COMFIS©: Commodity Flows Information System

TAF Consultants®’ COMFIS© is a comprehensive, cost-effective and user friendly Commodity Flows Information System and market analysis tool.  It is an interactive-dynamic framework of information related to the supply and demand, trade and shipments by ports of origins and destinations, markets of commodities moving to and from Canadian, U.S. and World markets through the marine transportation system and alternative modes. Accuracy of information and the ease of access are two of the major objectives of this system. Information is gathered from several reliable Canadian, U.S. and International Organizations. COMFIS© represents the result of twelve (12) years development and implementation by TAF Consultants®.

Analysis of the present and future behaviour of commodity flows require quick examination and interpretation of large amount of information before any sound business decision can be made. The scope and complexity of the transportation system and the unavailability of comprehensive, logically organized and harmonized information on commodity flows at one source prompted the development of COMFIS with the aim of providing comprehensive and cost-effective information on commodity flows with a global perspective.

COMFIS' global approach is based on the concept that elements of a transportation system and factors that influence them are interrelated. By visualizing this relationship in a computerized information system, the understanding, analysis and identification of markets for commodities flowing through alternative transportation systems become easy and efficient.

The scope and type of information provided by COMFIS©, make the system vital for many applications including: market research, commodity flow analysis, traffic analysis and forecasting, competitiveness studies, system planning, Policy decision, marketing, organization, presentation and education.

FEATURES AND CHARACTERISTICS

• COMFIS is a multi-user and network-ready information system operating under Microsoft Windows XP™ environment.  Microsoft™ Access™ 2003 is used as its main database engine.  The system is based on a modular expandable core technology allowing additional modules that reflect user's present and future requirements.

• COMFIS Structure is composed of modules and their sub-modules: Commodities, Modes, Routes, Ports, Markets, These modules comprise objects that represent elements and variables related to the transportation of commodities.

• The system depicts the flow of up to 101 based commodities/groups that are shipped domestically in Canada and traded internationally between a total of 795 Canadian and U.S. ports and up to 1432 Foreign ports belonging to 229 Countries and Territories. Information can be obtained by Commodity, Commodity Group, Port, Canadian & U.S. Seaboard Outlet (Arctic, Pacific, Great Lakes, St. Lawrence & Atlantic) Market (Province/State, Country, World Region, continent), Shipping Status and whether the shipments are containerized.

• Accuracy of information and ease of access are two of the major objectives of these systems.  Information is gathered from several reliable Canadian, U.S. and International Organizations such as Statistics Canada, MARAD. Canadian Grains Commission & the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

• COMFIS is intuitive and straightforward tools that provides the power of a comprehensive information system in everyday data management tasks. With COMFIS it is no longer necessary to dig through outdated statistical publications or complicated inflexible data bases. With a few clicks of a mouse on a button based menu the user is able to easily work through increasing levels of details to obtain the desired information.

• The scope and type of information provided by COMFIS©, make the system vital for many applications including: market research, commodity flow analysis, traffic analysis and forecast, competitiveness studies, system planning, Policy decision, marketing, organization, presentation and education.

• Period and time series of information will vary depending on the topic but should represent the most recent available information. Periodical updates of information and added modules protect user's investment while maintaining consistency.

• Dynamic Menus and Movable Toolbars are an integral part of the system for easier, quicker and more efficient uses of the system.

• Dynamic Cross tab Query, Pivot Table and Chart Capabilities: with the click of a button it can automatically create a cross tab query or a Pivot Table or Chart to summarize data in a compact spreadsheet format. For example, the user can present commodity flows between Ports of Origin and Destination in an Input/Output Table Form.

• Dynamic report capabilities

• Dynamic Chart capabilities

• Navigation Mapping Capabilities

• Automatic Output to a Spreadsheet or a Word Processing: with the click of a button the query output will be automatically transferred to a spreadsheet or a word processing file.

• In simple terms COMFIS can be described as follows: Comprehensive, Reliable, User-friendly, Cost-effective, Innovative, Interactive, Dynamic, Modular, Expandable, Multitasking, Network-ready and Multi-user.