NYK LINE Signs Global E-Procurement Contract

SeaSupplier Ltd. (SeaSupplier), the marine e﷓procurement subsidiary of Stolt-Nielsen S.A., announced that it has signed a global e-procurement contract with Tokyo based Nippon Yusen Kabushiki KAISHA (NYK LINE). Under the agreement, SeaSupplier’s SeaManager™ solution and consulting services will provide NYK LINE with a comprehensive platform that manages the entire procurement process and achieves substantial cost savings as well as improved efficiencies. The system’s unique functionality supports automated contract management, competitive quoting capabilities, and complex logistics solutions. With SeaManager’s open technology platform and adaptable middleware software, NYK LINE will be connected to the supplier community through multiple communication formats, including XML, MTML, EDI, and EDIFACT. The SeaManager system is based on an Application Software Provider (ASP) concept and will provide NYK LINE with a virtual procurement center. The platform improves the execution of existing commercial contracts and allows for the exploration of new ones. S. Araki, general manager No.2 Shipmanagement Group NYK LINE represented NYK LINE during the signing ceremony in Tokyo. NYK LINE comments “ One of our strategic goals is to streamline our purchasing process and reduce our costs. After evaluating several e-procurement systems, as well as the option of building our own, we chose the SeaSupplier solution because it exceeds the simple portal offerings and provides us the opportunity to control our purchasing and logistics activities under one electronic platform. We are confident that the SeaManager system will enhance our competitive position through process efficiencies and improved cost control. The Application Server Provider (ASP) concept provides our technical staff with the flexibility of managing the purchasing process in conjunction with their other duties, from all locations in the world.”