Cargotrader.com Features

The Only Subscription-based Cargo Data Exchange System with Full Relational Database Capabilities

The Only Data Exchange System designed to work with bulk cargoes by volume, weight or count

The Only Data Exchange System that requires no installation or IT support

The Cargotrader.com system is designed to facilitate the exchange of data between companies in the bulk cargo logistics industry. Often vendors and suppliers need to coordinate activities with third parties as well as their customers. Disparate systems are used to exchange data, involving ubiquitous faxes and phone calls. Incompatible computers systems cannot communicate vital information back and forth, requiring multiple data entry tasks and increasing the likelihood of delay and error. By having a centralized system to facilitate data exchange, the Cargotrader.com program can alleviate the duplication, delays and errors that currently plague the work of buyers, sellers and third parties in the industry.

Currently, the system is designed to overcome the manual work limitations of the bulk cargo inspection business for data entry and retrieval, releasing vendors from the task of acting as publishing houses in addition to their duties as data collectors and analyzers. By centralizing cargo-surveying data in a database, the data retrieval can easily be done by buyers and sellers. The system can also be programmed to send and receive data to and from existing database systems.

Who Should Use this System:

1) Logistics Schedulers

If you are involved in the scheduling of bulk cargoes then this system can help you keep track of inventories in real time, reduce movement vendor nomination headaches and track the progress of movements. Multiple report styles can reduce data number crunching. Demurrage costs can be reduced through better job scheduling and timeliness through our dispatching features.

2) Sales

If you are involved in sales, then knowing your current inventory is the key to satisfying customer demands. Having access to your real time inventory data worldwide 24/7 will save you lots of phone calls. The ability to print out custom reports on demand will please your clients.

3) Movement Vendors

Receive job nominations and updates quickly via e-mail and directly through your user account. No need to re-enter data from a job nomination. Confirmations can be done online. All parties to a job can review the data at the same time. Calibration, weight and VCF charts can be stored to make calculating weights and volumes a snap. Allow customers to create their own reports through direct access to the system. Keep track of sample storage and condition. Maintain customer specifications for sample test results. Organize your workforce scheduling better with our dispatching features.

4) Storage

Keep track of your real time inventories. Allow sales people to review inventories from all over the world. Promote your storage capabilities to increase your customer base. Store calibration charts to allow gaugers to enter only direct gauges. Save time and reduce errors by letting the computer perform tedious routine calculations.

5) Credit

Confirmation of quantities will be posted online, allowing the release of letters of credit and reducing supply default risk.

6) Management

Keep track of inventory and quality certificates real time. Compile custom reports for monthly, quarterly or yearly summaries on branch locations.

7) Laboratories

Keep track of samples, customer specifications for specific tests, test procedures and test results. Match test results with particular job lots, production runs or tank inventories. Perform QA/QC. Store COA's online. Confirm test results online. Allow customers to compile customized reports online. Receive job nominations and updates automatically.

Current Features of the System:

1) Cargo Transfer Job Nominations/Job Postings/Job Updates

Parties in the system can nominate jobs in great detail. The nominator can specify the parties to a job, a party’s job description, and the job location, date/time and transfer or inventory quantity. The facilities involved can be indicated, down to specific tank numbers. The products can be reported and assigned to tanks; samples can be requested by tank and product and lab procedures can be indicated for each sample requested. Party data, tank data, product data and procedure data can each be assigned to named groups for easier retrieval in the future. Jobs can be copied and job templates created for repeat work. Once the data has been entered, there is no need for other parties to enter the same data again, but updates can be posted to reflect changing job conditions. Once a party has been assigned to a job, it will be notified through the system and also by e-mail that the job has been posted. They will also be alerted to any updates.

2) Messages and Documents

Messages may be sent by one party to any of the other parties to a job. These messages then become part of the job record. This is not an email system, however, as the messages are not sent to individuals, and are categorized by job and facility. Files can be uploaded to the system for downloading by job parties.

3) Time Logs

Time Logs can be recorded indicating the activities of the parties involved in a job. These become part of the permanent record.

4) Gauges and Quantity Figures

Gauges and Quantities can be entered as part of inventory management. These form the basis for most of the reports that the system will generate. The system of units and number of significant digits are not fixed, but readily adjustable. Volume correction factors can be applied to standardize the quantities based on temperature. Tank calibration tables can be stored in the system to further enhance the ease by which data are entered by surveyors, help to eliminate errors and speed up calculations. Shell correction factors can also be applied and 5B roof corrections done for liquid storage (along with 6A/6B).

5) Laboratory Test Results

Results from procedures run on samples can be entered into the system, as can the procedures themselves. Customized specs and procedures can be entered to ensure that the laboratory follows the customer’s guidelines. Test specs can be organized by product grades. Mins/Maxs/Defaults/Formats can be entered for each test. Intermediate procedures can be used to calculate final results. The results are accessible through various means in the system, including COA's.

6) Dispatching

Keep track of your workforce through our easy to use dispatching system. Workers can be assigned to a variety of jobs and locations and calendars allow you to monitor all assignments at one time.

7) Generic and Customized Reports

Generic quantity and/or quality reports can be generated in the system from the raw data entered into the database. The system automates to a large extent the calculations involved in arriving at net figures for quantities and quantity transfers. Custom report styles can be saved for later retrieval and saved reports can be forwarded to others users in the system or even e-mailed to people outside the system.

8) Tank Database

Key to being able to calculate gauged quantities is the tank database. Standard industry calibration or 'strapping' charts can be entered and saved for later use by the report generator. Tanks of many kinds can be stored in the system, as well as client/destination receipt information.

9) Product Database

Product information is available, including simple safety data, common physical parameters and facility specific density/VCF/API charts. Having such charts available allows for quantity reporting to be exactly as the customer requests. Store information on different grades of the same product and use our alias feature to vary the spelling of a product name in reports.

10) Company Contact Data

All facilities in the system can enter unlimited contact data for purposes of conducting business. Contact data is considered public and available to all users.

11) User Account Management

All users in the system have accounts manageable by an administrative user from their own company. User accounts can be updated quickly and easily by the account administrator to reflect current job requirements.

12) World Wide Access 24/7

This system is accessible to anyone with a reasonably fast Internet connection, IE 5.1+ or compatible browser and an active user account. The system operates worldwide, 24/7, but text is available only in English.

13) Data Integrity

Certain critical data entered by a user can be locked to prevent further updates. This ensures that reports compiled with such data will maintain integrity over time. The data is also secured by various database security features and stored behind a firewall to prevent hacking. Backups are performed to reduce the risks of computer malfunction. No customer data needs to be stored locally, so it will not involve the general IT budget of a facility and the data will be available anywhere with an Internet connection.

Advanced Features:

1) Database Coordination

The system can be configured to communicate to and from existing database systems as long as certain system feature requirements are met. The system can act as a gateway between systems as well, but each case must be evaluated individually before any outcomes can be determined.

2) Novel Features

Novel features can be added on a case-by-case basis at the request of users. These can be implemented but must be evaluated beforehand to ensure that the requested feature is compatible with the rest of the system.

3) Data Storage

The Cargotrader.com system can store data for a requested period at the special request of users. We can extend the normal lifespan of old data for additional charge or retrieve compressed data from long-term storage. As the system matures the format of data storage may change to reflect the latest in computer software technology. These updates will occur automatically.

4) Data Downloading

With sufficient planning, certain types of Cargotrader.com system data can be downloaded into other database systems.

To learn more about this system or other services we provide, please contact Cargotrader, Inc.