Federal Maritime Commission Pushing Further on Improving Supply Chain

Federal Maritime Commission Pushing Further on Improving Supply Chain

July 17, 2017
The FMC project aims to provide the U.S. ocean transportation supply system with accurate, actionable information delivered in a reliable and timely way.

In a nod to improve the nation’s competitive position in the ocean transportation sector, the first phase of the Federal Maritime Commission’s Supply Chain Innovation program, which ran from May until October, focused on the import supply chain. The key goals of the import teams were enhanced supply chain visibility and performance. The import teams identified the need for a national seaport information portal.

On July 11, Commissioner Rebecca Dye launched the second phase of the agency’s Supply Chain Innovation Teams initiative. Phase two will focus on identifying the "actionable" information needed by supply chain actors for improved supply chain system visibility, reliability and resilience.

In phase two, nearly 40 experienced industry leaders, organized into three teams, will advance that effort—representing public port authorities, warehouses, exporters, ocean carriers, longshore labor, ocean transportation intermediaries, trucking, and rail.

"Actionable knowledge is the key differentiator, in today’s economy, between being competitive or not," says Commissioner Dye.

"Commerce in the 21st Century depends on developing and maintaining first-class information infrastructures,” Dye adds. “Our nation’s ocean transportation supply system needs accurate, actionable information delivered in a reliable and timely way."

Dye emphasizes the systemic nature of the supply chain, adding that the FMC project is focused on delivering key pieces of critical information, not just a large amount of data. "Our teams are 'stepping out of their silos' to identify their needs for strategic information so that our entire supply chain can operate as a harmonious system," she says.

"We are convinced that seaport information infrastructure is key to American economic competitiveness," Dye concludes.

Commissioner Dye’s goal is to complete the export portion of the Supply Chain Innovation Initiative this fall.

Latest from Transportation & Distribution