Welcome to our new buyer newsletter - ShipServ

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be their authorized business partners. CONNECT. IT gives me ... SpecTec AMOS Business Suite. •. ABS-NS5 ... above list
ShipServ

CONNECT A newsletter for our community of ship owners, ship yards and ship managers

September 2011

Issue 1

Welcome to our new buyer newsletter Mikael Weis

Senior VP Client Relations

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T gives me great pleasure to bring you this first edition of our Client Newsletter aimed specifically at our global base of ship owner, ship management and ship yard clients, otherwise known as the community of ShipServ buyers. Over the last ten years, our buyer base has grown considerably in size and this has been matched by the vast expansion of our Client Relations department from a small team of a couple of people based in Copenhagen to a team of more than 20 people across the world.

The purpose of this newsletter is to provide you with the most up-to-date information about the latest ShipServ product developments, partner integration news and allow our clients insight into the personalities and responsibilities of our Client Relations team, that of course starts with our Customer Service Centre in Manila. We also aim to inform you of all developments on ShipServ Pages that will improve your sourcing process. I would like to thank you all, for your continued use of ShipServ Tradenet as I know many of you have been with us since the very early days of ShipServ. In the last few years, the shipping markets have been undergoing a vast amount of change, and this can be equally applied

to the maritime e-commerce landscape and through it all we have learnt some valuable lessons on how we can optimise our services so that clients get the most out of our trading platform. We hope to convey these tricks and tips to you in this and forthcoming editions of our newsletter. We will also be showcasing our product developments at our user conference next month which is part of SmartShipping, so please come along. Lastly, I would like to thank all my team in helping me to compile this newsletter and would urge you to contact us at [email protected] if you have any suggestions for future editions or if there are any issues you would like covered in further detail.

Search by IMPA code on ShipServ Pages

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his month we have joined forces with the International Maritime Purchasing Association (IMPA) to simplify and speed up product sourcing through our online supplier directory ShipServ Pages and this will help buyers and suppliers save time and benefit from more accurate requests for quotation, prepopulated with IMPA codes. IMPA product codes will be displayed automatically to purchasing managers using ShipServ Pages to source suppliers. By automatically-suggesting IMPA codes for product searches, we hope that buyers will save time in locating specific parts or products. Buyers can also use the IMPA code where known, to search for specific

products directly. “This partnership between ShipServ and IMPA delivers a lot of benefits for buyers and suppliers alike, with even more precise matching on searched products. We expect to see a huge increase in catalogues uploaded to Pages with IMPA codes as a result of this enhancement and this will lead to an increase in number of transactions carrying IMPA codes for the benefit of a fast and effcient sourcing process.” says Kim Skaarup, ShipServ’s Chief Operating Officer. ShipServ already works with IMPA to licence their Marine Stores Guide through our ShipCat Catalogue Management tool so this is an extension of partnership.

In the coming months, we hope to extend the auto-population to RFQ creation forms, so please watch this space. The other major development on ShipServ Pages, has been the continued growth of our brand management functionality by major suppliers with over 30 well-known brands including Wartsila, JP Sauer &Sohn, MAN B&W and ABB taking out exclusive brand zones, which are now live on the site and allow buyers to see all authorised agents that have been verified by the brand owner. The Brand Management tool allows brand owners to control and monitor suppliers in ShipServ Pages that claim to be their authorized business partners.

September 2011

E-invoicing and attachments go live Don Staffin VP, Product Management

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T has been a busy few months for the ShipServ Product Development team over the summer and we are delighted to announce some latest enhancements and features to the TradeNet platform that we think will benefit all our purchasing managers in their daily use of the system. One of the most common queries we have received is the ability to add attachments and I am delighted to say that we have now implemented this capability across TradeNet. This means that documents can be attached to both RFQ’s and Purchase Orders and sent straight to suppliers and alleviates the need to send such documents via separate emails, where they can be misplaced. Multiple formats of files can be sent so photos, spreadsheets, word processing documents, etc. Up to 10 files can be attached to a single transaction adding up to a maximum of 3 MB. The capability is generic, so any system can utilise this new feature if it can generate the correct export. At the moment, the following systems

are either live or scheduled for roll-out: • SpecTec AMOS Business Suite • ABS-NS5 • ShipNet SNAPS • GL Ship Manager • ShipLink/WebBuyer Although the export itself is generic, each partner system handles attachments slightly differently, so we suggest that you follow the correct procedures when attaching files to a document. ShipServ has prepared documentation which will provide some guidance, but the instruction manual for the partner system should provide detailed information on this topic. If your system does not appear on the above list, or if you are a software provider that would like to add this capability, please contact your ShipServ Client Relations Manager who will direct the request to the appropriate person. Alongside attachment handling our other big project over the last year has been launching an e-invoicing capability. This new addition allows any supplier who can submit an electronic invoice to send to any buyer who can receive one. TradeNet uses the MTML standard for invoices, but where parties have different formats, ShipServ provides a translation service so that differing standards is not a problem.

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Over the last year, thousands of invoices have been successfully transferred, and we expect this program to expand significantly over the coming months and year. We are also working with our software partners whose systems contain invoice matching or vouchering so that in the near future e-invoicing will be as easy to plugand-play as order management. Our next big project is the roll-out of a new KPI reporting structure and replacing the format with a new on-demand feature. This means that purchasing managers will no longer have to wait to receive this report in an email as be able to run it at any time. This new development will also include a revamped Supplier Analysis Report containing the following features: • Expanded RFQ, PO and Quote analysis with the ability to customize decision cutoff dates. • “As Of ” capability. Users will be able to reproduce what the report looked like on a certain date in the past based only on the information that was known at the time. If you have any questions about any of the product developments I have covered please do not hesitate to contact your Client Relations Manager.

September 2011

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Introducing our Customer Services Centre

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he founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos is often famously quoted as saying that you must never take your focus off the customer experience. Why? Because word of mouth is so important in an online environment - as offline a customer would only tell around five to six people if they had a bad experience - but online they can tell over five to six thousand! And let’s face it; he knows a thing or two about e-commerce. At ShipServ we have applied this mantra to the letter and learnt that it is vital to have a fast and responsive customer service centre that can handle all first-line support issues from both buyers and suppliers in less than two hours from receiving the enquiry. With a staff of thirteen people operating on a 24 hour basis across the three major regions of Asia-Pacific, Europe and the Middle East and Americas, our Manila Customer Service Centre team have experience in dealing with all types of buyer related enquiries from WebBuyer issues, to lost and misplaced passwords, vessel set-up problems, and integration troubleshooting.

“We consider Customer Support as our first level of account management. Attracting and retaining clients is essential to the success of any business, so we have rapidly expanded our team to handle the queries from our growing number of customers in the most efficient way possible. “ says Johannah Chiu, Client Services Manager at ShipServ. The CSC team ensures that customer’s concerns are addressed accurately in a timely manner and currently handles on average over 3,000 support cases per month from ShipServ’s community of buyers and suppliers. With over 38,000 suppliers registered on ShipServ Pages, the CSC team plays a vital role in ensuring that all suppliers are set-up correctly and visible to buyers using the sourcing tool. “Ensuring that Pages is up-to-date means that buyers can trust the search tool and are able to contact the most relevant suppliers and seamlessly cross over to the Tradenet platform.” Automation is also playing a big part in the workflow process of the CSC team, which will help them to improve the

operational efficiency of dealing with enquiries. “This will obviously speed up response times, but will only be used where there is not a need for human intervention, so for example we are working to set this up for lost passwords to make the process simple and this will be introduced in the next couple of months. “ says Ms Chiu. CSC is obviously the first-line in the entire ShipServ support network and works extremely closely with the regional Client Relations team in US, Europe, and Asia and our IT support/development teams to ensure that all queries are escalated immediately and solved with minimum disruption. “This means that long-term clients are likely to feel more satisfied if problems are immediately dealt with by the most appropriate person, and are more likely to refer others, and due to this they will be more likely to purchase additional products and services from us.“ says Ms Chiu. A statement that would certainly get the nod of approval from Mr Bezos. To contact Customer Service Centre with any queries email support@shipserv. com

All Smiles: Our 24 hour Customer Service Centre handles 3,000 support cases per month

September 2011

Book your place at SmartShipping today

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N conjunction with co-hosts Tradewinds, we are continuing to assemble a stellar cast of leading ship owners, service providers and major suppliers to discuss the issues of implementing smarter shipping processes at the Four Seasons hotel on October 17-18. The session on October 18 has been developed by ShipServ and TradeWinds on the fundamental premise that ship owners can and will engage in innovation only

when it results in higher efficiencies and regulatory compliance with corresponding lower installation and/or operational costs. New speakers for the event who have confirmed attendance in the last few days include Giampiero Soncini, CEO, Spectec and Neil Tomlin, SVP Business Development, ShipNet and Helge Jensen, Global Product Management, DB Schenker. They join speakers from some of the world’s leading shipping companies, sup-

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pliers and service providers including Maersk, BW Gas, DNV, Lloyd’s Register, Bernard Schulte and many more. We are also giving away a free delegate space for every three places booked by a company and there is also a Maritime Cluster Fund Training Grant available for eligible Singaporean participants and Singapore permanent residents. To book your place for SmartShipping visit www.smartshipping2011.com

In Depth: Vessel-Based Redirect

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E have had a number of enquiries recently about our VesselBased Redirect Module so we thought we would shed more light on its function. VBR is a tool that enables you to analyse the complete performance of your managed fleet in multiple locations or with multiple owners giving you a complete view of the fleet purchasing performance. It works for both a Ship manager with multiple owners using a single purchasing system or for a ship owner with multiple separate offices using a single purchasing system and the setup is quite straightforward. The only requirement is that each transaction be exported with the IMO number of the vessel. The grouping of IMO numbers (owner and office) is kept on the ShipServ TradeNet server. When the transaction is forwarded through TradeNet, the receiving supplier can easily tell to which grouping the vessel belongs in.

This means if your company has one set of ships operating out of Hong Kong and another set of ships operated out of New York, the supplier will see Hong Kong and New York separately. If your company has multiple owners, the supplier will see that the purchases you are making are “for and on behalf of owners as per power of attorney”.

With ShipServ’s KPI and WebReporting tools you are able to see the overall performance of your company and by using our Vessel-Based Redirect service, you can analyse the information by location or entity, or across the entire fleet in real-time. Contact your Client Relations manager to find out more about VBR and how you can get the most of it.

September 2011

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Under the Spotlight: Maria Jackson, Client Relations – Americas

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F you call our Americas operations center in Edison, NJ, there is a good chance you will speak with Maria Jackson, our senior manager, but did you know she is the co-founder of a Literary Ladies Book Club? Nor did we, until we started to write this, but she could certainly write a few books

on marine software and e-commerce having been involved in the sector since 1998, and joined the ShipServ team in 2005 from Raritan Valley Technology Group. One of her specialties has been the cruise business, which has its epicenter in Miami in Florida, but she has handled implementation and support for a wide variety of shipping companies and suppliers across the globe. While many of our implementations in the Americas region are ABS-NS5 and AMOS, Maria has also worked with Danaos, ShipNet SNAPS, IBM Maximo, Epicor (Activant) Profit 21, and a variety of bespoke systems for our integrated customers. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and an Associates Degree in International Business, both from Berkeley College in New Jersey, USA.

One of the unique challenges for Maria in supporting e-business in the Americas is that the day begins in South America at 0700 Eastern Time (0900 local time), and ends in California at 2000 (1700 local time). Maria not only directs the team in our Edison, New Jersey office, but works hand in hand with our 24 hour support desk in Manila to make sure that any customer calling in with any problem at any time day or night receives the same first class treatment. Away from the e-commerce world, Maria spends her time as an active member of Destiny After School Haven’s (DASH) Parent Advisory Board and the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) and has a love for reading- hence the founding of the book club.

Big welcome to our new clients NEW buyer clients that have started trading on the TradeNet platform over the summer include Norwegian owners Wilson Ship Management, and SeaTrans, German owners Nordic Hamburg and CP Offen, Greek owners Vrontados and Nane, Italian tanker operator Finaval, and French gas carrier Gazocean. This takes our active fleet on TradeNet to over 6,000 vessels across the world.

Contact Us

AsiaPacific

[email protected] Phone: +852 2501 9222 Support hours: 0900-1800 Hong Kong 0100-1000 GMT

Americas

[email protected] Phone: +1 732 738 6500 Support hours: 0830-1700 US East Coast 1230-2100 GMT

Europe

[email protected] Phone: +45 33 32 31 20 Support hours: 0830-1700 CET(DK) 0730-1600 GMT

If you have any questions about the issues covered in this newsletter, please do not hesitate to contact your appropriate Client Relations Manager or our Customer Support Centre on the numbers above. We welcome suggestions for the next ShipServ Connect so if there are any topics you would like to see covered please email us at [email protected].