Export phase of Supply Chain System Information Initiative launched by FMC

Commissioner Rebecca Dye launched the second phase of the agency’s Supply Chain Innovation Teams initiative this week, which will focus on identifying the “actionable” information needed by all players for improved supply chain system visibility, reliability and resilience.

The announcement comes as the ocean carrier community realizes that “big data” has contributed to the complexity of the marketplace, noted analysts.

“While consolidation and pricing have been disrupting the ocean cargo arena, shippers have been able cope by demanding more transparency,” says Michael Bentley, a partner at the management consulting firm, Revenue Analytics. “We are now entering a new era of optimization.”

The first phase of the FMC initiative focused on the import supply chain and ran from May to October of 2016. The key goals of the import teams were enhanced supply chain visibility and performance. The import teams identified the need for a national seaport information portal.

In phase two, nearly 40 experienced industry leaders, organized into three teams, will advance that effort – representing public port authorities, warehouses, exporters, ocean carriers, longshore labor, ocean transportation intermediaries, trucking, and rail. The export teams will meet in Washington for two days beginning today -- with additional meetings as agreed by the participants.

"Actionable knowledge, is the key differentiator, in today’s economy, between being competitive or not," says Dye. "Commerce in the 21st Century depends on developing and maintaining first-class information infrastructures. Our nation’s ocean transportation supply system needs accurate, actionable information delivered in a reliable and timely way."

Dye emphasized the systemic nature of the supply chain, adding that the FMC project is focused on delivering key pieces of critical information, not just large amount of data. "Our teams are "stepping out of their silos" to identity their needs for strategic information, so that our entire supply chain can operate as a harmonious system."

"We are convinced that seaport information infrastructure is key to American economic competitiveness," Dye adds.

According to the FMC, Commissioner Dye’s goal is to complete the export portion of the Supply Chain Innovation Initiative this fall.