Technology is what separates the winners

In today's world, it’s not the strongest or biggest companies that always win. Instead it is the most adaptable companies, equipped with the best technology that thrive. That’s the view of Andy Barrons, managing director of OceanSchedules. com, a division of INTTRA. Launched in 2007, OceanSchedules. com was created to provide the most comprehensive ocean container schedules site for shippers and freight forwarders to quickly and easily find multiple carrier sailings, in one searchable place. Using the latest web technology, carriers can update their data daily on the site via electronic connections, and users can search schedules for 26 carriers and easily sort and filter the sailing data to choose when their goods can leave and arrive. Search results on the site include the carrier name, date/day/time of departure, transit time, and date/day/ time of arrival. Each voyage listing includes a vessel information button that provides voyage information including the vessel name, voyage number, Lloyd’s number, port of export, and port of discharge. Other features include a contact carrier button that automatically passes user requests directly into the selected carriers’ customer service email box, and a booking button to support booking requests to carriers via INTTRA, the largest global e-commerce shipping portal. In addition to the free web site, shippers can customise and incorporate the site into their own web pages or integrate the search function into their own applications and pass selected schedule results back into their booking systems without manual keying. There’s also an option for Carriers to brand OceanSchedules.com technology for their own web site. Next on the agenda for OceanSchedules.com is its future investment in new Web Services technology. This will provide the ability to receive and publish real-time schedule data along with important booking information, including cut-off times and transhipment details.