A fully-integrated e-commerce platform has gone live at Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA).
The new Order to Cash system replaces TNPA’s nine year old PortsOnline customer system for online submission of cargo documentation.
Mohammed Abdool, chief financial officer at TNPA and executive sponsor of the project, says: “Order to Cash is another Smart People’s Ports initiative that seeks to modernise how TNPA operates by creating a single view of our port system and making transacting more effective and efficient.
“Through the use of technology, the Smart People’s Ports Program will intelligently collect realtime information in order to allow integrated planning, integrated monitoring of our processes and reporting throughout the value chain.”
The new e-commerce platform affords TNPA customers 24-hour access to the ports and empowers them to use a self-service facility with limited administration dependency on TNPA.
Abdool says Order to Cash caters for the changing needs of TNPA ports and customers, improving customer experience and visibility across various interactions with the port authority.
TNPA has been on a drive to ensure that all customers are registered and can transact on the new platform. Rigorous testing has taken place to ensure the system is secure and can handle high traffic volumes. They have also received demonstrations and training.
Customers are able to interact with TNPA across various channels including TNPA’s call centre and online. The platform also offers self-service functionality where clients can log in, maintain their own profiles, place sales orders, view current credit limits and view and download invoices and statements.
Under the R300-plus billion Transnet Market Demand Strategy, TNPA is investing in various resources and technology solutions to improve the operational performance of its ports.