Trade document control system lightens the load on goods-shipment processes
By Staff -- Manufacturing Business Technology, 10/1/2005 12:00:00 AM MDT
Costly delays in global shipments due to trade document snafus may be a thing of the past for those who adopt supply chain infrastructure provider GT Nexus' new global document control system, called eDocs. The Web-hosted solution streamlines the long string of documentation that must accompany goods moving from offshore manufacturer to export broker, third-party carrier, import broker, and customs.
"As much as 80 percent of the data in all documents is exactly the same as what is on the original purchase order. Up to now, that data has been manually rekeyed four to seven times between the manufacturer and the end customer," says Andy Stinnes, VP of products, GT Nexus. "That amounts to a lot of redundancy and opportunity for error that could cause delays."
Beth Enslow, VP of research for Boston-based AberdeenGroup, agrees. "Most companies are managing the global trade process using fax, e-mail, and express mail. It's one of the real barriers to meeting customer demands effectively. They follow a 'place and pray' strategy: you place an order and pray that it arrives on time. GT Nexus has created a platform for data sharing where everyone can add and manage their own part of the process."
The eDocs platform centralizes four key functions: purchase order distribution, supplier enablement, online document flow, and customs broker collaboration. In addition to documentation compliance and visibility to the status of shipments, the system also ensures shipments match what was ordered.
"Documents are presented, modified, and managed electronically," says Cindy Stoddard, CIO of global transportation company Neptune Orient Lines Group, which uses the platform to share data with importers and suppliers. "We're working with data, not paper. It enforces a security structure that legislates control, and retains a record of document access, change, and workflow. That's huge for compliance."
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