THE EDI ADVANTAGE
Electronic Data Interchange is just one more advantage offered to our customers that is a necessity in today's competitive market place. For some this term may be new, so I'll answer the question, "What is EDI." It is the abbreviation for Electronic Data Interchange and simply put, is the electronic transfer of information between two or more parties. In relationship to the transportation industry, it addresses the timely transfer of information including:1) Freight bills
2) Bills of Lading
3) Load tendering
4) Shipping Status
5) Claims
BP Logistics offers you the following:
• Electronic load tendering is an active part of our daily routine with several of our major customers. Data is transferred to our system via ASCII files and from this information we produce a bill of lading to be used for proof of delivery. The P.O.D. is produced on request .
• Electronic billing is another active part of our daily routine with several of our major customers. Files for transfer to your system are produced and transferred daily to speed the billing cycle. This process eliminates valuable time spent by your personnel entering data manually. Instead, this information is collected from our dispatch records, audited by our traffic department, ASCII files created and then transferred to your system.
• Electronic tracing and information accessing is available to our major customers upon request. We are able to supply information in several modes. The first method we have employed is done by supplying our customer with its own access code to our system. You are then able to retrieve the information you desire by date, reference numbers and shipper or consignee name.
• Third party mail box services are presently used as data transfer agents. We utilize Kleinschmidt presently but we will work with yours if you have one at this time. We also are working toward direct transfer of data with our customers.
Major benefits of EDI are:
• Reduction of clerical and administrative costs.
• Reduction of clerical errors.
• Improve service levels.
• Improve cash flow.
• Reduce inventories.
• Shorten sales cycles.
• Form partnerships for competitive advantage.
Summary
We at BP Logistics. are making every possible effort to incorporate a team concept into meeting transportation needs. Unlike years past, this team is made of three players who cooperate with each other. The shipper/consignee, the broker and the carrier through cooperative and individual effort, limit problems and time consuming redundant functions by becoming a tea (umm the page ended here, don't know what to add)
