IT Systems used in Shipping Management

IT Systems used in Shipping Management and Operations



IT systems used in shipping management and operations

Transportation has evolved considerably over the past twenty years. Among the many factors behind this development, the development of logistics in industrial and commercial companies, coupled with the movement towards deregulation and deregulation of the transport sector, is probably very significant. The transport industry in its own right is indeed one of the many operations which constitute the supply chain organized by companies that send, receive and transfer products. The choice of transport modes, the organization and pace of trade for them, therefore results in a holistic approach to physical movement. Transportation logistics impacts on factors like price, availability, speed, reliability, flexibility, operational constraints of the products. Therefore, logistical arrangements have particular impact on the number of industrial sites and logistics, their location, inventory levels or frequencies of restocking (Venus 2007 p57). On the other hand, practices and principles of transportation logistics suggest or require changes to better meet the "demand" businesses and their customers.

Global shipping companies provide services to individuals and businesses. They can move goods on an individual basis or be part of a larger supply chain and offer shipping or warehouse services. An information system helps provide information on the shipping company's effectiveness and efficiency (Notteboom 2004 Vol 2).

The evolution of information technology and communication (denoted as ICT) has greatly evolved information systems, particularly in logistics. Information technology, telecommunications networks, systems management database (DBMS), identification systems of logistics units, systems for scanning, data interchange (EDI), Internet technologies are all which enable faster and more reliable process of exchanging documents and information, increase the responsiveness and quality of organizations, thus stretching flows and increase the overall speed of physical movement, while controlling costs. This increased the overall speed of movement as well as requirements for quality of service (timeliness, integrity of goods, regulations and environment) is reflected in new expectations vis-à-vis screw transport logistics as an operation, but also vis-à-vis operators, transport operators and partners in industrial and commercial companies. Information systems often have several modules for a shipping company, from customer service to tracking to cost analysis to creating a controlled environment (Helo 2005 p7). Not only do business owners and managers use these systems to review operations, but employees use them to complete daily tasks or activities. Shipping companies typically receive questions about pricing shipments, tracking packages or finding new ways to deliver goods to consumers. An information system provides a location where collected information is readily available for use to answer these questions, among other uses to enhance business operations. At the end of production process finished goods are placed in inventory and from there they are shipped to consumers. Many records and documents are used to assist and monitor in the inventorying and shipping processes - for example shipping reports and packing slips (Electronic Commerce 2010). The information from the shipping systems affects the inventory as well as receivable systems of the ...