Nova Systems’ BeOne logistics solution is now enriched with the new “Shipping Agency” module, dedicated to shipping agents and port agents who operate in the container ship sector. Thanks to Nova Systems’ latest innovation, ship loading and unloading and transhipment operations become simpler and more immediate.
“With the ‘Shipping Agency’ module for shipping agents and port agents, the issuing of policies, taxes, freight accounts and all the manifests laid down depending on the agency’s operations can be obtained. BeOne also allows costs and revenues to be analyzed by individual journey-ship and company, dossier, policy and management of the costs and takings with regard to the management of the disbursement account,” explained Riccardo Tarocco, Chief Software Architect
PORT AGENTS
Part of the module was devised based on the needs of port agents who are concerned in the management of the docking of the ship in port and disembarkation. BeOne enables the management of the ship and disbursement accounts, that is, the calculation of what is paid in advance by the port agent on behalf of the shipowner. “These costs can be calculated both beforehand, as forecast cost amounts, through the appropriate tariffs, and subsequently entered on the arrival of the supplier’s invoice. On the closure of the disbursement account, an invoice is generated by the port agent to the shipowner for the balance of the activity carried out. All this is integrated with the accounting module, BeOne e-invoice, management control and the customs part,” Tarocco made clear.
In this way, port agents have control over the management of the quantities of containers handled, the destinations and the clients, as well as the analyses of the operational data, through the special dedicated, configurable dashboards. “Thanks to the BeOne Analytics module, the data are extrapolated directly from the analytic accounting and it is also possible to obtain the data regarding the profitability of the shipment,” added Nova Systems’ Chief Software Architect. “The new module interfaces directly with the file and then takes the data from the shipping agency module and automatically fills in the customs bill of entry, returning the customs documents that are generated by the bill of entry. In the future, we will also offer integration between the Shipping Agency and the customs manifests module, which is currently being developed.”
SHIPPING AGENTS
BeOne was also designed to assist the operational activities of shipping agents, who act in the name and on behalf of shipping companies. “As regards this part of the module, the software allows the ship to be managed as a craft that arrives and departs from the port. BeOne is multi-branch, so each branch is linked to its port of reference. In the case of a single ship, the ERP can manage several shipping companies with loads on the same journey-ship, both on embarkation and disembarkation, and goods coming from or to be sent to different destinations,” noted Tarocco.
The shipping agency database is integrated with accounting, management control and much more besides
BeOne enables the management of containers on embarkation and disembarkation and containers in transhipment that are to be loaded for a different final destination. The possibility therefore arises of tracking a container transiting through the port: the container arrives on one ship and can then continue its journey on a different ship. “Through BeOne, this operation is managed with a single dossier. The software has some specific functions that enable the rapid entry of the agency file and the simultaneous creation of the positioning order. The administrative database also allows, both on embarkation and disembarkation, the arrangement of containers on the ships and in the companies depending on the load limits or the possible cost/benefit for the shipping agent.
With BeOne, it is possible to issue shipping policies, or for multi-container services, even with different dossiers, regarding the same ship journey and client. An automated operation that is carried out more quickly than with other administrative database software.
Another function available in BeOne regards the issuing of the freight account, through which it is possible to automatically calculate the freight accounts based on the specific tariffs entered for each individual client. Still through the Shipping Agency module, freight statements, freight manifests, unfreight manifests and cargo manifests can be issued. The freight statement management is integrated with the accounting and, on the closure of the ship, the accounting entries are then generated. “This aspect presupposes the automatic sending of policies, dossiers, manifests, delivery orders, positioning orders, customs instructions for other port authorities, port shipping agents, shipping companies, container terminals or other external subjects such as clients, transporters, customs operators etc.,” concluded Tarocco. “The shipping agent also has the option of receiving information from the container terminals, including the date and time of the departure of the container, the identification number of the load unit, the seals affixed and VGM.”
FORWARDING AGENT
With regard to the same ship, it is possible to operate with companies with which there is no agency-type contract (shipping agency). Finally, the software makes it possible to act as agents of several companies for the same port.
Find ut more about the modulo for shipping agents and port agents.
Data: 29-04-2019
