Mind the Data Gap – The Bridge from Assumptions to Accuracy 

Data integrity is everything in the supply chain and logistics ecosystem. Every decision, such as  which shipment option to book or when to schedule haulage for, relies on accurate and timely information. But one of the biggest challenges is that carrier milestone data is never 100% complete, because the real world is messy. 

Every supply chain professional knows that missing data is a reality in the supply chain and logistics ecosystems. There are two main reasons for gaps in milestone coverage:

1. The event happened, but there is no available data – the container was loaded onto the vessel, but for some reason, the carrier didn’t report it.
2. The event never actually happened – the container never made it onto the ship, meaning the expected milestone simply does not exist.

A common but flawed industry practice is to “fill in the blanks” by extrapolating data from other containers in the same Bill of Lading (BoL), or making assumptions based on historical patterns. These shortcuts introduce errors and risks, leading to misinformed decisions that can impact operations.

3 Best Practices to Look for When Evaluating Solutions

For those who are truly committed to accuracy, here are three important data best practices to look for in a solution:

✅ Cross-referencing multiple data sources: instead of relying solely on carrier milestone data, information should be validated through multiple sources, such as AIS data feeds for vessel location and geofencing for port arrivals.

✅ Human-in-the-loop verification: if something seems off, a dedicated team should manually review and investigate potential inconsistencies.

✅ Real-time notifications, instead of assumptions: if a milestone cannot be verified, don’t make one up or let technology make one up! Instead, the right solution will proactively alert customers, so they can make real-time decisions based on what is actually happening, not what the system assumes.

Go Beyond Milestones with a Single Source of Truth

Our promise to customers is clear:

If the carrier makes the data available, Windward will deliver it within 10 hours – guaranteed. This level of latency and visibility is best-in-class and ensures that customers receive the most complete and timely data possible.

Windward delivers the most complete and reliable maritime visibility by enabling customers to bring their own data (BYOD) and supercharge it with carrier milestones, AIS feeds, and Windward’s proprietary insights. 

We don’t just aggregate data – we validate, cross-check, and verify every piece of information to ensure nothing slips through the cracks. A dedicated team of experts reinforces this process, combining cutting-edge AI with hands-on human oversight to eliminate blind spots. And when a critical milestone changes? Customers know instantly with real-time alerts. This ensures businesses stay ahead with the most trusted, AI-powered source of truth.

We refuse to fill in the gaps with artificial assumptions. Instead, we relentlessly validate, cross-reference, and verify every data point to ensure accuracy – providing customers with an actual AI-powered, single-source-of-supply-chain-truth.

• No guesswork. No artificial assumptions. Just relentless accuracy.
• No missing milestones. Just complete, cross-verified insights.
• No misinformation. Just clarity and confidence in every decision.

When data gaps appear, we don’t fill them with fiction – we fill them with facts. That’s the Windward differentiator.

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