For two years now customers of SBB Cargo have been able to do all their transport paperwork online. When this service was first offered, only 4 percent of all shipping contracts were arranged online, now the figure is 38 percent. Demand is still growing steadily.

SBB Cargo’s customers can send freight shipping contracts by fax, phone or e-mail. A quicker and more direct way, however, is to use one of the online products offered by the Customer Service Center in Fribourg. These methods accelerate the whole transport process, providing more transparency by giving customers direct access to data on their consignments.

CIS online information system
The most frequently used electronic product is CIS online. The principle is simple. An order form is sent over the Internet at the click of a mouse. At each stage in the transport process (freight terminal, customs office, etc.) the wagon details are fed into the system. Up-to-date data are constantly in circulation and available to customers. Over the Internet customers can locate their goods at any time.

Edifact - a product for major customers
Edifact is even faster. Edifact (Edifact = Electronic Data Interchange for Administration, Commerce and Transport) is a standard system used worldwide to transfer data directly between companies. Companies’ administrative servers are connected directly through a special interface programme. The customer is able to control and expedite transports in a just-in-time manner.

Swiss Post also uses Edifact to dock into SBB Cargo’s information system. For the past year all its transport contracts have been submitted through this system. Adrian Brügger, Head of Production Management and responsible for rail traffic at Swiss Post, says: ”The system is indispensable for us. Data quality has improved significantly. We now get the data as we should.” Initially this was to be a pilot project; because it has proven its worth, from October we will also manage letter post trains with this system. ”We used to send orders by fax which cost us a lot of time. Orders had to be sent at least 1 hour before transportation. If a last minute change was needed, nothing could be done. Edifact permits us to notify changes up to a few minutes before departure. Using information technology for specific tasks has considerably reduced administrative work.” Customers are able to save time and money too. The Customer Service Center offers a broad palette of online products adapted to the needs of different customers.

Links
CIS-online and Edifact
E-mail eCRM@sbb.ch