Enhance maritime shipping decisions with a solution that puts the freight contract first.
- Introduction
- Our clients
- Commercial impact of contract complexity
- By the numbers
- How IMOS helps
- Related solutions
- Frequently asked questions
- Relevant resources
- Featured experts
- Contact us
Is your commercial solution built around the maritime contract? We can help.
The maritime shipping workflow is a patchwork of separate, yet highly interdependent decisions—all of which have an impact on an organization’s ability to meet its contractual obligations. A rise in index-linked contracts, increasingly intricate deal chains, volatile geopolitical conditions, and other factors beyond an organization’s control have all contributed to a trend of rising contract complexity, making contract-related decision-making more challenging than ever. Cutting through this complexity requires more than an isolated pre-fixture solution, or a strong workflow for voyage operations. Rather, it demands an integrated approach to maritime decision making that makes the contract the centerpiece of the entire maritime shipping workflow.
The Veson IMOS Platform allows clients to navigate contract complexity and tightly align decisions to outcomes with high-integrity market insight, a dynamic P&L, robust integration capabilities, and an end-to-end workflow that centers around the maritime contract.
Meet some of our clients.
“Repsol is present in the entire value chain: exploration, production, transformation, development, and commercialization of efficient, sustainable and competitive energy. With [IMOS] streamlining our seaborne operations, we are in a much better position to live out our mission across the entire value chain.”
— Miguel Luque
Chartering Director, Repsol
Several key factors are driving contract complexity.
All of them impact chartering workflows.
The maritime shipping industry continues to evolve at a rapid pace, and the complexity brought on by these changes necessitates a commercial solution that leaves no air between the contract and daily decision making. Let’s take a closer look at five key factors driving chartering complexity today.
Index-linked contracts
Outsized market volatility has driven a trend towards index-linked shipping contracts, which are a key strategy in mitigating price risk and maximizing predictability. But supporting index-linked contracts requires market-linked commercial platforms that provide accurate visibility into current and historical market conditions, and carry that visibility through to the P&L.
Multi-faceted deal chain
The complexity of the marine supply chain has always challenged visibility for key stakeholders. Today’s deal chain includes more stakeholders than ever before, further intensifying this challenge. At the same time, counterparties are increasing data demands from their carriers. All of these factors necessitate a platform that is built to provide both sides of the contract the visibility and control they need.
Multi-parceling
As voyage capacity continues to rise, so too does multi-parceling. Juggling numerous contracts with different cargo owners and loading or discharge locations makes the roles of key maritime stakeholders even more complex and exposes the inherent inadequacies of legacy or disparate systems. In order to seamlessly manage multiple contracts and documents over the course of one voyage, a solution must have a robust and configurable contract management workflow as well as a highly detailed P&L that understands how to track profitability for multi-parceled voyages.
Volatile geopolitical landscape
The global nature of maritime shipping leaves it especially affected by sanctions and other complex geopolitical realities. These realities must be considered even before a contract is formed, and must continue to be taken into account as each operational decision unfolds. Sanctions are always changing, and the P&L implications of an oversight are significant, underscoring the importance of standardized and timely data in this area.
Emissions considerations
Environmental regulations and priorities are rapidly evolving within the maritime industry, and they increasingly have a commercial impact. New regulations, such as the inclusion of maritime into EU ETS, can significantly impact costs for stakeholders on both sides of the contract. In addition, counterparties are increasingly sensitized to the environmental practices of their carriers, resulting in the inclusion of carbon-related considerations in the contract. Stakeholders, regardless of their role, require a way to seamlessly bring emissions into voyage decisions and report on key emissions metrics in a standardized manner.
Tell us about your contract management requirements
By the numbers.
According to a recent poll conducted by Veson:
10 years
Maritime stakeholders cited decarbonization, new environmental regulations, and geopolitical tension as the most impactful issues over the next 10 years.1
69%
of maritime professionals said that the number of different systems needed to complete daily chartering tasks has grown.2
38%
of maritime stakeholders cited data aggregation and accuracy as the element they feel is lacking most in their daily workflow.2
“[IMOS] has been something that we felt was a long time coming. I think one of the biggest things that we have been focusing on as a company is how to evolve and how to integrate more systems for sharing of information and data.”
— Marc Radulovic
Senior Operations Manager, Eagle Bulk
Put your maritime contract first with the Veson IMOS Platform.
Following are four defining attributes of a contract-first workflow.
Comprehensive workflow
The importance of the contract continues from pre-fixture to post voyage analysis. IMOS’s entire voyage management workflow centers around the complex and highly critical maritime shipping contract. Stakeholders can move forward with confidence and never lose sight of the contract, no matter where they are in the workflow.
Contextual decision support
By automatically considering contract requirements in chartering, operations, trading, and accounting decisions,IMOS enables context-rich decision support for each and every stakeholder. With the fullness of the contract captured in the system and the ability to define configurable tasks and alerts, maritime shipping organizations can radically strengthen their decision making.
Total P&L visibility
Each and every decision that is made over the course of the voyage has a corresponding financial impact, which is often only discovered after the voyage is complete. By building in dynamic P&L visibility before and during the voyage, IMOS enables stakeholders to proactively understand and maximize financial outcomes.
Accurate data
The marine contract does not exist in a vacuum. Instead, it is impacted by a myriad of external variables, including fluctuations in fuel prices, applicable indices, vessel data, crew-related information, and so much more. IMOS and Veson’s family of information management and data solutions bring this data to life in the workflow and illuminate its impact on the contract.
Discover related solutions.
Contract Management
Evaluate voyage scenarios, automate calculations, and track contract performance.
System Integration
Form a best-of-breed solution with integrated contract management tools.
Contract Performance
Measure contract performance over time to elevate decision making.
Freight Exposure
Proactively manage freight risk and properly align contracts.
Frequently asked questions.
Frequently asked questions about marine contract management.
How has rising contract complexity impacted the need for a commercial platform?
For organizations that may have been reluctant to shift away from disparate systems or approaches, contract complexity raises the stakes and really intensifies the need for a proper commercial contract management platform. In a world with simple, two-party contracts, working without a connected, contract-centered system may have been feasible, albeit not ideal. But in today’s maritime shipping reality, a reality of index-linked and multifaceted contracts, the commercial platform is indispensable to maintaining critical P&L visibility and improving financial results.
What do organizations need to cut through the contract complexity?
Choosing a platform that supports index-linked contracts and complex deal chains is a critical first step. Such platforms can radically simplify the complexity by alleviating the burden on key stakeholders to keep track of contract terms, capturing the fullness of the contract in the platform. The other element that significantly streamlines maritime contract management is standardization of the workflow, and harmonization of information at every stage—from pre-fixture to post voyage analysis.
What does it mean to put the contract first?
To put the contract first is to put it at the center of the workflow, and to dynamically understand each decision in the context of its relationship to the contract and its impact on the P&L. For example, in the Vason IMOS Platform, key stakeholders can rely on decision support and built-in notifications to ensure decisions adhere to the terms of the contract and maximize financial outcomes. Once a decision is made, the P&L is dynamically updated based on its implications, providing a continuous and accurate picture of voyage profitability and supply chain costs. By putting the contract first, Veson fosters alignment of counterparties, enables total accountability, and improves the predictability of profit and loss for everyone involved.
What is the role of data in supporting a contract-first workflow?
High quality data is an essential element in adhering to contract terms and improving P&L performance. While some of this data originates within the workflow, much of it does not. Key information includes position data, port congestion data, geofencing, vessel compliance information, charter party insights, market data, and more. Through Oceanbolt’s high-integrity market intelligence, Q88’s comprehensive and accurate vessel information, and additional integrations with our Platform Partners, IMOS brings together all these critical data points to deliver a single source of truth for effective contract management.
Do you have any additional questions that we didn’t answer here? We’d love to answer them. Contact us to connect with a maritime shipping expert.
Explore relevant resources.
5 Marine Supply Chain Challenges and How to Overcome Them
How a maritime-specific commercial solution can help you manage complexity and advance your strategic objectives.
Top 10 Places a Seaborne Supply Chain Solution Can Drive Value
10 ways the IMOS Platform can drive measurable value for seaborne supply chains like yours.
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Transform your seaborne supply chain with a specialized digital solution for the marine modality.