The International Marine Purchasing Association (IMPA) continues its commitment to the marine purchasing and supply sector by offering its latest version of the Marine Stores Guide in data format.

Towards the end of last year IMPA announced the launch of the IMPA marine stores guide data service for the world renowned and now widely recognised standard six digit code so that ship owners and operators as well as suppliers could integrate the unique code into their already established or new purchasing systems.

The uptake in use has been significant in the shipping economy signifying the fact that e-commerce in the sector is now at a growth stage.

The data service which is available under exclusive licence from e-commerce market leader ShipServ allows ship operators and suppliers to purchase licence agreements to utilise the six digit code in daily transactions the world over.

Many of the world’s leading ship owners including Anglo Eastern group who have the data onboard 173 ships, making them the biggest (known) user of the data, NYK Ship Management and Vroon Holland are subscribers, IMPA predicts significant growth in licence uptake over the next 18 months and beyond.

The six digit code has been in operation for almost 30 years but up until last year was restricted to book and therefore paper format. With the launch of the data version (in various formats) IMPA expects to see its recognition expanded to a global platform.

The recently launched updated version the first updated version since launch provides total code numbers of 36,820 this includes 3,122 new codes available in the V1.2 data.

The updated version includes 163 codes which were incomplete in the book version and 2,959 product codes recommended by the world’s manufacturers and suppliers have been added.

The strategy to produce regular updates has been designed to provide subscribers with a dynamic and up to date data package enhancing day to day efficiency for those on board and in purchasing and supply based offices.

These codes enable users to obtain general descriptions for products needed to specify goods and services required on-board ship and are a fundamental requirement for e-commerce buying. Items added include High breaking strengthened turnbuckles, ISPS Code signs, New nautical publications, Aerosol cleaners, Pneumatic belt sanders, Various scaling machines, New jet chisels, New air saws, Pneumatic pipe scalers, Hexagon bolts and nuts, steel, stainless steel, brass, Various navigation tubular lamps, Various pilot lamps, Various telephone indicator lamps, Various advanced batteries, Various wet cell batteries, DIN fuses, IEC fuses, New repair kits and Quick couplers for gas.

Further details and information on the range of data services available from the association can be found at the dedicated website www.marinestoresguide.com

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