Marine Catalogue Tools

IMPA code matching and ISSA code lookup

Resolve item descriptions to the right marine stores guide code, cross-reference IMPA and ISSA, and keep buyers and ship chandlers quoting against exactly the same line items — the foundation of clean marine supply.

Almost every avoidable problem in marine supply starts with an ambiguous item description. A vessel types "gasket sheet" or "cotton waste" into a requisition, the chandler reads it differently, and the wrong item arrives — or the quote comes back with a query that costs a day the vessel does not have. The IMPA Marine Stores Guide and the ISSA catalogue exist to fix that, but only if the item is matched to the right code in the first place.

Tidal turns free-text descriptions into catalogue lines. Search the marine stores guide, match an item to its IMPA or ISSA code, and cross-reference between the two coding systems, so buyer and supplier are always describing the same thing. Match one line by hand or a whole requisition in bulk before it goes out for quoting.

From a typed description to the right catalogue code

Marine catalogue tooling built into the same platform buyers and ship chandlers use to requisition, quote and deliver.

IMPA code matching

Type an item description and match it to the correct IMPA Marine Stores Guide code, in the right units, ready to requisition or quote.

ISSA code lookup

Look up ISSA catalogue codes and cross-reference against IMPA, so an item coded under one system can still be sourced under the other.

Marine stores guide search

Search the marine stores guide by description or code to find the exact line you need instead of guessing at the nearest match.

Bulk requisition matching

Match a whole requisition or catalogue at once, turning a list of typed items into coded lines before it goes out to suppliers.

Shared coding, both sides

Buyers requisition and chandlers quote against the same codes, so quotes, deliveries and invoices all line up.

Built into the workflow

Matched codes flow straight into RFQs, orders and spend reporting — no re-typing between a lookup tool and your buying system.

Consistent codes are what make marine supply work

IMPA and ISSA code matching, answered

What is IMPA code matching?
It is the process of resolving a free-text item description — for example "cotton waste" or "gasket sheet" — to its correct code in the IMPA Marine Stores Guide. Matching to the right code means the buyer and the ship chandler are describing exactly the same item, in the same units, which cuts wrong-item deliveries and disputes over what was ordered.
How is ISSA code lookup different from IMPA?
IMPA and ISSA are the two widely used marine stores catalogues. IMPA codes come from the IMPA Marine Stores Guide; ISSA codes come from the International Ship Suppliers & Services Association catalogue. Tidal lets you look up either and cross-reference between them, so an item requisitioned under one coding system can still be quoted and supplied cleanly.
Why does matching to the marine stores guide matter?
Most delays and disputes in marine supply come from ambiguous item descriptions. When a requisition line is matched to a marine stores guide code, the chandler quotes against the exact item, the delivery matches the order, and the invoice reconciles. Consistent coding is what makes a structured RFQ and quote workflow actually work.
Can Tidal match a whole requisition at once?
Yes. Alongside single-item search, Tidal matches full requisitions and catalogues to IMPA and ISSA codes in bulk, so a list of items typed by the vessel resolves to catalogue lines before it goes out to suppliers for quoting.

Put every item on the right code

Match descriptions to IMPA and ISSA codes and carry them straight through to RFQs, orders and reporting — live in about a week.

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