Conquer the Complexities of International Shipping with Multimodal Visibility

The vast oceans cover most of our planet, and maritime trade fuels a staggering 90% of global commerce. So, any serious discussion about real-time supply chain visibility must tackle the challenge of tracking shipping containers.

But where do we even begin? International tracking is notoriously complex, riddled with delays like rolled cargo, lengthy stopovers, and a labyrinth of regulations. On top of that, antiquated technology has plagued ocean freight visibility for decades.

That's why asking the right questions is crucial when evaluating real-time visibility solutions. While the digital landscape is evolving, beware of any promises that make ocean cargo tracking seem like a walk in the park. It's far from it.

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Challenges of Tracking Ocean Shipments
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Data Silos & Multimodal Disconnects: Not all visibility solutions are created equal. Some only offer tracking for a single transport mode, failing to connect the multimodal journey. Precise inventory management is paramount, and teams need comprehensive, end-to-end solutions that provide visibility down to the order and SKU level. Granular insights are essential to understand exactly which inventory reaches its destination on time.

Unusable Data: More data doesn't always translate to a better position. Digitization is an ongoing journey for most organizations. However, even digitized data can be incomplete, inaccurate, or outdated, rendering it unusable for actionable insights. Your visibility solution needs to offer comprehensive, configurable analytics by provider, region, route, product, and more. This empowers you to improve carrier and supplier performance, ultimately optimizing your entire supply chain network.

Visibility Gaps at Ports, Terminals, and Beyond: Terminals are notorious data black holes for shippers, obscuring cargo movement to the next leg of its journey. Advanced visibility solutions with terminal intelligence provide deeper insights into global terminals, connecting each stage for a complete picture of international freight.  Some solutions rely solely on ocean carrier websites, which is a decent start but doesn't offer the full picture. The most advanced solutions leverage a multitude of information sources, including the port terminals themselves. This enhanced visibility helps shippers, BCOs, and freight forwarders reduce dwell time, missed transshipment ports, and associated fines.

Handoffs can also create data black holes, particularly concerning since delays and bottlenecks often occur at these points. Since shippers frequently utilize multiple transport modes, an advanced ocean visibility solution that seamlessly connects every leg of the supply chain journey on a single platform is a must-have. This can include rail, truckload, or drayage. End-to-end multimodal visibility facilitates proactive mitigation of issues before they disrupt your supply chain upstream or downstream.

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What to Look for in an International Freight Tracking Solution
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Leading organizations are turning to next-generation ocean visibility solutions to overcome these challenges and drive better supply chain outcomes. Here are some key functionalities to consider:

‍Door-to-Door Visibility: A robust ocean freight visibility system should provide visibility from the supplier's doorstep, across the ocean, all the way to the destination warehouse or store. Look for solutions that combine data from various layered sources, such as satellites, carriers, terminals, and more, to create a complete picture.

‍AI-Driven Insights: The massive volume of shipment, order, and SKU data flowing through global supply chains demands the power of artificial intelligence to transform it into actionable insights. AI can identify risks, optimize routes, and drive process efficiencies.

‍Self-Service & Collaboration: An effective visibility solution empowers everyone. It should provide shipment, order, and SKU details to stakeholders across the organization in an intuitive, self-service format. Easy and secure collaboration with external partners is also crucial.

Real-Time, Accurate Data: Minimal information latency and high accuracy are critical for ensuring all stakeholders are working with the same information. Real-time data allows for faster identification of potential delays or disruptions.

A Guide to Using Ocean Visibility

‍With the right ocean visibility capabilities in place, organizations can unlock value in three key areas:

‍1. Pre-Shipment Management

International shipping is a collaborative effort, involving various partners beyond your organization. Successful management requires access to relevant information and a robust exception management process. This ensures seamless integration of orders and shipments as they navigate diverse locations and processes. Delays in recognizing network changes (like vessel delays) or collaborating with execution partners can jeopardize material availability.

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Here's how real-time visibility empowers pre-shipment management:

Timely Information Sharing: Multiple external parties need accurate and timely information to minimize delays and dwell time throughout the process. Every shipment originates from an order, and most organizations utilize order and SKU-based vocabulary. Investing in order detail visibility and monitoring the order lifecycle is crucial for a successful start.

Expedited Shipping Decisions: Expedited shipping costs can significantly impact profit margins. A comprehensive understanding of the execution lifecycle allows for better risk-cost assessment when deciding on expedited options.

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2. Execution Monitoring

Accurate vessel location tracking and early identification of potential ETA risks are just a piece of the end-to-end journey. The job isn't done until the material reaches its final destination and is ready for use or sale.

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Here's how visibility enhances execution monitoring:

Improved Material Arrival Planning: Organizations reliant on timely material arrival for manufacturing or sales promotions benefit from consistent and accurate information, including ETA risk alerts.

Granular Transit Monitoring: Real-time transit monitoring empowers proactive responses to vessel and port supply chain events, potentially triggering financial transactions and saving time.

Minimized Dwell Time: Monitoring the entire door-to-door journey through the port helps minimize delays during handoffs, freeing up working capital tied up in transit inventory.

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3. Performance Analytics

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Anyone can execute an international shipment successfully once. However, consistent and efficient execution, along with a clear understanding of international material movement limitations, requires detailed performance analytics.

Here's how visibility unlocks performance optimization:

Real-Time Dashboards: Dashboards that don't receive real-time updates from multiple network sources are simply reports. True operational dashboards enable rapid decision-making and are the lifeblood of effective supply chain orchestration.

Statistical Variability Insights: Understanding averages between endpoints is just the beginning. Analyzing statistical variability, dwell time versus movement percentages, and identifying consistent network and partner bottlenecks helps drive cost reduction.

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The Visibility You Deserve

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To gain a true competitive edge in international shipping, prioritize an ocean visibility solution that offers:

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Complete Order & Shipment Lifecycle Management: Track the entire journey, not just port-to-port movement.

AI-Driven Insights & Real-Time Data: Leverage AI for accurate ETAs and minimize latency for actionable insights.

Empowering Information for Frontline Teams: Equip teams with relevant data for informed decisions and streamlined collaboration.
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With these capabilities, your organization can navigate the complexities of ocean shipping with confidence. Reduce costs, improve on-time delivery, and enhance the customer experience through effective pre-shipment management, execution monitoring, and performance analysis powered by Shippeo's multimodal visibility platform.

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