MURRAY HILL, NJ – Recently, Sea Star Lines decided it needed a little help. “We had a temporary but very big problem with our IT systems,” said Carl Fox, senior vice president of marketing and technology for Sea Star. “Advent pulled us out of the fire. Their skills are such that we now have them rewriting our entire back-office system.”
In a multi-tiered effort, Advent is simultaneously supporting the soon-to-be obsolete IQ Ships system, adapting its existing AutoTrack system to Sea Star’s terminal operations, revamping the SSL EDI infrastructure, and writing two new systems to solve niche issues within Sea Star’s office environment.
When Qiva went out of business, many steamship lines were left high and dry. IQ Ships requires continual updates to ensure data integrity, and no one was available to do them. Enter Advent. With years of experience tuning Oracle databases and even more knowledge of shipping systems, Advent was the perfect candidate to get Sea Star Lines back in shape.
In addition to correcting problems with existing systems, Advent was asked to create two new applications for Sea Star’s staff, an Auto Tracking system and a Rate Quotation system. These systems will provide Sea Star with the ability to respond quickly to customers’ questions, and will expand their ability to review current work and plan for future business. Ultimately, Sea Star intends to let customers receive data automatically by automating these systems – with Advent’s help, of course.
While working on these challenges, Advent’s team still found time to help Sea Star improve its EDI infrastructure, adding new trading partners and transaction sets as needed. This and other consulting services – including evaluating business requirements and helping to prepare an RFP for a brand new operating system – have made Advent a valuable partner to Sea Star Lines during a challenging time.
For more information, please contact:
Mike Mayhew
VP Business Development
Tel: 908-795-3223
