Do your business plans and operations suffer because of lapses in tracking updates and unclear delivery details?

That’s the gap cargo visibility technology is trying to fill and the adoption of this technology in global logistics and supply chain management is increasing. It allows businesses to track the movement of their cargo in real time, which helps reduce costs, enhance operations and improve production and output.

In fact, as per a report by Virtue Market Research, the global cargo visibility technology market was valued at $6 billion in 2022 and is believed to reach $13 billion by 2030.

One of the prime reasons behind the growth of the industry is the need for transparency and visibility in global supply chain management, which improves the operations and processes of businesses.

This is further enhanced by the inclusion of cloud-based solutions, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), which makes supply chain operations more scalable, predictable, flexible and cost-effective.

According to Chris Davies, technology and product manager at Cargo iQ, a not-for-profit airfreight quality standards group invested in offering better visibility of shipments, “This visibility not only means that shipments are more likely to arrive on time, but it also helps to protect the integrity of time-critical shipments and protect stakeholders from incurring unfair penalties when offsets are missed.”


However, despite the potential for technology to enhance the process, the reality is that carriers can’t take advantage of it because of a vital piece of the puzzle – data.

As per a report by Windward, freight forwarders and BCOs (Beneficial Cargo Owners) conveyed to the Federal Maritime Committee (FMC) that the data needed is not always readily available from carriers and to source relevant information and reasons for shipping delays, various rounds of communication are needed.

Connected to this is the issue of a lack of digital planning.

According to a survey by McKinsey & Company, supply-chain executives “want to have transparency, and want to be able to decide fast, and decide to do the right thing. What do we need for that? We need to invest in digital planning. Almost 80 percent of the participants said they need to improve, and to invest in digital planning to increase supply-chain visibility to make sure they have the ability to plan and to decide.”


It becomes important to address these issues as, according to Maersk, “Ninety (90)% of world trade is transported by sea” and “nearly 5,000 container vessels transport over 34 million containers (TEU) around the world, every year.” Essentially, delays and lack of visibility end up costing businesses dearly.

What measures do you think can be adopted to quicken the process? Let us know in the comments below!