Perks of Obtaining e-Delivery Order during COVID-19 Outbreak

Disruption in logistics and supply chain is the first indicator of any upcoming crisis, according to industry experts. We could see the same unfold. As Corona began spreading in several countries, maritime trade took a backseat followed by air cargo. Now, we could see both hampered to a lot extent. Several stakeholders in the maritime trade especially lack manpower and due to the same, business continuity has become highly impossible.

Yet, business continuity is a not a distant dream and can still be achieved. Delivery Order is quite an essential document in the maritime trade. Yet, obtaining one followed by handing over the physical copy from one stakeholder to the other consumes a lot of time. Therefore, digitizing the dissemination of Delivery Order is the most essential service at this time. Also, given the current crisis time, facilitating e-delivery order will be of utmost value addition for all stakeholders. Below are some of the perks of having e-Delivery Order in the system.

Paperless Trade

Several regulatory bodies are now emphasizing on the need for switching to paperless trade. Their emphasis is based upon the request made by several stakeholders who are burdened by multiple physical documentation work involved in the entire maritime process. Bodies such as International Maritime Organisation (IMO) is widely encouraging shipping lines, freight forwarders and other stakeholders to switch their focus towards digitization. While some of them are utilizing standalone logistics management software, some have widely implemented port community system (PCS). The latter seamlessly integrates with all systems, fast-tracks operations and facilitates data interchange among stakeholders. Moreover, paperless trade cuts a significant amount spent on documentation and saves time to a large extent for all stakeholders. Therefore, an e-Delivery Order is quite essential to ensure paperless trade and hassle free operations for all stakeholders.

Lower Time Consumption

In order to obtain delivery order, a freight forwarder has to stand in a long queue and fetch the physical copy from the stakeholder. In this process, the dwell time is high and if the documents submitted are incorrect, the whole process goes for yet another iteration. This means, just to obtain one document, at least an hour gets wasted. Whereas with digitization, the time reduces from hours to minutes. In less than few minutes, the whole process takes place seamlessly. Such measures will increase the operational efficiency of maritime trade.

High Data Transparency & Accuracy

For long, lack of data transparency and inaccuracy is burdening the maritime stakeholders. For example, freight forwarder might submit a document to the authorities after a long dwell time. But the authority might find something missing in the document and asks the forwarding agent to come back with correct information. In the meantime, think of the same process in the digital landscape. A forwarder submits all documents online and makes payment online. Then, he/she receives the e-delivery order online which is also shared with other stakeholders in the system. This way, accuracy and transparency is not compromised. At the same time, swift freight movement is guaranteed.

If digitization had been the new norm in maritime operations, the upcoming significant losses can be voided seamlessly. Yet, it is not too late to begin inculcating digitization. Stakeholders must act according to the current scenario and ensure they go ahead with business continuity. In the meantime, know the perks of obtaining an e-airway bill during COVID-19 times.