The Ethiopian Shipping & Logistics Services Enterprises has installed a new automated notification software that will help to notify customers of the arrival of goods at the dry port, via text message.  The software, called CTTS, will automatically send a text message to customers after registering the arrival of the shipments into the ESLSE system.

The Enterprise has been provided with a dedicated server by ethio-telecom, for this particular service. The state owned enterprises are working on a deal for monthly service fees, in order to launch the system within few weeks time.

This is one of a series of actions the Enterprise has taken to provide cargo tracking information, following complaints from customers about the whereabouts of their shipments. Such complaints were especially rampant after problem in the Multi-modal Transport System which caused congestion and delays in the delivery of shipments.

Lack of information about the arrival of goods has led to create congestion at the dry port with unclaimed containers. As a short term solution, the enterprise started to publish the lists of goods that arrived in Djibouti and dry ports in the daily Addis Zemen newspaper and on its official website.

Although it is not the ultimate solution for the existing problems, the new automatic notification system will help importers by supplying real time information, one of the the Enterprise's client told Fortune.

Source: Fortune