As someone who’s worked extensively with analyzing shipping data, I can attest to the many challenges to cut through its complexity for real insights and informed decision-making. Its like searching for a needle in a haystack. Indeed, the data is scattered across various departments and organizations, and its quality is often compromised. Moreover, this fragmentation hampers our ability to establish a reliable Single Source of Truth (SSOT). As a result, it is difficult to harness the full potential of data-centric technologies like analytics, AI, and decision intelligence. Imagine the possibilities if we could unify our shipping data – the improved visibility, efficiency, and financial outcomes would be transformative.

In this article, I’ll explain the benefits of using Transport Load IDs to unify your shipping data. Moreover, I’ll demonstrate how this strategic move can maximize the utility of your shipping data. Also, I’ll highlight the current challenges and the resulting lack of insights with shipping analytics today. Most Importantly, I’ll show you how you can use Transport Load IDs to maximize insights from your shipping data across your organization. Lastly, I’ll provide you with 10 practical use cases where Load IDs can enhance supply chain operations, from planning and order fulfillment to shipping, payment, and post-shipment analysis.

1. The Poor State Of Shipping Data Analytics Compared To Other Supply Chain Data – 4 Unique Challenges.

In today’s fast-paced logistics industry, shipping data analytics and the adoption of new data-centric technologies face massive hurdles. The reason: poor shipping data. At its core, shipping data encompasses a diverse range of systems, various data formats, and numerous communication protocols within supply chains. Complicating matters further, this data is often fragmented, duplicated, and riddled with inaccuracies. Below are the 4 major challenges with shipping data that limit supply chains from effectively using shipping analytics and leveraging data-centric technologies.

Poor Shipping Data – Here Are The 4 Reasons Impeding High Tech Visibility And Actionable Analytics

• Supply Chain Organizations Are Disjointed Because Of Restricted Shipping Visibility.
• Massive Amounts Of Fragmented Shipping Data, But Few Insights.
• Supply Chain Orchestration And Automation Limited Due To Complicated Shipping Data Structures.
• FinTech Solutions Adoption And Integration Impeded Due To A Lack Of Good Shipping Data.

For more information on the challenges with shipping data analysis, see my article, Poor Shipping Data Analytics – Here Are The 4 Reasons Impeding High Tech Visibility And Optimization.

2. Limited Insights From Shipping Data Due to the Fragmented Use of Multiple IDs.

Undoubtedly, the nature of shipping data is messy, fragmented, and incomplete. Worse, from a data analytics perspective, insights are limited, not just with shipment analytics, but it causes subpar analysis across all supply chain functions. Indeed, data analytics requires not only good data, but structured data to unify it for end-to-end analysis. Yes, there are numerous reference numbers in shipping data to provide structure, but they are insufficient. Specifically, these shipping-related ID numbers are used for tracking, carrier invoicing, and as customer reference numbers to name a few. However, they do not unify all shipping data together into a structured whole. So, let’s examine why these existing shipment reference numbers do not adequately support shipping analytics.

^{“… tracking, carrier invoicing, and customer reference numbers … do not unify all shipping data together into a structured whole.”}

a. Tracking Number Limitations.

In most cases, the tracking number is issued by one or more carriers for the purpose of tracking a specific shipment. A tracking number by itself may not embody shipment characteristics, nor specifics about the goods the carrier transported. Also, in a lot of cases an organization or department may have the tracking number, but not the financials. This is because of several reasons to include who is the payor, mode of shipping, or lack of detail in the carrier’s invoice.

b. Carrier Invoice Number Limitations.

In most cases, a carrier’s invoice will have specific charges associated with a specific shipment. Also, it will normally have some shipment characteristics such as shipment dimensions. However, each carrier presents an invoice differently. Indeed, a major reason for this is the carrier only produces invoice data to get paid, not to help with shipping analytics. Lastly, many shippers may never see their carrier’s invoice data because their 3rd party provider is paying for the shipment.

c. Customer Order / Purchase Order Limitations.  

In many cases a shipment is tied to a purchase order (PO) when a shipper ships a shipment. However for some shipping activities, there is no necessity for a PO. For example, the shipper is just transporting goods between their facilities. Also in some cases, a shipper uses a dedicated fleet. Worse, the shipping department’s system never links the PO to the tracking number. Additionally, many times the receiver or a third party is paying for the shipment. Thus in many cases these payors do not provide the PO to the carrier and in turn the carrier does not provide the PO in their invoice.

d. Shipping Data’s Many Reference #s Do Not Unify, Nor Offer Many Insights.

So, shipping data is messy, fragmented, and inaccurate to name a few. Additionally, even though emerging technology is now available for on-demand analytics and decision intelligence across the supply chain, most businesses cannot leverage this technology. This is because of the sorry state of their shipping data. Undeniably, this is where a unique shipment Load Id can help shippers leverage both their shipping data and emerging data-centric technologies.

3. What Is a Transport Load ID, Why Use It, and How Can It Help with End-To-End Shipment Analytics?

As a result of the challenges with shipping data, shipping analytics is a convoluted process that involves a lot of manual labor and significant transportation data expertise. A primary reason for this is that there is no one shipping reference number or ID that ties all the shipping data together across the supply chain. So, let’s look at what a Transport Load Id is and how it can help supply chains to achieve end-to-end visibility and a lot more.

a. A Shipment Load Does Not Have a Single ID That Unifies All of Its Shipment Data.

As discussed, most supply chains lack a standard procedure to assign an ID that links all shipping data. Ideally, shippers should designate an identifier at the point of shipping to unify data for analytics and for goods movement efficiency. While many shippers do use purchase orders or customer reference numbers at the point of shipping, these IDs often don’t reach transportation providers and other stakeholders. As a result, stakeholders rely on carrier-generated tracking numbers that aren’t linked to all shipping data. This results in stakeholders and their analysts having a disjointed view of shipping activities such as missing product details, financials, and 3rd party information.

Indeed, this Load ID disconnect coupled with stakeholders using multiple identifiers for a single shipment load causes confusion. For example, in intermodal shipping, multiple carriers and 3PLs may issue different tracking numbers. Additionally in trucking, shippers may use several load boards, creating multiple load IDs for the same shipment load. Then in international shipping, various logistics, government, and financial entities issue multiple IDs. In other instances, carriers also often bundle multiple “loads” or “purchase orders” into one shipment, generating yet another tracking number.

b. A Singular Universal Transport Load ID For Shippers To Unify Their Shipment Data.

Now, let’s discuss the concept of a singular Transport Load ID to help solve many of the supply chain analytics problems we have today. First to have a singular Load ID, a shipper or their representative would need to generate it. Indeed, the Load ID would exist prior to the generation of any carrier tracking number. Now, this Load ID concept is not new, but it is only in limited use. For instance, military load planners use them during cargo planning for loading trucks or planes. Another example is where shippers offer their “loads” to transportation carriers on an online load board.

So, by expanding the utility of a Load ID, we can better leverage all shipping data to support shipping analytics across the supply chain. Indeed, by using a Load ID to tie together all shipping data to include financials, all logistics functions would benefit. Indeed, a unifying shipment Load Id would improve shipment analytics dramatically all across the supply chain. This would include supply chain planning, order fulfillment, movement of goods, final payment, spend management, and post-shipment diagnostics analysis.

c. Transport Load ID Defined.

With this better understanding of what a Load ID, let’s define it. For the purposes of this article, I like the following definition from the TUID Working Group. This group is part of an international standards initiative focused on digital information in the supply chain. Further, this group is part of the ASTM F49 international committee that is leveraging ISO and other standards to increase interoperability of supply chains. The Transport Unit ID (TUID) definition is as follows:

“… a unique identifier for a load where the goods movement process has reached a status when there is an authorized order for shipment.”

TUID Working Group

d. Advantages To Using A Shipment Load ID Vs Other Shipping Reference #.

Below are the major reasons for using a Transport Load ID for shipment analytics, supply chain visibility, and better, more informed decision-making.

The Way To Better Supply Chain Analytics: Overcome Data Interoperability With Intelligent Tracking Status

• Not Tied To Carrier. First, the Load ID connects not to a specific carrier, but to the shipper who generated the shipment requirement. At its essence, the shipment Load ID represents the shipper’s need to transport goods.
• Closely Coupled With The Customer Order. Additionally, it is closely coupled with the customer order, internal or external, that generates the need for a shipment to move goods.
• Enhances Analytics and Visibility Across The Supply Chain. Further, all supply chain functions can use this Load ID for their specific requirements. In particular, key functions that can leverage a Load ID include planning, operations, and finance. Also, all stakeholders can have complete visibility of shipments across the supply chain. For more details, see my article, The Way To Better Supply Chain Analytics: Overcome Data Interoperability With Intelligent Tracking Status.
• Able To Leverage Data-Centric Technologies. Lastly, the shipment Load ID enables organizations to better leverage data-centric technologies such as data analytics, AI, and decision intelligence. It can do this because a Load ID unifies all shipping data that these data-intensive technologies need to be effective.

A Data Centric Business: The Best Way To Agility, One Truth, Simplicity, Technology Innovation

4. Ten Example Use Cases For Shipping Data Load ID In Supply Chain Operations.

By supply chains focusing on shipment loads and their unique Load IDs, the possibilities are endless for fully leveraging shipping data. Indeed, with unified shipping data, supply chains can more effectively leverage data-centric technologies such as data analytics, AI, and decision intelligence. Positively, a shipment Load ID enables the entire supply chain to leverage shipping data for their own operational needs. Further, individual departments, planners, and executives have full visibility of shipment data instead of partial data they have today. To get a better understanding of the power of using shipment Load IDs, below are 10 use case examples on how logistics managers can use shipment load IDs across the supply chain.

Use Cases For The Use Of Shipment Load IDs

• Supplier Sourcing: Streamline and optimize carrier RFP processes.
• Supply Chain Planning (SCP): Seamless transportation planning for demand sensing, capacity, and asset management.
• Ecommerce And Order Fulfillment: Increase visibility of order-to-delivery operations.
• Inventory Management: Gain visibility of product inventory at rest and in motion coupled with anticipated demand.
• Fleet Management And Trucking Technology: Optimize capacity and minimize costs.
• Freight Brokering: Increase real-time efficiencies while reducing costs and fraud.
• Visibility And Tracking: Gain multi-facet visibility of orders and transportation across the supply chain.
• Freight Bill Auditing And Payment: Streamline processing, leverage more FinTech solutions.
• Decision Intelligence Tech: Automate Decision Flows Across The Supply Chain.
• Supply Chain Protection: Minimize fraud and detect anomalies through better traceability.

For a more detailed discussions of these supply chain use cases for Load IDs, see my article, Unifying Shipping Data Using Transport Load IDs: Here Are 10 Ways It Can Unlock Analytics And Empower Logistics Tech 

Unifying Shipping Data Using Transport Load IDs: Here Are 10 Ways It Can Unlock Analytics And Empower Logistics Tech

Conclusion.

So, we have looked at the advantages of using Transport Load IDs to unify your shipping data. Indeed, supply chains adopting the use of shipment Load IDs is a compelling strategic move to maximize the utility of their shipping data. Moreover, there are countless use cases for using shipment Load IDs to enhance supply chain operations. Indeed, this includes planning, order fulfillment, shipping, payment, spend management, and post-shipment analysis.

Lastly, need help with an innovative solution to make your supply chain systems work together? I’m Randy McClure, and I’ve spent many years solving data interoperability and visibility problems. As a supply chain tech advisor, I’ve implemented hundreds of successful projects across all transportation modes, working with the data of thousands of shippers, carriers, and 3rd party logistics (3PL) providers. I specialize in proof-of-concept and operational pilot projects for emerging technologies. If you’re ready to modernize your data infrastructure or if you are a solution provider, let’s talk. To reach me, click here to access my contact form or you can find me on LinkedIn.

For more from Supply Chain Tech Insights, see the latest articles on data, shipping, and finance.