality is achieved through careful planning, vocational training employees and continuous improvement of service performance.

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

environment(furnishings and interior of the office, equipment, appearance personnel, etc.);

reliability (efficiency and confidence in the results of work and services; cargo delivery to right time and in required space). A significant factor affecting the reliability of delivery is the existence of obligations (guarantees) stipulated by the contract, by virtue of which the supplier is liable for violation of delivery deadlines. The reliability of information and financial procedures is also understood. Reliability refers to the ability of a service system to function without failure;

accessibility (ease of establishing links with the performer). Availability also means having stocks of products to continuously meet the needs of consumers for products. In the case when we are talking about a transport and forwarding company, this may be the ability to order transport or a forwarding service.

security (lack of risk and distrust on the part of the consumer of services), for example, ensuring the safety of cargo;

diligence (guarantees that services will be performed by experienced and competent personnel);

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

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 receiving an order to its fulfillment). Functionality characterizes the ability of the service system to maintain the expected timing and acceptable flexibility of operations.

The service cycle (order fulfillment) is the interval between the dispatch of an order for the supply of products and the receipt by the consumer of the ordered products. This indicator must be considered from the point of view of the consumer. The time it takes to complete an order fulfillment 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 level of service, the type of customer and the degree of market uncertainty.

The order fulfillment cycle is determined the following indicators:

the degree of satisfaction of consumer expectations in terms of order fulfillment;

uninterrupted execution of logistics operations;

flexibility of logistics operations;

level of service failures.

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

determine the minimum order lead time;

prioritize with limited resources;

For more full assessment quality of service, other indicators are also considered:

response time to a consumer request;

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

frequency of deliveries during the required period.

The considered indicators are the main indicators of the quality of customer service. Their definition, monitoring and evaluation determine the effectiveness of the service system. Moreover, for each parameter there are two values (conditional): the first characterizes the consumer's expectations, the second - the perception of the consumer in relation to this parameter. When a consumer evaluates the quality of services, he compares the actual values of the quality parameters with the expected ones, and if they match or are close, then the quality is considered satisfactory or acceptable. Consumer expectations of the client are determined by the information about the services transmitted by the consumers of services to each other; personal ideas of the client 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. For example, in developed countries market economy the following trends in the development of transport services take place: an increase in the volume of transportation of high-value goods with a simultaneous reduction in low-value goods; an increase in average delivery distances and an increase in the share of international transportation; increasing responsibility for the quality and timing of transportation throughout the entire transport chain;

growth in the volume of traffic between enterprises while reducing the volume of traffic within enterprises; reduction in volumes of bulk bulk cargoes and increase in volumes of piece cargoes in containers and on pallets; increasing the carrying capacity of the rolling stock; increase in the volume of transportation of goods (passengers) in specialized rolling stock; the predominance of logistics 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 workers are included in it. Many logistics intermediaries become service enterprises, whose services are inextricably linked with the promotion and sale of goods, and the cost of services may exceed the direct costs of production.

One of the important factors of the logistics transport service is the price as the expected compensation for the total 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 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, with an increase in the quality level above 70%, service costs grow exponentially, and with 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% economic effect increases by 2%, and expenses - by 14%.

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

the relationship between prices and the level of service, between costs and income. In fact, the procedure is reduced to comparing the costs associated with an increase in the level of service, with the loss of income, growing with a decrease in the number and quality of services. As a result of the comparison, some optimum service level is found. As service levels increase, costs increase, but the revenue loss associated with reduced service levels decreases. The resulting curve is obtained by summing the coordinates of the two named components. Due to the significant difficulties in finding and practically implementing the optimal level of service, service providers and their clientele are guided by a “good enough solution” - a rational, acceptable ratio of costs and income.

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

When considering quality issues transport services the following features must be taken into account:

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

the client may have several needs, which entails the compliance of the properties and characteristics of services with several and often conflicting requirements at the same time;

when concluding a contract, the requests and needs of customers are clearly specified 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 terms of quantified properties and include aspects such as safety, operability, availability, reliability, economic forces, environmental friendliness, etc.;

for quantification quality, expressions such as “relative quality”, “level of quality”, “measure of quality” are used.

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

In transport logistics, in fact, there are two consumers - the sender and the recipient. Orientation to the consumer means, in particular, building a specific consumer chain and determining the requirements of each of the categories of consumers for the comprehensive and effective deployment of activities focused on them. The practical implementation of the principles of quality management was found in the international standard ISO 9001 - 2000.

Quality is evaluated 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 evaluation.

Of course, a quantitative assessment of the level and expediency after-sales service is multifactorial and multicriteria. Since a service that is advantageous in one respect may be inferior in other respects, practical assessment the level of service can be correctly carried out only when using the method of expert assessments. Based on this, it is important to determine the list of criteria for assessing the quality, which is inherent in a freight forwarding company. A number of criteria for assessing quality have been listed above. For the convenience of their 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 the receipt of the order to the delivery of the goods to the client, one of the most important qualities of efficiency, is often the main determining requirement for the client, even bypassing the price of service.

Availability to ensure the implementation of the service at the request of the client. This characteristic indicates the ability of the company to fulfill the client's request as quickly as possible, which may depend on the availability of a free park, on the breadth of established relationships with contractors. It is also about continuity of supply.

Response time to customer requests. It is also very important characteristic at the preparatory stage, up to direct work with the transportation of the client.

Price characteristics:

The cost of basic and additional services compared to competitors is definitely key feature However, it is not enough and incorrect to rely only on it when evaluating.

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

The regularity of informing the client about the costs, especially about the additional costs that arise already in the process of transportation.

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

Prompt and accurate calculation of preliminary expenses. First of all, it influences the client's choice of a particular company for work. It makes it possible to evaluate the efficiency of transportation in general, 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 cargo safety during transportation and processing, as one of the main indicators.

Informativeness of the transportation process, namely, the possession by the company's employees of operational and up-to-date 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 moments, of course, are legally enshrined in the contract, but taking into account the realities 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 personnel. This characteristic affects a lot of points in the transportation process. This includes the execution of contracts, the calculation of payments and expenses, transfers Money counterparties and much more.

Guarantees of fulfillment of obligations. Here also, along with the existence of the contract, guarantees must be present and confirmed in practice. Most often, initially, customers associate guarantees with a good reputation of the company in the market, its fame and scale of work.

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

Additional characteristics:

Functional flexibility in the work of the company. This means the possibility in the process of transportation under the influence of various circumstances, to adjust previous plans, to find 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 outsourcing the logistics of their company, it is very important to receive services as a package, in a complex.

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

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

Having outlined 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 may 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, recognized by an increase in the level of service, is accompanied, on the one hand, by a decrease in market losses, and on the other hand, 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 scheme business processes LLC "Fortek"
3.2 Substantiation of the criteria for assessing the quality of work of the company Fortek LLC
3.4 Issues of the company's business processes. Suggestions for improvement
Conclusion
List of sources used
Introduction
International freight forwarding service is 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 producer to the consumer, which is an extremely complex process; it is not without reason that forwarders are sometimes called the “transport architect”. Describing the specifics of the Russian freight forwarding business on present stage, it can be noted that, in the current conditions, this is the business of many small companies with rather limited resources. The sphere of transport forwarding is distinguished by low capital intensity, which, in the absence of state licensing, allows you to create new companies without much cost and effort, specifically for this business 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.
On the basis of the foregoing, it can be summarized that the transport and forwarding business in Russia in modern conditions is still in the development stage, is antitrust, and its conduct takes place in the face of fierce competition for customers and cargo flows, taking place both within the industry and with actual carriers. various kinds transport. As a consequence of this, the absence of entry barriers to this market and the highest level of entrepreneurial risk.
For normal functioning and development, a high quality of service for cargo owners, compliance with special international rules, precise fulfillment of the terms of the contract, orders of customers, carriers, banks, insurers, compliance with customs and state laws are required.
The current growth in transportation volumes does not at all exclude fierce competition among freight forwarding companies, and it is in the conditions of such fierce 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 marketing strategy transport service for specific cargo owners and skillfully implement it. This strategy, first of all, should provide for a high level of quality of the transport services offered, capable of satisfying the needs of cargo owners better than that of a competitor. The formation of an effective quality management system in any company is impossible without their identification, updating, systematization and analysis.
The analysis of the concept of "quality" is devoted to the works of many specialists. 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 "compliance with requirements" is, for example, F. Crosby. A. Feigenbaum, E. Deming, V. Shewhart can be attributed to the second group of specialists who associate quality with meeting the needs and expectations of consumers. Questions of quality assessment, of course, are analyzed in the development of various standards and regulations.
This work is devoted to the issues of assessing the quality of the work of a freight forwarding company. The aim of the work is to analyze the current situation and develop a quality assessment system on the example of the functioning of the transport and forwarding company Fortek LLC.
To achieve this goal, the following tasks will be solved in the work:
- the theoretical foundations of the concept of quality of freight forwarding services are considered, legal regulation this area of activity.
- describes currently existing methods and methods of quality assessment.
- developed a system of the most relevant quality assessment criteria for the company.
- describes the main business processes of the company.
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 forwarding company LLC "Fortek" and its place in the market of logistics services
1.1 Description and organizational structure companies
This work is devoted to the analysis of the quality of the activities of the forwarding company "Fortek", therefore, acquaintance with the company, a description of the organizational structure, and a place in the market of forwarding services in this part of the work is necessary.
The company "Fortek" is an independent company in the form of a company with limited liability as part of 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 first to tell directly about the Forum Group holding. Holding "Forum-Group", was organized in 2002 as a small company "Forum" - an intermediary that provides its customers with the service of customs clearance of goods at the Baltic Customs of St. Petersburg. Over time, the traffic handled by the company increased, the number of customers 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 growth in the volume of cargo handled, over time, it was decided to abandon the services of third-party brokers and organize own company customs broker, with a staff of declarants and license its activities. At the moment, the forum group holding includes several companies (see Figure 1.1)
Forum-Broker Company is a leading customs broker in the North-West of Russia, licensed by the State Customs Committee of the Russian Federation, and operates mainly in the area of subordination of the Baltic and St. Petersburg customs. The company successfully operates in the market of customs services, constantly increasing its potential and improving its experience.

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Figure 1.1 Organizational structure of holding "Forum-Group"
The list of the company's services includes services for consulting clients in the field of foreign economic activity; services for the classification of products according to TN VED; calculation of the amount of customs payments, provision of background information on customs rates; preparation of documentation required for registration customs declarations; submission of declarations to customs, provision of documentation and additional information required for customs procedures to the customs authority of the Russian Federation; payments related to customs procedures. Extensive experience of interaction with customs authorities, professionalism of employees and individual approach to each client give the company the opportunity to carry out customs clearance and customs clearance of goods in the shortest possible time.
Fortek is a freight forwarding company that provides services for intra-port forwarding in different areas of the port of St. Petersburg, forwarding of road transport from Europe to the Russian Federation. The list of company services includes tracking (monitoring) the movement of goods from the sender to the point of destination, freight forwarding directly at the port, export of goods from the port and delivery to recipients, coordination of door-to-door transportation of goods by sea and road transport, handling of 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, we work with agents of shipping lines, with the 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 agreements with agents of shipping lines, stevedoring companies, large transport companies gives Fortek the opportunity to provide its services at a high level, but the growing competition every year in the market of freight forwarding companies, and especially in St. Petersburg, where there are countless of them, makes the company management look for ways and directions to improve the quality of services and, accordingly, attract more clients.
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 exactly 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, the total integral rate for all services, which can change only in case of force majeure, which gives the client a more secure . reliable service, service in a complex. And the company, on the other hand, allows the most successful coordination of processes within the company, while avoiding problems with the separation of information flows and document flow among different forwarding and brokerage companies. and provide a better and more efficient service.
It is impossible to consider the organizational structure and functional areas 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 holding Forum-group
The company is headed by several founders, the functions of management and general coordination are carried out by the financial director and CEOs two companies. Since the main activity of the holding and directly the company Forum-Broker LLC, which is part of the holding along with Fortek LLC, is the customs clearance of goods, in the structure, traditionally for a company in this direction, there are departments customs declaration, customer service and Analytics department who perform the main functions of the company. Financial services - accounting and financial department with financial director are in charge of all economic issues. The legal department, the personnel department, the security service and the IT department are, although auxiliary, but without them the work of the company would be difficult. The organizational structure of the Fortek company (see Figure 1.3) should be identified and explained as a separate diagram, since it is this company that is engaged in the freight forwarding business within our holding.

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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 freight forwarding, cargo removal from the port, cargo delivery to the client, mediation in solving clients financial matters in lines.
In more detail, the functions of each of the departments and their relationship will be discussed in the third chapter when describing business processes within the company.
1.2 Place of the company in the market of logistics services
The general crisis state of the world and national economy could not but have a negative impact on the work of the transport and forwarding industry of the Russian Federation. According to the Association of Freight Forwarders, the total cargo turnover of Russian transport in 2009 was approximately 87% compared to 2008. However, in 2010, and especially for maritime transport, the situation improved significantly due to the growth of cargo 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%.
Given this situation in the industry, we can say that the activities of the Forum Group holding in general and Fortek LLC in particular are very promising. However, the factor of strong competition in the market and the presence of a mass of negative external factors forced to look for ways to increase the competitiveness of the company and strengthen its place in the market. It is necessary to give a general brief assessment of the company's activities, identifying strengths and weaknesses. The internal advantages of the company in competitive environment can be called:
- the possibility of offering customers a combined customs clearance service 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 contractors, and allows you to speed up the process of working with customs.
- a wide range of services provided by the company. Due to the presence in the staff of the company of specialists in various logistics areas, the company can meet the wide 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 of the weak points of the holding organization, which should be paid serious attention to in the analysis.
-Not efficient enough personnel policy companies. Lack of specialists in certain departments. Private change of personnel and their excess in others.
-Conservative policy of the company's owners. This mainly concerns long-term development plans to conquer new markets, open new offices, and expand 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 customers.
Talking about external positive and negative factors, we can distinguish as advantages a stable demand for the services provided by the company, a good reputation of the company in customs and client circles. And as external threats companies: the instability of the customs policy of the Russian Federation, strong competition in the forwarding services market, the specifics of working with monopoly shipping lines.
As a result of this chapter, it is important to emphasize that it is necessary to carry out 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 commonly understood as commercial activity intermediary firms, carried out during the transportation of foreign trade goods and supplementing the main activities of carriers, cargo owners and other persons interested in the cargo. From a legal point of view, forwarding activities can be carried out in the national legal or international legal regime, if there is an international element in it.
Forwarding services in foreign economic activity is the practical implementation of forwarding support, the object of which is foreign trade turnover (freight turnover). The purpose of the feasibility study is to facilitate the transportation of goods foreign trade and development of export of transport services. Forwarding services begin 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 final consumer.
Forwarding services include several groups of basic operations.
Consulting services. The operations of this group precede not only contractual relations for the carriage of goods, but also contractual relations between the participants in a foreign trade contract of 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 establishing business contacts with them. If this is done, then the main functions of the freight forwarding company are:
- conclusion of contracts with participants of the transportation process;
- operational planning of transportation (submission of applications for transportation, coordination of dates for the delivery of cars Vehicle, booking places on sea and aircraft, coordination of the timing of the receipt of goods at the port, etc.);
-preparation of transport, shipping and other documents necessary for the transportation process;
- conclusion of a transport insurance agreement with the insurance company and receipt of the necessary insurance documents from it;
- conducting settlements with all participants of the transportation process and the insurance company;
-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 for packaging of goods, their packaging, labeling, as well as for packing goods into containers, consolidation (consolidation) and disaggregation of container lots and the formation of transport packages. The requirements for these operations are determined by the terms of contracts for transportation, transshipment and sale and purchase.
Customs clearance. For the passage of foreign trade goods through the customs authorities, the freight forwarding company draws up the necessary customs documents.
In a number of countries around the world, freight forwarding firms carry out customs clearance of goods for export and import and pay customs duties, taxes and fees. The customs activity of intermediary firms is subject to licensing by the customs authorities of the state.
Receiving and issuing cargo. A freight forwarding company interacts with carriers and transport infrastructure enterprises, accepting goods from some and transferring them to others.
Loading and unloading, stevedoring and warehouse operations. The freight forwarding company itself can carry out loading and reloading operations or involve any other professionally trained companies for their execution. Warehousing is directly related to the transportation of cargo (in anticipation of loading, reloading, as well as for customs purposes), therefore warehouse operations are one of the functions of a freight forwarding company.
Claim work. It is carried out in case of non-delivery of the cargo to the destination, its delivery in a commercially defective condition or in case of violation of the delivery time.
The above list of functions of freight forwarding companies is not exhaustive and can be supplemented, but at the request of the parties, with other works and services.
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. For the purpose of unification, on May 31, 1926, the International Federation of Forwarding Organizations - FIATA (abbreviations of the name for French). FIATA is a non-governmental non-profit international organization. The main goal of FIATA is to ensure the interests of forwarders at the international level.
About 40 thousand forwarding companies from more than 150 countries of the world are members of FIATA, and the number of these companies is constantly growing. Russia is represented in FIATA by the Association of Freight Forwarders Russian Federation(AER), with about 170 members.
The results of FIATA's practical activities have been the development and implementation of forwarding documents that have received official recognition around the world: a forwarding receipt, a forwarder's transport certificate, a warehouse receipt, a shipper's declaration for the transport of dangerous goods, a multimodal transport bill of lading, etc.
2.2 Legal regulation of the activities of freight forwarding companies in Russia
International legal regulation of the contract transport expedition not yet created. International private law does not contain agreements and conventions that define the main terms of the forwarding contract. Separate attempts to unify the conditions of forwarding activities are made by FIATA. So, in the proforma of the forwarding receipt FCR (Forwarder's Certificate of Receipt) the basic rules for the performance of forwarding services are indicated. However, all forwarding contracts are governed by the norms of the national civil law, which, in the absence of the necessary provisions, are supplemented by forwarders with legal regimes borrowed from the norms of French, German and Anglo-American law.
The procedure for the legal regulation of forwarding activities in Russia is enshrined in the Civil Code of the Russian Federation (CC RF). Transport expedition is devoted to Ch. 41 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation (Art. 801 - 806). According to the law, under a transport expedition contract, one of the parties (the 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 expedition contract related to the transportation of cargo. Freight forwarding agreements are concluded in the form of an agency 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. Mandatory are written form forwarding contracts and issuance of a power of attorney by the client to the forwarder. The freight forwarder shall not be liable to the client for non-performance or improper performance of the contract of carriage, unless the freight forwarder and the carrier are the same person. The limit of the forwarder's liability for improper performance of the contract by him is not defined. The client is obliged to provide the freight forwarder with complete information and Required documents for the fulfillment by the latter of the duties of organizing transportation and data on the nature of the goods presented. The client is responsible for the completeness and accuracy of the submitted documents and information. The freight forwarder has the right to engage any other person to fulfill his obligations under the contract, but in this case he is liable to the client in the same amount as if he himself performed the proper 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 transport expedition 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.
July 3, 2003 entered into force the federal law dated June 30, 2003 No. 87 FZ "On forwarding activities", . which, however, did not introduce any fundamentally new norms of TED regulation. Despite the very specific content, the terms “forwarder”, “forwarding”, “forwarding operations” do not always unambiguously define the functions that transport intermediaries assume under contracts concluded with clients.
The subject matter of a freight forwarding contract that a client concludes with a transport intermediary often states that the client instructs and the 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 freight forwarder assumes obligations to organize transportation, informs the client about the progress of the cargo and violations of the delivery time. The fulfillment of the obligations of the forwarder is considered to be the presence of a carrier, the conclusion of a contract of carriage on its own behalf, but at the expense of the client, the provision of a vehicle for loading to the customer 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 time specified in the contract. The liability of the parties contains force majeure clauses, declares provisions on the liability of the parties for losses caused to the counterparty in the event of improper performance of this agreement, and establishes specific penalties. For example, for non-delivery of vehicles, for their untimely loading and unloading, etc.
The freight forwarding contract contains an article "claims and claims", but the client must understand that they can be presented only under the freight forwarding contract, and not under the contract of carriage.
The contract 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 Fortek is related to intra-port forwarding, we will touch on this type of forwarding business in more detail. Intermediary activities carried out by professional participants in the market of freight forwarding services at transport infrastructure enterprises have a number of features related to the specifics of freight forwarding on certain main modes of transport. Each of the transport infrastructure facilities (port, airport, station, terminal) has its own organizational, legal, economic and technological features. For the development of international trade, procedures for organizing cargo handling in seaports are of paramount importance - more than half of the physical volumes of foreign trade goods of most countries are transported with the participation of sea transport.
When considering the basics of forwarding activities in ports, two aspects should be taken into account.
On the one hand, the specifics of the forwarder's activity in the port is that he must organize the interaction of various modes of transport. In the seaport, as in a transport hub, flows of at least three types of transport converge and distribute - sea, rail and road. Therefore, the freight forwarder must be sufficiently professionally trained in the commercial operation of these modes of transport and their interaction.
On the other hand, the freight forwarder must carry out its activities directly in the port. He must know the laws and customs of the port and strictly observe them. In addition, the port, which belongs to the category of natural monopolists, tends to dictate its terms to all its customers. 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.
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. Firstly, it does not reflect the agreements between the cargo owner and the freight forwarder. These arrangements may be different than those agreed between the port and the freight forwarder. Secondly, none of the norms of international and national legislation provides for special rules and procedures for contractual relations with ports. Therefore, the proforma of the contract is developed by the port itself and, as a rule, is offered to the forwarder. The port is a monopoly in its region and is not inclined to adapt to each of its clients.
Most often, in accordance with the subject of the forwarder's agreement with the port, the port, on behalf of the forwarder, receives goods from the railway and road carriers, short-term storage and loading of containers with export cargo and empty ones, as well as similar operations with import cargo in containers arrived in port on sea vessels.
The port determines the places (berths) where container handling operations will be carried out, the type of navigation, the maximum capacity of ships with which the port will work, and the daily ship loading and unloading of containers.
The main obligations of the freight forwarder under the contract are:
compliance with the planned system for coordinating the volumes of processing containers in the port and their import (for export) or export (for import).
conclusion of transportation contracts (domestic and international) with carriers certain types transport and coordination of schedules for the delivery of vehicles to the port;
declaration and licensing of cargo in containers in accordance with current rules at the regional customs office. The freight forwarder resolves in advance with the customs authorities all issues regarding the unhindered release of goods from the port;
guaranteeing the loading of goods into containers with a gross weight 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;
preparation of waybills of railway and road transport, issuance of export orders to the port (with a customs permitting stamp) with all the details necessary for issuing bills of lading, including the procedure for sending shipping documents;
ensuring the export of containers from the territory of the port within the time limits 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:
mooring of the ship, stated in the schedule, to the berth without delays in the roadstead, if this is not prevented by weather conditions or the berth is occupied by another vessel;
unhindered reception of vehicles arriving at the port and wagons transferred to it by the railway;
performance of loading and unloading and stevedoring works, ensuring the loading and unloading of containers within the terms specified by the contract;
acceptance of containers from carriers of various modes of transport with the participation of a forwarder's representative, visual inspection of containers with a check of their serviceability and compliance of seal impressions 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 by acceptance certificates (for export) and delivery of containers to the freight forwarder by expense orders (for import), issuance 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 the ship, railway, road carriers with the participation of a representative of the forwarder - on external inspection with keeping a numbered record of containers behind customs seals, and also, if necessary, the sender or the forwarder;
proper execution of bills of lading and ensuring the signing of bills of lading and other shipping documents by the captain of the vessel;
provision of other services to the freight forwarder under separate contracts or requests and for a fee.
The agreement between the port and the forwarder always contains articles on the responsibility of the parties, tariffs for the performance of works and services by the port.
Thus, intra-port freight forwarding undoubtedly has its own characteristics, which cannot be ignored in the process of organizing and functioning of a company engaged in this line of business.
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) is an activity for the provision of services that accompanies or ensures 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, a service is defined as an activity associated with the exchange of values, aimed at satisfying needs, expressed in the form of demand, which is not limited to the transfer of ownership of some material product.
Transport service (service) is defined as the activity of 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 of circulation and distribution of goods, which includes, in addition to the transportation 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 just in time, the degree of safety, the safety of goods and passengers, the tariff cost, the presence of a large number of related services, etc.
The formation of a market economy in our country made it possible to further develop the transport service by including specialized organizations in it, in particular forwarding activities, which previously existed only in the structure state enterprises main transport and worked, as a rule, in his interests.
The modern concept of forwarding activities (FEA) can be defined as activities to provide transport services in the logistics process of delivery of goods, performed in the interests of consignors and consignees.
Forwarding organizations, as entrepreneurs operating in a competitive environment, must be able to respond flexibly to customer requests and 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, on his own and with his own resources, and on the other hand, is able to attract intermediaries to ensure the complexity and minimize the cost 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 most difficult.
The clients to whom forwarders provide their services are cargo owners (consignors, consignees), including foreign ones, as well as other forwarding and agency organizations. In turn, freight forwarders themselves can be clients of banks, enterprises of the main transport, customs and insurance companies. Thus, forwarding activities are conditioned by a wide range of technological, financial, and legal relations.
Mentioned in the definition of TED logistics process delivery of cargo involves such an organization, which, providing optimal conditions for delivery, in a developed, competitive market freight forwarding services with the established priority of the buyer, not the seller, focused on the interests and needs of the consignee.
The past perestroika years were accompanied not only by an intensive growth in the number of forwarding organizations, but also often by the short duration of their work due to the lack or lack of relevant knowledge and experience.
Modern transport forwarder, ensuring the high quality of the services provided, must meet all the requirements that apply to it 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 customer service.
The scope of each specific service includes a large set of various operations, the implementation of which is determined by the requirements of the client. However, in some cases, due to the client's lack of necessary experience, the freight forwarder must notify him of his capabilities.
The process of providing each specific forwarding service is evaluated primarily in terms of the 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 documents confirming the execution of the transport expedition agreement, other agreements with customers, enterprises railway transport, 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 by these contracts.
Today, the lack of logistics services, whether provided by the manufacturer or by others, makes it easier for competitors to enter the developing market sector. Consumers take into account not only prices, appearance and quality of goods, but also the quality and range of logistics services offered. In other words, customer service (satisfaction with their needs) is a key factor in shaping the needs of logistics.
The study and analysis of the problem of the quality of transport and forwarding services to consumers have shown that the existing service concepts are based on the assertion that a high level of quality of transport services is achieved provided that comprehensive service: the more services provided to consumers, the higher the level of service quality. At the same time, in the conditions of the market, a service with a wider range of services offered than is necessary for the consumer costs the latter more.
In the course of further advancement of our economy from the producer market to the consumer market, the requirements of consignors and consignees (customers) to the quality of transport and forwarding services in all areas are increasing. supply chain. At the same time, the logistics approach is not limited to individual functions: transportation, transshipment, warehousing, commissioning, etc., but comprehensively covers all functions and value creation processes.
Modern highly organized service is necessary condition to improve the quality of work transport system Russia during the formation of the 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, due 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.
To date, there are no effective quantitative methods for assessing the quality of services. According to GOST R 50691 - 94 "Service Quality Assurance Model", service quality is a set of service characteristics that determine its ability to satisfy the established or implied needs of the consumer. The analysis of the concept of "quality" is devoted to the works of many specialists. Despite the predominant coincidence of views, their opinions can be divided into two groups.
Representatives of the first group believe that the quality should be considered the production of such products and services, the characteristics of which meet specific requirements that have a numerical value. The main provisions of this position are as follows:
it is necessary that the quality be determined (established), otherwise it is impossible to manage it;
if the requirements are set as numerical values, the characteristics of the service can be measured to determine whether they meet the requirements.
Representatives of the second point of view believe that quality is determined by the degree to which the consumer's expectations are met in relation to 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 own characteristics fulfills 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” includes the expected needs.
The composition and structure of the quality indicators of freight traffic for all modes 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 the ability to deliver on demand;
availability of stocks, stability of supply;
completeness and degree of 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;
the quality of packaging, as well as the possibility of performing package and container transportation.
Each of the considered indicators 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 parts of the supply chain. Quality is achieved through careful planning, professional training of employees and continuous improvement of service performance.
The most important comprehensive indicators for assessing the quality of services from the point of view of the consumer include:
environment (furnishings and interior of the office, equipment, appearance of staff, etc.);
reliability (efficiency and confidence in the results of work and services; cargo delivery at the right time and place). A significant factor affecting the reliability of delivery is the existence of obligations (guarantees) stipulated by the contract, by virtue of which the supplier is liable for violation of delivery deadlines. The reliability of information and financial procedures is also understood. Reliability refers to the ability of a service system to function without failure;
accessibility (ease of establishing links with the performer). Availability also means having stocks of products to continuously meet the needs of consumers for products. In the case when we are talking about a transport and forwarding company, this may be the ability to order transport or a forwarding service.
security (lack of risk and distrust on the part of the consumer of services), for example, ensuring the safety of cargo;
diligence (guarantees that services will be performed by experienced and competent personnel);
politeness, responsiveness of the staff, mutual understanding with the consumer (sincere interest, ability to understand the problems of the consumer);
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 receiving an order to its fulfillment). Functionality characterizes the ability of the service system to maintain the expected timing and acceptable flexibility of operations.
The service cycle (order fulfillment) is the interval between the dispatch of an order for the supply of products and the receipt by the consumer of the ordered products. This indicator must be considered from the point of view of the consumer. The time it takes to complete an order fulfillment 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 level of service, 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 consumer expectations in terms of order fulfillment;
uninterrupted execution of logistics operations;
flexibility of logistics operations;
level of service failures.
To ensure the required level of continuity, logistics management should:
determine the minimum order lead time;
prioritize with limited resources;
calculate the available stock.
For a more complete assessment of the quality of service, other indicators are also considered:
response time to a consumer request;
completeness of the order - delivery of the entire range and the required quantity of products ordered by the consumer;
frequency of deliveries during the required period.
The considered indicators are the main indicators of the quality of customer service. Their definition, monitoring and evaluation determine the effectiveness of the service system. Moreover, for each parameter there are two values (conditional): the first characterizes the consumer's expectations, the second - the perception of the consumer in relation to this parameter. When a consumer evaluates the quality of services, he compares the actual values of the quality parameters with the expected ones, and if they match or are close, then the quality is considered satisfactory or acceptable. Consumer expectations of the client are determined by the information about the services transmitted by the consumers of services to each other; personal ideas of the client 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 a developed market economy, the following trends in the development of transport services take place: an increase in the volume of transportation of high-value goods with a simultaneous reduction in low-value goods; an increase in average delivery distances and an increase in the share of international transportation; increasing responsibility for the quality and timing of transportation throughout the entire transport chain;
growth in the volume of traffic between enterprises while reducing the volume of traffic within enterprises; reduction in volumes of bulk bulk cargoes and increase in volumes of piece cargoes in containers and on pallets; increasing the carrying capacity of the rolling stock; increase in the volume of transportation of goods (passengers) in specialized rolling stock; the predominance of logistics 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 workers are included in it. Many logistics intermediaries become service enterprises, whose services are inextricably linked with the promotion and sale of goods, and the cost of services may exceed the direct costs of production.
One of the important factors of the logistics transport service is the price as the expected compensation for the total 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 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, with an increase in the quality level above 70%, service costs grow exponentially, and with 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 a rational level of service, costs, revenues and profits are compared, realizing the principle of a compromise solution in which firms achieve the best
the relationship between prices and the level of service, between costs and income. In fact, the procedure is reduced to comparing the costs associated with an increase in the level of service, with the loss of income, growing with a decrease in the number and quality of services. As a result of the comparison, some optimum service level is found. As service levels increase, costs increase, but the revenue loss associated with reduced service levels decreases. The resulting curve is obtained by summing the coordinates of the two named components. Due to the significant difficulties in finding and practically implementing the optimal level of service, service providers and their clientele are guided by a “good enough solution” - a rational, acceptable ratio of costs and income.
In accordance with the prevailing logistical views on quality, the manufacturer must pay all his attention to satisfying the needs and wishes of consumers. Ultimately, it is human needs, as the American scientist A. Maslow defined, that are the "engine" of the market.
When considering the quality of transport services, the following features should be taken into account:

Development of criteria and assessment of the quality of services of the freight forwarding company "Fortek" (abstract, 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 scheme of business processes of Fortek LLC

3.2 Substantiation of the criteria for assessing the quality of work of the company Fortek LLC

3.4 Issues of the company's business processes. Suggestions for improvement

Conclusion

List of sources used

Introduction

International freight forwarding service is 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 producer to the consumer, which is an extremely complex process; it is not without reason that forwarders are sometimes called the “transport architect”. Describing the specifics of the Russian freight forwarding business at the present stage, it can be noted that, in the 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 you to create new companies without much cost and effort, 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.

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

For normal functioning and development, a high quality of service for cargo owners, compliance with special international rules, precise fulfillment of the terms of the contract, orders of customers, carriers, banks, insurers, compliance with customs and state laws are required.

The current growth in transportation volumes does not at all exclude fierce competition among freight forwarding companies, and it is in the conditions of such fierce 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, 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 transport services offered, capable of satisfying the needs of cargo owners better than that of a competitor. The formation of an effective quality management system in any company is impossible without their identification, updating, systematization and analysis.

The analysis of the concept of "quality" is devoted to the works of many specialists. 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 "compliance with requirements" is, for example, F. Crosby. A. Feigenbaum, E. Deming, V. Shewhart can be attributed to the second group of specialists who associate quality with meeting the needs and expectations of consumers. Questions of quality assessment, of course, are analyzed in the development of various standards and regulations.

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

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

— the theoretical foundations of the concept of the quality of transport and forwarding services, the legal regulation of this field of activity are considered.

- describes the currently existing methods and methods for assessing quality.

— a system of the most relevant quality assessment criteria for the company has been developed.

- describes the main business processes of the company.

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 activities of the forwarding company "Fortek", therefore, acquaintance with the company, a description of the organizational structure, and a place in the market of forwarding services in this part of the work is necessary.

The Fortek company is an independent company in the form of a limited liability company as part of 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 first to tell directly about the Forum Group holding. Forum-Group Holding was organized in 2002 as a small company "Forum" - an intermediary that provides its customers with the service of customs clearance of goods at the Baltic Customs of St. Petersburg. Over time, the traffic handled by the company increased, the number of customers 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 growth in the volume of processed goods, over time, it was decided to abandon the services of third-party brokers and organize our own customs broker company, with a staff of declarants and license its activities. At the moment, the forum group holding 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 subordination of the Baltic and St. Petersburg customs. The company successfully operates in the market of customs services, constantly increasing its potential and improving its experience.

Figure 1.1 Organizational structure of holding "Forum-Group"

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

Fortek is a freight forwarding company that provides services for intra-port forwarding in different areas of the port of St. Petersburg, forwarding of road transport from Europe to the Russian Federation. The list of company services includes tracking (monitoring) the movement of goods from the sender to the point of destination, freight forwarding directly at the port, export of goods from the port and delivery to recipients, coordination of door-to-door cargo transportation by sea and road transport, cargo handling 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, we work with agents of shipping lines, with the 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 agreements with shipping line agents, stevedoring companies, large transport companies gives Fortek the opportunity to provide its services at a high level, but the competition is growing every year in the market of freight forwarding companies, and 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 exactly 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, the total integral rate for all services, which can change only in case of force majeure, which gives the client a more secure . reliable service, service in a complex. And the company, on the other hand, allows the most successful coordination of processes within the company, while avoiding problems with the separation of information flows and document flow among different forwarding and brokerage companies. and provide a better and more efficient service.

It is impossible to consider the organizational structure and functional areas 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 holding Forum-group

The company is headed by several founders, the functions of management and general coordination are carried out by the financial director and general directors of the two companies. Since the main activity of the holding and directly the company Forum-Broker LLC, which is part of the holding along with Fortek LLC, is the customs clearance of goods, the structure, traditionally for a company in this direction, includes customs declaration departments, a client department and an analytical department, who carry out the main functions of the company. Financial services - accounting and financial department headed by the financial director deals with all economic issues. The legal department, human resources department, security service and IT department are, although auxiliary, but without them the work of the company would be difficult. The organizational structure of the Fortek company (see Fig. 1.3) should be identified and explained as a separate diagram, since it is this company that is engaged in the freight forwarding business within our holding.

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 freight forwarding, export of goods from the port, delivery of goods to the client, mediation in solving financial issues in the lines of clients.

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

1.2 Place of the company in the market of logistics services

The general crisis state of the world and national economy could not but have a negative impact on the work of the transport and forwarding industry of the Russian Federation. According to the Association of Freight Forwarders, the total cargo turnover of Russian transport in 2009 was approximately 87% compared to 2008. However, in 2010, and especially for maritime transport, the situation improved significantly due to the growth of cargo 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%.

Given this situation in the industry, we can say that the activities of the Forum Group holding in general and Fortek LLC in particular are very promising. However, the factor of strong competition in the market and the presence of a lot 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 a general brief assessment of the company's activities, identifying strengths and weaknesses. The internal advantages of the company in a competitive environment include:

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

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

A wide range of services provided by the company. Due to the presence in the staff of the company of specialists in various logistics areas, the company can meet the wide 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 of the weak points of the holding organization, which should be paid serious attention to in the analysis.

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

Conservative policy of the company's owners. This mainly concerns long-term development plans to conquer new markets, open new offices, and expand the package of services.

The lack of a PR department in the company and, as a result, the company's lack of awareness in the market of potential customers.

Speaking about external positive and negative factors, we can single out as advantages a stable demand for the services provided by the company, a good reputation of the company in 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 forwarding services market, the specifics of working with monopoly shipping lines.

As a result of this chapter, it is important to emphasize that it is necessary to carry out 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

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

Forwarding services in foreign economic activity is the practical implementation of forwarding support, the object of which is foreign trade turnover (freight turnover). The purpose of the feasibility study is to promote the transportation of foreign trade goods and the development of exports of transport services. Forwarding services begin 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 final consumer.

Forwarding services include several groups of basic operations.

Consulting services. The operations of this group precede not only contractual relations for the carriage of goods, but also contractual relations between the participants in a foreign trade contract of 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 establishing business contacts 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 (submission of applications for transportation, coordination of dates for the delivery of vehicles, reservation of places on sea and aircraft, coordination of the timing of the arrival of goods at the port, etc.);

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

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

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 draws up the necessary customs documents.

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

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

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

Claim work. It is carried out in case of non-delivery of the cargo to the destination, its delivery in a commercially defective condition or in case of violation of the delivery time.

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

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. For the purpose of unification, on May 31, 1926, the International Federation of Forwarding Organizations - FIATA (abbreviations in French) was founded by sixteen national associations of forwarders. FIATA is a non-governmental non-profit international organization. The main goal of FIATA is to ensure the interests of forwarders at the international level.

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

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

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

International legal regulation of the contract of transport expedition has not yet been created. International private law does not contain agreements and conventions that define the main terms of the forwarding contract. Separate attempts to unify the conditions of forwarding activities are made by FIATA. So, in the proforma of the FCR (Forwarder's Certificate of Receipt) forwarding receipt, the basic rules for the performance of forwarding services are indicated. However, all freight forwarding contracts are governed by the norms of national civil law, which, in the absence of the necessary provisions, are supplemented by forwarders with legal regimes borrowed from the norms of French, German and Anglo-American law.

The procedure for the legal regulation of forwarding activities in Russia is enshrined in the Civil Code of the Russian Federation (CC RF). Transport expedition is devoted to Ch. 41 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation (Articles 801 - 806). According to the law, under a freight forwarding contract, one of the parties (forwarder) undertakes, for remuneration and at the expense of the other party (client - consignor or consignee), to perform or organize the performance of services specified in the freight forwarding contract related to the carriage of cargo. Freight forwarding agreements are concluded in the form of an agency 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. Mandatory are the written form of the freight forwarding agreement and the issuance of a power of attorney by the client to the forwarder. The freight forwarder shall not be liable to the client for non-performance or improper performance of the contract of carriage, unless the freight forwarder and the carrier are the same person. The limit of the forwarder's liability for improper performance of the contract by him 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 for organizing transportation and data on the nature of the goods presented. The client is responsible for the completeness and accuracy of the submitted documents and information. The freight forwarder has the right to engage any other person to fulfill his obligations under the contract, but in this case he is liable to the client in the same amount as if he himself performed the proper 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 transport expedition 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 Forwarding Activities” came into force. which, however, did not introduce any fundamentally new norms of TED regulation. Despite the very specific content, the terms “forwarder”, “forwarding”, “forwarding operations” do not always unambiguously define the functions that transport intermediaries assume under contracts concluded with clients.

The subject matter of a freight forwarding contract that a client concludes with a transport intermediary often states that the client instructs and the 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 freight forwarder assumes obligations to organize transportation, informs the client about the progress of the cargo and violations of the delivery time. The fulfillment of the obligations of the forwarder is considered to be the presence of a carrier, the conclusion of a contract of carriage on its own behalf, but at the expense of the client, the provision of a vehicle for loading to the customer 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 time specified in the contract. The liability of the parties contains force majeure clauses, declares provisions on the liability of the parties for losses caused to the counterparty in the event of improper performance of this agreement, and establishes specific penalties. For example, for non-delivery of vehicles, for their untimely loading and unloading, etc.

The freight forwarding contract contains an article "claims and claims", but the client must understand that they can be presented only under the freight forwarding contract, and not under the contract of carriage.

The contract 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 Fortek is related to intra-port forwarding, we will touch on this type of forwarding business in more detail. Intermediary activities carried out by professional participants in the market of freight forwarding services at transport infrastructure enterprises have a number of features related to the specifics of freight forwarding on certain main modes of transport. Each of the transport infrastructure facilities (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 of most countries are transported with the participation of sea transport.

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

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

On the other hand, the freight forwarder must carry out its activities directly in the port. He must know the laws and customs of the port and strictly observe them. In addition, the port, which belongs to the category of natural monopolists, tends to dictate its terms to all its customers. 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.

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. Firstly, it does not reflect the agreements between the cargo owner and the freight forwarder. These arrangements may be different than those agreed between the port and the freight forwarder. Secondly, none of the norms of international and national legislation provides for special rules and procedures for contractual relations with ports. Therefore, the proforma of the contract is developed by the port itself and, as a rule, is offered to the forwarder. The port is a monopoly in its region and is not inclined to adapt to each of its clients.

Most often, in accordance with the subject of the forwarder's agreement with the port, the port, on behalf of the forwarder, receives goods from the railway and road carriers, short-term storage and loading of containers with export cargo and empty ones, as well as similar operations with import cargo in containers arrived in port on sea vessels.

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

The main obligations of the freight forwarder under the contract are:

Compliance with the planned system for coordinating the volumes of processing containers in the port and their import (for export) or export (for import).

Conclusion of transportation contracts (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 cargo in containers in accordance with the current rules at the regional customs. The freight forwarder resolves in advance with the customs authorities all issues regarding the unhindered release of goods from the port;

Guaranteeing the loading of goods into containers with a gross weight 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 of railway and road transport, issuance of export orders to the port (with a customs permit stamp) with all the details necessary for issuing bills of lading, including the procedure for sending shipping documents;

Ensuring the export of containers from the territory of the port within the time limits 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:

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

Unhindered reception of vehicles arriving at the port and wagons transferred to it by the railway;

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

Acceptance of containers from carriers of various modes of transport with the participation of a representative of the forwarder, external inspection of containers with checking their serviceability and compliance of seal impressions 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 by acceptance certificates (for export) and delivery of containers to the freight forwarder by expense orders (for import), issuance 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, railway, road carriers with the participation of a forwarder's representative - according to an external inspection with keeping a numbered record of containers behind customs seals, and also, if necessary, a sender or a 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 freight forwarder under separate contracts or requests and for a fee.

The agreement between the port and the forwarder always contains articles on the responsibility of the parties, tariffs for the performance of works and services by the port.

Thus, intra-port freight forwarding undoubtedly has its own characteristics, which cannot be ignored in the process of organizing and functioning of a company engaged in this line of business.

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 are related to the service sector. Let's look at the definition of this concept.

Service (maintenance) - activity for the provision of services that accompanies or ensures 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, a service is defined as an activity associated with the exchange of values, aimed at satisfying needs, expressed in the form of demand, which is not limited to the transfer of ownership of some material product.

Transport service (service) is defined as the activity of 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 of circulation and distribution of goods, which includes, in addition to the transportation 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 just in time, the degree of safety, the safety of goods and passengers, the tariff cost, the presence of a large number of related services, etc.

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

The modern concept of forwarding activities (FEA) can be defined as activities to provide transport services in the logistics process of delivery of goods, performed in the interests of consignors and consignees.

Forwarding organizations, as entrepreneurs operating in a competitive environment, must be able to respond flexibly to customer requests and 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, on his own and with his own resources, and on the other hand, is able to attract intermediaries to ensure the complexity and minimize the cost 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 the “make or buy problem”, is one of the most important and most difficult.

The clients to whom forwarders provide their services are cargo owners (consignors, consignees), including foreign ones, as well as other forwarding and agency organizations. In turn, freight forwarders themselves can be clients of banks, enterprises of the main transport, customs and insurance companies. Thus, forwarding activities are conditioned by a wide range of technological, financial, and legal relations.

The logistical process of cargo delivery mentioned in the definition of TED assumes such an organization, which, providing optimal conditions for delivery, in a developed, competitive market of forwarding services with an established priority of the buyer, not the seller, is focused on the interests and demands of the consignee.

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

A modern transport forwarder, ensuring the high quality of the 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 customer service.

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

The process of providing each specific forwarding service is evaluated primarily in terms of the 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 documents confirming the execution of a freight forwarding contract, 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 by these contracts.

Today, the lack of logistics services, whether provided by the manufacturer or by others, makes it easier for competitors to enter the developing market sector. Consumers take into account not only prices, appearance and quality of goods, but also the quality and range of logistics services offered. In other words, customer service (satisfaction with their needs) is a key factor in shaping the needs of logistics.

The study and analysis of the problem of the quality of freight forwarding services to consumers showed that the existing service concepts are based on the assertion that a high level of quality of transport services is achieved under the condition of providing comprehensive services: the more services provided to consumers, the higher the level of service quality. At the same time, in the conditions of the market, a service with a wider range of services offered than is necessary for the consumer costs the latter more.

In the course of further advancement of our economy from the producer market to the consumer market, the requirements of consignors and consignees (customers) to the quality of transport and forwarding services in all parts of the logistics chain are increasing. At the same time, the logistics approach is not limited to individual functions: transportation, transshipment, warehousing, commissioning, etc., but comprehensively covers all functions and value creation processes.

A modern highly organized service is a necessary condition for improving the quality of the Russian transport system 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, due 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.

To date, there are no effective quantitative methods for assessing the quality of services. According to GOST R 50 691 - 94 "Service Quality Assurance Model", service quality is a set of service characteristics that determine its ability to satisfy the established or implied needs of the consumer. The analysis of the concept of "quality" is devoted to the works of many specialists. 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 manage it;

If the requirements are set as numerical values, the characteristics of the service can be measured to determine whether they meet the requirements.

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 own characteristics meets the requirements. It is characteristic that in this definition there is no word denoting the carrier 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” includes the expected needs.

The composition and structure of the 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”,

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

time from receipt of the order for transportation to delivery;

reliability and the ability to deliver on demand;

availability of stocks, stability of supply;

completeness and degree of 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;

the quality of packaging, as well as the possibility of performing package and container transportation.

Each of the considered indicators 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 parts of the supply chain. Quality is achieved through careful planning, professional training of employees and continuous improvement of service performance.

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

the environment (furnishings and interior of the office, equipment, appearance of staff, etc.);

reliability (efficiency and confidence in the results of work and services; cargo delivery at the right time and place). A significant factor affecting the reliability of delivery is the existence of obligations (guarantees) stipulated by the contract, by virtue of which the supplier is liable for violation of delivery deadlines. The reliability of information and financial procedures is also understood. Reliability refers to the ability of a service system to function without failure;

security (lack of risk and distrust on the part of the consumer of services), for example, ensuring the safety of cargo;

diligence (guarantees that services will be performed by experienced and competent personnel);

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

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

The service cycle (order fulfillment) is the interval between the sending of an order for the supply of products and the receipt by the consumer of the ordered products. This indicator must be considered from the point of view of the consumer. The time it takes to complete an order fulfillment 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 level of service, 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 consumer expectations in terms of order fulfillment;

uninterrupted execution of logistics operations;

flexibility of logistics operations;

level of service failures.

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

determine the minimum order 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 request;

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

frequency of deliveries during the required period.

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

One of the important factors of the logistics transport service is the price as the expected compensation for the total 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 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, with an increase in the quality level above 70%, service costs grow exponentially, and with 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%.

It might be useful to read:

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

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