PRESS RELEASE Of interest to editors and journalists covering: Transportation, Shipping, Marine/Maritime, Software, NJ Business News Specialty Crop Trade Council Selects Rate Explorer from Management Dynamics Established Association Automates Ocean Service Contracts To Expand Portfolio Of Value-Added Services And Grow Membership EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - July 27, 2004 /Send2Press Newswire/ -- Management Dynamics, Inc., the market leader in tariff and contract management solutions for the ocean transportation industry, today announced that Specialty Crop Trade Council (SCTC) has selected Rate Explorer to automate its ocean contracts and provide enhanced services to its member companies. *(Logo: http://www.send2press.com/photoSP/mandyn-01.gif ) Delivered as an on-demand service over the Internet, member companies can quickly access SCTC contracts, find rates, and compare available service options. Rate Explorer maintains dynamic links to all of SCTC carrier’s rules tariffs to provide complete and bottom-line calculations, offering the accuracy required by member companies to integrate these rates with their international transportation processes. "Rate Explorer helps us expand our service offering and provide more value for our member companies," said Rich Novy, president and CEO of the Specialty Crop Trade Council. "We have seen strong demand for our contract negotiation and management services and Rate Explorer is a key element of our plan to build our association throughout Europe and Asia." Rate Explorer helps associations manage two critical dimensions of their business. First, the system automates contracts to eliminate the administrative burden of managing text-based contracts, updating spreadsheets, and tracking changes to underlying rules tariffs. The system also provides critical information to establish a negotiation strategy and successfully sign contracts that best represent member needs. Second, by providing the member companies with access to Rate Explorer, they can more efficiently find available rates, optimize booking decisions and improve the accuracy of their freight audit process. For the SCTC, Rate Explorer will automate eleven service contracts and be offered as a service to the logistics departments of eighty-six member companies. "Rate Explorer addresses our member companies’ demands for a contract management service that provides fast access to our negotiated rates, improves rate accuracy by taking into account all amendments and surcharges, and simplifies service-cost decisions," said Rick Murphy, assistant secretary of the SCTC. "Also, since Rate Explorer is available as a service over the Internet, our member companies can access rates from anywhere in the World to make better day-to-day decisions that improve their ocean logistics operations." "Associations like the Specialty Crop Trade Council are increasingly looking for opportunities to automate their back-office processes, get closer to their member companies needs, and expand service offerings," said Management Dynamics’ president and chief operating officer John Preuninger. "We are very pleased that SCTC has selected Rate Explorer to expand their portfolio of value-added services and look forward to helping them grow their membership worldwide." About Specialty Crop Trade Council (SCTC) The SCTC, formerly known as the California Dried Fruit Export Association, was established in 1925 as a non profit organization with voluntary membership to promote export trade of dried fruit, treenuts and kindred products. Today SCTC membership is international and includes both merchant and packer exporters California that export 90% of California dried fruit and tree nut production. About Management Dynamics, Inc. Headquartered in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Management Dynamics is the market leader in tariff and contract management solutions for the ocean transportation industry. The company’s flagship product, Rate Explorer(R), is a web-based solution that automates contracts to improve operations and reduce costs for importers, exporters, transportation intermediaries, and carriers. With the industry's most accurate rating engine, Rate Explorer is used to calculate accurate bottom-line charges prior to quoting or booking, identify and eliminate invoice errors, and improve back-office productivity. Rate Explorer is the time-proven solution with over 6,000 users processing 8,000,000 transactions per month. For more information, please visit http://www.ManagementDynamics.com or call (201) 935-8588. Media Contact Nathan Pieri of Management Dynamics +1-201-804-6122 NathanPieri@ManagementDynamics.com # # # [ source of news = Management Dynamics ] ref: http://www.send2press.com/2archive/2004/pr04-072702-mandyn.txt http://www.send2press.com/2archivePDF/pr04-072702-mandyn.pdf ----------------------------------------------------------------- *IMPORTANT NOTE TO MEDIA: to reach the organization releasing this news, please contact: NathanPieri@ManagementDynamics.com (media only) If used for publication, please send specimen copy. ----------------------------------------------------------------- S2P-NB/ 0C / NJ / EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey / USA / English Copr. (c) 2004 Send2Press Newswire. This release was issued on behalf of the above organization, who is solely responsible for accuracy of content, by Send2Press(TM), a unit of Neotrope(R). http://www.Send2Press.com [www.NYnetwire.com] keywords -------- Ocean contract management Rate Explorer Management Dynamics Shipper Association Importer Exporter Service contracts, SCTC