Kuehne + Nagel has used artificial intelligence and big data to improve its SeaExplorer online platform to help keep supply chains running.

Especially in the current volatile market, transparency is crucial for companies requiring sea freight services. Industry sources predict a high rate of cancelled sailings in various trades in the coming weeks. Schedule reliability is at 65%, the lowest level in the past ten years.

The revised SeaExplorer features should help mitigate these disruptions. In one digital platform, it is possible to find the best option for container shipping needs, including transparency on alternative routings and sailings. SeaExplorer users can improve their shipment planning and inventory management with the help of artificial intelligence and access to big data.

“Given the challenges of Covid-19, the enhanced SeaExplorer supports shippers not only with realistic lead times for routings, but also with service updates and up-to-date sailing schedules showing alternative departures for blanked sailings,” said Otto Schacht, member of the management board of Kuehne + Nagel. “This allows customers to quickly and efficiently compare options across all liner services to easily adjust routings according to their requirements for speed and reliability.”

As a new key feature, SeaExplorer also provides detailed visibility of CO₂ emissions per service loop and port-to-port routing – a core element of Kuehne + Nagel’s Net Zero Carbon programme.

“This feature allows our customers to choose the most sustainable transport option,” said Schacht.