Shippers depend on accurate and high-quality data to assess and improve their operations. For ocean shipments, insufficient data from ocean carriers can leave shippers with significant blind spots resulting from inaccurate ETAs, poor communication, inconsistent standards, and implementation challenges. The solution for a growing number of shippers is to use innovative ocean visibility APIs to derive actionable insights that can help optimize their operations.

In this article, we are examining the quality of ocean carrier data and how visibility APIs can provide shippers with access to better data.

What is the Quality of Ocean Data Today?

There is something to be said for the quality of ocean carrier data improving in recent years. Improved regulation of data reporting has resulted in more reliable data for shippers to use. Unfortunately, this does not automatically mean that shippers have all they need to manage their supply chain operations. Shippers must have access to complete and standardized data. There are three parts to this.

1. Shippers need carriers to provide sufficient, detailed data.
2. They need an efficient system of receiving this data.
3. They need standardization for it to be useful. 

The first part—the quality of the ocean carriers’ data can vary depending on the carrier and data source. The provided data may include information on cargo movement, port calls, and vessel schedules, and carriers often have access to additional data sources that account for factors like weather and tide, to improve the accuracy of their information.

However, shippers often encounter issues by relying only on the data provided by ocean carriers. These issues can stem from a lack of updated tracking information, ETAs, and visibility when delays occur. Without sufficient visibility and precise data, shippers are blind to knowing when their goods will arrive at their destination. This makes managing their supply chains challenging and can result in costly delays, lost profits, and customer dissatisfaction.

Shippers need a way to get quality data and reliability even when there are gaps in the carrier’s provided data. Their supply chains depend on access to accurate, up-to-date information and improved ocean tracking visibility.

Benefits of Ocean Container Visibility API

The answer for shippers can be found in a container tracking solution that improves the quality of data they receive. An ocean visibility API provides shippers with automated data processing, improved tracking capabilities, and easier management of complex supply chains through actionable insights. Shippers get efficient and cost-effective visibility through real-time notifications to monitor and manage their shipments. Shippers also benefit from an API’s advanced features of customizable dashboards, custom alerts, and integration with other systems and services. These features allow shippers to easily access detailed and accurate information and take data-driven action to optimize their supply chain operations.

How an Ocean Container Visibility API Helps Shippers’ Supply Chains

An ocean container visibility API provides shippers with improved data accuracy, reduced delivery delays, and increased visibility of shipments through the following capabilities.

• Reduce risk – Real-time visibility allows shippers to track shipments with up-to-date information on vessel departures, arrivals, and locations, helping to reduce delivery delays and enabling shippers to better plan for their shipments.
• Automate data collection and standardization – Automated data processes provide shippers with standardized data while reducing reliance on costly, inefficient manual processes. 
• Share data seamlessly – Shippers can collaborate with partners throughout their supply chain, so better transparency leads to optimized operations.

Going back to the three-part data needs of shippers (sufficient data, a system for receiving this data efficiently, and standardization), an ocean container visibility API covers each of these areas. It improves the quality of data from the shippers’ view while it provides efficiency in accessing this information and standardization of the data. Without each of these components, the shipper would be forced to allocate time to making ocean carrier data useful and extracting meaningful, actionable insight.

Find Quality Data with VIZION API to Drive Optimized Operations

Shippers face challenges from a lack of visibility that can keep them dealing with the same operational obstacles, like shipment delays and delayed responses to disruptions, inefficient routing, and high freight spend. It’s only through a solution like VIZION API that shippers can efficiently get the transparency and actionable insight they need to optimize operations.

With VIZION, shippers can eliminate manual data processes, reduce risk, and better inform decisions by sharing data throughout the supply chain. To learn more about what goes into VIZION API’s high-quality data and the advantages this can bring to your business, reach out to book a demo with us today.