Cargo Management Portal

 

Project Objective

            Today the world is a truly global place, where we use petrol from Saudi Arabia, fruits from Philippines, cars from South Korea, mobile phones from China, clothes from Bangladesh, tools from Germany and more. In the midst of all this globalization, the management of all this cargo plays a key role in ensuring that the right product reaches the right customer. Shipping is a multi – billion dollar enterprise which is kept in check by government systems to manage foreign trade deficits and to prevent the entry of illegal contraband. This Cargo Management Portal aims to build a portal that will make the process simple for the consignor, the consignee and all the government officials in between.

The Cargo Management Portal can be used by different shippers, importers, exporters, suppliers, etc. The process begins with a client placing an order. The stocks on the client end can be tracked by the shipper and automatic orders can be placed by the system when stocks drop below a particular value. When a new consignment is created it is logged in the system and all the specific details such as value of goods, dimensions, quantity, category of goods, etc will be entered as well. Funds can be made available in an escrow account to make the payments of taxes, shipping costs, etc. When the order is dispatched the details about the vessel will be made available and the system will automatically update tracking information. Whenever the ship reaches a customs check the system will notify the officials of the goods on board and a tax receipt can be generated, following which the system will automatically disburse funds via online banking for the tax. The Cargo Management Portal system will keep track of all the declarations, tax receipts, movement papers and accounting information as the journey progresses.

When the shipment is nearing its destination, the system will notify the consignee to arrange transportation. The tax payments and port release formalities can be handled when the ship is still off shore so as to reduce the time period spent by the shipment at the port. Depending on the nature of the shipment officials may or may not require to personally inspect it. The system works on the assumption that the customs officials trust the integrity of the consignor as long as there is no cause for suspicion, surprise raids may be conducted to scare people from smuggling shipments in.

Cargo Management Portal Snapshot

Existing System

            The existing Cargo Management Portal system requires a lot of paperwork. In most cases shipping companies maintain offices in many countries so as to be able to conduct the shipping formalities locally. Consignors and consignees also require a local representative to ensure that all the documents are in order before and after shipping. The whole process is redundant in this age of computers and wastes a lot of time.

Proposed System

            The proposed Cargo Management Portal system will make the process faster. It will make it easy for all the stakeholders involved to share information and will make the system more accountable. Shipment orders can be placed smoothly and terms negotiated swiftly. Customs officials will be able to maintain searchable digitized records in lieu of the mountains of paperwork popular to this day.

Cargo Management Portal Modules

Admin: The admin will be able to make verified access IDs for each user. While the admin will not be able to see the details of each shipment they will be notified in the case of any disputes.

Government: The governments of different countries will have access to the system for customs purposes. They can access the details for shipments that access any of their port facilities. After successful shipment details of the consignment can be automatically uploaded to the government’s database.

Consignor: The consignor will create a new shipment and update all the details required. They will enter shipping details following which the system will setup tracking details. The consignor will also furnish the declarations and other documents required, which will be stored on the system servers.

Consignee: The consignee will place an order and put funds for shipping and tax purposes in escrow. During the shipping any payment will be done by the system and after delivery the shipping charge will be released to the shipper.

Software Requirements

• Windows XP
• PHP 5
• MS SQL Server 2005 Express
• CSS
• Apache Server

Hardware Requirements

• Hard Disk – 2 GB
• RAM – 1 GB
• Processor – Dual Core or Above
• Mouse
• Keyboard
• Monitor
• Printer

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