Outsourced Logistics

The Artemus Group, a privately-held company that specializes in transportation software applications and training for all aspects of the shipping industry, announced today that it will be hosting a “Master the Art of the Letter of Credit” course on February 4, 2010 in Norfolk VA to help exporters get paid in days versus weeks or months.

Heading up the workshop is Danielle Austin of the Export Trade Associates, a Letter of Credit (LC) specialist, who says that LC courses taught by banks do not have the day-to-day experience of an exporter. “The key advantage is after exporters take this course, they are no longer at the mercy of their customer, their freight forwarder or their issuing bank,” said Austin. “Letters of Credit are what most companies struggle with when trying to secure sales and ship internationally. These documents can be a very frustrating process, as well as financially painful if the exporter loses 100% security with a single discrepancy.”

“I teach this course from more than 15 years of experience and with a benchmark of how to get paid in 6-10 days from ship-day,” said Austin. “I can show exporters how to take control of this process – the learning curve for letters of credit is long and the bank fees are high. When exporters walk away from this course, they know how to: read and understand a Letter of Credit; get paid in days by reducing their days sales outstanding (DSO); reduce or eliminate discrepancies; decrease documentation preparation fees; communicate better with their banks and customers; extend terms with their customers; and get paid “at sight” and limit bank fees.”

According to Steve Pniewski, president of The Artemus Group, the banks subject many Exporters to unnecessary fees for errors and incompleteness and it takes much longer to prepare a Letter of Credit without previous knowledge. “We are the only training company providing this type of Master the Art of the Letter of Credit workshop. Most exporters have been relying on the banks until this point. Letters of Credit are becoming more popular to use and they ensure everyone gets paid, including the bank and the customer shipping the product.”

All participants will receive a certificate of completion, an international commercial terms (INCOTerms) chart, resource links, and reference materials and will walk away with the ability to create their own LC Instructions. One participant who attended Danielle Austin’s past course said, “This seminar was direct, applicable materials & instructions provided ‘immediate’ methods that can (and should) be used to alleviate risks & minimize cost.” Jean Hendrix, Credit Manager, ASC Volvo. Another person said, “This training has taken me to the ‘next level’ needed to use LCs to reduce risk and DSO for our company,” Cyndi Wilson, Credit Analyst, Gilbarco.

For more information, please contact: 1-866-744-7101 or http://www.artemus.us/classroom-training/letter.php.

About The Artemus Group

The Artemus Group is a privately-held company that offers transportation software applications, Internet applications, basic shipping training known as Shipping 101, hazardous cargo handling training, and business consulting for shipping start-ups and staffing services for all aspects of the international transportation industry.

The company is headquartered in Virginia Beach VA. The Artemus Group Customs reporting software (AMS/ISF/ACI) is a web-based application designed specifically to meet the needs of the US Customs 24-hour rule, US Customs 10+2 Import Security Filing Rule and the Canadian Customs 24-hour rule, including global access with security management, customer and vessel profiles, customized reporting, direct access to responses from US and Canadian Customs, as well as manifest print, PTT and IT capability with the proper bonds.