CHIEF executive officer of Kingston Wharves Limited (KWL) Mark Williams is advancing that the company’s ‘Click N Collect’ contactless cargo clearance service is introducing efficiencies normally associated with airfreight to the sea freight industry.

Williams was speaking in an interview following the company’s recent annual general meeting held virtually.

“Online shopping, with its close alignment to air freight, is a rapidly growing sector that has seen even greater growth since COVID-19. Yet, 90 per cent of world trade takes place by sea, and sea freight is still the most cost-effective way to move especially large bulky items internationally. There is also a growing trend for persons to shop online and ship by sea freight,” Williams said.

“However, having become accustomed to the e-commerce and air freight modus operandi, customers are now expecting faster and more efficient cargo delivery; they have less tolerance for long wait times and other inefficiencies,” the CEO observed.

He added that as a shipping and logistics company, Kingston Wharves recognises the importance of the sea freight industry embracing a new mindset and making the necessary investments to provide greater convenience to customers to enhance service delivery and increase competitiveness.

“When a customer orders something from Amazon or other online retailers, they simply place the order and an efficient back office ecosystem does the rest. The customer’s local air freight agent does the clearing; the person only has to pay the necessary charges and pick up the shipment once it has arrived in the island,” the KWL CEO observed.

Hen then explained that the Kingston Wharves Click N Collect service, which is a contactless cargo clearance option available to personal shippers sending barrels, boxes, pallets and other less than container-load (LCL) cargo, takes the same approach.

“The entire clearance process is done by Kingston Wharves in collaboration with Jamaica Customs and the customer’s agent. The customer simply registers via the Kingston Wharves website, pay[s] his or her charges online (including customs charges), and pick[s] up at his or her convenience by appointment,” he stated, adding: “Click N Collect has made it safer and more convenient for customers to conduct business during the [novel coronavirus] pandemic.”

The Kingston Wharves CEO expressed confidence that the entire sea freight industry will become more competitive by assuring customers the same level of convenience as airfreight, adding: “We are seeking to lead the industry in this paradigm shift.”

Kingston Wharves has made significant investment in technology to drive its customer service delivery and strengthen its security network while streamlining its terminal operations and logistics services.

In addition to the Click N Collect cargo clearance, KWL has introduced electronic payment methods such as its KW Mobile app and Webpay (the app’s web version); both allow customers to pay for shipments from anywhere in the world, at any time of the day or night. Payment to Kingston Wharves can also be facilitated by wire transfer.