As supply chains, delivery methods, and technology continue to evolve, so do the ways that shippers operate.
We’ve seen a pivot to more digital operations across the supply chain, and shippers are no exception. Prioritizing transparency and visibility, while automating data across digital ecosystems lead to greater efficiency and cost savings.
The timing is right. Shippers need to be prepared for a world that is less predictable, less stable, and faster moving than ever before. The next major disruption (whenever it hits) and redistribution of global supply networks away from single sources toward multi-localized suppliers all mean we need to rely less on what’s worked for the last 30 years and more on building diverse and agile supply chains.
For global shippers, this means that you and your suppliers will be operating in a very different economy and environment than ever before.
The unpredictability of the last few years has many companies concluding that multiple suppliers closer to consumers will help to meet shipping deadlines and customer demands. This means that an interconnected supply chain ecosystem is more valuable than ever.
Read about our pre-built integrations that make connecting with your suppliers or forwarders simple and easy to maintain.
Explore ConnectionsPurchase Order (PO) Management
What is PO Management?
Without visibility into your shipments and supplier details, managing orders and estimating delivery times for your end customers is confusing and difficult. You need the ability to track specific products and orders while they are in transit so you can better serve your internal and external customers and exceed their expectations.
PO Management enables shippers to send Purchase Orders and Item Master data to PO Management Applications, as well as exchange associated shipments, milestones, ASNs, invoices, and documents between a forwarder and your PO Management System or OMS.
How does PO Management work?
Chain.io streamlines your Purchase Order Management processes by connecting your Order Management System with your Suppliers and Forwarders to allow granular item, color, and size visibility through the exchange of purchase orders, product master data, and line by line shipment details.
As your forwarders make bookings against your POs, details will be routed directly to your ERP or TMS including SKU’s, quantities, weight, costs, and all other shipment details to allow you to understand your shipments’ progress and plan ahead.
Common systems and file types we integrate:
- EDI 832 / EDI 850 / EDI 856
- Purchase Order JSON and Shipment JSON
- Common systems: InforNexus and Mercado Labs
Freight Operations
What is Freight Operations?
Every shipper has different processes, requiring additional time and effort from your team to quickly and accurately manage shipments in your ERP or TMS. With economic uncertainty, logistics and purchasing teams are being asked to do more with less, creating potential for errors and delayed shipments, and manually tracking and reporting freight activities from forwarders and carriers is time-consuming, inefficient, and error-prone.
With the Freight Operations solution, you can exchange automated bookings, ISF details, attachments, ASNs, milestones, and invoices with your freight forwarders. This data can also be integrated into internal systems, including purchasing tools, to digitize and automate your shipment processes from beginning to end.
How does Freight Operations work?
The Chain.io product automates the activities from the time you create a purchase order with your suppliers until that product has been delivered. We connect to your Logistics Service Provider’s TMS and a network of other logistics software to ensure you have full transparency into your shipment’s progress.
Shipper’s that have implemented a Freight Operations solution have reported increased operational efficiency, which happens when adopting a standardized, automated process, further driving scale, growth, and revenue.
Common file types we integrate:
- EDI 856 / EDI 214 / EDI 315 / EDI 110 / EDI 210 / EDI 310
- Shipment JSON / Booking Response JSON / Event JSON / Invoice JSON
- PDFs
Advanced Shipping Notices and Milestones Automation
What is ASN & Milestone Automation?
When data isn’t available in their own systems, manually tracking down shipment details and updates is time consuming and inefficient, regardless of your size and scale of operations. If you’re directly connected to your suppliers and forwarders’ systems, it will be easier for them to support your business, lowering costs and improving satisfaction and predictability.
With an ASN (Advanced Shipping Notice) and Milestone Automation, automated advanced shipment notifications and shipment milestones will be shared with you from your forwarders to provide proactive status updates throughout the lifecycle of a shipment and exchange detailed shipment level data such as vessel details and sailing dates.
How does ASN & Milestone Automation work?
Chain.io receives ASN and Milestone data electronically from a forwarder’s TMS and plugs it directly into ERP or TMS, saving you time and reducing the risk of errors. The ability to receive proactive status updates on Milestones and ASNs increases your end customer satisfaction, and profitability.
Common file types we integrate:
- EDI 856 / EDI 214 / EDI 315
- Shipment JSON and Event JSON
Chain.io Integrates Shipper Data
In an increasingly unpredictable and fast-paced world, shippers must embrace change and adapt to new realities, and Chain.io can help.
Chain.io seamlessly connects shippers with any logistics provider or software vendor to help you navigate market cycles, manage a pool of partners, and seamlessly add new digital tools to your arsenal.
Our pre-built integrations make it easy to route data between your platforms and tech to create context, maximize its value, and feed it downstream for reporting, analytics, and better customer experiences. Often, shippers use our platform to connect visibility data, automate purchase orders and booking requests, and integrate the data that matters to their customers and end users.
Interested in learning more about our integrations that empower shippers to deliver on time and on budget? Read our free eBook, Read our eBook, 5 Things Shippers Should Know Before Starting an Integration Project, or book a demo with one of our supply chain experts.
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