A message from the party issuing either an instruction or a booking regarding forwarding/transport services for a collection of consignments under conditions agreed, to the party arranging the forwarding and/or transport services.

This message should not be used to instruct the despatch of products. The 'Instruction To Despatch (INSDES)' message should be used for this purpose.

The instruction results in a transport contract for multiple consignments and is primarily meant for administrative purposes. It will be the message from shipper to carrier or forwarder containing the final details of the consignments for which services are provided. The instruction message is the one and only message which results in the actual contract which can either be a document or an electronic contract.

If only one message will suffice in an exchange between a shipper and a carrier/forwarder to convey the information related to multiple consignments then the instruction message should be the one as this message is the only message that results in a contract.

IFCSUM focuses on separate business areas in transport where the view on the operations is transport means or equipment oriented rather than consignment oriented. The IFCSUM provides a statement for a means of transport or equipment regarding the consignments carried. The IFCSUM message also provides a means to incorporate the control and auditability information needed for the receiver of the message to perform the operation to be carried out.

IFCSUM can be used in the distribution industry as the description of all consignments to be collected together at one location and to be delivered to possibly different locations

The message provides information concerning cargo carried specifying the details regarding carrier, mode of transport, means of transport, equipment and the necessary details of the consignments.

In addition to the main principles detailed above, a number of general principles also apply;

The IFCSUM message may contain one or many consignments.

The IFCSUM message can also be used as an arrival notice.

A number of generic transport terms are used in this specification, to be described as:

CONSIGNEE
the organisation (party) which has the intention to receive the goods.

CONSIGNOR
the party ordering transport, orders a carrier to collect goods for transportation.

CONSIGNMENT
a collection of goods items to be transported from one or many despatch locations to one or many delivery locations. (synonym: shipment).

CARRIER
the party contracted by the consignor or forwarder to transport goods.

DESPATCH LOCATION
the physical location from which goods for transport are shipped.

DELIVERY LOCATION
the physical location to which goods for transport are finally delivered.

EQUIPMENT
material resources necessary to facilitate the transport and handling of cargo. Transport equipment does under the given circumstances not have the ability to move by its own propulsion (e.g. sea container, trailer, unit load device, pallet).

FORWARDER
the party contracted by the consignor to arrange to have the goods transported.

GOODS ITEM
a collection of products normally grouped together for transport purposes, e.g. 12 pallets of foodstuffs.

LINE ITEM
a specific product identified and defined for trade purposes, e.g. a case of flour containing 24 packets of 250 grams.

MODE OF TRANSPORT
the method of transport used for the conveyance of goods or persons, e.g. by rail, by road, by sea.

MEANS OF TRANSPORT
the vehicle used for the transport of goods or persons, e.g. aircraft, truck, vessel.

PLACE OF ACCEPTANCE
the place at which the responsibility of the carrier starts.

PLACE OF DELIVERY
the place at which the responsibility of the carrier ends.

TYPE OF MEANS OF TRANSPORT
the type of vehicle used in the transport process, e.g. wide body, tank truck, passenger vessel.

TYPE OF EQUIPMENT
the type of material used, e.g. 40 feet container, four way pallet, mafi trailer.