Start-up Guide for Cargo Office

About Cargo Office

• Cargo Office is a huge toolbox full of applications and functionality for companies working in the transport industry.
• You can use Cargo Office as a stand alone TMS, though many companies use Cargo Office as an extend to their current functionality.
• Cargo Office is also very usefull as Community Software.

Guidelines to use this start-up guide

• This is a start-up guide with short descriptions of some of the most used features of Cargo Office.
• We do not know what is of interest for you, therefore the list is a bit long. We suggest not to spill valuable time about descriptions that are not clear, it's probably something you do not need.
• If you are looking for something you can not find in this guide, please use the Report System in your Cargo Office to sent Cargo Office Programmers a message.
• If you do not have a Cargo Office yet, then use the Join form or Contact form at the CargoOffice.com website.

Most used functionality:

User Management

With Cargo Office you are able to address and manage different kind of users: customers, subcontractors, staff, financial departement, management, etc.

• In the Front Office you are able to receive all users that are not part of your company.
  Access to Back Office should be restricted to your company only.
• How to add users.

Order Entry

You and your customers are able to add orders to Cargo Office by web interface and EDI-upload. As well as by batch.

• How to use the order entry web interface.
• How to use file-upload.
• Cargo Office supports these EDI-types by default: CSV, XML, XLS and TTM.
• Cargo Office supports many other imports from partners, but is willing to create new tailor made imports as well.
• Batch functionality.

Order Management and Order Export

What to do when your orders have arrived.

• How to sent entered orders to the right address, check parameter: orderOutputEmailAddress
• How to sent an output of orders in desired format, check parameter: orderOutputType
• Different transfer methods of order output.
• With Active Shipments you can manage your orders by: editing, adding new statuses, receiving quotes, printing documents, etc.
• How to sent order updates to Cargo Office.
• Show a different customer Active Shipments layout in your Front Office by using parameter: ttinfocustlistcolumns.
• Order information exchange with Community Software goes even faster, cheaper and is easy to implement.

Document Administration

With Active Shipments you automatically have access to many document types.

• Examples of template based default documents are: labels or stickers, CMR, Booking details / Con Notes, BoL, pick-up lists.
• If you need to adjust a template or have a new template made according your wishes, then contact Cargo Office Programmers by using your Report System.
• You are able to attach documents to your orders. Examples of attached documents are: signatures, POD's, CMR's, BOL's, pick-lists, etc.
  
  • Attached documents become visible in your booking form.
  • Cargo Office can sent documents to preferred (FTP or Email) addresses. Check these examples or sent Cargo Office Programmers a request to do this for you.
  • Document exchange with Community Software goes even faster, cheaper and is easy to implement.
  • Note: depending on your requests, attaching documents may involve extra programming costs.
• The document management system has control functions defining rights to groups of users for editing/visibility of added documents. If interested in this functionality contact Cargo Office Programmers by your Report System.
• All documents are stored at a Document Server in the Cloud.
  Note: there is an extra fee for using document storage.

Track & Trace

Every order inside Cargo Office has a unique Tracking Number.

• With Tracking Numbers your clients can be informed about the current status of a shipment or expected pick-up and delivery times.
• Tracking numbers are visible at the top right corners of the Booking Forms and are exported in every data set from Cargo Office.
• Tracking numbers can be used in your Front Office or inside a custom made Track Trace Info website.
• After the creation of an order Tracking Numbers can also be sent immediately to your customers by using Status Actions.
• Updates of your shipments can also be sent through Community Software, so connected companies can view these updates inside their own software systems in real time.

Communication

Cargo Office functionality is very flexible and can be easily adjusted to support other systems or users.

• Messages and order information can be sent by different methods: SMS/text messages, documents, e-mail, API, FTP, etc.
• For import/export of information to other devices like PDA's, smartphones and on-board computers dotcodes can be used.
• Custom made messages (SMS or Email) can easily be configured by using Status Actions.
• Schedular functions can be used to run specified programs or sent (defined) messages at an arranged time.
• Most Cargo Office functionality can be easliy embedded in your own environment or website, see this example.
• Extra communication functionality is also available inside the Community Software.

EDI

If your customers prefer to sent or receive orders in specific formats or files, Cargo Office offers extensive EDI options.

• CSV-, XML-, XLS- and TTM-files are imported easy.
• If you like to adjust the CSV-, XML-, XLS-files of your customers before importing it to Cargo Office you can use the EDIconfigurator.
• Formattable output files in CSV and XML are available. As well as many custom made parsers to TMS, WMS and FMS-partners.
• Cargo Office is connected with hundreds of custom made parsers. You can always ask us to build another one.
• By default the following data transport methods are available: Http, Email, API and FTP options.

Billing and Invoicing

Sent your financial data as soon as as you have received your POD.

• For every order entered in Cargo Office you are able to calculate distances.
• For every order in Cargo Office you are able to add cost- and charge amounts to calculate profit/loss-amounts per order.
• When you use specific algorithms for distances x costs, spreadsheet functionality could be very usefull and a cheap alternative.
• Financial order information can easily be outputed by different options to systems or users of your choice.
• Cargo Office can also forward files to your FMS, with help of one our parsers created for our partners or by creating a new parser.
• Template based invoices can be generated and created according your wishes.
• Price and cost calculating of multiple shipments by uploading spreadsheets. In these spreadsheets you are able to use your own calculation functions, for example: graduated rates inside postcode areas per customer.
  Note: there is an extra fee for using spreadsheet functionality.

Community Software

Better business often means working together on selected issues.

• By using My Groups you can create groups of users, e.g. to sent or receive Requests For Quotations.
• Cargo Office uses easy to implement copy functions for orders and documents to subcontractors or other connected companies.
• There are convenient features available to update your Cargo Office orders. It is the fastest way for receiving status information back from your partners or connected systems.
  
  • by using EDI Status Updates
  • by using Update Shipment.
  • by using Cargo Office ttmail ( #Address #note2).
  • by using Dot Codes in your mobile environment.
• For every received order status in Cargo Office you are able to sent a personalized and custom made messages, by using Status Actions.

Dispatch

Assign your transport orders to vehicles, drivers, subcontractors, equipment, etc.

• Drivers/subcontractors management.
• Trip management.
• Assigning orders/trips
• How to connect with your mobile phone.
• How to communicate by sending messages, documents, updates, dotcodes, actions, etc.
• How to connect your subcontractors.

Quotation

Make it easy to attract new business and start receiving RFQ's by using Quotation services.

• At your Front Office (new)customers are able to sent you Requests For Quotations.
• If interested, respond with a quote.
• Interested what you have quoted previously, then look it up in your historic quotation overview.
• When you combine RFQ- and orderentry functinality you can re-use the same digitalised information, so an approved quote becomes a transport order.
• Use My Groups and Community Software to share business options with selected companies or users.

Subcontractors

Start communicating more effectively with your subcontractors.

• For your subcontractors assigned orders or trips can be made visible at your Front Office.
• Subcontractors could also receive order information by mail or by smart phones.
• Subcontractors using Community Software have the advantage to receive orders and documents inside their own environment.
  • The monthly fees for use of Cargo Office are based on the inserted amount of shipments.
  • For most subcontractors it could be very cheap to start their own Cargo Office, and thus benefiting from all available Cargo Office options themselves.
  • Copy functions to a subcontractor Cargo Office.
  • How to start a new Cargo Office -> go to CargoOffice.com.
• Easy import and export of relevant order details can be done by using status actions.
• For connected applications it is easy to sent information back to Cargo Office by using status updates or updating facilities.

Freight Exchange

Not willing to transport empty space and searching for backloads?

• You are able to post offers and to view offers. As well as for freight as for equipment.
• Share your offers only within your own community, by using My Groups.
• By Community Software Cargo Office is connected with FreeCargo.com. You always have an option to sent or view offers in this open freight exchange of over 15.000 transport companies as well.

Warehousing

The Cargo Office warehousing module is used by many small and middle large companies. It's a simple tool that keeps track of your inventory.

• Product location registration and product groups.
• Inventory (history) reports.
• Daily in/out log to calculate warehouse costs.
• Picking lists and pick-entry forms.
• TMS export module for external transport planning and bookings & WMS export module for external (client) warehouse systems, through EDI.
• Cross docking option.
• Automated delivery notification through communication.

Do you want more?

• Extended Cargo Office information you can find at TWiki.CargoOffice.com or use the search option in the top right corner.
• For questions or requests, use the Bug Tracking System in your Back Office.
• If you do not have a Cargo Office yet, then use the Join form or Contact form at the CargoOffice.com website.