CARGO MANAGEMENT (FREIGHT FORWARDING): The Cargo Management or the Freight forwarding module of FINS is a comprehensive module, integrated along with Finance and WHIMS. It takes care of different activities within the various departments of freight forwarding, such as Sales, Operations (Sea, Air and Land), Transportation, Documentation, Logistics and Finance. The flexibility in chart of accounts can make the system more informative.
Some of the salient features of this module include
- Sales module – Starts with the Enquiry / Quotation up to the finalization of the business
- Operations module – A comprehensive package that performs the booking, cargo delivery till final closing of the job. Each job of Sea / Air & Land operations, Clearance and delivery etc, is integrated to the finance module.
- Transport module – linked to the fixed asset module, takes care of the pickup and delivery of cargo.
- Documentation module – linked to the finance module, takes care of the documentation processing and its deposits etc.
- Data interchange between branches (Export from one branch can be easily converted to import for another branch without data entry)
- Handling of multiple Schedules
- Container booking, allocation and tracking facility
- Flexible rate management module
- Warehouse operations can be recorded and tracked in the system.
- Transport management facility
- Documentation management facility
- Multiple routing facilities in job as well as in the quotations
- Transshipment cargo and Nominated cargo tracking
- Cargo Shutout tracking
- Automatic System Generated Email and Faxing
- EDI can be generated
- Profit analysis based on Sales Person (cost method, sales method), Volume of Cargo, Weight of cargo, agents, customer, shipper.
- Various MIS reports can be generated from the system like the booking details, rates, nominated cargo details, transshipment cargo details, cost sheet etc.
Sections
Below listed are some of the vital modules available with the Fins cargo management system.
Quotations
Pre-entered enquiries can be converted to quotations or quotations can be generated using the quotation form. “Quotation” is capable of querying the rate master to pick up appropriate rates for the selected destinations and the mode of operation. There are 3 different templates for printing of quotation and the same can be generated in html or pdf.
Import and Export Booking (FCL & LCL)
The booking section is capable of handling sea and air related import and export of FCL or LCL bookings. Booking note and confirmation can be emailed or faxed to the customer directly from the booking section.
Rates
Rates section is capable of handling the rates of sea and air related import and export of FCL or LCL cargo based on origin, destination, agent, route, weight etc. Rate information can be emailed from this section or can be collected from the Fins w-portal.
Scheduler
The scheduler section manages the sea and air related schedules. The schedule is made available on the web through Fins w-portal. Schedule reports can be taken or mailed from the system.
Container Planner
Containers can be booked through this section and it is capable for container allocation to available schedules. Container reference stored in the container planner helps to identify the number of container booked from a shipping line. Container related reports can be taken from this section.
Load list & Stuffing Wizard
The cargo on floor will be planned for different container boxes and later from the warehouse tally the stuffing section uses this information to store the cargo physically into the containers. When both these lists matches then the container will be closed for sailing. Load list as well as stuffing reports can be taken from these sections.
Job Wizard (Job Maintenance)
Job maintenance can be seen as the core of cargo management system. This section holds much information within. The finance section and cargo management section are directly linked through job wizard. This section keeps track of various data. Different kinds of jobs and reports can be generated and maintained using this section of cargo management. Reports like Bill of Lading, Cargo Manifest, Annexure, Loading Report, Stuffing Report, Pre-Alert, Cargo Arrival Notice etc can be generated from this section in html, PDF, doc or text formats.
Project Cargo Manager
This section is meant for managing the projects cargo. The specialty in this module is that this consolidates all the cargo management operations in a single section. This module is capable of creating different types of project cargo movements through sea, air, land or rail. Total project jobs and the volume and profitability reports can be taken from this. Communication methods like email, fax and SMS are incorporated in this section.
Land Transport
Land transport is the section which takes care of transportation jobs. In this section the transportation job can taken separately and also can be linked with any other job which involves transportation. All job related reports which involves transportation can be generated from this section.
Cargo Delivery
Cargo delivery is a very important section in this module. This module comes along with import operations but has got separate permission level to do the delivery tally sheet, since cargo delivery has to be taken care effectively for control measures. Delivery tally sheet and analysis reports can be taken from this module.
Salesperson wise Budgeting
This section is enables the sales team to work out their volume wise sales and profitability. In three different ways, sales can be segregated, ie; Job wise, Region wise & Month wise. Budget and Sales report can be generated here.
Finance Facilities in Job Wizard
Cargo management section is linked with the finance module and both can be accessed from the job wizard. Cancellation of invoice or credit note issuance can be intimated to the finance department.
Invoice or Agent Credit note
Sales provision booked in the job can be invoiced to the customer using this module. Agent invoice which has the same effect can be done only through the finance module. Multiple invoices can be taken from single job. Invoices can be taken in any currency as we wish. Invoice reports, agent credit note and register reports can be taken.
Credit note is a document which is used to give credit to customers. An invoice can be cancelled by adding the invoice reference number to the credit note. Multiple credit notes can be taken from a single job, when the credit note option is requested the system will automatically include cost provision amounts in the credit note which the user can customize and save. Credit notes can be taken in any currency desired. Credit note slip report can be printed out as well.
Auditing
Auditing module keeps track on the insertions, modifications and deletions in the job records. Many of the job auditing is customizable where as non-customizable auditing is also available. Audit reports can be taken from the job wizard itself.
Report Facilities
Cost sheet summary reports: This report is useful in analyzing total number of jobs, volume, sales person wise profitability, cost based job profitability analysis etc. There are many combinations available in this report for filtration as well as report selection.
Teus analysis: This report provides the total number of teus per month or over a specified period for any kind of job where containers are involved.
Job Statistics analysis: The sales and cost statistics of job over a period of time and job wise can be taken using this report.
Transshipment Reports: Transshipment cargo related reports can be generated using this report facility.
Budgeting reports: Sales and cost based budget reports can be generated using this facility.
Project cargo Reports: These are reports exclusively for project cargo which shows the volume, profit, agents’ contribution etc.
Other reports: Agent/Shipper/Consignee/Line wise weight/volume/profit analysis, salesperson wise outstanding report/analysis, control reports (job not invoiced, cargo aging, do not issued etc), register reports (quotation, booking, job, invoice etc).