Business rules engine - A feature of the IAS Hub that enables carriers to define how their data should be used in various IAS applications and shared with selected trading partners. Also enables carriers to define specific business processes to be used when communicating with customers and vendors.
Component-based architecture - This type of technology architecture ensures future flexibility by grouping specific processes and data into discrete components that can be easily swapped out and replaced as technologies or business needs evolve.
Consignee - The party who receives a shipment. IAS services facilitate communication between ocean carriers and their consignees, reducing communication and administrative costs.
Detention and demurrage - Charges incurred for retaining containers at shipper or consingee premises or other locations beyond the free period allowed in a tariff or freight contract. By providing clear information about container arrival and empty dates, IAS services help to reduce billing disputes and enable carriers to more quickly pick up empty containers.
Drayage - The trucking or hauling of containers between inland points. IAS services can help carriers identify interchange opportunities for empty containers, resulting in shorter moves and reduced drayage costs.
Events - Gate moves in and out of terminals,
depots and other facilities, plus other measurable occurrences that
happen as a container travels along the transport chain. The IAS
Hub captures and organizes an unprecedented number of such events
and makes them visible to ocean carriers and their nominated customer
and vendor network through the IAS Event Manager.
Exceptions - Containers that deviate from their original itinerary and timetable. The IAS Event Analyzer provides exception reporting and can help carriers to analyze past exceptions in order to avoid them in the future.
Exchange - A neutral, Web-based marketplace
for business-to-business goods and services. InterBox enables members
to interchange containers and vessel slot capacity.
Extensible - A term used to describe technology that accommodates new features and services without requiring fundamental changes in its core structure. The extensibility of IAS technology will make it easy for IAS to both grow and expand services to ocean carriers.
Global equipment visibility
- The ability to determine the location and status of equipment
at all times during its move along the transport chain. By providing
global equipment visibility, the IAS Hub enables carriers to increase
equipment utilization, reduce equipment management costs and enhance
customer service.
HTML - Hypertext Mark-up Language, a
programming language that indicates to Web browsers how pages should
be displayed. IAS designs its Website pages for quick display, intuitive
navigation and easy use.
IAS Event Manager - An IAS application that provides container event visibility via the Web or through system-to-system integration, enabling carriers and their trading partners to monitor and manage equipment as it moves along the transport chain.
InterBox - An IAS application
that allows members - container owners, operators and transport
service providers - to exchange surplus or deficit containers and
vessel slot capacity in a neutral Web-based marketplace.
IAS Hub - The IAS repository for equipment and event data. The data collected by the Hub powers all IAS applications and services.
Integration - The ability for different applications and their data to work together. IAS' integrated applications work together, and data flows seamlessly from one application to another. Also, the bringing together of data from diverse applications into a single source. By integrating data from transport chain participants, the IAS Hub provides carriers with a single source of container event information.
Interchange - The exchange of equipment from one owner/operator to another. InterBox enables carriers, lessors and other equipment operators to interchange equipment in order to balance supply and demand.
Marketplace - A neutral exchange for business-to-business goods and services. InterBox is a marketplace that enables members to exchange containers and vessel slot capacity.
Offer/counteroffer - The process whereby InterBox participants negotiate the exchange of containers and vessel slot capacity. When one party makes an offer, another party may accept that offer or propose different terms in a counteroffer. This negotiation-based process ensures that all participants in InterBox have the opportunity to seek the terms they prefer.
Piloting - Limiting the initial use of services to a few users. IAS tests new services using pilot programs to ensure they meet customer needs before rolling them out to the entire market.
Repositioning - The movement of empty containers to their next cargo loading point. According to IAS research, the average container is idle or undergoing empty repositioning for over 60% of its life span. IAS services help carriers reduce empty repositioning by providing them with alternatives such as interchange or triangulation through InterBox and Event Manager services.
Scalability - A term used to describe technology that can accommodate a growing number of users, event volume and functions. IAS technology is scalable to ensure it may easily grow according to customer needs.
Transport chain - The path a container follows as it moves from its point of origin, where it is loaded with cargo, to its destination, where it is emptied. The IAS Hub integrates event data from all transport chain participants to track container events.
Triangulation - A method of moving containers from a surplus location to a demand location by means of an intermediate transport leg that can be revenue or non-revenue producing (loaded or empty). IAS enables carriers and other container owners/operators to identify and take advantage of triangulation opportunities through InterBox and Event Manager services.
UN and ISO - The United Nations and International Standards Organization, organizations that create standards used in the maritime and other industries. IAS uses UN and ISO equipment and location codes and data message formats (such as EDIFACT) to ensure its information is readily understood by customer systems. IAS also develops and publishes its own data standards when none exist.
Utilization - The percentage of total assets being used at a given moment to transport cargo, earning revenue. IAS services help carriers increase container utilization by allowing them to more closely monitor equipment moves and take advantage of interchange opportunities.
Web forms - Fields and other elements
that allow Web users to enter information onto a Web page so that
it may be sent over the Internet. IAS Web forms are designed to
allow members to easily and intuitively enter and access data.
Web interface - Design and navigation
elements that enable a Web user to access the services, information
and functions on a Web site. The simple IAS interface is designed
to enable users to easily access the information and services on
IAS' Website.
