The Key to Keeping Rail Competitive? Visibility.

Reliability. Certainty. Visibility. Our supply chain is hungry for these things, and the railroad industry is most in-need. Port Technology’s article, “Visibility Needed To Keep Rail Competitive In Today’s Supply Chain,” draws on a conversation with Head of Navis Rail, Tom Forbes, about what the railroad industry needs in order to be competitive. At the crux? Visibility.

If customers are certain their shipments are being tracked and delivered in an organized, timely manner, they’ll have confidence in the railroad industry, and will be more willing to embrace it. Achieving that confidence requires providing customers with visibility. If shippers, for example, are able to see how traffic is flowing and how their shipments are being affected, they can make better-informed decisions and plans.

What’s necessary to achieve this visibility? Forbes says automation, data, and AI come into play. Automatic train loading and unloading, gantry crane automation, and container stacking and transport are all areas where automation is in-the-works. When it comes to AI, perfecting its usage is the name of the game. AI “relies on consistent, timely and high-quality data in order to really shine,” says Forbes.

Rail embracing these advancements, in order to provide greater visibility, will help increase the entire supply chain’s efficiency.

Read the full article.