Successful data integration in transportation management

An automated data interface is a good solution to transfer very large amounts of data. Typical use cases include using demand data to create transportation orders or using master data to calculate routes. The scalability of an interface plays an important role. Once implemented, an interface can process amounts of data thousands of times greater than what humans could manage.

Smaller amounts of data that need to be transferred more frequently are another use case for integrating a data interface – for instance, if estimated times of arrival (ETAs) need to be provided in real time. The amount of effort required to do this manually is often simply too high.

To successfully implement a data interface within an organization, checking data quality is an important first step. Upstream process steps and appropriate tools are often required to identify and correct errors in the data sets. Once the data quality is assured, the TMS interface can be integrated in several steps. Businesses should evaluate existing interfaces in an as-is analysis and build on them by defining additional necessary interfaces. These additional interfaces are detailed in a design phase, set up in an implementation phase and reviewed in a test phase. The more thorough the tests, the lower the risk of problems is after the go-live.

The go-live should be followed by a hypercare phase, in which optimization potential is identified using data and processes during normal business operations. Operational monitoring is often necessary to react to further demands for the interface in later phases of implementation. A thorough documentation of the technical implementation makes updating the interface easier, should new requirements arise.

Establishing data integration requires various approaches, depending on the organization and industry. In general, it is not sufficient to simply purchase a software solution. A software service provider can help define key specifications and implement the solution according to organizational requirements. Error analysis and management are two additional areas where collaboration with a service provider often makes sense. 4flow provides expertise in implementation of various data interfaces in the 4flow iTMS, the integrated transportation management system from 4flow, and creates end-to-end, industry-specific solutions together with its customers.