Upgraded website brings on new functionalities

Need a groupage rate from Guangzhou to Gauteng? If you’re a CFR Freight customer your individual rate is available at the click of a button on the company’s recently upgraded website. It’s all part and parcel of the neutral air and seafreight consolidator’s mission to use cutting edge technology to provide instant information to its customers in a user-friendly environment. “The new website was launched at the beginning of the year but upgrades are ongoing – we’re always adding new functionalities,” says IT manager Antoni Dabrowski. “A key feature of the upgraded site is our ‘client zone’. It gives customers a full view of all their import and export shipments – with the facility to track, trace and print all documents. “Another important aspect is the tariff engine – an electronic system that means customers no longer have to look for a port to port rate on an excel spreadsheet. They merely access our client zone, choose origin and destination, and in three clicks they have a rate. All clients need to be registered in the client zone in order to look up their individual tariffs.” It frees up the client’s time significantly, says Dabrowski, and that’s not only in terms of tariffs but documentation as well. “They can print out their documents on their own systems without having to contact us or wait for us to send an email to them.” CFR is now also able to interface with its clients directly via EDI. “We can send all data through EDI to their system.” “We’ve invested a significant sum of money in technology and staff to ensure that our systems are cutting edge,” says director Peter Schmidt-Löffler. And the uptake from clients has been phenomenal, he added. Seafreight forwarders, whether importing or exporting, can print their own documents, track their cargo, book online – and they have access to our tariff engine and rate schedules. “Another unique offering is a monthly statistical update of volumes our clients have done with us. At the click of a button they have a full report of what they’ve moved to or from any destination.” Airfreight customers have access to the same features, but with an airfreight tracking system – Airtrak – that takes information management to a new level. “It’s a brilliant management tool,” says Dabrowski, “updating our customers on their shipments every step of the way.” CFR’s IT offering is a work in progress – constantly evolving to provide relevant and userfriendly information that ultimately impacts on the customer’s bottom line, says Schmidt-Löffler.