B2B Data Integration and Transformation Blog

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.

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.

Fast, accurate data transmission is crucial to business operations in the trucking industry. With millions of transactions between shippers, brokers, and carriers at any given time, keeping on top of the correct information is paramount to a trucking business' success. Thus, Electronic Data Interchange, a digital 'language' used to exchange documentation between at least two computer systems, is an essential tool for trucking companies. EDI allows players in the trucking space the ability to transfer shipping manifests, status updates, invoices, remittances, and more -- no matter where in the world they or the receiving party may be located.

Today's highly globalized supply chain ecosystem has made it critical for trading partners to maintain advanced levels of communication throughout the product lifecycle. Seamless information flow from suppliers to distributors and retailers is essential to optimize supply chain visibility and manage inventory levels efficiently without compromising customer satisfaction.

Since its advent in the 1960s, EDI has gained vast inroads in supply chain operations. As one of the most valuable tech investments for supply chain management, Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) has consistently proven effective at improving supply chain efficiency and helping companies maximize the advantages of trading partner collaboration. Today, many of the largest, most successful manufacturing, distribution, and retail companies utilize EDI solutions to exchange business information autonomously and in real time.