In ocean shipping, complex logistics networks involving multiple entities across various countries can lead to poor visibility, causing delays and extra costs. Differing tracking systems among stakeholders further exacerbate the issue, potentially wasting time, money, and resources.
Ocean Visibility
Data silos and multimodal disconnects
Some visibility providers only offer tracking for one mode or do not provide connections for the multimodal journey.
Some visibility providers only offer tracking for one mode or do not provide connections for the multimodal journey.
Unusable data
Once the data is digital, it still might be incomplete, inaccurate, or just plain stale, making it difficult to use in an actionable way. With digitalized data, you can see which sources are better than others and initiate corrective programs to address the root causes.
This process is the foundation for improving carrier performance, supplier performance, and, ultimately, the supply chain network’s performance. Forwarders have variability in their performance, which can cause delight or a problem depending on whether your needs match their strengths or weak spots.
That is why your visibility solution needs to offer comprehensive, configurable analytics by provider, region, route, product, division, and more.
Visibility at the port, terminal, and beyond
- Terminals are typically a black hole of data for shippers, obfuscating when cargo makes it to the next leg of its journey. Advanced visibility solutions with terminal intelligence can give shippers deeper visibility into global terminals, connecting each leg of the journey for a complete picture of international freight.
- With this added visibility, shippers, BCOs, and freight forwarders will reduce dwell, missed transshipment ports and fines, and fees.Handoffs can also create a black hole of data – which is especially concerning given that these handoffs often are where delays or bottlenecks occur.
- Since shippers typically use more modes to transport goods, an advanced ocean visibility solution that connects each leg of the supply chain journey in a single platform is a must-have. End-to-end multimodal visibility makes it easier to mitigate issues in your supply chain.
Benefits of End-to-End Insights
Manage exceptions
With a comprehensive ocean visibility solution, shippers can see what containers are delayed and prioritize accordingly to reduce the impact of delays on customer satisfaction and transportation costs. It is important that visibility system provides users with ways to identify exceptions only when they really are most important.
With terminal visibility, shippers can see when vessels are stuck at a terminal or have spent a long period of time there, missed a handoff, or when other exceptions occur to minimize the impact on the transportation cost and supply chain network.
Reduce unnecessary fines and fees
With end-to-end coverage across modes and handoffs, real-time visibility solutions can minimize unnecessary demurrage and detention fees. Shippers can proactively prioritize containers that are about to incur fees by using dashboards and analytics, real-time notifications, and predictive ETAs.
These will help shippers pinpoint bottlenecks or areas with regular disruptions. Shippers can also identify carriers or ports that tend to accumulate demurrage and detention fees and work to improve or replace them, reducing the impact on their bottom line.
Smooth Sailing
By harnessing ocean shipping data and transforming it into actionable supply chain insights, you can stay competitive, minimize disruptions, and enhance customer satisfaction.
While there are many strategies and tools available for addressing the issues, commonalities include:
- Accurate, timely, and complete information as milestones occur
- Reliable processing of the information, available to the right people at the right time in ways that allow them to take appropriate actions
- Collaboration and sharing information such that all partners involved are using current, accurate information
- Comprehensive analytical tools to identify trends, anomalies, and the performance levels of each actor in the supply chain.
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Source: Port Technology
