Kai Timmermann, chief operating officer of Prompt Global Corporation, speaks about the role of Prompt’s software in the shipping industry.
Timmermann told Container News how this product can assist in the current problems of the supply chain sector, mentioned plans of the company regarding new solutions and shared the vision for Prompt in the next years.
- What does Prompt’s software provide to your clients?
Prompt software helps our customers get the most out of their logistics software. That can be through streamlining how data is captured into their systems (e.g., Prompt Automate and Prompt Connect products), how information is presented to internal and external constituents (e.g., Prompt Visibility) or how data is delivered to external stakeholders (e.g, Prompt Connect). The goal of Prompt is to work alongside, not replace, existing software.
- Can this software assist in the current serious issues of the supply chain sector, such as port congestion and digital transition?
Digital transition is at the core of what Prompt is addressing in both inducting paper-based documentation and reducing barriers to digital integrations.
For example, we are piloting using Prompt Automate with two platform providers as an on-ramp to induct paper-based data into their platforms – allowing them time (where possible) to build-out integration.
Prompt Automate also enables customers to capture and extract data elements from standard documentation and integrate that data into their freight management systems – or take initial steps to process / act on that data (e.g., validate AP invoice against estimates).
Prompt Connect is about making digital integrations both cost- and process-effective through defining both reusable contexts, semantic templates and a fixed table-driven process to validate, translate and enrich data to streamline the integration process. Streamlining integrations is all about reducing the barriers to integration further enabling digital links.
- Are there plans for new products/solutions in the logistics/supply chain sector?
There has been a considerable interest to improve the consumer experience through the process of rate quoting and booking. Prompt Rates already integrates customer rates and freight costing into the CargoWise and we are working with various parties to bring that and other capabilities forward into the customer experience.
- What is your vision for Prompt in the next years?
Expand the breadth of in-built connections within the Prompt platform. Most of our current customer base works with CargoWise and we are expanding our templates and in-built integrations to other logistics platforms.
Continue to hone the functionality of the products. For example, enable multilingual capabilities, enable users to do more of the configurations themselves (if they wish), and expand the range of interaction types supported within the Prompt set.