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This allows airlines and freight forwarders that use them to gain newfound visibility throughout the supply chain .

Integrated with the Unisys Cargo Core application and available to airlines , the new ‘ piece-level tracking ’ – or PLT – functionality enables airlines to accelerate the operational efficiency of cargo shipments .

Rodney Melton , Senior Director , Industry and Client Management , Unisys , said : “ With the growth of e-commerce and the increased quantities of special cargo flown , online retailers and shoppers want to know where their individual cargo pieces are at all points of the supply chain – starting with the freight forwarder and continuing all the way through to when it is delivered to the consignee – as opposed to just the larger shipment of which the individual pieces are a part .”

He added : “ This new capability is also critical to suppliers that need information at an individual piece level for more effective planning and storage , as well as for improved visibility so that they can take the appropriate actions to ensure compliance with local customs and regulations . This is especially critical for high-priority and / or perishable cargo such as pharmaceuticals , live animals and food .” one of the biggest challenges faced by cargo providers today .

A December 2020 survey found that 92 % of supply chain professionals say they can ’ t trust the data they have on products traveling through their supply chains . Respondents also reported significant annual losses in inventory from product spoilage due to the lack of visibility , with pharmaceutical companies citing losses as much as US $ 138 million a year .

In a session at the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals ( CSCMP ) annual conference , Gregory Pritchard , Head of Global Logistics and JAPAC Distribution at AbbVie , highlighted how real-time visibility can improve operational efficiency .

He said that immediate real-time understanding of the position of shipments , and then being able to respond , creates a level of added assurance for customers and enhances that service experience .

The key outcome – better supply chain visibility

Despite improvements in commercial shipping , a lack of supply chain visibility is

A separate study of North American and European retailers showed that just 16 % of the companies surveyed are able to get real-time key performance indicators for their supply chain .

Unisys has more than 55 years of experience providing innovative IT solutions to the travel and transportation industry . Globally , nine of the top 10 airlines depend on Unisys solutions . p

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