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108 Journal of Commerce | J anuar y 2, 2023 www.joc.com EXECUTIVE COMMENTARY ANNUAL REVIEW & OUTLOOK 2023 Logistics 319 Capital Partners Tom Barnes CEO 319capitalpartners.com As supply chains have struggled the past two years, it has become more critical than ever for com - panies to have visibility and flexibility across their supply chains. Organizations grapple with data accuracy within their own enterprises as much as they do across their supply chains. As orga - nizations acquire, divest, or merge with others, they are often left with disjointed systems to manage simi- lar product lines. Visibility platforms exist, but bringing data together is not enough. Companies must also initiate ongoing data management processes to ensure the same infor- mation is identified in the same way across platforms or have a transla- tion layer that allows the disparate products or terms to be viewed in a common manner. Once the organization has control of the data within their enterprise, they must extend their reach in a similar manner across their supply chain. Unfortunately, there is no magic wand to make this happen. Organizations need to first identify the platform that will enable them to gain this visibility. Secondly, and more importantly, they must commit to an ongoing data management process which ensures constant data management both within the enterprise and across the supply chain. For as long as there has been software, we have heard the phrase "garbage in, garbage out." However, we somehow forget about this and expect platforms to provide neces - sary visibility without a constant data management effort. With companies stretched on resources, managed services firms have begun to offer data management services. This helps supply chain executives ensure that initiatives such as these don't fall to the wayside. Whether managed in house or outsourced, one must maintain an ongoing, constant effort to ensure data integrity if one expects to extract full benefit from a supply chain visibility platform. Advent eModal Dennis Monts Chief Operating Officer adventemodal.com Intermodal container hand-offs experience intense fric - tion due to competing stakeholder operational processes, the lack of system interoperability, manual user interfaces, and data integrity issues. This is exemplified by recent legisla - tive activity, regulatory rulemaking, public data initiatives, and projects. Intermodal operators are com- mercially incentivized to create customer value through improved data flows. A single version of truth for visibility data exists — it lies within the executional systems and toolsets currently deployed across operations at arm's length. A focus on establishing real-time messag - ing and communication standards between operational systems of record will most efficiently and cost-effectively drive information sharing. Far more than just visibility, timely data flows feed executional toolsets and automation, expediting freight movement. This information organically gains integrity as data gaps are rejected, managed, and cleansed when exceptions emerge. Each supply chain participant works independently to optimize capacity with a shared goal of speed - ing profitable container movement. However, an optimal process for one party is often suboptimal for the others, making inefficient, manual exception-handling the norm. Forward industry initiatives will ultimately establish standard data definitions and timing expectations. Proactive incentives to interconnect existing decentralized operating systems will trump the building of central "Death Star" data reposito - ries. In this way, an "Information Allport Cargo William F. Aldridge President us.allportcargoservices.com The international supply chain has become more about making decisions on what strategic relationships you take up in challenging times — this can be a defining moment in whether your supply chain succeeds or fails in the long run. There are providers who, during the past two years, have tried to leverage their core offerings to create additional touches in their service portfolio. Beneficial cargo owners needed to balance that against those who offer à la carte product offerings, which allow for partnering with pro - viders for what they do best and trusting that they will all work together around the common goal of delivering what was promised. If the past two years have taught us any- thing, it's that those with leverage will try to exert that leverage in times of disruption, and while short-term gains are found, the long-term impact can be disastrous. The answer to long-term supply chain sustainability is the ability to pivot from one strategy to the other. What ability do you have to plug and play products and services that you need, when you need them, while at the same time retaining the integrity and confidence in your sup - ply chain that your C-suite expects? In the end, it's about planning, staying current in the industry, and staying true to your values and commitments, keeping the longer-term view and strategy that is focused on continu- ously improving your supply chain whether you are on the buy or sell side of the desk. "In the end, it's about planning, staying current in the industry, and staying true to your values and commitments." ◀ ◀ "Whether managed in-house or outsourced, one must maintain an ongoing, constant effort to ensure data integrity if they expect to extract full benefit from their supply chain visibility platform." Tom Barnes ◀ "Proactive incentives to interconnect existing decentralized operating systems will trump the building of central 'Death Star' data repositories." Dennis Monts