Maersk, Cargosphere join hands for digital rate distribution solution

Aug 24, 2018: Maersk in partnership with CargoSphere is introducing a solution for customers to receive digital, fully-automated distribution of its contract rates and amendments.

The solution, complementary to Maersk’s online quoting solutions, went live on August 20. It makes all short-term rates (FAK) available instantly for Maersk customers on the CargoSphere platform. Maersk is currently working with the first customers on the platform and expect to scale the solution to be widely available to its CargoSphere customers by the end of 2019.

Liezel du Toit, senior director, senior product owner, Maersk, said, “We are very excited that our collaboration with CargoSphere has allowed us to take this important step in making it easier for our customers to ship with us. They should be spending time on their business, not on updating our rates in their system”.

The solution will offer significant time and cost savings. Rate management and subsequent rate dissemination will, in many cases, improve to be handled within hours whereas it can take days in the current set up. Other benefits include improved data accuracy, online access to timely rates for better decision making, faster reconciliation of invoices and faster quoting to customers for freight forwarders and non-vessel owning common carriers (NVOCCs).

“This move marks another step in the Maersk digital transformation and helps us to offer advanced, industry-leading digital solutions that improve the customer experience,” said Carsten Frank Olsen, senior director and global head of eCommerce at Maersk.

The solution is available across all geographies in the Maersk, Seago Line, MCC, Safmarine and SeaLand brands. Maersk is looking into introducing similar solutions in other digital rate distribution platforms available in the market.