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ISSREPORTERlCookx19sCornerDECEMBER201116www.iss-shipping.comRECENTLYOURLOCALagentsx19associationheldtheirannualdinner.Ananonymousbenefactordecidedtofundtheevent.Whenaskedwhyhewasbeingsogenerousherepliedx1cIthinkshipagentsarethemostunderappreciatedprofessionalsinthemaritimeindustry.Theyworklonghourstravelalltimesofdayandnightinallkindsofweatherareroutinelyaskedtomeettoughdeadlinesareexpectedtoknoweverythingabouteverythingarepushedintobeingfacilitatorsnegotiatorsmediatorsandcouncilorsanddosomeofthemostimportantworkingettingstuffmovedthroughtheportsforlittleornothanksatall.Ijustwantedtoshowsomeappreciationthatx19sall.x1dDavidCookInstructionalDesign-OperationsbasedinPortlandOregonAppreciationfortheAgentThiswasaverynicegestureandstatementonethatIthoughtwasworthrepeatinghere.Agentscanbeunderappreciatedespeciallywhenonelooksattheirresponsibilitiesrelativetothepercentageofoverallportexpensesthatistheagentx19sshare.Competitivepressuresmeanthatagencyfeesarenotlikelytosignificantlyincreaseanytimesoon.AsaresultISScontinuestolookatwaystoimproveefficiencyandreducethecostsofprovidingtheservicesthatweperform.WealsolookatwaystoshowthevalueofchoosingISSgloballyastheagentthatcanmakeadifference.Theagentholdsthekeystoasuccessfulportcall.Portcostscanriseexponentiallyandwellbeyondthetotalagencyfeeswhenjustonesmallitemismissedwhenmakingtheportcallarrangements.ISShasdevelopedprocessesandprocedurestoensurethateachstepischeckedandre-checkedtopreventdelaysoradditionalexpenditures.IfyouweretopollthestakeholdersinthemaritimecommunityIamsurethatyouwouldfindthataportionofthembelievethatagentsaresimplypeoplewhoorderupthepilotstugsandlinesmenanddeliverthemailtotheCaptain.In31yearsintheportagencybusinessIhavehadshipsthatareroutinecallersthatwerereasonablysimpletohandlebutthemajorityeventheroutineoneswouldoftenhavesomethinghappenthatwouldturnthesimpleportcallintoacomplexonequickly.Thesevariablesrangefromberthcongestiontoenginefailurecollisionsinjuriesoilspillscargoshortagesinspectiondeficienciesequipmentbreakdownscharterpartydisputeslabourissuesdocumentproblemscrewchangeorcrewmedicalchallengesregulationcomplianceholdortankcleanlinessproblemsandfundingissues.Thesearejustsomeofthemanyitemsthatanagentisfacedwithonadailybasismakingaroutineshipararething.Agoodagentworksthroughalloftheobstaclestoensurethattheshipspendstheleastamountoftimeinportpossiblewhilestillcompletingtheintendedtransactions.Thisrequiresindividualagentandcollectiveagencyproblemsolvingskillsaswellasknowledgeandperseverance.IknowthatISStakesprideinapplyingallofthesetraitsresultinginthousandsandthousandsofsuccessfulportcallsworldwide.Agentsgenerallydonotcallattentiontothemselveswhentheydosomethingextraordinarybutgoodagentsusuallydosomethingextraoneveryportcallthathelpsfurtherthebusinessoftheprincipalinapositivedirectionbysavingmoneyorminimizingtimespentinport.Weneedtodoabetterjobathighlightingthoseextraeffortstoimprovetheperceptionoftheagent.InordertoprovideacompetitiveedgeISSdoeshaveanextensiveownedagencynetworkstaffwithexperiencedportagencyprofessionalsthatliterallyamountstoaworldoflocalexpertise.Wealsohaveotherbusinessstreamswithinthemaritimesectorthatalsooperateglobally.Thisprovidesbenefitstoourprincipalsbygivingthemtheconfidencethattheirshipswillbehandledefficientlyandtheirfundswillbesecureandaccountedfor.ToensurethatwehaveknowledgeableprofessionalsinthefieldISSalsosupportsourentirestaffwithopportunitiesforbasicandcontinuingeducation.TheISSMarineAcademyIMAwasspecificallysetuptoprovideforthetrainingneedsofourpersonnel.ThematerialscurrentlyavailableontheIMAx19sLearningManagementSystemincludecourseson5CorporateCompliance5FundamentalsofShipping5Iwouldwelcomeanyarticlesuggestionsorcomments.Untilnexttimeworkandstaysafe.5SpecificShiptypesincludingx13Tankersx13ChemicalTankersx13GasCarriersx13BulkCarriersx13BreakbulkCarriersincludingHeavyliftProjectCargoShipsandCarTruckCarriersx13ContainerLinerShipsx13PassengerCruiseShips5YourISSTraining5Financefornon-FinanceManagers5MicrosoftPowerPointPresentationSkills5MicrosoftExcelEachpartofthesematerialsisdesignedfromanagentx19sperspectivefocusingonbestpracticestohelpourteamdotheirworkbetter.ThecoursematerialissupplementedbyvideosthatcanalsobeaccessedfromtheISSMarineAcademyx19sLearningManagementSystem.MoreindepthstudyonspecificsubjectsisavailablethroughanarrangementtheIMAhaswiththeInstituteofCharteredShipbrokers.SomeofourpersonnelaroundtheglobeareworkingontheirICSFoundationinShippingdiplomasandotherstowardsbecomingaMemberorFellowoftheInstituteofCharteredShipbrokers.AllISSstaffmembersareencouragedtotakeadvantageoftheIMAcoursematerialsoffered.Bydoingsowecancontinuetohoneourknowledgeandthatwillassistusinmakingadifferenceinourshipattendance.ThatdifferenceprovidesevidencetoourprincipalsthatemployingISSaddsmorevaluethanjustanaverageagent.AgentappreciationwillcontinuetocomevianewrenewedandexpandedbusinesswiththegoalofISSbecomingourprincipalx19sstrategicpartner-thefinestcomplimentwecanbepaid.