SMEs must go digital or they will lose the chance to access finance

With supply chain costs soaring, cash-strapped SMEs can gain easier access to trade finance and do more business “if they use digital forwarders”.

According to Allianz Global Investors, demand for trade finance has been accelerating since the Covid-crisis triggered widespread supply chain delays and disruption, noting “a higher level of working capital is required to operate in today’s environment”.

Allianz added: “Broad-based inflation has increased input costs and the capital required to purchase and carry inventory. The bottlenecks in global shipping and warehousing are extending the cash conversion cycle for companies.”

These cashflow bottlenecks have a disproportionate impact on SMEs in developing economies, according to the Asian Development Bank, which estimated the trade finance gap grew to an all-time high of $1.7 trillion in 2020.

CEO of TradeFlow Capital Management said the financing options available to SMEs “began to dry up” when Covid hit, particularly in the Asia Pacific.

“Some banks estimate the trade finance gap is now $3.4trn, which is a problem, but also an opportunity,” TradeFlow Capital Management said at the Digital Freight conference in Thailand.

“But there’s one critical point, the opportunity hinges on the digitalisation of trade and the removal of inefficient and paper-based processes. Without that we cannot then move on to the next step,” TradeFlow Capital Management added.

Due to new regulations, it had become “very hard” for banks to lend to SMEs. Therefore, instead of providing credit or finance, TradeFlow Capital operates funds that take temporary ownership and control of the cargo.

“That enables us to help very new companies which may not have enough track record to talk to banks yet,” TradeFlow Capital Management explained.

“We prefer to work with SME importers and exporters that use a digitalised freight forwarder. And we have already started discounting our cost of financing those trades if they use a fully digitalised process, because it brings transparency and allows us to monitor where goods are and their condition, and control the security of our investment.”

Supply chain data is key to mitigating risk, TradeFlow Capital Management noted, and a lack of data is why most SMEs cannot get finance for their cargo, due to concerns with transparency.

“There are ‘know your customer’ concerns; for example, did the cargo really come from that country? Is it really going to that destination? Is it really cocoa, or is it bullets?”

Data also provides forwarders with an opportunity, TradeFlow Capital Management said, because they could offer customers additional services, such as cargo tracking and automating customs clearance.

“It also allows SMEs to do more trades. If the process is more efficient, and money can then be moved around more effectively and efficiently, then that money can be put to use faster.

“But we can only help more SMEs and fund more trade if freight forwarders digitalise,” TradeFlow Capital Management added.

Source: The Loadstar

NEOLink cooperated with our order processing system. He did not replace it or force solutions. Logfret did it better than other companies on the market – it adapted its system to ours. Logfret didn’t come to us saying, “We have this solution, and you either use it or we won’t cooperate.

Procurement Director

Pumps Manufacturer

We made a huge improvement in global visibility with a global platform—anyone can log into NEOLink and look at a shipment anytime, anywhere in the world. We wanted a freight forwarder with a good technology platform, which could handle the complexities of our business and we found NEOLink!

A global leader in performance materials and specialty chemicals

My suppliers have less or zero experience with international logistics. Thus, not able to create proper documentation which leads to tremendous delay. Thanks to Logfret who provide training to all suppliers and work with us to build up a consolidation hub to reduce transportation costs significantly.

One of the world’s leading designers, manufacturers and distributors of ride control products