Time for talking supply chains to heal broken logistics

International logistics is broken. Transit through Russia is being blocked, hybrid effects disrupt data flow, Covid impacts transport availability, emissions need to be cut. Thus transportation costs and reliability are rapidly growing problems. Major changes in supply chains are urgently due for Shippers who wish to maintain their security, sustainability and competitiveness of supply.

Until now global logistics has served well enough and thus long-term forwarding and transportation contracts have done the trick for the Shippers. Not any more as needs in global logistics are changing dramatically. Customers want agile, secure, paperless and sustainable logistics and of course this all should be provided as cost effectively as possible.

The traditional forwarding and transportation contracts have meant little or no digitalization of logistics as it has not integrated the Shipper data-systems to the supply chain data sharing. Suboptimization has been made within each forwarding & transportation companies in bilateral contracts, but not in multimodal supply chains that involve multiple actors with paper documents. This long-term contract lock has created rigidity and resistance for modern data sharing solutions in the logistics service provision.

What is the way out?

Supply chains need common rules and governance for data sharing and digitalisation to start talking. The cargo owners must step up and demand talking supply chains with paperless, reliable, sustainable, more competitive and secure logistics services without vendor-locks.

Common language for logistics

New paperless logistics services are in the making. The EU initiative for electronic freight transportation information (eFTI) act and logistics data sharing building blocks such as FEDeRATED Platforms, Diginno,  Peppol eDelivery or Fenix are now creating the tools for talking supply chains. Thus, exactly now is the time for forward looking Shippers to start piloting talking and connected supply chains, that will share data to all necessary stakeholders, with all the above mentioned benefits.

Vediafi together with the Corridor as a Service ecosystem partners Waybiller and DBE Core are now jointly able to offer the pre-eFTI Proof of Concept platform for the shippers that seek first mover position for talking supply chains.

We invite shippers to pre-eFTI piloting with secured and sustainable cross border shipments utilizing Vediafi eSeals and emission calculation with connection to well established Waybiller eCMR service and data securing DBE-Core Peppol nodes.

Do not hesitate to call for a pilot.