The shipping industry is still experiencing delays, increasing costs and fees added because of the port congestion, which is now becoming an inflation problem in the consumer prices as a consequence of the current ports situation. This has become a challenge for freight forwarders and customs brokers who are trying to move goods through the congested ports and bring them to their clients.
As one of these companies, Alba Wheels Up has moved goods from different industries, including fashion apparel, textiles, and footwear on planes, ships, rails, and trucks, and developed a system to alleviate such pain points which include a “smart” container tracking dashboard platform that aggregates industry shipping transit data for optimizing real-time monitoring and future planning.
By discovering shipping issues as they are happening and using predictive analytics to avoid these in the future, Alba keeps goods running smoothly thanks to the technology and data invested in assuring their clients’ goods will be delivered on the expected time, reducing the effects of the port congestion.
Alba Wheels Up can predict what the trade deport would be in the future
Sal Stile, Alba Wheels Up’s president talked to “Sourcing Journal” about the smart platforms that are used to keep goods flowing despite port congestion, “We identify problems as they occur so that [importers] can make the necessary adjustments to their clients. Our system tracks real-time, then we aggregate all the data, put it into business intelligence with a comparison of steamship lines, and predict what the trade deport would be in the future,” he added.
Alba isn’t just tracking its moves, but others in the industry to ascertain the best overall data. “As long as Alba has even just a small piece of your business, we can incorporate the data into our system. Our programming company has in-depth knowledge of the industry’s nuances—how the terminals, steamship lines, rails, etc. all interrelate with one another. That knowledge base is the key,” said Stile.
“As an experienced provider, we’re able to see what’s going on and best secure space for our clients,” he added. “By gathering analytics via our business intelligence programs, we can see which ports are slower and which carriers are quicker, then take all this data and make the perfect match to move things along most efficiently.”
Alba Wheels Up technology allows brands to be honest with their consumers
Real-time visibility helps brands communicate honestly with their clients about backorders, out of stocks, and shipping delays regardless of them being retailers or consumers. And with more brands increasing their portion of direct-to-consumer selling, customer loyalty takes on added importance.
“I don’t think there’s anything more aggravating for a customer than to be told by a retailer or brand that their order is delayed with no additional information,” said Stile. “Consumers are forgiving if you’re honest with them. Our technology lets clients see inventory in transit on the dashboard and pull reports, with business intelligence backing it up” he mentioned.
About Sal Stile II
Sal Stile II is the founder, president, and Chairman of the Board for Alba Wheels Up® International. With decades of regulatory experience and a keen perspective to forecast market trends, Sal is a relentless advocate for his clients’ success. He has helped to position Alba Wheels Up as a leader in the customs broker and freight forwarding industry.
For more information about the current shipping situation that is affecting retail importers, including immediate and timely solutions to bring your goods into the U.S. faster to your store aisles, contact Alba today.
This article was written based on the publication from © 2021, Sourcing Journal “How to Keep Goods Flowing Despite Port Congestion” Originally published on [June 1st, 2021] by SJ Guest Editorial. access source here: Sourcing Journal
