Bolero has signed up two new customers that the secure online trading platform says signals an expansion of its Asian customer base. Both are Japanese companies, the international trading division of the diversified Toray Group and Mitsui Soko, Japan's second largest warehousing company.

Synchronised operations

Toray International has an international network of 82 overseas bases including 17 sales and representative offices as well as 120 bases in Japan. It plans to integrate Bolero in its Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, which are designed to integrate all departments and functions across its operations onto a single computer system that can serve the particular needs different units and departments.

Toray plans to synchronise its ERP systems for straight through processing using Bolero with the aim of coordinating communications between its headquarters, group companies, trading partners, as well as the forwarders, carriers and banks it operates with.

Joint testing programme

Mitsui Soko has more than 60 locations worldwide. Its services include international logistics, ocean shipping, air-freight forwarding, customhouse brokerage, trade fair logistics, surface transportation and warehousing. Toray International and Mitsui Soko together have initiated a phased testing of Bolero on shipments from Japan to Toray International's US-based subsidiaries.

The addition of its new customers is the latest in series new Asian signings for Bolero, including that of five Korean bulk carriers that will be supporting a US$500 million metals and mining chain from Australia to the Far East.

This article represents the views of the author and not necessarily those of the ICC or any of the other partners in DC-PRO.