Empowering freight forwarders since 2013
Ingot team members Martin Gill and Lewis Hides have been working together on IT solutions for the freight industry since 2013, when they developed the first platform in the UK that integrated with carriers to provide electronic data exchange (EDI) via INTTRA.
In a world that still relied on fax machines, handwritten notes and spreadsheets, the ability to see shipment information in a central place was a gamechanger. In the following years, the team added further data integrations to improve connectivity between carriers, shipping portals, hauliers and overseas agents. They even used their experience and that of their clients, to contribute to the EU research projects CORE and SELIS, providing expertise on obtaining a single point of truth in logistics data.
In response to the rise of container lines pursuing their own end-to-end software strategies, the team launched Ingot in 2018, to help small and medium sized freight forwarders compete by offering impartial, accurate tracking data and enhanced customs clearance solutions.
Building a customer-centric solution
After years immersed in the complexity of global logistics processes, the team remain every bit as excited about the possibilities presented by new technologies and how they can play a key role in transforming clients’ freight operations. This is not an exercise in tech for the sake of tech, but rather an active process to remove the friction, mistakes and lost time that can threaten the livelihoods of forwarders.
We approach your pain points by:
- Embracing data – a single source of truth giving decision makers the right information at the right time
- Building industry standards – enabling the use of digital tools and facilitating better communication around the world
- Listening – to what you need, where we can provide help and support and ultimately creating a platform that is effortless to use
Looking ahead to the post pandemic world
In 2021, the Ingot team, now 12 strong, moved to new premises in the Cotton Exchange in Liverpool where world trade continues, just in a different guise to that of the 1900s. The Covid-19 pandemic revealed just how fragile many of the world’s supply chains are and that realisation, plus the challenges and opportunities of Brexit, have turbo-boosted the digitalisation of the industry.
It has never been more important for freight forwarders to streamline their processes to maintain a competitive edge and we look forward to supporting you on your journey.
