Claims Management System™ (CMS)
BearWare’s Claims Management System (CMS) works in combination with the carton level freight tracking data captured in BearWare’s RDS system and consolidated on BearWare’s webTMS system to provide a seamless, flexible, and cost-effective way to generate, file, manage, and track freight claims.
Shippers can choose how to use CMS in conjunction with their own unique loss prevention and inventory control processes. Cartons which 3rd party transportation providers report in BearWare’s RDS system as being received, but not delivered, are first reported to the shipper as “missing POD’s.” An email alert containing this report is sent to the transportation provider along with a request to image scan the delivery bill of lading for review. If the POD provided is not accepted by the shipper, the missing carton becomes an open claim. A list of open claims is also auto-emailed to the transportation provider out of CMS. Individual claims are then electronically generated in the form approved by the shipper and emailed directly to the transportation provider. Ad hoc claims can also be generated in CMS. If desired, CMS can send an electronic file to the shipper’s inventory control and accounting departments. Further, CMS can be used with BearWare’s freight payment system, RPS, and open claims can be deducted from any freight payments that are due the carrier.
Using BearWare’s CMS system, shippers have the opportunity to eliminate many of the manual steps in the freight claims process. CMS reduces claim disputes because claims are only generated for those cartons that the carrier itself, using BearWare’s RDS system, has verified they received from the shipper, but did not deliver. Most importantly, CMS reduces the claims cycle from, in some cases, a year or more to a matter of a few months or less, depending on the shipper’s preference.
CMS has been designed in cooperation with BearWare’s Steering Committee of shipping clients to make sure that it not only meets the needs of the specialty retail industry, but incorporates the best practices of industry leaders.