Brokers embrace the latest developments
It is possible to make the case that the shipping industry changes slowly, and it is somewhat behind the curve of the main beam of business and commerce. It’s easy to see why. With vessel values typically running to 8 figures and with lifecycles at 25-30 years, from the perspective of owners at least, certain aspects of the industry require you to take a long view.
However, from the point of view of tanker brokers nothing could be further from the truth. The demand for 24/7 operational capability and to have the latest information to hand is a given. Broking requires you to be riding the bow wave, embracing the latest developments in business process, practice and technology. It’s a world away from the pace of 18th Century London and the Virginia and Baltick Coffee House where the roots of broking first took hold!
A philosophy – not just software
Q88 Position List offers rapid access to good information, offering tanker brokers a faster, simpler and more complete view of the global tanker supply. Q88 is founded and led by people with a close knowledge of the workings of tanker shipping and the challenges faced by brokers.
This means that all Q88 software and information services are underpinned by a philosophical view. The overarching objective is to make it customer-centric. For the Q88 Position List this means giving brokers the best in class tool they need to execute their job successfully in the most effective and efficient manner. A good way to demonstrate this is to outline three key areas where Q88 Position List is frequently praised by customers.
1. Ease of use
The first thing that strikes many users of the system is ease of use. The clean lines result from an overall design goal of providing an intuitive user interface and this is something we have not compromised during initial development and subsequent updates. For instance, there is no need to navigate through layers of pop-up windows in order to find information.
The team also focused on delivering flexibility for formatting how data is presented. For example, the formatting of screen and export views are all controlled by the broker. This allows instantaneous changes in order for you to accommodate your ultimate clients – charterers and owners.
2. Portability
Q88 is online and powered by the cloud. The Q88 Position List app combines with this to provide complete portability of the product for every user. Whether at a desk or on the move tanker brokers have the ability to search and send a position list from any suitable mobile device with internet connectivity.
You might be sitting around the office all day and never hear from a charterer, but the minute you make plans, a charterer calls you… sound familiar?
With Q88 Position List, the days of those disrupted lunches (or diary conflicts with those other “must attend” out of the office appointments!) are over. When you need to be on top of the needs of your charter clients and out of the office, the Q88 app allows you to be away but execute a position list as if you were at your desk.
3. Customer service
A cornerstone of our philosophy is that we ‘follow the sun’ in our approach to customer service. This means not only being there 24/7 for the brokers when the call comes in to answer any questions that may arise; it also means listening to constructive input and implementing improvements to the platform.
This past year we have incorporated several customer suggestions to the Q88 Position List. Some of these improvements include:
- Adding specific vessel attributes to export views
- Listing a ‘P and C’ notation to fixtures to distinguish those type of fixtures
- Addition of several one-key shortcuts to our existing list
We combine what we learn from our clients with best practices from other industries to bring a more pro-active approach to platform improvements. A significant improvement that was driven by the Q88 development team was the ability for a ‘quick glance’ view of positions added or deleted from any search result.
Any ideas for Q88 Position List or want to be more competitive in 2019?
2019 looks to be a year of great promise, but this is tempered by uncertainty. Tanker brokers choosing Q88 Position List have a leading tool that enables them to compete effectively and operate efficiently. You are empowered to work faster and deliver better for your customers.
If you have not seen it for yourself yet, quite simply, when you are brokering tanker cargos, Q88 Position List is a better choice. And for existing users of the system, we always welcome suggestions for ideas on how to make it better.
Just get in touch with your ideas, or to request a demo to find out why more and more of the world’s leading brokers trust Q88 Position List.