Major e-commerce drive by shippers

A recent survey undertaken by e-commerce platform INTTRA revealed some telling stats about shippers’ drive for further e-commerce. More than 81% of participants indicated that they wanted to engage in e-invoicing with their shipping lines in 2013, while 93% of those surveyed said they wanted to be able to dispute those invoices on-line. These findings come as no surprise to Safmarine, which has been introducing new e-shipping technologies for almost two decades. “Safmarine’s e-commerce drive has largely been driven by the benefits we see e-Shipping providing to both shippers and shipping lines,” southern Africa cluster manager Dirk Hoffmann told FTW. “These benefits are no different from doing any other business on-line, whether it’s purchasing food, holidays or airline tickets. As with any on-line shopping, e-shipping provides the benefits of convenience and timesavings,” he said. “Furthermore, from a Safmarine e-shipping perspective, it has improved customer visibility of, and access to, invoices and statements. We have noticed that shippers who book on-line tend to experience quicker turnarounds and fewer documentation errors compared to those using telephone or paper-based channels of communication. But perhaps more importantly, technology has created the time and capacity for us to have the conversations that we and our customers value – conversations that bring value to both our businesses.” And this is endorsed by one of the line's large perishable customers, Horizon Fruits. Horizon’s Robert Johnston commented: “The introduction of on-line shipping services has allowed me to streamline bookings and shipping instructions, saving me a lot of time and hassles.” Hoffmann says that close on 90% of Safmarine South Africa’s customers currently transact via www.safmarine. com, using the website for a range of applications. INSERT & CAPTION Shippers who book on-line tend to experience quicker turnarounds and fewer documentation errors. – Dirk Hoffmann