Customer Success Story: MODE Global

MODE Global, one of the world’s leading logistics companies, is using Descartes Advanced Ocean Tracking™ (Descartes AoT™) to boost operational efficiency and provide customers with rich ocean status updates and transportation tracking throughout the ocean shipment journey.

“Early on, we recognized that there was a significant opportunity to improve how we tracked ocean shipments,“ said Jason Mesko, Vice President of International Operations from MODE Global, “The process of navigating various websites; including rail sites, port sites, and ocean carrier sites; to track containers by inputting container numbers and searching for information was simply not efficient.”

“Also on the customer service side, we knew that we needed to exceed our clients’ expectations for real-time tracking information. In today’s world where ecommerce companies provide detailed tracking information for packages, customers expect similar visibility for their cargo. Beyond this, customers increasingly demand end-to-end visibility and not just basic information like sail dates and arrival dates.”

“Customers also want data that helps them understand the entire supply chain, from container availability at ports to the timing of container returns. As customers progress up the supply chain hierarchy, they also require more extensive and detailed data for decision-making particularly concerning lead times.”

"What makes the data from Descartes Advanced Ocean Tracking ‘advanced’ compared to traditional Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is that we receive data not only from 75+ global ocean carriers but also from terminals and rail systems, providing a more comprehensive view of the supply chain. In addition, data is consolidated into a unified format, making it easier to manage and analyze, and the Integration capabilities allow us to feed this data directly into internal systems."

“We’re transitioning from a milestone-focused management approach to one that prioritizes exceptions. Instead of monitoring every milestone, we now concentrate on handling exceptions. We track reports daily and address exceptions as they arise. Additionally, the integration with internal systems enables us to trigger messages to key stakeholders based on milestone completions. For instance, we can send an email with relevant documents to a designated party when cargo arrives or assign a trucker for pickup.”

"Descartes Advanced Ocean Tracking goes beyond EDI by providing a broader scope of data sources, real-time information, and seamless integration to enhance visibility and supply chain management. To achieve this, we’ve integrated with various third-party systems and customer platforms to share information seamlessly. While offering website-based tracking is valuable, we also focus on providing data that empowers our customers to optimize their operations effectively.”

Jason Mesko, Vice President of International Operations, MODE Global

“Descartes’ technology represents a foundational step in our journey toward automating processes, workflow management, and more. It’s a strategic move to improve efficiency, reduce manual work, and enhance information flow. In addition, Descartes Advanced Ocean Tracking includes information not just from global ocean carriers but also terminal and rail data. This data is consolidated into a unified format and seamlessly integrated into our back-office system, streamlining our operations and decision-making processes. In essence, it offers a more advanced and holistic approach compared to traditional EDI status updates.”

Resources are freed up to enable MODE Global to focus on exceptions.

MODE Global is using automation to trigger messages to key stakeholders based on milestone completions.

The Descartes solution seamlessly populates back-office platforms to reduce data entry and labor.

Data is consolidated into a unified format, making it easier to manage and analyze.

MODE Global is a $4B multi-brand, 3PL platform and one of the world’s leading logistics companies. We are the sixth-largest truckload freight brokerage and the largest non-asset intermodal provider in the United States. Through our family of brands, which includes Avenger Logistics, MODE Transportation, and SUNTECKtts, we offer more than 30 years of experience providing exceptional service with a focus on customer experience. MODE Global provides efficient, reliable transportation services around the world to more than 10,000 customers across a diverse set of markets.

Powered by a sophisticated suite of technology solutions, MODE makes supply chain management easy through relationships with more than 100,000 carriers and agents in 230 locations throughout North America. For more information visit: www.modeglobal.com