Global conference sets IT priority
THE OPPORTUNITIES for global network development, especially in China, expansion of airfreight activities and continued investment in IT resources, were all strategic outcomes from the Famous Pacific Shipping Group's recent global sales conference in Cape Town.
More than 60 freight executives from group members, exclusive partners and agents from over 35 countries, attended the meeting which was organised by FPS's South African operation.
The company's worldwide network now extends to over 70 countries with recent additions including Pakistan, Egypt, Greece, Turkey, Kenya, Germany, Ghana, Peru and Spain. Further expansion is planned for the network, with one of the gaps, Brazil, expected to be filled in the near future.
In traffic terms, FPS's main focus is currently on seafreight which accounts for about 90% of the group's total volume. Airfreight makes up the rest. One main thrust of its future development strategy, apart from continuing to expand its global network, is to boost airfreight to 20% of total group traffic by the end of 2002.
Both these core areas were the subjects of intense discussion at the conference, as was the need for ongoing development of IT resources.
Here an extensive programme is underway which includes the alignment of the IT and EDI systems used across the FPS network in order to provide a seamless service for customers. It also involves the enhancement of the group's website to allow customers to gain information on such things as schedules, transit times, tariffs and new developments, as well as secure access for making bookings, cargo tracking and tracing; and obtaining details of account status.
