B2B Data Integration and Transformation Blog

A customs broker provides a vital service that allows importers and exporters to conduct business across borders. It is no small task to stay afloat amidst the onslaught of demands from customers, competition, and ever-changing global trade regulations; a customs broker must possess the aptitude to manage inventory and resource allocation, develop strategic growth plans, and overcome the numerous challenges that may arise without missing a beat.

Ocean freight is a shipping method that has been in use for more than 2,000 years. It's the most common method used to transport goods between continents, and it accounts for more than 95% of international trade. Ocean freight shipments often take weeks or even months to be delivered. However, they are a great way to send your products worldwide while offering customers an affordable price point. Still, these types of shipments can be especially tricky to track if you aren't careful. Let’s discuss some of the best practices and how to implement them.

When it comes to logistics operations, the quick, accurate transfer and receipt of order- and shipment-related data is vital to business success. For many trading companies, electronic data interchange (EDI) is necessary. By enabling fast, accurate data transmission between business partners, EDI boosts the workflow of entities all along the supply chain, saving companies time, effort and money.

EDI is perhaps best thought of as a digital language used to electronically communicate information previously conveyed on paper. For the railway freight industry, this includes such items as bills of lading, rail shipping instructions and equipment tracking documentation. Because EDI uses standard document formats, or transaction sets, to define the order of information in any given document, it enables rapid, accurate data sharing. This is particularly valuable for the railway freight sector, which relies on the transmission of large amounts of frequently repetitive forms.

Multi-channel inventory management has become a commonly heard term in business. But what is it, and how can it help your business? Simply put, multi-channel inventory management--also sometimes referred to as multi-source or cross-channel inventory management--is the process by which companies keep track of orders coming from various sales sources and locations, including e-commerce stores, wholesale avenues and retailers.