Information Technology
How ANZDL's Attracting Shippers to the Web
E-commerce solutions to old problems.
Ever since the word e-commerce was introduced to the business community, ANZDL has been hard at work developing a total web-based solution for its customers, which it has just completed last month.
This is the addition of new invoicing and shipping instruction applications.
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As anyone familiar with the shipping process knows, there are seven general steps for moving a container from point A to point B. This includes looking up the vessel and voyage number; making the booking and receiving a confirmation number; completing the shipping instructions; receiving the bill of lading and printing it; any support documentation - such as fumigation, insurance certificates, invoices, etc‹tracking and tracing the cargo; and any specialised reports required by management.
For most carriers and even portals, many of these applications, especially bookings and cargo tracing, have been a complex problem because they require the integration of multiple systems located throughout the world. These sites are also liaising with ports and rail companies situated in countries that are not as advanced with EDI or EDIFACT development as Australia, New Zealand and North America.
ANZDL's e-commerce success, which is underscored by more than half of its international customers being registered on its site, is largely due to the fact that it has found ways of automating processes for shippers to save them time.
For example, through the "Notify Me" service, shippers can select to receive their bills of lading, fumigation and insurance certificates, invoices and other documents as soon as they are available via e-mail.
This also holds true for tracking shipments where the information requested by the shipper is sent the instant it hits ANZDL's system, such as when the container is delivered to its final destination.
ANZDL's electronic bills of lading are also extremely popular and used by over 30% of the line's customers because they can use their own paper to print them. This, as opposed to most carriers’ web sites where if shippers want to print a bill of lading, they have to use the line's paper stock. Bookings are a vital online application, yet many carriers have failed to build them effectively.
