Pool together limited sized FCL Shippers and connect them directly to Shipping Companies, while providing state-of-the-art digital tools for the best management of procurement and handling of their transports

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Who we are

  • AURORA is the 1st Italian Shippers Association, founded in 2013 by Kelmer Procurement, who is still in charge for the management of daily operations
  • AISA (American Institute of Shippers’ Associations) defines a Shippers Association in the following way: "Non-profit membership cooperatives which make domestic or international arrangements for the movement of members’ cargo. They are a means by which the small and medium sized shipper, and even the large shipper, can obtain economies of scale without the markups charged by other transportation intermediaries who perform consolidation services in order to obtain volume discounts."
  • As we know, after 8 years we are still the only Shippers Association operating in Italy


download our statute

API oriented

We love APIs.
During the 18th century steam engines powered the industrial revolution. Today Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) are at the heart of the digital revolution. Often described as currency in the digital world, APIs are especially valuable for guaranteeing speed and safety in the exchange of information.

Services

Annual tender

Aurora holds an annual structured global tender with Shipping Companies (Carriers), pooling the FCL volumes of her Associates and creating all-in fix industrial long term rates, bypassing in this way the speculation driven by market fluctuation.


Spot RFQ management

Social Quoting System & Price Compare: this tool allows
the Shippers to handle at best their spot quotation requests;
it keeps the Shippers updated on all the quotations managed
within Aurora.
As usual, updated information are the secret of a
successful procurement


Market rates benchmark

Dedicated dashboard to verify on a daily base the positioning of each Shippers’ ocean freights, vs market situation updated in real time (www.xeneta.com).
The dashboard is completed with a press release section, showing most interesting articles about shipping industry, updated daily.

Containers tracking - RTV

FCL Tracking System: the tool tracks and trace your container,
it maintains constantly updated the Estimated Time of Arrival,
keeping into considerations the variables of the navigation. (www.gocomet.com)


Consultancies

  • Freight audit; double check your paid invoices to detect and recover any overcharge which may have not discovered (www.kelmerfreightaudits.com)
  • Rates management with web portal: repository of all your freights, which will be available when you need them in the same place
  • Self-billing; do you need to improve your billing cycle, avoid several invoices check and possible overcharges? Try Aurora self-billing system
  • Support in disputes with Carriers; handle at best any dispute with Carriers with the support of shipping industry professionals
  • KPIs and contracts management; keep monitored your contracts and your Suppliers performances with the aid of Aurora professionals and tools
  • Freight Forwarders selection; do you need the support of a freight forwarder in your daily operations? Aurora can help you in selecting the right organization fitting your needs

Working Pillars

  • VOLUME COMMITTMENT
    Once a price is accepted, Shippers shall committ on a minimum number of transports, which is equally to 50% of the planned volumes, in order to concretely realize the partnership with Shipping Companies that is foreseen by the strategic goals of AURORA.

  • OPEN BOOK
    We need Shippers to be transparent on their current purchasing conditions, in order to allow AURORA being a real procurement office. Sensitive data wont be shared among AURORA members, just the lanes description and the volumes.

  • NO PROFIT NO LOSS
    P&L of AURORA is shared in the annual meeting with Shippers.

  • DIRECT PURCHASING
    AURORA is negotiating only with actual executors of the maritime freight (Shipping Companies) so that no intermediation fees are charged to the Shippers.

  • STABILITY
    Shippers share the importance of transport prices which are valid and fix on medium-long base terms, to allow accurate budgeting of total products costs

  • NO EXPLOITATION
    Shippers commit themselves not to participate to AURORA in an instrumental way, id est systematically avoiding to accept commercial conditions offered by AURORA and using the knowledge of the prices for parallel negotiations with Freight Forwarders.

  • CALENDAR
    AURORA executes annual Tenders, which are normally launched in December. 12 months rates are applicable from April to March of the following year.

FAQ



What does exactly “SHIPPER” mean?


What does TEU mean?


What does FCL mean?


What does SHIPPING COMPANY mean?


Which are the examples of existing Shipper’s Association and where do they operate?


Can any Company participate?


On which lanes AURORA is active?


On which specific maritime freight services AURORA is active?


On which products/ industries AURORA is active?


What happens to the role of my current Forwarders?


What are the guarantees of results?


What are the purchasing tools available?


How the economics of AURORA are working?


What is a “Social Quoting System (SQS)"?


What is a container tracking system?


How a container tracking system works?


How the ocean rates benchmark dashboard works?