Accenture Enhances Ocean Cargo Pricing Software to Help Carriers Better Serve Customers at Reduced Costs

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) released a new version of its Ocean Cargo Pricing software, part of the Accenture Freight and Logistics Software portfolio, that can help ocean carriers reduce costs and revenue leakage, while improving customer service.

Accenture Ocean Cargo Price version 6.8 is an intuitive, easy-to-use product that provides advanced pricing functionality to help boost profitability based on real-time insights. The solution allows carriers to more efficiently apply and maintain rates and charges. Sales professionals can create quotes and contracts for a single quote line request as well as for a large tender request. The new capability to generate market rates employing base rates and add-ons such as location, commodity, or container type helps carriers respond to customer requests faster and with more relevant and competitive rates.

Ocean Cargo Price 6.8 helps carriers become more agile and responsive through advanced and flexible rate construction:

• New rate management functionality provides easier maintenance, application and negotiation of inland rates using a hub and spoke model. Improved surcharge definitions allow carriers to inform customers of surcharges that may change over time, and gain better insight into customer specific charges. With improved control and visibility, carriers can more easily prevent revenue leakage.
• Enhanced integration throughout the offer process enables carriers to simplify and accelerate the end to end process with price setting, maintenance, quotation, and contract through a single system. Streamlining this process results in cost reduction and improved turnaround time in the quote-to-contract process.
• Updates to global and context specific terms & conditions provide better visibility into all global and local regulations, operational limitations, and business policies for simplified shipping compliance.

“For ocean cargo carriers, using technology to revitalize the quote-to-cash process is a critical component to increasing visibility and enabling better decision-making,” said Malcolm McNamara, global managing director of Accenture Freight and Logistics Software. “Our newest release of Ocean Cargo Pricing is designed to provide more accurate pricing models, which will help carriers adapt to market changes and stay competitive.”

Accenture Ocean Cargo Price can be implemented as a standalone product or as part of the Accenture Ocean Cargo Suite. Combining an experienced team with leading-edge software and a global delivery capability, Accenture Freight and Logistics Software helps organizations realize value from their technology investments and manage the escalating challenges of volatile markets.

About Accenture

Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with more than 323,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. The company generated net revenues of US$30.0 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2014. Its home page is www.accenture.com.

Accenture Software combines deep technology acumen with industry knowledge to develop differentiated software products. It offers innovative software-based solutions to enable organizations to meet their business goals and achieve high performance. Its home page is www.accenture.com/software. The homepage for Accenture Freight and Logistics Software is www.accenture.com/afls.

AccentureJulie Bennink, + [e-mail]