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
