ODeX helps the maritime industry swiftly ride the digital wave as it connects stakeholders to manage their workflow and collect payments
Maritime industry due to its complex nature has been a late entrant to digitalisation. The opportunities clearly lie in protecting the budget while increasing the efficiency, say industry captains. Digitalization helps to deliver better business results and to better control trading and operational risks in one place. Timing is, of course, another opportunity as shipping and trading companies need to be able to react much faster today than they did in the past.
Helping the industry ride the digital wave smoothly is ODeX – An Online Document Exchange Platform to connect stakeholders, manage workflows and collect payments.
ODeX makes sure that all its stakeholders are privy to a single source of information. With seamless tracking on its portal, stakeholders right from Custom house brokers, to importers, and everyone else in between can manage their consignment efficiently. Transparency is ensured with each consignment, so that everyone is on the same page, and everyone is updated. This is important as stakeholders need to know if their documents have been approved, and if it hasn’t, they get immediately notified on the portal automatically. This saves them a lot of time. Being a pioneer in helping the shipping industry with digitalisation, ODeX ensures to remove all bottlenecks in the process such that all stakeholders have a smooth experience during the shipping cycle.
Being among the first few platforms in India to connect all major stakeholders in ocean shipping, below is an account on how each stakeholder in the shipping cycle benefits at ODeX.
Exporter/Importer
Exporters use the integrated VGM solution from ODeX. The platform is directly integrated with their factory weighbridges and ERP solutions ensuring that there is one single source of electronic data. Since VGM is a global IMO mandated compliance – the integrated solution from ODeX ensures error free submission – and they can rest easy knowing that compliance has been taken care of. This is further integrated with the GateIn (Form 13, Form 6) – ensuring there is no manual intervention required.
Importers use ODeX for managing the complete import workflow from invoice release, payments to delivery order release and empty return. Importers can manage their entire process online – with transparency, reduced time in release of cargo and completely automated, end-to-end reconciliation of their transaction at any time. The whole eImports module of ODeX reduces cargo clearing costs and time by atleast 30 per cent.
Shipping lines
Shipping lines manage their complete import workflow from IGM filing to empty return – improving the turn around time, reducing all email and phone based communication – an improvement in overall efficiencies by at least 25 per cent. Exports – Shipping lines receive electronic VGM and Form 13 files. They are updated by the parties that are using their vessels for various shipments, and have reduced or even eliminated manual data entries.
No manual data entry – since data on Form 13 / Gate In, VGM, DO are directly integrated into their systems. CFS is able to track which shipping line has released Delivery Order for a particular customer and begin the process of CFS gate out based on this information. A single dashboard saves considerable time – since they can view data for all major shipping lines and customers on a single page.
ODeX helps Customs House Agents keep their promise of prompt and safe delivery of their exporters and importers goods. They will be able to upload their documentation easily for the relevant parties to acknowledge and allow for the consignment to pass through as quickly and as seamlessly as it can. As the freight forwarders take up the consignment on their name, they have the responsibility to update their various consignment holders with the e-HBLs. ODeX helps freight forwarders endorse their HBL’s online – reducing the queues at their counters and also improving TAT for their customers.
ODeX is connected with all leading banks to enable ePayments. This helps the industry – and also enables banks / NBFC’s to finance the stakeholders based on accurate transaction data. Since a lot of critical and sensitive data is uploaded and exchanged on ODeX, data security is bound to be a priority.
- Registration of company (CHAs) after KYC
- Access to ODeX is User name and password protected access.
- Data / Documents of one company (CHA / Line / CFS / etc.) cannot be viewed by any other company. i.e. Invoices / DOs / etc. issues to CHA 1 cannot be viewed by CHA 2
- Critical data are stored in encrypted format in the database
- Audit history like create user, create time, modify user, and modify time available on all transactions. Also, auditing of data change on critical fields/transactions.
- Email / SMS on registered email id for critical transactions like DO Release, Invoice Payment, etc.
Infrastructure security
- ODeX works on HTTPS with 256 bit algorithm – It means all communications between the browser and the ODeX are encrypted
- Regular VAPT (Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing) on ODeX server / application to detect any vulnerability or security threat
- Clustering / load balancing for high availability
- Disaster recovery setup with replication every 15 mins using dedicated links from primary server to DR server in another city
- Application / Server hosted in Tier 4 data center with eight zone security
- Two layer of firewall for the server with Anti Hacking, DoS defence, Malware and intrusion prevention, Ping of Death defence, etc. Server to Server integration security
- IP address white listing at both the ends shall avoid any unauthorised access
- Only secured transmission like https or SFTP • Support of cross referenced master data as applicable ISO Certification ODeX has completed following ISO certifications:
- ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management
- ISO 27001:2013 Information Security Management Systems
- ISO 20000-1:2011 Information Technology Service Management (ITSM) Security is a top priority at ODeX. It has controlled viewing of various documents that are based only on user and organization profile. While offering seamless integration with shipping lines, regular data sanctity and vulnerability audits are conducted to ensure data security. Even when it comes to documentation printing, a controlled environment helps avoid duplicity. Today ODeX is an online community – where carriers, yards, port terminals, custom brokers, forwarders, shippers, consignees and even banks come together to get things done. A community of over 15,000 businesses and 22,000 users in India alone and growing fast.
