Ocean Visibility: Connecting the Dots in a Single Source of Truth

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A major goal of visibility is to stitch together the entire multimodal picture and present it in one single source to everyone who needs it. Some parts of the supply chain are easier to incorporate than others. Ocean and intermodal are among the most complex and challenging pieces of the visibility puzzle—containers don’t have IoT devices in them like trucks do with telematics, and there are typically several handoffs at ports. But they’re also among the most important. They set the tone for the rest of the journey, and they’re crucial when it comes to supply chains being able to plan proactively. 

As we continue to evolve our Advanced Visibility Platform™, we’re drawn to solving challenges like these in order to provide users with the most comprehensive visibility product on the market. Intermodal visibility from project44 is the next step in providing that end to end visibility picture. We want to take you through how we’re tackling it. 

Factoring in Historical Data Enables More Precise ETAs

Shipments moving across the ocean can experience unforeseen delays, causing a ripple effect that can be felt all the way down the supply chain. Between ocean and ocean to rail, the data needed to factor into predictive models used to be somewhat siloed, making analytics unreliable. We’ve changed that. 

Real-time data is obviously crucial, but the ability to proactively plan ahead requires predictive analytics. Our team has been monitoring vessel routes for 12 years, during which we’ve amassed an incredible wealth of data to factor into predictive models. We have detailed information on vessel speeds—how fast ships typically move during each leg of their route. We look at delays and port congestion and can tell users exactly why they occur. This allows us to know how long it takes ships to move between any point on the water with unmatched precision. We also track weather and how it impacts possible routes and vessel speeds. While we can’t stop ETAs from changing, we can give customers the most accurate, real-time ETAs and the reason behind the change, allowing them to plan accordingly and create efficiency. 

Joining Data from the Entire Ecosystem

Our customers need to be able to see real-time container tracking data down to a container level, and they need to be able to make adjustments when ETAs change. Until recently, technology wasn’t capable of presenting data on such a granular level. 

Gathering data from as many relevant sources as possible allows for a more complete picture. To better integrate ocean and intermodal data, project44 has developed integrations with the top ocean carriers to facilitate visibility into real-time container level event data, an overview of booked route plans, live vessel tracking and geo-location updates, and visibility into vessel sailing schedules. 

This data is married with data from ports and terminals. Our extensive network of port community system integrations allows us to provide data on customs, line and terminal hold status updates, detention and demurrage risk, and key events for tracking intermodal handoffs. 

These integrations are made possible by project44’s platform being built on top of modern APIs. The wealth of participants connected within the ecosystem facilitates a high level of data being transferred. It takes years to build a platform with this level of connectivity, but the result is the ability to provide our customers with truly end-to-end visibility.

Providing a Single Source of Truth for Ocean, Intermodal, and Full-Life Cycle Visibility

Data around one mode of transportation is good, but it’s so much more useful when it’s included with the bigger picture. Our customers need data for all modes their shipments touch and they need it all in one place. 

Collecting and analyzing ocean data is only half the battle. For it to be practical and useful, all relevant supply chain stakeholders need to be able to see it. project44’s Visibility Operations Center™ (VOC) accomplishes this by housing all data and updates for ocean, intermodal, and other modes in one place. This way users never lose track of containers, even during handoffs. 

Ocean and intermodal visibility from project44 further stitch together the overall visibility picture. They allow customers to keep their supply chain operations running smoothly by tracking inbound containers and minimizing uncertainty during handoffs. They feed into our Advanced Visibility Platform, allowing our customers to see the bigger picture.