Disruption is occurring at a faster pace than ever before in transportation and logistics, while big changes in the industry are highly likely, as highlighted in the Review of Maritime Transport 2020 by UNCTAD.
Interrupted cargo movements, increased port congestion, container shortages and additional costs for shippers, are just some of the challenges many executives and investors worldwide have been experiencing over the past several months.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has revealed multiple gaps in global supply chains, making the need for early and resilient logistics planning even more evident.
Related: Using data to build a resilient supply chain
To eliminate risks and disruptions, keep unwelcome surprises away and be better prepared when you track the vessels carrying your cargo, you need to be able to identify potential hazards early on.
For example, are there any indications of your shipments not running according to schedule? The following questions are key to understanding and keeping up to date with the status of your shipments.
- Has the vessel just stopped?
- Has it been sailing slower than expected?
- Has it made an extra stop?
- Is its destination port experiencing congestion?
- How long will the vessel be waiting at anchorage or at the port?
If you are able to provide answers to these questions, you are on the right path. More importantly, it means you have the information you need to effectively monitor all the changes on the schedule, especially as they happen.
If you find it harder to answer them, you are most likely lacking the information needed to stay on top of the latest updates.
When it comes to monitoring cargo movements, in-transit shipment visibility is fundamental.
Examples of the key information logistics professionals need at this stage include accurate AIS positional data, real-time vessel events, port congestion metrics, detailed port calls, predicted ETA and voyage information, and real-time vessel events.
Related: Solving for supply chain professionals
Combined with tools that enable you to be notified of the critical updates regarding your cargo shipment, such as automated alerts, this information helps you improve the amount of effort and time needed to react faster to issues that may arise - especially when those are related to sharing schedule updates with your carriers.
