HANSA 01-2019

Schifffahrt | Shipping
A maritime Amazon arising?
With Amazon-style online shopping becoming the new normal for most people, shipping is
still lagging behind. Danish-based Moscord has now set up its latest online shopping platform
to ease the maritime market into the future of online shopping, writes Samantha Fisk
Online shopping has been viewed
as both a sinner and a saint in
the years that it has been establishing
itself. Whilst online
shopping has created greater
ease for consumers to
purchase goods, the reverse
of this has seen a
detrimental effect for
the high street shop.
But, online shopping
is appearing
to be the way forward
for many
and looks to be
the way consumers
will be shopping
in the future.
Shipping has
been lacking on
keeping up with
this phenomenon, although
shipping firms
such as Maersk have
been looking at market
places such as Amazon for
future business arrangements,
the rest of the market still is hesitant
to look in the opportunities this
type of purchasing platform could bring.
Freddy Ingemann, Founder & CEO,
Moscord explains about the new way of
purchasing: »We will see what we have
seen in all other businesses. You will see
changes here of course because of digitalisation
and the client seems interested.
So, you could call it disruption, but
it will happen, it will be leaner, greener.
More planned procurement, more contract
and catalogue contract-based buying
as we see in other industries.«
Today’s shipping business is fragmented
in the way it operates and can be frustrating
and confusing for both client and
supplier, but whether it will adapt to this
new way of doing business is yet to be
seen. However, Moscord aims at creating
smoother processes that will allow
the simplification of purchasing supplies
and equipment, whilst still working
within the requirements of the shipping
industry.
»I think at Moscord they have better
control of the procurement process from
the suppliers than without. They will always
know they will get what they order
which is not the case today,« adds Ingemann.
One of the many benefits that the
Moscord platform aims at giving its
customers is the control over purchasing.
Like with Amazon, the ease of purchase
through clear and easy navigation
of the platform through continuity of
the purchasing application itself and
also tracking of orders is something
that Moscord has also built into its own
design.
Ingeman notes that: »It’s a big advantage
for the purchaser to get more control.
They know where the products are
coming from. From the supplier’s side
they will know who has bought their
products.«
The platform will function very
similarly to other shopping
platforms that we see on the
internet today, allowing
customers greater access
to more products.
The platform also
has features such as
book marking for
repeat orders with
Moscord also looking
to implement a
chat function to
the site for customers
with queries
about products.
»It’s about
bringing the market
to the ship,« highlights
Ingemann.
Another feature that
Ingemann notes about
Moscord is that like Amazon,
it aims to do to the
door delivery, or last mile delivery.
According to the CEO this is
where a lot of manufacturing companies
struggle to be able to get products out
to certain locations. Moscord are looking,
quite literally, at going the extra mile
to provide a service that will deliver products
to the door.
The benefits that such a platform can
have are also far reaching, as Ingemann
points out that it is not just about the
streamlining of the purchasing process
that there are also other factors such as
making the whole purchasing process
more transparent. Also, the process is
more environmentally friendly, as we see
too much transporting of parts around
the globe.
Currently, the platform has focused
on the supply of parts with names such
as Schneider and Danfoss that have already
signed up to the platform. Going
forward Moscord looks to developing its
platform so that it will include both larger
products and also food and medical
supplies.
n
HANSA International Maritime Journal – 156. Jahrgang – 2019 – Nr. 1 35