 Export
Mgrs. Reveal Top
4 Documentation and
Compliance Programs
Shipping Solutions Rated
#1
ME’s latest survey of export software products
that readers are using contains valuable information for export managers
who are planning on automating aspects of their export operations. Among
our respondents, 27.9% report using stand-alone export software in their
operations (see graphic on front page). We also asked which software program
is currently being used (see below).
It might initially seem surprising that just one-third
of responding export pros are using such software, until one takes into
account the answer to our third survey question: Are you using the Internet?
To this question, fully 78.4% of respondents answered in the affirmative.
Since the greatest recent proliferation of export software products has
been Web-based, it’s clear that the great majority of our respondents
are taking advantage of either stand-alone or Internet-based technology
to automate their export functions—lowering costs and gaining efficiencies.
Four Top Providers in ME Survey
When asked which program they are now using,
30% of survey respondents cited InterMart’s Shipping Solutions software
(1-888-890-SHIP; www.shipsolutions.com), making this the runaway favorite
among ME readers responding to the survey. These results also give
some added heft to Shipping Solutions’ claim to being “America’s
Number One Export Documentation Software.” In second place—at
10% of respondents—was Vastera (www.vastera.com), which markets
modules that automate everything from documentation and compliance to
logistics and collections.
At 7% of respondents, and in third place, is Exits Inc.’s
Global Wizard for Export Documentation (www.exitsinc.com; 203-396-0022).
In fourth place, cited by 3% of respondents, is Export Prowriter 5.0 software
from Export Forms Co. (www.exportforms.com; 800-251-4083). Smaller numbers
of respondents are using a range of other products.
Four Solutions: Low-Cost to
High-End
Since the four most popular products in ME’s survey cover a wide
range of export automation products—from the very economical to
the very high-end—we describe their features in some detail below.
The features offered by these four give export pros a good idea of what
is available within various price ranges.
1) Shipping Solutions (a division
of InterMart: e-mail: info@shipsolutions.com) offers two basic export
documentation products. Shipping Solutions Classic is designed
for smaller or new-to-export firms and costs only $499 ($1,299 for the
network version). The software runs on a desktop computer using Microsoft
Windows. Shipping Solutions Professional is aimed at midsize and more
frequent exporters and is an AES-certified filer. The software includes
an Integration Utility that allows you to link Shipping Solutions with
your company’s accounting, order-entry, or ERP system. The standard
version costs $1,499 and runs on a 200 MHz or higher Pentium. If your
firm utilizes more than one person to complete export documents, the network
version allows you to install the program on up to four workstations for
$3,999 (additional licenses are available at $500 per workstation). The
Shipping Solutions’ Web site allows easy comparison between the
two products, and export pros can download demo versions to try them out.
2) Vastera’s products are on the high end in terms
of cost, at $65,000 to $130,000, but for that kind of investment you get
full global trade management of export operations, from order to fulfillment.
Vastera’s TradeSphere Solutions is a scalable, Web-native, integrated
solution. TradeSphere Exporter, one of its modules, automates and integrates
all features of export management, including export requirements and controls,
trade regulations, shipping documentation, language barriers, preferential
trade programs, and statistical reporting. The Web site features an elaborate
online demo, and Vastera also offers a wide range of other trade products,
from consulting to training to global trade content. Exporters can choose
to license Vastera technology from the provider, access it in a hosted
environment, or allow Vastera to manage the complete process.
3) Exits Inc.’s Global Wizard for Export Documentation,
now out in Version 8.1, lets export pros prepare 30 standard export documents,
e-mail documents, consolidate invoices, file SEDs electronically (the
provider is a licensed AES filer), invoice in foreign currency, duplicate
previous transactions, generate reports by country, place your product
corporate logo on documents, and access a Help Desk. The single-user cost
is just $700. For up to 12 users, the LAN version’s cost is $2,200.
A free demo can be downloaded from the site.
4) Export Forms Co.’s Export Prowriter 5.0 Software
automates export documentation, using only the forms supplied by the provider.
The software allows export pros to copy a previously completed form and
make the necessary changes when preparing shipments, saves completed forms
for later review, calculates extensions and invoice totals, and has a
field-specific Help Program. The database allows you to save pertinent
customer and product information and transfer your keyed data from one
form to another. For a free, no-obligation demo disk of version 5.0, e-mail
export@edge.net or call 800-251-4083 for details on their very reasonable
pricing.
Questions to Ask
When shopping for a product, export pros should ask the following questions.
Is the software user-friendly? Can you get online help? Does the product
audit and identify discrepancies in transactions? Does it have the capacity
to send to Customs? What are the software’s compliance features?
Is the product compatible with your company’s existing computer
systems?
Reprinted from IOMA’s Report on Managing
Exports
Copyright IOMA INC With Permission of the Publisher
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