Overseas Shipping Association Uses INTTRA to Promote Standard Tender Process: Reduces the Time and Cost of Ocean Tenders

February 15, 2006

Overseas Shipping Association Uses INTTRA to Promote Standard Tender Process: Reduces the Time and Cost of Ocean Tenders

February 15, 2006

Parsippany, NJ, February 15, 2006 – For the last three years the Overseas Shipping Association (OSA) in London has achieved huge operational savings by working with INTTRA to refine the electronic tender process and accommodate the needs of its members.

OSA represents most of the major international moving and relocation companies.  When it goes out to tender on behalf of its members, up to 30 carriers are involved and it requires global coverage of all the major trade lanes.  Using INTTRA's Web-based ocean tendering tool has improved member satisfaction and increased the speed of the process, according to Paul Felton, OSA Commercial Manager.

Felton says it's important that OSA, “not only capture rates for existing trade lanes or volumes, but anticipate quote requirements from their members for lanes where they haven't shipped before.  This gives OSA some significant challenges in trying to develop a price book with global coverage for all the major trade lanes, but at the same time not trying to create rates from everywhere to everywhere worldwide.”

INTTRA Tender -- which has just been released with new product upgrades as Tender 2.1 – standardizes the tender workflow, providing carriers and their customers with greater control and visibility throughout their tendering process.  Because it was developed with the support of shippers and carriers who are interested in reducing the time it takes between the initial shipper submission of the RFQ to the final agreed rates, INTTRA Tender also offers the advantage of speed and the ability to work with multiple shipping lines.

Felton appreciates both the speed and efficiency INTTRA Tender offers his members, explaining that, “OSA members make bookings with the carriers based on the rates I've secured through the INTTRA Tender.  The Web-based tool standardizes the process across multiple shipping lines. It's simple to use for creating and managing tenders.  You don't have to work in 10 different processes, just one, and its very cost effective.”

Gary Chisamore, INTTRA Tender Group Manager, is pleased with the collaboration with OSA. “Over the years with the help of customers and carriers, INTTRA Tender has made some tremendous strides especially in the areas of technology, import/export of data to the INTTRA platform and speed of processing while at the same time providing more features aimed at improving the tender process for carriers and shippers, and INTTRA has been able to accommodate all the options OSA has chosen,” he said.

He points out that INTTRA, the leading multi-carrier platform for e-commerce has a natural advantage when it comes to creating a more streamlined process for ocean tenders.  “Our expertise and experience with collaborating on industry solutions for carriers and customers has helped us create a tool where all parties can more easily exchange tender information,” he said.

Chisamore notes that INTTRA's approach is to provide a flexible, cost effective tool where “customers can choose what level of service and support they need from INTTRA and then all that is required is a PC and a high speed connection to the Internet.  After some initial training, carriers and customers can quickly learn to create, design, send and receive tender proposals using standard data formats and a workflow process that breaks through the limitations of traditional Excel-based tender processes.”

Besides which, “INTTRA provides a powerful online tool,” he added.  “You can upload and download your Tender proposals quickly from Excel spreadsheets and then use a range of our online tools to easily compare carrier proposals by multiple service criteria and review changes to trade lanes or services to choose the best strategy for your business.”

“It all adds up to making tender faster and more efficient, providing shippers and carriers greater convenience, improved accuracy and more control over the Tender process,” said Chisamore.

About INTTRA

INTTRA, founded in 2000 and headquartered in Parsippany, N.J., is a leading global provider of e-commerce solutions to ocean carriers and their customers. INTTRA professionals work with customers to streamline and standardize their shipping processes, applying their e-commerce knowledge of the shipping industry for customers in markets worldwide.

INTTRA's e-commerce platform offers a comprehensive range of e-commerce tools, including: Tender, Sailing Schedules, Booking, Shipping Instructions, Bill of Lading, Track & Trace, and Reports. Accessing the INTTRA platform is simple, using any combination of their channel solutions: INTTRA-Link (EDI-based, system-to-system connection), INTTRA-Desktop (off-line PC application), or INTTRA-Act (web-based application).

INTTRA's carrier network includes, Aliança, ANL, CMA CGM, CSAV, DAL, Deutsche Afrika-Linien, FESCO, Hamburg Süd, Hapag-Lloyd, "K" Line, Libra, Maersk Line, MCC Transport Pte Ltd., MISC,  Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A., Norasia, NYK Line, Safmarine, Senator Lines and United Arab Shipping Company. The INTTRA carrier network represents over 61% of the world's ocean container capacity.

For further information visit www.inttra.com. Or contact Andy Barrons, INTTRA Vice President  of Marketing, at 973.263.5100 or email him at: andy.barrons@inttra.com.

About Overseas Shippers Association

Overseas Shippers Association (OSA), a specialist network of approximately 100 international moving and relocation companies, was established in 1994 as a spin-off from the Overseas Moving Network International (Omni). Based in the UK, OSA is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping its members negotiate effectively with liner shipping companies to move household and commercial goods across six continents.