Inchcape Shipping Services operates four Service Centres located in Houston, Dubai, Singapore and the UK.
These Centres provide service to both our global principals and the performing agent’s staff. They exist to provide a focused regional point of contact for the principal and to assist the performing agent in providing the level of service that our principals expect.
The Service Centres’ functions include:
- Processing of all incoming appointments and nominations and appointing agents on behalf of the principal
- Proofreading appointments and voyage orders to minimize errors and identify issues before they are forwarded to the performing agent
- Arranging for the pre-funding of the performing agent where needed
- Monitoring agency performance to ensure the principal is receiving near real-time port data
- Ensuring correct communications are sent to the principal. Monitoring these communications closely ensuring all relevant data is sent
- Searching for new ways of achieving port cost savings, including negotiating vendor discounts on behalf of the principal
- Monitoring Disbursement Accounts to ensure they are sent in a timely manner and accurately reflect the true port costs
- Providing port information to the owner / charterer when needed (e.g. port cost estimates, terminal / port restrictions, government regulations, etc.)
- Providing up-to-date news and events which may affect shipping interests
- Regularly reviewing Port Cost Estimates to ensure their accuracy
- Providing competitive proforma Disbursement Accounts to the principal
- Ensuring agents are providing proper communications to the owner, as well as the main principal
- Providing 24-hour backup communications where needed
- Providing training and assistance in operating the ISS web-based applications
- Monitoring KPIs of each agency and providing regular reports thereon
- Ensuring that owners’ and charterers’ instructions are followed closely by the performing agent
- Reviewing SOF data for completeness and working with the performing agent to educate them on improving level of detail and timeliness of data input
- Monitoring the port call finances so the performing agent can concentrate on operations
In order to ensure a consistent level of service quality we have created a set of guidelines outlining the procedures for processing appointments and nominations.
This not only keeps the office running efficiently, but also allows us to handle a port call to the same standard in all locations from any one of the Service Centres.
Performing agents are monitored by the Service Centres to ensure that ISS is meeting the expectations of its global principals. This is done through the use of KPIs which the system automatically records for each port call. Reports can be, and are, run regularly to analyze the performance throughout our agency network.
ISS Service Centres locations
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