End-to-End Workflow

The following diagram shows the main components of IMOS and their functions and interactions. One of the biggest benefits of IMOS is that it integrates the activities of all marine departments, reducing double entry of data and streamlining work processes. A contract created in Chartering is the basis for a voyage flowing through Operations. This information is also visible in the Trading module as part of the company's overall position. Invoices and financial data flow from Operations to Financials.

Function- and Industry-Specific Workflows

• Chartering Workflows
• Time Charter Workflows
• Operations Workflows
• Financials Workflows
• Trading Workflows
• Barging Chartering, Operations, Financials, and Reporting Workflows
• LNG Workflow
• Bunker Management Workflows
• Demurrage and Claims Workflows
• Marine Planning Workflow
• MRV Reporting
• Pooling Workflow
• Shuttle Tanker Workflow

Core Modules

The IMOS shipping workflow is made up of the following core modules:

Chartering

Operations

Operations managers use the Operations module to manage day-to-day operations, from fleet and vessel scheduling to voyage management and monitoring. They can quickly access schedules and voyage details, evaluate choices, and make more informed decisions in a constantly changing environment.

Operations managers can create the Freight Invoices and other types of invoices related to the voyage and might also be responsible for demurrage and laytime calculations. If so, they have a link to the Laytime Calculation form in the Operations module center.

Financials

Financial data from Operations is all pulled into the Financials module for the Accounting department. IMOS can accommodate different approval processes, such as having one person approve invoices and another either release it to third-party accounting software or code it to go to a specific General Ledger account. Once a transaction is posted, some companies use another approval process after IMOS. Reports can be run for audit checking. This comprehensive module enables Accounting departments to perform accurate and efficient billing, tracking, processing, and auditing of financial transactions.

Reporting

Data Center

In the Data Center, you can enter and update the data used throughout IMOS. Quick Links include the records for your master data, along with Distances, items related to messages, auditing, and configuration, custom data points (elements), and Security. Term lists, many already populated, appear on the right. Most of the data only needs to be entered once for use by all users and then needs only occasional updating.

One individual, perhaps an Operations Supervisor or an IT person, should be responsible for updating the Data Center, acting as a gatekeeper and managing the data. Alternatively, each side of the Data Center (Operations and IT) could have its own Administrator. It is important not to have too many people with access, or duplicate records can be entered, resulting in not only confusion but also errors in transactions and accounting.

Add-on Solutions

The following add-on solutions require additional licensing. To implement them for your organization, contact Veson Nautical Support.

Trading

Cargo Matching

Barging

Lightering

The Lightering module enables you to manage lightering and reverse lightering contracts end-to-end, providing visibility into all of the service and support operations.

LNG

Bunker Management

The Bunker Management module adds support for a centralized department for bunker procurement. Workflow between voyage Operators, vessels (via Veslink forms), and the Bunker Department is managed electronically, ensuring rapid response times, and procurement details are tracked in a centralized database for accurate reporting and analysis of performance.

If you have the Operations module but have not purchased the separate Bunker Management module, you can still manage bunker planning, lifting, and invoicing data in the Voyage Manager. For more information, see Voyage Bunkers.

Claims

With the Claims module, you can manage both Demurrage Claims and other types of Claims. This module supports the business needs of marine Demurrage Specialists, enabling them to determine the amount of demurrage to be charged, and to negotiate with the other parties. It also includes tools to track and improve Claims performance and limit Demurrage exposure to loss. In addition to the Laytime Calculator, it has workflow management tools: an overview of estimated, pending, and active demurrage claims on the Claim List and Demurrage Summary, as well as a Time Bar Task List.

Pooling

The Pooling module offers an integrated solution for pool operators to effectively manage their pools. The Pooling module provides pool operators with tools to calculate vessel and voyage contributions to a pool, perform Pooling Distribution calculation, book actual Pooling Cash Distributions, share voyage results with partners, and access reports detailing the historic performance of a pool.

The foundation of the Pooling module is a pool contribution system based on Vessel Points assignment and real-time linking to actual Voyage P&L data from the Operations module. Vessels can be added to and removed from the pool without any restrictions, and, through the linking with the Operations module, all Off Hire is taken into consideration.

Veslink

Veslink standardizes voyage communications to help you collect and analyze current positions and other critical voyage data.

Interfaces

The Messaging Service is available with an interface license, and the IMOS Messaging Service Manual is available in PDF form to clients who have purchased the license.