MANY FREIGHT companies are spending thousands of rands on new IT equipment to jump on the EDI bandwagon, without testing it properly, when their old systems could easily be upgraded for far less money.
That's the view of Mario Acosta-Alarcon, technical director of Compu Clearing, which has been committed to providing electronic solutions to the freight industry for years.
Compu Clearing started its electronic data interchange programme with airlines six years ago in a joint venture with Traxon.
This was extended to the freight industry because, with the volatile exchange rates, it was important for freight agents to be the first to know the landed rates.
However, EDI has not really taken off because of the cost involved. People are not willing to pay for information - consumers have not reached that level of maturity yet. Only success and proven cost-benefit solutions will change the mindset, he said.
An important aspect of electronic solutions is standardisation of technology worldwide, in Acosta-Alarcon's view. But systems must be customised for local conditions.
The nature of the freight industry requires all agents to have a worldwide presence. They therefore need uniform computer systems not only to consolidate information but so that all staff worldwide are familiar with the systems. Yet the systems have to be customised to local conditions. We have such systems available where we operate worldwide sections and local sections, he said.
Bar code technology with scanners for warehouses is another relatively new form of technology which is proving successful.
Another innovative measure being introduced into sea freight freight is electronic transmitters which are placed on the seals of containers and work off satellite technology.
These are used not only for for security but also to track the global positioning of the container, he said.
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