Fourkites has announced its participation as a Collaborator in the Scheduling Standards Consortium (SSC), becoming the first real-time visibility platform.
The SSC comprises Arrive Logistics, BlueYonder, Coyote Logistics, DHL, e2open, Echo, J.B. Hunt Transport, Lineage, Mastery, One Network Enterprises, Oracle, Ryder, TI NTG, Uber Freight, Werner, and Worldwide Express, in its quest to increase supply chain technology efficiency.
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Freight scheduling has always been a difficulty in the supply chain, made worse by the significant increase and variety of scheduling solutions over the last decade. Shippers and carriers are responsible for juggling dozens of freight scheduling techniques, each with its own interface and API, resulting in friction and inefficiencies across the supply chain.
In response to this problem, in 2022, J.B. Hunt and Uber Freight formed the SSC to build the first worldwide appointment scheduling standard in the form of an API.
With several key organisations already collaborating and driving the Standard ahead, the SSC’s objective is to ease system integration across the fragmented ecosystem of shippers, carriers, and middlemen, resulting in a more efficient appointment scheduling process.
The SSC has supported a universal API standard, which will be launched on 2 October 2023, eliminating the need for numerous interfaces and allowing carriers to interact through a single interface.
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Viral Parekh, Head of Logistics Operations at The Kraft Heinz Company, said: “Embracing a universal scheduling API unlocks seamless coordination across supply chains.
“As more companies endorse this unified approach, we pave the way for unparalleled system efficiency, streamlining operations and driving transformative growth throughout the industry.”
Mathew Elenjickal, CEO of FourKites, stated: “We’re thrilled to participate in this consortium of industry heavy-hitters. A single API between our Slot Manager solution and our shippers’ carrier networks will create a frictionless operating environment for everyone involved, and will make FourKites customers Shippers of Choice, with lower cost to serve and a reliable, reputable integration.”
The SSC’s primary goals are to create the API standard for exchanging scheduling information, minimise manual procedures by automating interactions whenever feasible, build standardised interfaces and integrations across essential platforms, and promote for the standard throughout the industry.
In February, FourKites announced several enhancements to Dynamic Ocean, its next-generation ocean visibility solution.
