Honda’s motorcycle and power products operations divisions will aim to streamline their container shipping processes by collaborating with digital container shipping platform BuyCo and supply chain visibility solution FourKites, according to a June 25 press release.
The automaker intends to use BuyCo’s ocean carrier network to access shipping schedules and choose the best options to book, according to the release. Honda can also glean performance data from the shipping platform’s network to optimize processes and inventory.
Meanwhile, Honda intends to leverage FourKites’ container tracking solution to gain greater visibility over ocean and land transport. According to the release, FourKites’ solution will provide “direct access to major ocean carriers, real-time AIS data, terminal insights, and dray carriers’ integration.” The automaker aims to use the visibility to proactively avoid or adapt to disruptions.
“The importance of international shipment visibility continues to increase across our customer base, especially with ongoing disruptions such as port strikes, global conflict and climate-related changes,” Mathew Elenjickal, founder and CEO of FourKites, said in a statement.
For more localized solutions in the Japanese market, FourKites is partnering with IT partner Mitsui Knowledge Industry Co. to provide operational support to Honda and other companies.
Automakers are leveraging technology to strengthen their complex supply chains against parts shortages, shipping challenges and other delays. For instance, last year Nissan Motor Company tapped project44 for shipment tracking and carrier insights to gain end-to-end visibility over its supply chain.
