Delivering Value: Making the supply chain smarter

Ken Cloud, BDP Managing Director

To effectively manage the transportation portion of International supply chains, a shipper or shipper’s representative must be active on two fronts.

First there is the proactive approach to vessel tracking to ensure the shipper is meeting the commitment made to the consignee. This can best be served through the track and trace capabilities on the BDP Smart web portal. Information located here is received from a variety of sources and electronically updated for all key milestones within the international shipment process.

When electronic data is either unavailable or incomplete, BDP provides a service by which vessel activities are tracked through all key milestones including transshipments and final port arrivals. These activities are researched based upon estimated dates. When an activity does not occur as planned, an alert is automatically sent to designated parties notifying them of the delay. This notification allows both the shipper and consignee to make better decisions on resource and inventory planning as well as the ability to proactively notify their customers.

“It is not just about delivering cargo and documents. It is about delivering value in a way that increases visibility and provides data that makes the supply chain smarter.”

The second mechanism for managing international supply chain performance is through the reactive analysis of mining historical data.

As an integral part of our customers’ supply chain, BDP accumulates a wealth of critical data elements. While much of this data is available through reports and metrics via the BDP Smart web portal, the real power of this data is unleashed when it is converted into actionable information which is then used to generate cost savings and improved supply chain processes.

Anchored by BDP’s global non-conformance reporting mechanism, work stoppages, delays, out-of-criteria performance and added costs are all captured.

Through BDP’s Lead Logistics Provider offering, this information is assembled in a variety of ways which is then used for carrier reviews, supplier location assessments, distribution re-engineering and asset utilization improvements.

At the end of the day, it is not just about delivering cargo and documents. It is about delivering value in a way that increases visibility and provides data that makes the supply chain smarter.

Ken Cloud is located in Philadelphia, USA and can be reached at ken.cloud@bdpinternational.com and +1-215-629-8361, mobile +1-215-356-3644.