Accenture goes in with SaaS

Management consulting and technology firm Accenture has released a new version of its Air Cargo Suite and has made it available as software as a service (SaaS).
It says that the package, which includes reservations, routing, price and operations functions can improve workflows and help reduce revenue leakage and is aimed especially at small and medium sized air cargo carriers that may lack their own technological resources.
New flight planning functions allow users to offload, re-assign and handle priority shipments so as to enhance flight utilisation and revenue. An air waybill control automates the billing process and monitors reconciliation of shipment details at different stages of the transaction, while a built-in workflow process allows flexible reconciliation and verifies that the correct rates and charges are applied.
It also allows customer service staff to more easily sell additional products or services.
Other enhancements have reduced the time needed to create a quote, with better visibility of available routes and rates. Improvements to partner flight management capabilities give more flexibility and control in sharing flights.
Accenture’s global managing director of freight and logistics software, Malcolm McNamara, said: “Technology is turning some of cargo carriers’ greatest challenges – data transparency, process visibility and revenue leakage – into growth opportunities. Providing SaaS delivery options for Accenture Air Cargo Suite and new features will help carriers align processes around pricing, booking, capacity, routes and costs, ultimately driving profitability.”