Experts are predicting severe disruptions to supply chains from flooding, power outages and high-wind damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian that could significantly impact over-the-road (OTR) freight. They estimate it will take at least nine weeks for shipping to recover based on the amount of damage to both buildings and inventory sustained by Shippers in the affected area.
Leveraging Technology to Help Manage the Effects of Major Storms on the Supply Chain
Speaking at Banyan Technology’s Users Conference in Cleveland, Ohio, last week, Matthew Marshall, Director of 3PL Solutions at Yellow, said Hurricane Ian has further exacerbated challenges in an already fractured supply chain.
“(When a storm hits) the supply chain kicks into high gear because the country still needs to ship in the affected areas,” he said. “Asset-based carriers need a solid plan to support and offer capacity for relief materials.”
Marshall explained that many logistics providers are switching gears to help deliver disaster relief supplies, some taking the place of already scheduled freight. To make that switch quickly and effectively, those providers have established processes in place for when disaster hits. They need to rely heavily on their technology solutions to provide insight to determine how best to respond to risks in the following ways:
Visibility
Technology solutions are the key to visibility when disasters or storms strike because they integrate shipping, rating, and tracking functionality directly into companies’ existing platforms to share and transfer data. Analyzing that data is critical to predicting the affects a major storm will have on day-to-day shipping operations. It also provides information on viable options or alternatives available when facing such impactful disruptions.
Business Intelligence
Data-rich technology solutions that integrate shipping, rating, and tracking functionality directly into Shippers’ and 3PLs’ existing platforms to share and transfer real-time data serve as a single source of truth to help navigate fluctuations in the supply chain due to disasters. Leveraging valuable business intelligence helps map out strategies to positively impact shipping operations providing real-time visibility that gives better data to extract and leverage in the supply chain process. This gives Shippers and 3PLs the actionable insight they need to make informed decisions on their freight when a disruption occurs. It also provides them with historical data from previous storms to help them plan and predict outcomes when one strikes.
Tracking
Strengthen your OTR shipping processes and gain visibility with real-time shipment status updates to help identify shipment delays when major storms threaten to disrupt the supply chain. Retrieving automated tracking notifications helps save time by eliminating the need to log into third-party systems to manually retrieve tracking information. Having tracking information readily available to help make spur of the minute changes, rerouting shipments, finding alternatives to free up capacity can help alleviate pain points across all affected areas for emergency relief shipments to standardized everyday inventory.
Transparency
Increasing the flow of data creates more transparency in the supply chain. Shippers, 3PLs and carriers of all sizes must be digitally connected to achieve end-to-end freight digitization and maintain full transparency through the flow of information. When everyone is connected digitally, responsiveness and communication increases to effectively manage disruptions and efficiently make decisions when storms interrupt normal shipping operations. It ensures all parts of the supply chain have the information they need to keep freight moving without extended delay and the visibility into each shipment so they can inform customers of any issues.
Did You Know?
Banyan’s Business Intelligence Tools and comprehensive Visibility Suite use the carrier and freight bill data captured in our LIVE Connect™ platform to help Shippers, 3PLs and Partners identify and respond to major supply chain disruptions. This suite of dashboards gives you the enhanced visibility into all OTR shipments.
Access to carrier data helps identify those who perform well and can manage freight during disruptions. This automated dashboard helps eliminate hours spent manually pulling reports from different Carriers and solutions, allowing you to react quickly in the aftermath of major storms and disruptions. It also identifies key Carrier performance metrics, such as late and on-time pick-ups and deliveries, so you know which carriers to rely on when things get challenging in the supply chain.
You also can analyze key cost metrics like average cost per Carrier, spend summary – average fuel, average weight, average variance – which is data that will help you manage your freight spend as fuel and other shipping costs often rise after disasters.
Contact Banyan Technology today to learn how our LIVE Connect platform is a comprehensive digital solution for effective disaster response efforts.
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