Imported Food/Import Companies (Shosha)

Plaza-i is an ERP system (accounting, sales, purchasing, and logistics management) that integrates all the way through to accounting data. This unique package system provides features, such as profitability calculation by vessel, allocation of estimated import charges, associating with forward exchange contracts, and processing catch weight items, which are best suited to do business with import units like food and wood. This is recommended for the importers who want to digitize the following operations or replace current systems.

In importing food business and such, since an important part of the total cost is import charges like customs duty, forecasting and managing profitability is essential by vessel. Since you are aware of the import charges often incurred, you want to allocate estimated ones, and then later make a comparison with the actual amount to allocate the difference.

Plaza-i can automatically register a project code by vessel after you register import contract information, and by specifying a preset pattern of import charges with the project code, you can conduct allocation of estimated import charges. To later reconcile with the actual amount, specify the project code when making a request for the forwarder so that the project code will appear on the invoice, facilitating invoice reconciliation. Data acceptance by Excel is also available. Thus, you can prevent making mistakes and losses caused by rough calculation of import charges. Since the actual import charges including freight forwarder fees are transferred from the payable module to the accounting module, you do not need to make a double entry to create firm banking and journal data.

You can register purchase and import charges by project as mentioned above. Since Plaza-i manages inventory by item code, by warehouse, and by project, the sales side can check which project the stocked items belong to.

Plaza-i allows managing sales, costs, estimated/actual import charges, the difference, inventory balances, and import charge allocation amounts by vessel.

Your main business is imports and take out forward exchange contracts. You would like to lock in a rate to fix profits and losses and also need to execute un-allocated FEC portion for customs duty. You cannot manage FECs just by registering FEC rates and it takes extra complicated work.

One of the Plaza-i modules is FEC management; you can allocate an FEC to multiple import transactions, and since partial allocation and execution of un-allocated FEC portion are possible, you can ensure the allocation of the full amount of an FEC. Being associated with accounting data via the payable module, the information of FECs allocated can be utilized all the way through to the end.

Since the warehouse side manages inventory not by project code but by their own receipt numbers, shipping instructions and a change of ownership are done by that number. Without the receipt numbers, you can neither inquire about stocked items nor conduct physical inventory taking. To manage inventory, you want to only use the receipt numbers.

When goods are in transit, Plaza-i manages them by import project code. After a receipt number is confirmed at arrival, as you process accepting the goods at the warehouse, the receipt number becomes automatically associated with the import project code. Specify the receipt number at the sales order voucher and instruct shipping to record sales and accounts receivable with one click. Physical counts can be conducted by accepting an external file to greatly improve your business operations.

Receiving invoices for import charges are often delayed. You struggle with checking many invoices each month. You import an enormous amount of goods by vessel and managing them in multiple warehouses is not easy. Although accurate monthly closing is said to be impossible in the industry, you do not want to wait until the annual closing since it would be too much to handle. Therefore, you want to ensure accurate monthly closing by associating with accounting data.

You should take advantage of Plaza-i which integrates all the way through to general accounting. Since allocation of estimated import charges is possible, you do not need to wait for an invoice from the forwarder. Associating with the payable module, the system can not only record accurate data related to import charges but also complete processing payments with one click. The billing/receivable module that has been highly valued by various businesses is also included in the ERP package, catering to unique invoice formats and cash collection. Without a separate system implemented, Plaza-i handles import operations and inventory management to facilitate monthly closing.