Information-quality initiative aims to improve visibility of ocean shipments
E-commerce platform INTTRA seeks to improve the data ocean carriers provide to customers; collaboration with GS1 US will address data exchange standards.
Contributing Editor Toby Gooley is a writer and editor specializing in supply chain, logistics, and material handling, and a lecturer at MIT's Center for Transportation & Logistics. She previously was Senior Editor at DC VELOCITY and Editor of DCV's sister publication, CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly. Prior to joining AGiLE Business Media in 2007, she spent 20 years at Logistics Management magazine as Managing Editor and Senior Editor covering international trade and transportation. Prior to that she was an export traffic manager for 10 years. She holds a B.A. in Asian Studies from Cornell University.
True supply chain visibility remains "the impossible dream" for shippers. That's because the complexity and global nature of
today's supply chains make it difficult to obtain complete, accurate, and timely shipment data. An initiative launched by INTTRA,
an e-commerce platform for managing ocean shipping transactions, could help resolve the problem by improving the quality of the
information ocean carriers provide to their customers.
The company's information quality initiative includes several elements: data quality measurements; a shipment-data tracking and
analysis system for shippers; consulting services to help ocean carriers improve their data quality; and a collaboration with the
international data standards organization GS1 US.
INTTRA says it is well-positioned to improve supply chain data quality. The company, which counts more than 50 ocean carriers
and consolidators as members, has visibility into bookings, documentation, and shipping transactions for about 35 percent of the
world's container traffic. That translates into approximately 1.5 million messages a day, according to Chief Marketing Officer
Sandra Moran.
DATA FOR SHIPPERS, CARRIERS
The first element of the information quality initiative establishes measurements for the completeness, accuracy, and timeliness of
shipment information—something that previously did not exist, Moran said in an interview. That required defining a standard
set of messages marking key milestones for every container shipment. Initially, there are six: gate in, container load, vessel
depart, vessel arrive, container unload, and gate out. If a carrier provides all six data points through INTTRA, the container
shipment information is then considered "complete." (More events, such as transshipments and intermodal moves, may eventually be
added.)
INTTRA measures accuracy by comparing the six container lifecycle events against the transportation booking. Timeliness is
measured by assessing whether data about the six container events are submitted in the correct chronological order. In the future,
the program may also measure how quickly carriers provide information following a milestone, said Kristin Celecki, director of
product marketing, visibility solutions.
Participating carriers receive a monthly scorecard that shows how well they've performed on all three counts and measures them
against their own previous performance and that of all carriers in the program. Since the program was launched in September 2013,
the number of "complete" shipments for all participating carriers has improved by 12 percent, according to INTTRA.
Another element of the initiative, the cloud-based Insights Platform for Visibility, lets INTTRA customers access, analyze, and
respond to container event data. This makes shipment information available to shippers of all sizes, not just big companies with
sophisticated tracking systems, Moran said.
A third element identifies which event data are missing, and from where. INTTRA drills down not just by carrier but also by
country, port, and even individual container terminals to help identify the source of a data problem, Moran said. The company can
use that information to help participating carriers improve their data quality.
"For example, when we look at vessel departures ... if we see one carrier with significantly higher data quality that is operating
from the same terminal as a carrier with bad quality, we can help assess where the problem lies," Moran said. "It could be that the
carrier's system isn't able to match information to the shipment properly."
If INTTRA's database is representative of overall information quality throughout the container shipping industry, then an
estimated 17 million shipments per year lack complete tracking information, Moran said.
Equally disturbing is INTTRA's finding that two of the world's most important trading partners—the United States and
China—are among the worst in providing complete shipment data.
In March,
INTTRA released a list of the countries scoring the best and worst in information quality, measured by completeness
of container milestone data. The five best (in descending order) were: Hong Kong, Chile, Thailand, Canada, and Australia. The
worst were China, Turkey, the United States, South Korea, and India. Overall, INTTRA said, the five best-scoring countries for
information quality represent 5 percent of total incomplete shipments measured under its information quality program, while the
five worst countries represent 47 percent of the volume of total incomplete shipments the technology firm reviewed.
WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?
Why is it so hard for shippers to get seemingly basic information—complete, accurate, and in chronological order—from
ocean carriers? One reason is that the information is created and shared in a wide range of formats and methods, including
manually. Another reason, Moran said, is that the carriers aren't generating most of the event data; rather, they receive
information—often out of sequence—from ports, terminal operators, and other sources around the world and pass it on
to customers, often via a third party. "Many carriers don't have a single system for gathering and delivering that data, which
itself comes from many systems," she said.
Providing better-quality ocean shipment information could help companies more accurately assess supply chain performance,
understand total landed costs, drive logistical improvements, and take excess inventory out of their supply chains, Moran said.
But, she added, "You can't do all that until the data is there ... it has to be available faster and more predictably."
Achieving that lofty goal requires consistency in when and how information is shared. On that count, INTTRA is collaborating
with the international data standards organization GS1 US to develop and implement guidelines for the automated formatting and
exchanging of containerized shipping data. The GS1 US Logistics Workgroup, which INTTRA recently joined, will develop automated
processes, a standard set of container delivery events, and targets for data transmission timeliness. The group will also work on
further definition of the shipment data to be exchanged and on best practices documentation.
Electronic data interchange (EDI) messages that describe a shipment's status do exist, but they don't meet shippers'
information needs, Moran said. "EDI is a data standard, but it doesn't have business process guidelines. ... Our collaboration
with GS1 is about the circumstances around getting that data—when that data should be exchanged and when after an actual event
companies should receive related data."
E-commerce activity remains robust, but a growing number of consumers are reintegrating physical stores into their shopping journeys in 2024, emphasizing the need for retailers to focus on omnichannel business strategies. That’s according to an e-commerce study from Ryder System, Inc., released this week.
Ryder surveyed more than 1,300 consumers for its 2024 E-Commerce Consumer Study and found that 61% of consumers shop in-store “because they enjoy the experience,” a 21% increase compared to results from Ryder’s 2023 survey on the same subject. The current survey also found that 35% shop in-store because they don’t want to wait for online orders in the mail (up 4% from last year), and 15% say they shop in-store to avoid package theft (up 8% from last year).
“Retail and e-commerce continue to evolve,” Jeff Wolpov, Ryder’s senior vice president of e-commerce, said in a statement announcing the survey’s findings. “The emergence of e-commerce and growth of omnichannel fulfillment, particularly over the past four years, has altered consumer expectations and behavior dramatically and will continue to do so as time and technology allow.
“This latest study demonstrates that, while consumers maintain a robust
appetite for e-commerce, they are simultaneously embracing in-person shopping, presenting an impetus for merchants to refine their omnichannel strategies.”
Other findings include:
• Apparel and cosmetics shoppers show growing attraction to buying in-store. When purchasing apparel and cosmetics, shoppers are more inclined to make purchases in a physical location than they were last year, according to Ryder. Forty-one percent of shoppers who buy cosmetics said they prefer to do so either in a brand’s physical retail location or a department/convenience store (+9%). As for apparel shoppers, 54% said they prefer to buy clothing in those same brick-and-mortar locations (+9%).
• More customers prefer returning online purchases in physical stores. Fifty-five percent of shoppers (+15%) now say they would rather return online purchases in-store–the first time since early 2020 the preference to Buy Online Return In-Store (BORIS) has outweighed returning via mail, according to the survey. Forty percent of shoppers said they often make additional purchases when picking up or returning online purchases in-store (+2%).
• Consumers are extremely reliant on mobile devices when shopping in-store. This year’s survey reveals that 77% of consumers search for items on their mobile devices while in a store, Ryder said. Sixty-nine percent said they compare prices with items in nearby stores, 58% check availability at other stores, 31% want to learn more about a product, and 17% want to see other items frequently purchased with a product they’re considering.
Ryder said the findings also underscore the importance of investing in technology solutions that allow companies to provide customers with flexible purchasing options.
“Omnichannel strength is not a fad; it is a strategic necessity for e-commerce and retail businesses to stay competitive and achieve sustainable success in 2024 and beyond,” Wolpov also said. “The findings from this year’s study underscore what we know our customers are experiencing, which is the positive impact of integrating supply chain technology solutions across their sales channels, enabling them to provide their customers with flexible, convenient options to personalize their experience and heighten customer satisfaction.”
Transportation industry veteran Anne Reinke will become president & CEO of trade group the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) at the end of the year, stepping into the position from her previous post leading third party logistics (3PL) trade group the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA), both organizations said today.
Meanwhile, TIA today announced that insider Christopher Burroughs would fill Reinke’s shoes as president & CEO. Burroughs has been with TIA for 13 years, most recently as its vice president of Government Affairs for the past six years, during which time he oversaw all legislative and regulatory efforts before Congress and the federal agencies.
Before her four years leading TIA, Reinke spent two years as Deputy Assistant Secretary with the U.S. Department of Transportation and 16 years with CSX Corporation.
National nonprofit Wreaths Across America (WAA) kicked off its 2024 season this week with a call for volunteers. The group, which honors U.S. military veterans through a range of civic outreach programs, is seeking trucking companies and professional drivers to help deliver wreaths to cemeteries across the country for its annual wreath-laying ceremony, December 14.
“Wreaths Across America relies on the transportation industry to move the mission. The Honor Fleet, composed of dedicated carriers, professional drivers, and other transportation partners, guarantees the delivery of millions of sponsored veterans’ wreaths to their destination each year,” Courtney George, WAA’s director of trucking and industry relations, said in a statement Tuesday. “Transportation partners benefit from driver retention and recruitment, employee engagement, positive brand exposure, and the opportunity to give back to their community’s veterans and military families.”
WAA delivers wreaths to more than 4,500 locations nationwide, and as of this week had added more than 20 loads to be delivered this season. The wreaths are donated by sponsors from across the country, delivered by truckers, and laid at the graves of veterans by WAA volunteers.
Wreaths Across America
Transportation companies interested in joining the Honor Fleet can visit the WAA website to find an open lane or contact the WAA transportation team at trucking@wreathsacrossamerica.org for more information.
Krish Nathan is the Americas CEO for SDI Element Logic, a provider of turnkey automation solutions and sortation systems. Nathan joined SDI Industries in 2000 and honed his project management and engineering expertise in developing and delivering complex material handling solutions. In 2014, he was appointed CEO, and in 2022, he led the search for a strategic partner that could expand SDI’s capabilities. This culminated in the acquisition of SDI by Element Logic, with SDI becoming the Americas branch of the company.
A native of the U.K., Nathan received his bachelor’s degree in manufacturing engineering from Coventry University and has studied executive leadership at Cranfield University.
Q: How would you describe the current state of the supply chain industry?
A: We see the supply chain industry as very dynamic and exciting, both from a growth perspective and from an innovation perspective. The pandemic hangover is still impacting decisions to nearshore, and that has resulted in a spike in business for us in both the USA and Mexico. Adding new technology to our portfolio has been a significant contributor to our continued expansion.
Q: Distributors were making huge tech investments during the pandemic simply to keep up with soaring consumer demand. How have things changed since then?
A: The consumer demand for e-commerce certainly appears to have cooled since the pandemic high, but our clients continue to see steady growth. Growth, combined with low unemployment and high labor costs, continues to make automation a good investment for many companies.
Q: Robotics are still in high demand for material handling applications. What are some of the benefits of these systems?
A: As an organization, we are investing heavily in software that will allow Element Logic to offer solutions for robotic picking that are hardware-agnostic. We have had success deploying unit picking for order fulfillment solutions and unit placing of items onto tray-based sorters.
From a benefit point of view, we’ve seen the consistency of a given operation improve. For example, the placement accuracy of a product onto a tray is far higher from a robotic arm than from a person. In order fulfillment applications, two of the biggest benefits are reliability and hours of operation. The robots don't call in sick, and they are happy to work 22 hours a day!
Q: SDI Element Logic offers a wide range of automated solutions, including automated storage and sortation equipment. What criteria should distributors use to determine what type of system is right for them?
A: There are a significant number of factors to consider when thinking about automation. In my experience, automation pays for itself in three key ways: It saves space, it increases the efficiency of labor, and it improves accuracy. So evaluating which of these will be [most] beneficial and quantifying the associated savings will lead to a “right sized” investment in technology.
Another important factor to consider is product mix. With a small SKU (stock-keeping unit) base, often automation doesn’t make sense. And with a huge SKU base, there will be products that don’t lend themselves to automation.
With any significant investment, you need to partner with an organization that has deep experience with the technologies that are being considered and … in-depth knowledge of the process that is being automated.
Q: How can a goods-to-person system reduce the amount of labor needed to fill orders?
A: In most order picking operations, there is a considerable amount of walking between pick faces to find the SKUs associated with a given order or set of orders. Goods-to-person eliminates the walking and allows the operator to just pick. I have seen studies that [show] that 75% of the time [required] to assemble an order in a manual picking environment is walking or “non-picking” time. So eliminating walking will reduce the amount of labor needed.
The goods-to-person approach also fits perfectly with robotic picking, so even the actual picking aspect of order assembly can be automated in some instances. For these reasons, [automation offers] a significant opportunity to reduce the labor needed to fulfill a customer order.
Q: If you could pick one thing a company should do to improve its distribution center operations, what would it be?
A: Evaluate. Evaluate the opportunities for improving by considering automation. In my experience, the challenge most companies have is recognizing that automation is an alternative. The barrier to entry is far lower than most people think!
Toyota Material Handling and its nationwide network of dealers showcased their commitment to improving their local communities during the company’s annual “Lift the Community Day.” Since 2021, Toyota associates have participated in an annual day-long philanthropic event held near Toyota’s Columbus, Indiana, headquarters. This year, the initiative expanded to include participation from Toyota’s dealers, increasing the impact on communities throughout the U.S. A total of 324 Toyota associates completed 2,300 hours of community service during this year’s event.
The PMMI Foundation, the charitable arm of PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, awarded nearly $200,000 in scholarships to students pursuing careers in the packaging and processing industry. Each year, the PMMI Foundation provides academic scholarships to students studying packaging, food processing, and engineering to underscore its commitment to the future of the packaging and processing industry.
Truck leasing and fleet management services provider Fleet Advantage hosted its “Kids Around the Corner Foundation” back-to-school backpack drive in July. During the event, company associates assembled 200 backpacks filled with essential school supplies for high school-age students. The backpacks were then delivered to Henderson Behavioral Health’s Youth & Family Services location in Tamarac, Florida.
For the past seven years, third-party logistics service specialist ODW Logistics has provided logistics support for the Pelotonia Ride Weekend, a campaign to raise funds for cancer research at The Ohio State University’s Comprehensive Cancer Center–Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute. As in the past, ODW provided inventory management services and transportation for the riders’ bicycles at this year’s event. In all, some 7,000 riders and 3,000 volunteers participated in the ride weekend.