If there is one thing that is certain for 2018, it is that the rapid pace of change in our industry — particularly in the realm of technology — will only continue to rise.
Consumer expectations have changed dramatically in the past several years, and these expectations are steadily rising up the value chain. Just as consumers have come to expect “the Amazon experience” — ordering something, getting immediate tracking information, and having it delivered to their doorstep within 24 hours — the BCOs, non-vessel-operating common carriers, and other customers of ocean carriers, right up the line to the carriers themselves, are demanding better service, transparency and visibility.
The container shipping industry must come to terms with these expectations. End-customers will obtain the information they need whether our industry is willing to provide it or not; the exponential technology advances we see every day guarantee it. So the sooner ocean carriers and terminal operators start working together and sharing data to address the need for transparency and visibility — with the purpose of adding value and providing better service — the better.
We believe 2018 will be the year the container shipping industry adopts cloud technology on a large scale, gaining unprecedented visibility and connectivity across the end-to-end supply chain. From stowage and berth window planning to port call optimization, by coordinating operations and sharing vital data in real time through a neutral, many-to-many network, we can transform the container supply chain from an opaque and fragmented framework to one that is connected, transparent, and holistic.
The technology is available for the industry players who wish to take the reins of this new world of ever-increasing visibility and ubiquitous data. Their customers already have.