‘Flexible software the way to go’

Speed to market is the real race
Clive Emdon
FLEXIBLE software systems that can adapt to changing needs is a key to the future of electronic solutions in the freight industry, says Roland Raath, MD of Cargocare. He believes independent companies are better able to provide this flexibility compared to multinationals. “This is because their platforms are not designed to be independent of the working partners involved in the trades,” he says. “Using partners like GT Nexus, Intra, Cargosmart, Syntra, Traxon or SITA provides only partial solutions. Smaller companies can easily add another party to work with in the event that they need to change one of the parties on the receiving or sending end.” Raath says the data entry system of Pangaea reflects the true capabilities of the electronic world as it stands today, but is usually offset by some other business process like fax or emails which can be very limiting. Cargocare is part of CTN (Certified Transport Network) with its members currently running on a new communication platform. “The system built for the independents is different from the usual track and trace systems in that it is a real time communication platform with real time visibility (purchase through to delivery). “It offers a one page history per order and includes a range of other uses from line item management and storage of documentation to archiving and automatic pre-alerts. “All of this improves productivity and ensures speedier delivery of information and cargo.”