Solutions for Ocean Carriers

IAS provides opportunities for ocean carriers to streamline and reduce costs of their maintenance & repair activities. EquipmentRepair connects ocean carriers to the world’s largest maintenance and repair network. It facilitates the M&R approval process between equipment owners and their service providers. The system can be used standalone or easily integrated with an equipment owner’s existing M&R or equipment management systems, enabling operators to instantly create, approve, amend and complete repairs, reducing cycle times and increasing equipment utilization.

DispatchManager connects ocean carriers to their drayage communities to dispatch work orders. It simplifies the process of dispatching work orders between ocean carriers and their trucking company partners. DispatchManager replaces the costly process of issuing drayage moves via email, fax, and phone by automating communications across the entire workflow—from issuing the dray move to sending Proof-of-Delivery (POD) and invoicing.

Ocean carriers can connect to any facility to track and manage transport events with EventManager. Companies exchange data easily with any intermodal facility to track any transport event using EDI. IAS validates data for message format, content, coding standards and customer defined rules which reduce data errors up to 90%. When an error occurs, the system automatically notifies trading partners, minimizing resources required to track and correct data-related problems.

To help ocean carriers manage their equipment imbalances, IAS offers a suite of services:

InterChange leverages IAS’ experienced brokers to create matches between equipment suppliers and receivers, providing customers in deficit locations with additional containers and helping those with surpluses to avoid costly repositioning. Clients use the web to track and manage current bookings, request unit redelivery details, and instantly access on-hire performance reports.

slotXchange enables ocean carriers and container lessors to manage their global equipment surpluses and deficits by matching empty containers needing to be moved with available slot space on vessels. Container owners retain control over their equipment and ensure that it is available for re-use as quickly as possible. Carriers with available slots can generate additional freight revenue of hundreds of dollars per TEU by filling empty vessel space.

InterBox enables ocean carriers to establish a virtual stack-train operation and market their inland empty equipment to Intermodal Marketing Companies (IMCs) and other users. Rather than repositioning empty containers to the port at a cost of hundreds of dollars per unit, ocean carriers give their equipment to IMCs for one-way moves of domestic cargo instead. IAS’ service enables ocean carriers to automate the entire process from managing equipment reservations and approvals to rail billing and invoicing.