Even as the economy recovers, cost savings in transportation remain a high priority. One area driving cost savings is information sharing. Two related drivers will evolve in this space: first, the need to share characteristics about equipment assets, cargo and responsible parties with various regulatory agencies at various points in the supply chain; and second, further automation of the capture of this data to minimize delays in the shipment life cycle.
Operators of transportation assets are being required to supply more detailed information than before and to do so in a more timely manner. Companies have long targeted for efficiencies the processes that relied on paper documents that took weeks to reach the correct parties. However, many improvements still did not get implemented until actions by outside parties mandating change.
Consider the new roadability regulations that went into effect in 2010. Rules were implemented that resulted in the need to identify the party directly responsible for maintenance of the intermodal equipment at the point a potential violation was determined. Industry stakeholders banded together to create more automated and less-expensive alternatives. Next year will show the full effects of these industrywide databases that now provide this information via online Web inquiry or EDI transmissions between the parties.
Opportunities for additional information sharing are surfacing as participants work with consolidated data. The transportation industry has lagged in adopting new technology. Now the industry will need to look for solutions that provide timely information and create an accurate pipeline to maximize business productivity. Regulation and tougher cost constraints are driving technology adoption at a faster pace.