CargoSmart starts shipping delay newsletter

   The global shipping and logistics software developer CargoSmart said Wednesday it has launched a monthly, complimentary e-newsletter designed to provide shippers, logistics service providers, and ocean carriers intelligent insights about cargo delays around the globe.
   The newsletter, Innovating, will allow subscribers to receive an aggregated view of shipment exceptions around the globe, reasons for the exceptions, and trends in the data that provide new visibility to improve their ocean shipment planning, operations, and customer service.
   Based on more than 12 years of shipment management systems experience and data, CargoSmart has found that on average, 95 percent of shipments go according to plan, while 5 percent of shippers’ cargo are exceptions. Reasons for delays include terminal congestion, labor strikes, previous port delays, weather conditions, engine problems, and lack of vessel space, all of which can lead to factory closures, missed sales events, or product shortages. The monthly newsletter focuses on three types of exceptions: skipped port calls, missed transshipments, and delayed estimated times of arrival.
   “We see growing demand from customers for deeper analysis about the reasons for cargo delays so that they may measure and strengthen their service and relationships with their ocean carriers,” said Graham Collins, CargoSmart director of sales and services.
   CargoSmart’s Hong Kong-based Global Vessel Voyage Monitoring Center, which opened in October, provides the data and analysis for Innovating. The center monitors and analyzes 17 ocean carriers’ vessel movements, covering more than 3,400 vessels and 500 ports around the world. Using advanced analytical software tools, the center analyzes standard vessel patterns, compares them with actual vessel movements, and detects deviations that have the potential to cause shipment-plan exceptions. – Eric Johnson