CargoSmart's Documentation Services Enable Shippers and NVOCCS to Go Green
SAN JOSE, Calif. — April 20, 2010 — To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, CargoSmart Limited, a leading Software as a Service (SaaS) global shipping and logistics solutions provider, today announced that its documentation management solutions help shippers, logistics service providers, and Non-Vessel Operating Common Carriers (NVOCCs) go green by reducing paper in the supply chain. Using CargoSmart’s solutions decreases the need to print and send shipping industry documents, frees up valuable office and storage space that require resources to maintain, and supports corporate sustainability initiatives. For nearly 10 years, shippers and transportation intermediaries have used CargoSmart’s solutions to minimize their impact on the environment while engaging in international trade.
Shippers and transportation intermediaries manage numerous documents including shipping orders, shipping instructions, bills of lading, packing lists, commercial invoices, purchase orders, certificates of origin, and security filings. Companies generate multiple copies and distribute documents to supply chain associates inside and outside of their corporate networks. Companies also store shipping documents for auditing purposes for up to seven years, requiring additional resources to maintain and manage the necessary storage space. These practices can leave a wide carbon footprint, from the consumption of natural resources to an increase in fossil fuel emissions.
“Many shippers, forwarders, and NVOCCs still rely on fax machines and printing to process large volumes of shipping documents,” said Joe O’Brien, managing director of CargoSmart North America. “Maintaining hard copy files wastes paper, adds bulk file storage costs, and can make document retrieval challenging. CargoSmart’s electronic document management solutions allow the shipping industry to create, manage, and store documents online, while saving vast amounts of paper and reducing energy use.”
Green Documentation Solutions
CargoSmart’s electronic documentation services that help customers go green include:
• Documentation processing – Customers use CargoSmart to process their shipping instructions, booking requests, bills of lading, and arrival notices online with service providers, which minimizes printing and faxing hard copy documents.
• Online document storage – CargoSmart allows customers to store any document online for up to seven years and have it securely accessible to the parties in their supply chains. Online storage decreases the need to transport documents to other parties or to storage facilities and maintain document storage areas.
• Document workflow – CargoSmart provides tools to share documents electronically with key parties in the supply chain and request information to compile documents electronically. Using document workflow tools encourages supply chain associates to go green by managing the documentation process online between divisions and companies.
Documents and the NVOCC
NVOCCs that use CargoSmart to manage documents can realize additional green benefits and cost savings. NVOCCs must manage a large volume of documents for all of their customers. CargoSmart provides a cost-effective and secure online documentation system that centralizes NVOCCs’ documents for multiple offices and divisions. Users can easily retrieve and manage clients’ documents electronically, reducing the need to print, store, and ship multiple copies and cut costs. CargoSmart also allows NVOCCs to share documents online securely with their customers through private label solutions, enabling NVOCCs to extend green benefits to their customers, promote their corporate sustainability efforts, and gain a competitive advantage.
About CargoSmart
CargoSmart Limited (www.cargosmart.com <http://www.cargosmart.com/> ) is a Software as a Service (SaaS) global shipping and logistics solutions provider, with advanced visibility and exception management, that enables shippers, consignees, and logistics service providers to keep cargo moving and delivered on time. Through online tools and integration services, CargoSmart customers can plan, process, and monitor the critical path of multiple-carrier shipments and communicate in-depth, timely information to key supply chain associates. CargoSmart launched its services in October 2000 and has helped over 17,000 customers lower transportation management costs, streamline operations, and reduce the risk of late shipments.