The client has now experimented with PFETrack for quite a while. However, he hos noted how much time he was spending on-line. Whereas he recognises that some of his customers won't have a problem with this, he also stresses that at least 50% of them (virtually all the Importers who are UK based and who pay local-call rates for internet access) will baulk at the time they will have to spend on-line to complete their orders (most orders are placed in batches, as many as 20-30 at a time.

The client has seen how other freight forwarders carry out their Tracking Systems, and he has determined that virtually all of them, because of the time spent inputting data, provide an off-line data input facility.

We have to think of a way whereby a user can do the bulk of his data input off-line and then connect to upload the information. If this has to be a Windows or Java app, then so be it, but this is a requirement of the project. I have explained to the client that the nature of PFETrack does not lend itself to off-line data entry. He is very keen for us to get our heads together on this and to develop a way to accomplish this. He is extremely keen to show PFETrack off as a leading edge freight order and tracking system and sees this as an integral part it.