The logistics networks involved in ocean shipping are often complex, involving multiple carriers, ports, and customs agencies across different countries. This complexity makes it difficult to accurately track shipments as they move through different stages of the shipping process. Poor visibility leads to delays, extra fees and unhappy customers.

How to Turn Ocean Shipping Data Into Actionable Supply Chain Insights

Shippers have been dealing with a tumultuous ocean freight market for a number of years and it is not slowing down any time soon. In the first half of the year, labour shortages, political conflict, raw material shortages, inflation, rate increases and limited product availability greatly disrupted global supply chains and caused delays. And the disruption continued in the first half of 2022 with imports seeing dwell times that were 20% or higher compared to last year for the first five months.

How shippers reacted to two years of jammed ports and an ocean capacity crunch

Supply chain disruptions are now a regular part of freight shipping, but they still dramatically impact the supply chain network. When it comes to <a href="https://www.fourkites.com/industries/manufacturing/">manufacturers</a> trying to get key parts and materials for their products, each disruption makes a big difference. Many times, these parts are shipped from around the globe, with containers often delayed by slow steaming, stuck at ports or <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/cargo-ship-smolders-off-victoria-b-c-and-the-hunt-is-on-for-40-containers-that-went-overboard/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">worse</a>. What can manufacturers do to minimise these disruptions on their supply chain? We broke down the best practices for manufacturing when it comes to <a href="https://www.fourkites.com/ocean-freight-visibility-ultimate-guide/">ocean freight shipping</a>.

How Manufacturers Prepare for Supply Chain Disruption with Ocean Visibility

Most supply chain professionals are familiar with track and trace, and are frequently asked to answer the age-old question, “Where is my container?”

The Value of True Supply Chain Visibility

As the holiday season is quickly approaching for retailers, two key challenges come to mind: preventing stockouts and reducing disruption. Depending on the industry, the cost of a single stockout can reach into the billions. In a recent <a href="https://www.fourkites.com/retail-supply-chain-impact-report/"><strong>FourKites retail survey with Retail Dive</strong></a>, nearly half (47%) of supply chain executives cited supply disruption as their most pressing challenge, while 42% cited product availability as their largest challenge.

Ashley Klepach

How to Turn Ocean Shipping Data Into Actionable Supply Chain Insights

How shippers reacted to two years of jammed ports and an ocean capacity crunch

How Manufacturers Prepare for Supply Chain Disruption with Ocean Visibility

The Value of True Supply Chain Visibility

Supply chain disruptions are not going away anytime soon; here are tips to diminish stockouts and avoid costly delays