Challenges: High Quality Sailing Schedule Data
Vanguard Logistics Services (www.vls-global.com) is one of the world’s top suppliers of neutral Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier (NVOCC) services. Vanguard's global coverage exceeds 90 points of presence and is supported by a widespread agency network, together operating in more than 100 countries.

Increasing carrier alliances, vessel diversions, and rolled shipments result in frequent changes to carriers’ schedules and make it critical for logistics service providers to have access to reliable schedule information. Vanguard’s operations team used to devote considerable human resources to obtain accurate and up-to-date carrier schedules for its customers. The team collected schedule information manually from different carriers’ websites, sales representatives, and published schedules. The process was time-consuming and Vanguard found that the data quality was often inconsistent. Lower-quality data could lead to inaccurate customer quotes and bookings. The company wanted to automate the data capturing process to reduce its manual effort and improve the overall quality of its sailing schedule data.

Solution: Sailing Schedule Integration with CargoSmart
Vanguard integrated CargoSmart’s Sailing Schedules with its worldwide in-house transportation management system. The multiple-carrier sailing schedule integration allows Vanguard to streamline the way its global operations team obtains schedule data for more than 20 ocean carriers in one central location. CargoSmart verifies the data quality through an optimization process before transferring the schedule information into Vanguard’s system. Vanguard also leverages CargoSmart’s sailing schedule application for the iPhone^® to conveniently look up sailing schedules and schedule reliability.

Results: Enhanced Efficiency and Improved Service Level
CargoSmart’s advanced sailing schedule solution provides the following benefits for Vanguard:

• Enhances internal efficiency by saving the operations team’s effort compiling schedule data
• Improves the way they prepare quotes for customers and make bookings with high quality schedule data
• Strengthens its market competitiveness and gained a leading edge in service quality with comprehensive schedule data on the go

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