Systems and methods for integrated global shipping and visibility

Abstract

Disclosed is an integrated global shipment system that provides end-to-end visibility of the movement of a package. The integrated global shipment system employs a shipment consolidating application for integrating one or more freight tracking systems with one or more end-delivery systems. As a result, shippers are provided with complete visibility of the movement of their shipments of goods from an origin country to a destination country and till the final consignees. In addition, the integrated shipment system significantly decreases the cost of managing inventories by providing a virtual inventory solution. Under this virtual inventory solution, suppliers are able to bypass distribution centers and delay allocation of goods until after the importation of goods into a destination country.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 533,300, entitled “Integrated Global Tracking and Virtual Inventory System”, filed on Dec. 30, 2003, and incorporates such application by reference in its entirety.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates generally to an integrated tracking system that provides enhanced visibility of the movement of goods being shipped worldwide, and, as a result, enables a virtual inventory system. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Globalization has introduced additional partners into the supply chain, thus creating new challenges of distant vendors and wide variances in the sophistication of systems. At the same time, the ever-increasing cost pressures are forcing companies to do a better job of managing expensive inventories. Under the macro-trend of operating logistics worldwide, there are some specific problems, as addressed below, which give rise to a ne...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008] The present invention seeks to provide an integrated global shipment system that can provide end-to-end visibility of the movement of goods. To that end, the present invention provides a method integrating one or more freight shipping and tracking systems with one or more end-delivery and tracking systems. Toward that goal, the present invention enables various individual shipments to be consolidated into a freight shipment so as to facilitate the movement of goods during international shipment. Moreover, the present invention ...

Problems solved by technology

Globalization has introduced additional partners into the supply chain, thus creating new challenges of distant vendors and wide variances in the sophistication of systems.

At the same time, the ever-increasing cost pressures are forcing companies to do a better job of managing expensive inventories.

As various components of goods are sourced throughout various regions and buyers are scattered around the globe, supply chains are far stretched and growing extremely complex, thus extremely complicating the efforts to provide accurate and timely data to customers.

Such “piecemeal” logistics invites a number of problems, such as lack of visibility, absence of cost transparency, security concerns and unreliable service.

Another problem is the delays and high costs associated with di...

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