EXEL JOINS INTTRA PORTAL

EXEL JOINS INTTRA PORTAL    Exel, the U.K.-based forwarding group, is joining the container shipping portal INTTRA.
   The forwarder intends to globally implement INTTRA services, along with developments in its own systems.
   Exel will process bookings via INTTRA-ACT, a portal that standardizes and supports ocean transport services for shippers who book with one or more carriers. Booking confirmations and status messages will then be consolidated by INTTRA and fed back to Exel via electronic data interchange through INTTRA-LINK, a tool that connects the systems of shippers, forwarders, and consignees to the network of INTTRA carriers.
   Exel controls the movement of nearly 440,000 ocean container shipments worldwide annually.
   “In the transaction-based part of our business, there is constant pressure to become more efficient, and INTTRA gives us that opportunity,” said Alan Boylan, vice president of global sea freight at Exel.
   Exel expects that its link with INTTRA will enhance its transactional process flow, provide more accurate information and lower costs. Exel’s e-commerce strategy is to communicate electronically with customers, suppliers, and third parties such as customs and regulatory bodies, whenever possible.
   The company will use INTTRA to automate booking and track-and-trace operations, and to handle more shipments without increasing its staff.
   “We believe that over time all bookings for all modes of transport will be made electronically,” Boylan said. “Traditional booking procedures are very labor intensive when relying on phone, fax, and email.”