‘Make the most of electronic data’

“Freight forwarding and customs clearing agents need software that goes beyond simply the production of documentation or EDI messages, as in the case of communication with SA Revenue Service,” says Glenn Lawson of Core Freight Systems. “Agents make a big investment in the recording and processing of data and it makes sense to leverage this effort to improve both internal efficiencies and client communications,” says Lawson. “Core Freight addresses aspects of this via the CoreArchive and CoreQuery modules.” CoreArchive provides for the storage of documents electronically. “The idea of document imaging is not new – however the integration of the CoreArchive functionality into the CoreFreight application presents some distinct advantages to agents, not least of which is that their users operate in a single application environment,” he told FTW. All relevant CoreFreight-generated documents are automatically archived and ad hoc documents can be sent from a document preview window by simply right-clicking and selecting “Archive now”! Any scanned images and e-mail correspondence, including attachments, are easily filed using the CoreFreight file reference, and all documents in the archive can be viewed online and printed or e-mailed direct from the application if required. The CoreQuery module allows importers to view in realtime over the web the status of processing of their shipments from time of registration of an indent file in the CoreFreight application by the agent. The status is updated automatically with pre-defined tracking steps available within the CoreFreight application (eg Released from Customs) and provision is made for ad hoc manual updates by the operator. These may include a note of conversations with the client representatives if considered useful. All data can be downloaded by the client either as a PDF document, in the case of an invoice copy or bill of entry, or as a CSV file containing a listing of data for further processing on an Excel spreadsheet. “The application is easy-to-use and a comprehensive list of search criteria, including third party references, ensures that the client is able to access the information he requires. “This gives the importer the freedom to monitor his indents on-line whenever convenient, with further access to the forwarding and clearing data, including copies of invoices and bills of entry, as required,” Lawson added.