ShipServ TradeNet hot in the Americas
North America is posting one of its hottest summers on record. But record breaking heat waves have not slowed the ShipServ Americas operation which over the past months has signed close to 200 new ships to ShipServ TradeNet, the world's largest e-marketplace for ship supplies trading.
Leading the prestigious roster of new clients is Teekay Shipping Ltd, of Vancouver, Canada, which has committed its global fleet of over 120 tankers. Other recent additions include offshore specialist Helix Energy Services, LMS Shipmanagement, Liberty Maritime, and Buenos Aires-based EstreMar.
Further announcements are imminent as ShipServ's rate of adoption keeps accelerating. Notes Peder Arstorp, Director of Sales for ShipServ Americas: "We have clearly reached a point where the operational savings speak for themselves. The market is taking note of our clients' successes with ShipServ TradeNet, and the word is getting around. The shipping industry operates on such tight margins that e-commerce is fast becoming a routine decision. With benefits such as 25% productivity increase as more vessels can be handled by each purchaser, 10-20% savings on spot purchasing, and shortened cycle times throughout the supply chain, no one can afford to ignore such bottom line impact."
Teekay's Norwegian operations have used ShipServ TradeNet since 2001. With this new agreement, all e-procurement activity from Teekay's operations in Sydney, Singapore, Houston, Madrid, Glasgow and Grimstad will be routed through ShipServ TradeNet.
The benefits of having a single e-commerce solution will allow us to standardize our process internally, therefore providing our suppliers with a common platform to transact orders on a global basis," said Rob Sarro, Teekay's Director of Procurement Services.
With the sign up of Houston-based, Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc., yet another segment of the maritime industry have adopted the benefits of ShipServ TradeNet. Helix is a leading marine contractor and operator of offshore oil and gas properties and production facilities. The company has a very diverse contracting fleet of 30 vessels.
"LMS Shipmanagement has been using ShipServ TradeNet for two months and the efficiency increase is equivalent to removing the work load of one full time purchaser. It is now company policy for all new spare parts vendors to quote via ShipServ or else we will not use them," explains Ed A. Seoane, Director of Procurement, LMS Shipmanagement.
The summer also brought along ShipServ's first shipping company client in Argentina when Buenos Aires-based EstreMar signed up its fleet of four big fishing trawlers. The company is part of Aker Seafoods group, a company that was formed a year ago by Aker Group.
"ShipServ TradeNet as an e-marketplace has broken down market barriers this year as members now represent almost all ship types. Ship supplies for container vessels, tankers, reefer vessels, car carriers, ro-ro's, bulk carriers, cruise ships, dredging vessels, offshore supply vessels, tugs, and fishing trawlers are now traded on one single platform. This diversity of virtually all ship types means that all leading suppliers including sector specific suppliers are represented on TradeNet, guaranteeing that as further shipping companies join they are likely to find their major suppliers already enabled to trade electronically. This network effect means that suppliers are also gaining increased benefits from e-commerce. The virtuous circle whereby both sides benefit is happening," says Freddy Ingemann, Vice President of Sales, ShipServ.