Schenker is to connect its systems to GT Nexus to manage standardised shipment status messages and booking confirmations.

The first phase of the project involves containers moving on Schenker’s behalf to and from the US and Canada.

The GT Nexus data management service is a central component to this project. Unlike traditional Value Added Networks (VANs) that simply store and forward unimproved data feeds between systems, GT Nexus will enrich and normalise the data it receives from carriers before passing it on to Schenker.

The result will be superior container visibility for Schenker customers and better internal control of the company’s ocean container flows.

The system will roll out for Schenker’s North American operations during the fourth quarter of this year.

“Poor global logistics data quality is too complex for any one customer to solve,” said Greg Johnsen, executive vice president of sales & marketing at GT Nexus. “The solution lies in a shared platform like GT Nexus where all customers share a common set of integrations and data management processes.”

Once a data quality issue has been resolved, that intelligence is applied to any customers that might encounter the same problem in the future. The data management systems get smarter and better with time.