Real-time container tracking is a capability that provides port operators, customers, and freight carriers alike with a wide range of benefits. Unfortunately, most container tracking data provided today is messy, inconsistent, and largely inaccessible, vastly limiting the value it provides. In this article, we'll explore why collecting container tracking data is essential, the reasons behind why most of this data is messy and organized, and how real-time container tracking APIs such as VIZION can help bring organization and consistency to container tracking data.

Why is Container Tracking Data Important?

Real-time container tracking offers several key benefits. For one, accurate, timely data regarding the location and status of cargo empowers port operators to foresee issues before they arise and begin taking steps to mitigate those issues. Container tracking also allows for complete transparency between port operators, customers, and freight forwarders, keeping everyone on the same page and allowing for easier coordination between partners. Finally, real-time container tracking enables customers to reduce their demurrage and detention fees when many ports are increasing these fees due to over-congestion by enabling them to manage their resources better to limit fees that they incur.

Why Has Container Tracking Been Inaccessible and Messy?

While container tracking provides many noteworthy benefits, these benefits are often mitigated because much of the data collected is unorganized, inconsistent, and difficult to interpret. The biggest reason for this issue is that container tracking data is not standardized across partners, carriers, and forwarders. In fact, many analytics teams spend up to 70% of their time simply standardizing the data they collect. When you combine this with the fact that real-time container tracking data is typically provided only to "big" customers ,and most others are directed to use shipment tracking websites instead, the potential benefits of real-time container tracking are severely limited.

Why it Should be Easy to Collect Container Tracking Data

Real-time container tracking that provides customers, shippers, and port operators with standardized, easy-to-analyze data is far from being an unattainable goal. By utilizing real-time container tracking APIs, partners can easily collect container tracking data that is standardized, well-organized, and easy to interpret. Best of all, no-code/low code container tracking APIs allow for the creation of custom container tracking APIs with minimal investment and without the assistance of a third-party software development firm. With that said, there is no good reason beyond a lack of awareness why container tracking data continues to be so inaccessible and messy.

What are the Benefits to Supply Chains When Visibility is Solved at Scale?

Supply chain visibility allows customers and their partners to track their assets’  real-time location and status throughout every step of the supply chain. When supply visibility is solved at scale via a real-time container tracking API, customers can attain more accurate delivery estimates, anticipate issues before they arise, and overall attain a higher degree of control over their supply chain. Best of all, the data collected by a real-time container tracking API is organized, standardized across partners, and easy to analyze for valuable insights.

How VIZION Provides Complete Supply Chain Visibility

VIZION helps port operators, freight carriers, and customers achieve complete supply chain visibility through our industry-leading real-time container tracking API. By providing automated notifications on completed milestones and scheduled events along with a wealth of other standardized data, VIZION can provide optimum visibility and transparency across your supply chain. As a low-code/no-code platform, our real-time container tracking API is also easy to implement and customize without the need to hire a development firm. While building your own container tracking solution from the ground up can require a massive investment in terms of both time and money, creating a custom container tracking solution with VIZION can be accomplished in far less time and for a fraction of what it costs to build your own solution from scratch.

Conclusion

Today, far too many customers and professionals in the shipping industry are forced to rely on tracking data that is incomplete, unorganized, and inconsistent. At VIZION, can solve this pressing problem through a proven real-time container tracking API that provides standardized, easy-to-analyze data and ultimately complete visibility across your supply chain. If you would like to learn more about the many benefits of partnering with VIZION for your container tracking needs, feel free to contact us today.