Significant IT benefits flow from new logistics alliance

A track and trace system that
offers complete visibility of
shipments from beginning
to end, from anywhere in
the world is now available to
Turners Shipping customers
through an easy-to-use Webbased
interface. This follows
the recently concluded
alliance between Turners and
BDP International.
The BDP SmartTracking
module allows the user to
view the progress of the order
from the time it is received
through the actual discharge
of the cargo, all in real
time, says Turners’ national
operations director, Blain
Kondiah.
“Everyone involved in
a transaction has access
– shippers, consignees,
carriers, Customs
clearance agents, and
third-party providers
worldwide – enabling
better communication and
documentation throughout
the process.”
It’s all part and parcel of
the added-value benefits
that have flowed from the
alliance, he said.
“Another important feature
of the system is SmartDocs.
Also web-enabled, it provides
an easy way to generate,
deliver and manage all the
documentation involved
with international shipments
from insurance memos and
dock receipts to certificates
of origin and Customs
invoices.”
There are several other
applications, says Kondiah
– from SmartMetrics which
allows clients to access a
warehouse of stored data
and run and download a
variety of relevant financial,
operational and performance
reports, to SmartAlerts
which allows users to set
up personalised notification
lists to receive alerts for any
status update.
According to Kondiah,
Turners Shipping clients also
have access to BDP Smart
Vu application, launched in
2009, which expands on the
capabilities of the web-based
system. “It integrates in the
clients’ own IT systems and
provides procurement and
inbound logistics managers
with unparalleled visibility
of each milestone in the life
cycle of a purchase order,’
he said.