Getting Started Guide for Tracking Professional

 

 

 

1.  Overview:

 

TPro is an on-line internet application that has been developed for freight forwarding companies and transportation intermediaries to coordinate their workflow processes among the many parties involved in a typical international shipping transaction.  All parties to a transaction, including but not limited to the shipper, supplier, consignee and ultimate consignee, may be allowed to participate in one or many transactions between or among one or many organizations.   

 

TPro provides many options for the user.  The user may collaborate on booking procedures, issue bill of lading Instructions, post and manage purchase orders or complete the entire transaction for a shipment from order to delivery. 

 

2.  How do I start using Tracking Professional?:

 

SECTRA LLC., welcomes your inquiry and would like to spend approximately ½ hour with your on the Internet explaining the features, functions and pricing of tracking Professional.

Please contact Kevin Gavin at Kevin.Gavin@tracking.com or by

phone at 978-834-7803 to schedule your introductory session.

 

3.  Objectives:

After reviewing Tracking Professional and participating in an introductory training session, you will be able to:

 

• To understand how the TPro pieces fit together.
• To understand parties and their collaborative role in the application.
• To know how user, company and group concepts relate in TPro.
• To understand how purchase orders are managed.
• To understand how to initiate and complete bookings.
• To understand how to manage shipments.
• To understand how to provide the forwarder’s clients with access.
• To know where to go for additional help.

 

The following items will also be discussed in this during the introductory training session: 

 

• Upload and download automation to and from TPro.
• Source code and programming.
• Application troubleshooting.
• Advanced training for each module.
• Government compliance and or foreign or domestic clearance issues.

 

4.  TPro and the Transportation Process:

 

The typical international shipment has numerous data elements that are re-keyed at each step of the shipment process.  The duplication of effort creates a needless amount of time wasted on shipment processing in addition to the increased risk of error. The typical shipment involves the buyer issuing the purchase order to the seller, the seller arranging for the transport of the goods from point of origin to point of destination, and the import agent/customs broker clearing the goods through customs and arranging the delivery of the goods. The graphic below illustrates the complexity of this process. 

 

 

These processes are simplified through the use of TPro.  With TPro, the purchase order from the buyer can be entered into the application, either manually or by electronic data interface.  The purchase order can be viewed by all of the relevant parties who can then plan for upcoming cargo movements. Each party can also update, add and correct the purchase order information. Since this information is viewed and updated in a web-based, collaborative environment, faxes and phone calls are eliminated. 

 

Once the booking has been confirmed, it is turned into a shipment within the application and the shipping details are entered into the system.  Again, all parties involved in the transaction are immediately able to view the status of the shipment.  This gives the importer the opportunity to arrange for receipt of the proper documentation in time to clear the shipment quickly and provide delivery to the customer.

 

5.  TPro Modules and Their Relationships:

 

TPro is set up in five distinct modules:

1.      Administration

2.      Purchase Order

3.      Booking

4.      Shipment

5.      Tracking

 

Each module has its own function but is linked to the others.  The diagram below shows the relationships between the parties, with the modules shown in blue. 

 

The Administration Module (1) allows the corporate user (administrator) to set up all of the parties to the transactions and assign those parties their specific roles --such as import forwarder, shipper, etc.  Thus, administration covers all the users of the application, and establishes how they use the other modules.  The administration component gives rights to the parties in the process, who, in turn, affect the shipment specific modules: purchase order, booking, and shipment. 

 

Purchase Orders (2) are the first step in the shipment process.  POs provide the buyer and the seller with information about what is to be shipped.  This information allows the export or import forwarders to create Bookings (3) for the cargo.  The export and import forwarders work together to turn these bookings into Shipments (4), thus enabling the shippers and consignees to view information about their transactions.

 

Through the Tracking Module (5), the user can search for information on criteria associated with the purchase order, booking, and shipment modules.  All roles have tracking privileges as long as they are a party to the transaction or have created the transaction. 

 

This manual provides a detailed overview of the TPro application.  Once implemented, TPro will ultimately automate and simplify documentation workflow for all participants in the supply chain.