Booking Module

 

 

How to Enter, Edit and Manage Bookings:

 

 

1. Overview:

 

Export and import agents and consignees use the booking module to enter and confirm information about their shipments. The booking module allows the export and import forwarders to enter the shipment information, enter the parties to the transaction, and enter the vessel information.  It allows the import agent to edit and confirm the information, and it allows the customer to agree to this information.  The assigned role determines the privileges a specific user has in the booking process.  After the booking process is complete, bookings can be converted into shipments, eliminating the need to re-key information.  Information contained in the booking, including any assigned POs, is carried over to the new shipment.

 

Below is the typical process for when an export forwarder (EF) begins the booking process.  An import forwarder (IF) can override the process at any step along the way by manually changing the status.

 

1) Login as EF – create new booking (status new).  Click button Send for Review (sends to IF for action).  The status changes to Review.

 

2) Login as IF – enter booking.  You have 3 options: Send to Export Agent, Return to Export FF or Send to Consignee.

 

Send to Export Agent – confirms that everything in the booking is acceptable (either as they entered or with changes you made) and the booking is ready to convert to a shipment.  The status changes to confirmed.  Go to Step 4.

 

Return to Export FF – lets the EF know that changes need to be made to the booking before you will confirm.  In the notes field you may add remarks about the changes.  Status changes to Returned.  Return to Step 1.

 

Send to Consignee – Allows consignee to view the booking and confirm acceptance to EF.  The status changes to Pending.  Go to Step 3.

 

3) Login as Consignee – enter booking.  Consignee may not make changes to the booking but they may add notes.  Click button Send to Export Agent.  The status changes to Confirmed.  Go to step 4.

 

4) Login as EF – enter booking.  You have 2 options:  Send for Review or Complete Booking

 

Send for Review – you received the booking, approved, from the IF but made additional changes, therefore you need to send it back to the IF.  The status changes to review.  Return to Step 2.

 

Complete Booking – Once a booking is confirmed you can set the status to complete in order for it to be ready to convert to a shipment.  Click complete booking, the status changes to complete.  Go to Step 5

 

5) Login as IF or EF to convert a booking to a shipment – Click into a booking in complete status.  Click New/Edit shipment.  The booking parties and information are brought over into the new shipment.  The booking will remain on the booking list and the shipment is in the shipment module.

 

2. Roles in the Booking Process:

 

The booking process is initiated by the freight forwarder’s customer, who has a need to ship goods from one point to another.  The freight forwarder is issued instructions by the customer to pick up goods for shipment.  The freight forwarder complies and enters the booking information into the Tracking Pro (TPro) Application.  The freight forwarder can be either an export forwarder or an import forwarder.  An export forwarder is responsible for making the booking and sending the information to those responsible for arranging for the clearance of the goods at destination.   An import forwarder must send the booking information to his or her export forwarder in the country of origin.  In either case Tracking Pro handles the transaction.  The export forwarder and the import forwarder have the ability to enter information into the transaction and edit any of the information that is contained in the transaction. The consignee has the ability to view the information and confirm to export forwarder and only add notes. 

 

3.  How to Create a Booking:

 

To create a booking one must logon to the application as an export forwarder or an import forwarder.

 

a.  To Logon and Enter the Bookings:

Step 1. Logon to the application with the User Name and Password.

Step 2. Click on the Booking button on the right side of the screen.

 

 

Step 3.  Click on New Booking button.

 

 

Step 4. Click on the New Booking button to add a new booking.  For repeat shipments, it is best to make a template of the shipment so that it can be used again for future bookings.  This will be discussed further under the Templates section.  Otherwise, click on the New Booking button. 

 

 

 

b.  To Enter the Parties to the Booking (Shipment):

 

Step 1. New companies must first be added into the application (through the Administration module) before they can be assigned to a given transaction. The administrator manages this effort.  When completing a booking, enter the parties by clicking on the Search button and then clicking on the hyperlink for the desired party name.  The completed name and address information, as entered in administration, will be visible.  Information saved may be added or edited but only for this specific booking.  Click on the Save button to save the information and to move on to the next field. 

 

Note:  The Save button must be clicked after each entry and before the Next button, or information entered will be lost.

 

 

Step 2. Once all parties have been entered and saved, click on the Next button on the bottom left of the screen.

Step 3.  This is the Booking Information screen, where vessel information and dates can be entered. 

Step 4. Click Save at the bottom of the screen to save the information.  

 

Note:  POs, Notes, Dock Receipts, Charges, Hazardous Notes, and Pickup Details may be entered into the booking at any time by clicking on the appropriate button on the Booking Summary screen.  Once the additional information has been entered, click Save on the individual screen, and the additional information will be saved against the booking.

 

 

 

 

4.  How to Use Templates:

 

Templates can be utilized to create and save bookings for shipments that will be repeated. 

 

To create a template

Step 1. Click on the Booking button from the main menu. 

Step 2. Click on New Booking.

Step 3. Click on New Template to get to the Parties screen.  While entering the Parties, click Save after each.  Click Next.

Step 4.  Enter the information the same way as for a booking.  Note that a Template Name must be entered on the first line so that the template can be looked up for future shipments.  Click Save to save the information.

 

Enter Template Name Here
 

 

To use a Template

Step 1. Click on the Booking icon from the main menu. 

Step 2. Click New Booking.  All the templates available for use will be visible.  Click on the Template Name Hyperlink to select the desired one.

 

 

BOOKING TEMPLATE LIST

 

Edit

Delete

Template Name

Place Of Receipt

Place Of Delivery

Final Destination

[Edit]

[Delete]

KINGDOM1 

NEW YORK, NY 

LONDON 

LONDON 

 

Step 3.  The parties screen is now the active screen. Here, party information can be edited if necessary.  If not, click Next to go to the booking information screen.  Enter information here, and click Save to save the information.  When you click Save, a new booking is created.

 

Note: The original template remains, in the original format, on the booking template list.

 

5.  How to Edit a Booking:

 

To edit a booking, logon to the system as IF or EF and enter the main menu.   Follow these steps to access and edit the desired booking. 

 

To edit a Booking:

Step 1.  From the main menu click on the Booking button on the right hand side.

Step 2.  A listing of bookings will appear on screen.  To select a booking, click on the Booking Number hyperlink of the one to be edited. 

Step 3.  From this screen (the Booking Information screen) any of the Parties to the transaction can be edited by clicking on the Edit button next to the party to be changed.  When finished editing the Parties, click on the Next button to return to the booking information screen. 

Step 4.  Click on Save at the top of the screen to save the information and return to the Booking Summary screen after all the desired changes have been made. 

 

Click on the Edit button to edit any of the information contained within the booking. 

 

 

6.  How to Send a Booking for Confirmation:

 

Using the Tracking Pro application, the export freight forwarder has the ability to send the booking to the import freight forwarder for confirmation that the booking meets his or her requirements.  The booking list also shows in color when shipments have been modified:  green within the last 24 hours, yellow within 24-48 hours, and red over 48 hours old, as seen in the diagram below.  The definitions that apply to each booking status title (as shown on the booking screen) are cited below.

 

New:   The import or export forwarder started the booking and has not yet finished.

 

Review:  The export forwarder has entered a new booking and has sent it to the import freight forwarder for review.

 

Returned:  The import forwarder returned the booking to the export forwarder for additional processing or changes.

 

Complete:   The booking has been completed, but has not yet been turned into a shipment by the export forwarder.

 

Sent to Consignee:  The import forwarder has sent the booking to the customer for review.

 

Sent to Export Forwarder:  The import forwarder has confirmed the booking; the export forwarder can now complete the booking.

 

Pending: Sent to the customer for review.

 

Done: Turned into a shipment and all available booking POs have been attached.

 

 

To send a booking for confirmation:

Step 1.  Login as an export forwarder.  Enter the booking information as above.  Once completed, click Save.

Step 2.  On the Booking Summary screen, click on the Send for Review button.  This will change the status of the booking from New to Review.

 

 

Step 3.  The import forwarder will either Confirm the booking if all is acceptable, or Return the booking to the export forwarder if changes need to be made.  These changes will usually be listed in the Notes field.  To confirm the booking, the import forwarder selects the booking from the booking list, and clicks on the Confirmed button.  If the booking is confirmed, the export forwarder can move forward with changing the booking into a shipment.  If the booking is returned, information can be edited as above, and then resubmitted to the import forwarder.

 

Step 4. Once confirmed by the IF, the booking can be completed.  Click on the Complete Booking button.  Setting a booking status as complete means it is ready to be turned into a shipment.  See section:  How to Change a Booking Into a Shipment.

 

7.  How to Attach a Purchase Order to a Booking:

 

To attach existing Purchase Orders to a Booking:

 

(Note:  These instructions are the same as the instructions in the purchase order section.)

 

Step 1.  Click on the Booking icon.

Step 2.  Click on the Booking # hyperlink for the desired booking.  Click the POs button.

Step 3.  Click Add Existing PO button.  The Unassigned POs for the consignee listed on the booking are displayed.  The whole PO or part of the PO may be assigned.

Step 4.  Assign a PO.  Whole PO – Click the tick box under the Whole column and then click the button Assign Checked.  To assign all of the POs listed, click the Assign All button.  Partial PO - Click the Partial hyperlink.  Enter the number of pieces to be assigned.  Click Save.

Step 5.  Assign Detail Lines - After selecting the number of pieces from the partial PO, the detail lines must be selected.  The same procedure is followed as with the PO header.

To assign the Whole Detail Line, click the Whole tick box and click Select Checked.  If all of the detail lines will be assigned, click the Select All button.

                        To assign a Partial Detail Line, click the Partial hyperlink.

Step 6.  Enter the Number of Pieces to be assigned, and click Save.  Repeat the process for each detail line.  To return to a Summary of POs, click Back from the detail lines.  From this screen, click Back.  The PO has now been attached to the booking and will no longer remain on the unassigned list (unless the PO tick box was checked when the PO was created).

 

8.  How to Search for a Booking:

 

Bookings can be looked up in the same way that a purchase order is looked up.

 

Step 1. From the main menu click on the Bookings button.

Step 2. Current bookings can be viewed by selecting a  booking from  the pages on the screen or

Step 3. Bookings can be searched by clicking on the Booking Search button. 

Step 4. Enter the search information to look up the booking.

Step 5.  In Column 1: Highlight the criteria to be searched by (i.e. PO Number, SKU Number, etc).

Step 6.  In Column 2: Search by “Get All Data”, “Exact Value”, “Starting With”, or “Containing”.  Select the appropriate tick box.

Step 7.  In column 3, enter the specific value into the Enter the Value field, select Transport Mode from dropdown and select Booking Status from dropdown.

Step 8.  Click on Search.

 

 

9.  How to Change a Booking Into a Shipment:

 

Upon completion of a booking, the export forwarder will want to turn the booking into a shipment.  This will allow house bills to be added to the shipment.  Information, including POs and parties, added to the booking will be carried over to the shipment.

 

To make a booking a shipment:

Step 1. Enter the application and click on the Booking icon at the main menu.

Step 2. Select the booking to be turned into a shipment by clicking on the Booking Number hyperlink. 

 

Note:  The shipment must be in complete status. 

 

 

Step 4.  Click the New/Edit Shipment button.

 

 

Step 5.  The user will now be viewing the parties screen, which will have the parties from the booking filled in on the new shipment. These can be edited if desired.  Otherwise, click Next to get to the shipment information screen.

Step 6.  At the Shipment Information Screen, add in the master bill of lading number, the file number, and any of the shipment information that may not have been entered at the booking level.  Click Save when finished.

Step 7.  The user will now be viewing the Shipment Summary Screen.  From this screen, house bill of lading information can be added. See Modules 3 and 5 for more detail.

Step 8. Add a HBL number.  POs are attached at the house bill level.

Step 9. Click on the PO hyperlink.

Step 10.  Click on the Booking PO button.  POs attached to the booking are available for attachment to the new shipment.