FourKites® , the leading real-time supply chain visibility provider, has announced it is the first real-time visibility platform to join the Scheduling Standards Consortium (SSC). FourKites joins Arrive Logistics, BlueYonder, Coyote Logistics, DHL, e2open, Echo, JB Hunt Transport, Lineage, Mastery, One Network Enterprises, Oracle, Ryder, TI NTG, Uber Freight, Werner and Worldwide Express as SSC participants looking to drive greater efficiencies within the supply chain technology environment.
Scheduling freight shipments is a pervasive supply chain problem that has become even more complex with the significant growth and diversification of scheduling solutions over the past decade. Today, shippers and carriers have dozens of ways to schedule freight shipments with shippers, each with their own proprietary interfaces and APIs, creating friction and inefficiencies throughout the supply chain.
To address this challenge, JB Hunt and Uber Freight co-founded the SSC in 2022 to create the first universal appointment scheduling standard in the form of an API. With many leading companies now participating and driving the standard, the SSC’s goal is to simplify system integration across a fragmented ecosystem between shippers, carriers and brokers to create a more efficient appointment scheduling process. The SSC approved the universal standard for the API, which was released on October 2, 2023. This will eliminate the need for multiple interfaces and allow carriers to work with each other through a single interface.
Viral Parekh, head of logistics operations at Kraft Heinz Company, explains: “Adopting a universal scheduling API enables seamless coordination across the supply chain. As more companies embrace this unified approach, we will pave the way for unmatched system efficiencies, streamlining operations and driving transformational growth across the industry.”
FourKites is working with SSC due to the company’s proven commitment to optimizing ecosystem performance, carrier success, and creating a more user-friendly operating environment. Additionally, FourKites’ strong customer base and recognized industry leadership position it to play a role in accelerating the development of the API and its adoption across its customer and partner network. Appointment Manager, a platform that schedules over 100,000 appointments per month, has been one of FourKites’ fastest growing products by significantly eliminating the friction associated with manual time slot booking.
“We are excited to join this consortium of industry giants,” said Matthew Elenjkal, founder and CEO of FourKites. “Using one API between our Appointment Manager solution and shippers’ transportation networks creates a frictionless operational environment for all parties, enabling FourKites‘ customers to serve preferred shippers at a lower cost and with a reliable, well-received integration.”
SOURCE: Businesswire