Connected Shipping: Riding

the Wave of E-Commerce

As shipping companies increase their reliance on e-commerce,
they face several barriers. According to our latest research
study, many of these businesses are undertaking progressive
digital initiatives to overcome operational challenges and meet
customers growing expectations.

Executive Summary
Digital platforms, applications and processes are rapidly changing how
shipping and transportation companies operate. In addition to the
effect on their internal operations, there is the impact on customers
and partners. Evolving regulatory standards, as well as geopolitical
implications, must also be considered in an increasingly complex,
digitally-driven world.
Digital technologies and operating models are already pushing shipping
companies to collaborate with digital data providers (e.g., cloud services)
and the business community at large to broaden their capabilities
and knowledge beyond the traditional, insular four-walls view of the
marketplace. New digital tools can extend and enhance shipping services
by affording direct, near-instant access to end customers, all with
negligible transaction costs that can be passed on to shippers as well as
their customers.
In late 2015, we conducted primary research to explore the priorities and
challenges of shipping-industry professionals shippers, carriers and
freight forwarders and deepen insight into how shipping companies
view e-commerce. The study involved in-depth interviews with 30 global
CXOs at shipping liners, shipping agents and global freight forwarders
across geographies; technology providers (those that serve shipping
companies); and industry analysts. (See methodology, page 15).
Our research reveals that most companies recognize the significance
of connected shipping (e.g., end-to-end visibility across the value
chain of ocean transport) and have already started to explore
and adopt e-commerce with the goal of fully automating shipping
processes such as shipment booking, vessel schedules, rate shopping,
documentation and freight payments. While acknowledging the

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importance of a Web-based business model, many shipping companies

are proceeding cautiously. A key challenge is balancing the conflicting
priorities of managing ongoing business while keeping a sharp eye
on new and innovative technologies. Concerns over building the
necessary IT infrastructure, as well as shipping regulations, also
inhibit the investigation of emerging technologies. External support
from technology providers/consultants, collaborative workgroups and
forums, or seminars and training sessions, are seen as critical to staying
connected and being successful in digital commerce.

BEYOND QA:
BUSINESSSHIPPING:
PROCESS RIDING
ASSURANCE
FOR THE
DIGITAL AGE
CONNECTED
THE WAVE
OF E-COMMERCE

3
3

Key Findings
Our study revealed some key considerations that companies should keep in mind
when planning, developing and implementing initiatives for digital transformation:

Digital is the buzzword: Almost every shipping company is facing the pressure

to become digitally enabled and improve how they interact and transact with
customers, competitors and shareholders. Turning a potential threat into an
opportunity to achieve true digital transformation will require shipping businesses
to develop a strategy that aligns with their value proposition and the promise of
their brand, and creates sustainable value.

Staying

connected: Shipping is an asset-intensive industry that has required

equally heavy investments to sustain traditional business practices. Today,
e-commerce is an industry priority, and an opportunity to streamline internal
and external processes, as well the entire supply chain. More than 65% of our
study respondents had either implemented or are in the process of going live with
e-commerce platforms; 25% were still gathering information. Interestingly, only
10% were in the R&D stage.

Its

all about collaboration: While there is no one size fits all solution in
shipping, the industry can reap many benefits from an automated, collaborative
e-commerce platform that allows businesses to access and share accessible, highquality and timely information.

Focus on customer benefits: Customer experiences in terms of visibility (55%)

and making sure they can access information on-the-go (48%) are key market
differentiators. This is precisely what most companies in the fast-paced digital
world are working toward.

Automate every stage of the value chain: Currently, most aspects of the orderto-cash cycle are semi-automated. This is an opportunity for shipping businesses
to leverage existing technology platforms, and adopt applications that plug gaps
and enable more seamless processes.

Developing E-Commerce Roadmaps

Increasing competition compels shipping lines to continuously innovate to reduce
operating costs, improve quality and accelerate delivery. Emerging technologies
such as the SMAC Stack (social, mobile, analytics, and cloud) have made it possible
to meet these challenges head-on and take shipping to the next level.

In Their Own Words

One critical aspect we are working on is to have backward integration with

suppliers to manage the supply chain right from the point of order generation
until the shipment is dispatched from the factory. Director of Operations for a
shipping line headquartered in Singapore

Nearly all of our study respondents indicated they plan to adopt e-commerce to
stay ahead of the competition and meet ever-changing consumer demands for
end-to-end visibility across the value chain. (More than 65% revealed they have
already embarked on this journey). Approximately 25% of respondents revealed
they were still gathering information; only 10% are still at the research stage.
Interestingly, among those that remained in the information-gathering stage,
some had actually begun implementation in select areas. (See Figure 1).

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How Companies are Pursuing E-Commerce

Full Steam Ahead

Build or Buy?

3%

24%
38%

Live/Functional

10%

In-house Development

40%

Implementation

Customized Product

57%

Research & Development

Others

Information Gathering

28%
Figure 2
Response base: 30

Figure 1
Response base: 30

When implementing e-commerce solutions, most companies prefer to adapt and

customize packaged software. Others develop their applications in-house. (See
Figure 2). A good example is a $2 billion roll-on, roll-off (RoRo) shipping company
we studied. It developed its voyage scheduling system from scratch to provide the
flexibility to choose multiple schedules based on sequence or parallel voyage route
planning.
Shipping lines are under increasing pressure as customers worldwide demand
more visibility into shipment details and service reliability.
To stay afloat, carriers must continuously innovate and realign their services to
ensure optimum service, reduce operating costs, streamline processes and provide
access to accurate and timely information.
Given the pace of change and competitive pressure they face, all of our respondents
made it clear they cannot remain indifferent to e-commerce. While 17% agreed that
e-commerce is now critical to their business, that percentage rose to 73% when
viewed over a three-to-five-year timeline.

The Growing Importance of E-commerce

How important do you consider e-commerce to be to your organization?
One Year

Two Years

Three to Five Years

7%

37%

23%

17%

4%

13%

23%

Very Important
Important

23%
40%

Business Critical

40%

Not So Important

73%

Unimportant

Figure 3
Response base: 30
CONNECTED SHIPPING: RIDING THE WAVE OF E-COMMERCE

Barriers to E-commerce Adoption

While most companies acknowledge the criticality of e-commerce over time, many
are proceeding cautiously. This is because investment decisions are largely driven
by ROI considerations making it hard to justify e-commerce in 2016 in terms of
required investments and expected returns. Additionally, most shipping companies
have competing priorities such as procuring assets; namely, vessels, containers,
material-handling equipment and other capital-intensive purchases.
Balancing these concerns is clearly an imperative. In our view, companies need
to develop an information management strategy and business plan for building
long-term capabilities, backed by a separate budget and performance measures in
areas such as customer retention, operational efficiency, trade lane development
and cost leadership. This will help ensure that short-term priorities and current
business challenges do not mask factors that are critical to survival and growth.
Two areas that most study respondents cited was the need for an adequate IT infrastructure and implementation skills. (See Figure 4).
Flattening demand and business volatility are common issues. Overcapacities
continue to drive down freight and charter rates across container, dry-bulk, and
tanker segments. Terminal operators in many locations face increasing competition and operational challenges related to ever-larger vessel sizes, particularly in
container shipping.
Nearly 60% of study respondents acknowledged that a lack of standardized
processes had led to manual, inefficient processes across the value chain. Quality
of data was a concern for 17% of respondents, while 13% cited personnel training
and development as an issue. (See Figure 5, next page).
Respondents rely on in-house innovations to leverage new technology solutions
and minimize the movement, translation and storage of data required by multiple
parties across the value chain. Many use a single e-commerce platform that enables
all shipment participants to share and view information from platforms such as
Inttra and GT Nexus. (See Figure 6, next page). This spares them from having to
retransmit, convert, load and store data; they need only to reconcile differences
that will undoubtedly exist among various systems.

Weighing the Challenges

What barriers do you see impeding the adoption of e-commerce in your organization?
Competing Priorities

40%

Lack of Management Understanding

20%

Lack of Adequate IT Infrastructure

17%

Lack of Implementation Skills

No Strong Business Case
Security 3%
Figure 4
Response base: 30

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13%
7%

In Their Own Words

The shipping network in some countries is still executed by local agents and
hence adoption of a standard e-commerce platform is quite challenging. CIO,
leading shipping company, Germany

Operational Barriers
What operational challenges has your organization
faced when adopting an e-commerce platform?

13%

Training and Development of Personnel

37%
23%

Lack of Standardized Process

Lack of Timely Information
Quality of Data

10%

17%

Inefficient Manual Process

Figure 5
Response base: 30

E-Commerce Accelerants
What platforms are accelerating service innovation and development?
17%

In-house Innovation
Intrra

16%

GT Nexus
Others

7%
6%

Figure 6
Response base: 25

CONNECTED SHIPPING: RIDING THE WAVE OF E-COMMERCE

Understanding Customer Expectations

Innovation in products, processes and business models is critical to thriving in a
highly competitive business environment. Likewise, collaboration and customer
experience management are key to driving innovation. Every study respondent said
that their company had earmarked specific budgets for building collaboration tools
and advancing digital transformation. Nearly 60% of the respondents told us that
their IT spend on understanding customer expectations consumed from 1% to 5%
of their overall IT budgets. Only 20% of the respondents spent between 5% to 10%.
(See Figure 7).
Roughly 70% of respondents indicated they use social media channels and
employee/customer touch points to better understand customer expectations. (See
Figure 8).
Furthermore, 70% believe that data gathered from social media will significantly
improve their operations in areas such as procurement, scheduling and customer
service.

Investing in Customer Insights

What is your companys IT spend on
understanding customer expectations?

3% 3%
14%
20%

>15%
10%15%
5%10%
1%5%
0%

60%
Figure 7
Response base: 18

Getting Social
How important is social media for
understanding customer expectations?

4% 3%

33%

23%

A Great Deal
Somewhat
Not Very Much
Not At All

37%
Figure 8
Response base: 26

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December 2016

Dont Know

Many respondents told us that the immediate adoption of e-commerce will significantly benefit their customers by increasing visibility and shortening response
times. (See Figure 9, below). Some said they are working to ensure that customers
can access information from virtually anywhere, at any time, which they believe is
a key competitive differentiator. This kind of agility allows supply chains to respond
faster to volatile conditions, with the ability to:

Reroute inventory at will.

Consolidate shipments efficiently.
Accelerate profitable returns.
Configure and change orders even in the middle of production.
Aggregate data across regions to accurately predict future demand.
Achieving these capabilities depends first and foremost on visibility. It is impossible
to coordinate operations when there is no complete picture of what is happening
within the business and across the supply chain. Connected shipping will provide
end-to-end visibility to the volumes of data it generates.

Meeting Customers Expectations

What benefits do customers expect through e-commerce service offerings?
30
25

100%
91%

28%

80%

80%

25%
20

59%
15

60%

19%

40%

10

31%

10%

5
0

100%

Visibility

On-the-Go
Access

Faster
Response Time

User
Friendliness

8%
Competitive
Rates

20%
0%

Figure 9
Response base: 30

In Their Own Words

The need to automate our operations is underway at most of our offices except
those in Africa due to the lack of IT infrastructure. Trade Lane Head, global
freight forwarder, Singapore

CONNECTED SHIPPING: RIDING THE WAVE OF E-COMMERCE

The Dependency on IT Capability & Infrastructure

Todays shipping lines face several obstacles in what is now a hyper-competitive environment. High fuel costs and low freight rates; customers demands for highly reliable
shipments at a reduced cost; loosely connected systems that are unable to deliver a
single version of the truth. Typically, there is a gap between the demand for shipping
services and the capacity to handle cargo. If shipping companies cannot meet narrow
schedules, they incur huge costs. Automated, real-time event reporting can help
resolve these issues by tracking the movement of cargo and containers, and assuring
that supply and demand are in sync.
Surprisingly, only a few respondents had taken the necessary steps to assure the
secure transport of documents (bill of lading, delivery order, manifests, etc.). For
example, some said their companies use a unique encrypted code that can generate
a QR Code, which can then be printed on the original bill of lading. A QR code reader
scans the code to check the authenticity of the document. This allows stakeholders
across the supply chain to quickly verify the document minimizing the chances of
wrongful delivery of cargo or unauthorized financial transactions.
Freight payment ranks as high as ensuring that cargo is safely transported from its
origin to its destination on time. Timely and accurate invoices are crucial; the sooner
companies bill their clients the sooner revenue can be used as working capital.
Inaccurate invoices exact high costs for shipping lines, carriers, and shippers alike.
We asked respondents about the level of automation their systems offered for
critical functions. (See Figure 10).
The rapid response times of e-booking emerged as a differentiator in shippers
selection of carriers, and a key factor in further automating ocean shipping. Most of
our study respondents indicated that their EDI booking systems have a high degree
of automation.
Seamless integration with existing host systems and technologies is essential
to automating, simplifying and reducing costs across the supply chain. Vessel
scheduling, freight payment and documentation among respondents are primarily
semi-automated. (See Figure 11, next page).

Automating Processes
What is the level of automation for your critical functions?
100%

9%

11%

80%

5%

12%

Fully Automated

5%
16%

60%

19%

20%

6%
18%

Manual Process Only

11%

40%
20%

5%
0%

Documentation EDI Booking

(BOL, notice
Transaction
of arrival, etc.)

Figure 10

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Rate
Shopping

Semi-Automated

7%

6%

Vessel
Schedules

Freight
Payment

Automation Levels Across the Order-to-Cash Cycle

Fully Automated

Semi-Automated

Manual Process

Documentation
(Bill of Lading (BOL),
Notice of Arrival (NOA),
etc.)

eBOL, shipping instructions

updated via EDI, portal
updates, electronic
notifications and receipts.

Customers can fill out BOL

forms through desktops,
mobile devices and tablets.

BOL: Paper-based process.

Rate Shopping

Quotations can be obtained

online and later converted
to orders.

Quotations can be obtained

online with standard
products/services.

Quotations are provided

manually upon request by
customers.

Vessel Schedules

Utilizes schedule
consolidation engine to plan
efficiently and accurately.

Manual planning of
electronically received
schedules from multiple
carriers.

Manual process of gathering

and aggregating schedule
data.

Freight Payment

Freight bills are

automatically validated
and approved for payment.
Automatic deduction of
payment from customers
payment card, account or
credit facility.

Ability to view the freight

bills for shipments
executed.

Manual pre-audits. Manual

calculation of fuel surcharge
and stop charges. Freight bills
received through e-mail.

EDI Booking

Instant booking for

qualifying transactions.
Automatic notification of
changes in booking status
to third parties, including
a confirmation message.
Complete history for
each booking, including
a summary of critical
changes.

Instant booking upon

receiving file from
customer. Confirmation sent
to customer.

Manual creation of bookings.

Modifications, amendments
and confirmation manually
prepared.

NOA via telephone, fax,

e-mail, etc.

Figure 11

For most respondents, shopping for rates is a highly manual process that typically
depends on chosen carriers service levels and their ability to provide real-time
freight rates around the clock. Most respondents emphasized that they manage
freight rates internally, and would not share terms across a platform given the
potential to ignite a price war among shipping lines. Freight rates are also dynamic,
and fluctuate due in part to changing fuel costs, over capacity and demand.

In Their Own Words

Pricing maintenance of freight and other charges is challenging. In the case of

DOOR to DOOR it is more challenging due to various destinations and the local
parties involved. Outsourcing tariff maintenance can be one of the solutions.
CFO, leading global freight forwarder, Germany

One area of concern highlighted by respondents was the need to build an IT infrastructure with the support of external technology companies. (See Figure 12, next
page). Most companies we studied are putting infrastructure and applications in
place to enhance collaboration among various stakeholders.

CONNECTED SHIPPING: RIDING THE WAVE OF E-COMMERCE

11

Gauging the Need for New Technology Platforms

How much support is required to build and manage e-commerce transformation initiatives?
Build IT Infrastructure

44%

Industry Best Practice & Benchmark

26%

Seminars/Industry Forums

19%

Vision & Roadmap for E-commerce

Support from IT Companies

11%
7%

Figure 12

How Shipping Companies Can Stay Connected

New digital technologies open markets that either complement or replace existing
structures. Instant customer reach, direct access to end customers and minimal
transaction costs are inherent benefits that can be leveraged by shipping and
logistics players, as well as their customers.
Based on our analysis of the e-commerce market and the approaches that some
companies are taking, we have defined a maturity framework to help shippers
better assess their current capabilities and plan ahead.
Our framework defines the key functions for staying connected:

Capacity planning and forecasting.

Order management.
Shipment planning and scheduling.
Supply chain visibility
Freight invoicing management and analytics.
For each function, we have identified four levels of maturity from a basic stage
(defined) to transformation, which is indicative of a fully mature process. Based on
our study, we have observed that most shipping organizations operate between
Levels 2 and 3, namely managed and optimized, which suggests they have attained
competency in key functional areas. (See Quick Take, next page).

Assessing Current Capabilities & Developing a Roadmap

The maturity framework can be used as a guideline for companies to assess their
current capabilities and decide where they stand in each strategic area. They can
then create a clear, simple strategy and roadmap for reaching the desired state.
As companies build an automated e-commerce model, a strong maturity framework
can serve as a checkpoint at every stage to confirm that the necessary level of
maturity has been reached before making additional investments along the defined
roadmap.

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Quick Take

Connected Shipping: A Maturity Framework to Assess Current Capabilities

Defined

Managed

Optimized

Transformed

Capacity
Planning &
Forecasting

Organization does
not perform any
systematic planning and
forecasting activity.

Capability to analyze
historical trends but
does not possess any
capability to perform
effective assets
forecasting.

Capability to perform
assets forecasting based
on historical trends,
but no scenario-based
planning.

Capability to run
simulated fullstream supply/demand
balancing for what-if
scenarios.

Order
Management

Completely manual
documentation, quote
generation and review;
e-mail based RFQ
response.

RFQ and quote

generation process
supported by broad
response templates;
requires significant
review by managers
prior to finalization.

RFQ response
generation, quote
generation supported
by internal knowledge
portals and extensive,
ready-to use templates;
limited review and quick
turnaround.

RFQ process linked

to the document
management process
reduces cycle time.
Quotes generated
automatically regarding
contracts maintained for
customers.

Shipment
Planning &
Scheduling

Manual process for

planning shipments.

Stand-alone planning
software.

Planning tool used to

support manual process.
Plan to meet delivery
scheduled date/time.

Automated planning
tool provides optimal
cost and service
solution when
dynamically processing
all shipments.

Supply Chain
Visibility

No event management
mechanism in place;
carrier informs the base
location only in cases of
exceptions.

Carrier updates are

done periodically, based
on milestones covered
in a particular shipment.

Maintains a portal
where carrier can enter
delivery details that can
also be used to track
carrier performance.

Carrier and lane status

are regularly updated.
Online coordination of
routing/scheduling. Endto-end visibility of cargo
by providing BOL, cargo
ID, container #, order #.

Freight
Invoicing
Management

Invoices are generated

manually and consume
significant time and
effort. There are
discrepancies in
estimated invoices
due to customer
calculations.

No direct capability
for electronically
generating invoices;
however, templates are
used to aid in estimating
and generating invoices.

Capability for
electronically
generating invoices
exists; however, this
is not extensively
used due to lack of
verification features.

Invoices are usually

generated electronically;
supported by features
for invoice verification.
Shipment costs are
automatically calculated
at time of optimization
and are transmitted to
financial systems to be
used in invoice matching
and settlement.

Analytics

Only ready-made
reports from various
systems are available.

Capability to configure
reports based on
business requirements.

Interactive reports with

drill-down ability is built,
but capability restricted
to the IT admin. users.

Business users can

build interactive
business-level reports
(tables, charts) that
provide status along
transportation KPIs and
support drill-downs into
more report detail to
determine root cause.

Source: Cognizant Technology Solutions

CONNECTED SHIPPING: RIDING THE WAVE OF E-COMMERCE

13

Looking Forward
Our interactions with CXOs confirmed our hypothesis that connected shipping
an approach made possible via new digital technologies embedded in e-commerce
transformation projects is a priority for many shipping companies. These
encounters also confirmed that emerging technology trends proactive maintenance and risk management, digital twins, big data-driven decision making and
a focus on assets and the supply chain are key investments that supply chain
managers should consider to ensure they stay connected.
Given these findings, we recommend the following:

Assess current capabilities and business priorities: Establish basic capabilities in process standardization, data integrity and visibility before expanding further. Fully leverage technologies to automate all operations and critical business
processes.

Develop an e-commerce roadmap using a digital maturity framework: Our

framework can act as a guideline for charting a meaningful and contextual roadmap. Respondents experiences and feedback provide valuable insights on the
level of importance shipping companies assign to staying connected and becoming digital in the coming years.

Define business process changes for effectively integrating with partners:

Enable collaborative business processes to support the exchange of data, events

and documents. Facilitate true partnering through timely, accurate informationsharing and visibility.

Develop

an ROI-based approach to identify and prioritize initiatives:

Companies can benchmark their business KPIs to focus on an action plan for moving towards a fully matured business process stage. They can evaluate ROI from
various implementation options and finalize the approach for executing their action plan.

Gain

consulting and implementation support from a trusted partner:

Companies can also seek the expertise of third-party/IT service providers to
gauge the business potential and chalk out a roadmap for implementing digital
solutions to meet or exceed industry expectations. Third-party/IT service providers come with a wide-range of services and experience across different geographies and diverse clientele giving them a broad view and vast knowledge of
domains for developing business processes and solutions that can ensure shipping companies remain future-ready.

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Appendix 1: The Methodology

Thought Process Behind the Connected Shipping Study
Shipping is considered the lifeblood of the global economy, which is highly dependent
on specialty shipping companies. In fact, they meet approximately 85% of the global
demand for transport. Over time, changes in global growth are expected to lead to
changes in the worlds seaborne trade center of gravity. The impending changes,
as well as ongoing structural alterations in the industry landscape, is causing a
dramatic shift in manufacturing and trading.
The market and marketplaces are now global, with
production located in virtually every geography.
China is the world manufacturer; India and other
Asian countries are following the same economic
model. The major shipping lines, many which were
originally concentrated on the EastWest routes
that linked the main three poles of the global
economy (Europe, Asia, North America), are now
serving the NorthSouth routes following the
liberalization of maritime regulations worldwide
(e.g., the relaxation of government regulations on
trading with certain countries, economic policies,
free zones, opening up new trade routes that
allow shipping lines to develop new trade lanes)
thereby increasing commerce among countries.
Mega carriers with multi-ocean networks are the
common pattern.

Examine the uses, motivations

and barriers associated
with adoption of e-commerce
in the shipping industry

OBJECTIVES
of Cognizants
Connected Shipping
Study

Develop a framework to
assess and gauge
e-commerce transformation
in shipping

Bring out the strategic

relevance/importance of
e-commerce to shipping
in todays age

The shipping business environment is increasingly unpredictable; competition is

heating up; profit margins are declining, and expected service levels are rising while
demand fluctuates. In this context, shipping lines need to formulate and implement
winning strategies to grow revenue, improve margins and achieve profitable growth.
Because of these dynamics, shipping companies must meet higher expectations
and increased scrutiny brought about by a highly networked, social media-savvy
world. That has pushed investors, shipping customers and, in turn, ports and
shipping lines, to embrace e-commerce transformation.
The study sought to analyze and understand organizations stand on three themes:

1.

Shipping organizations have a clear roadmap for adoption of

e-commerce to offer enhanced services to their end customers.

2.

Shipping organizations have a good understanding of customer

expectations as they relate to e-commerce.

3.

Shipping organizations have adequate IT capability to

implement e-commerce.

CONNECTED SHIPPING: RIDING THE WAVE OF E-COMMERCE

15

Appendix 2: The Study Overview

This study was conducted from August to November, 2015, and involved in-depth
primary interviews with 30 participants.
The interviews were carried out face-to6%
face whenever possible, and via phone in other cases.
Respondents answered 20 questions ranging from technology priorities to
Lessinthan
$100
Million
challenges in the marketplace. The questions were grouped
three
sections
20%
pertaining to the hypothesis noted in Appendix 1. The study comprised
participants
$100 $500
Million
from APAC (61% respondents), North America (21%) and Europe (18%). A majority
$500 $1 Billion
50%
(53%) of respondents represented liner shipping
7%businesses. The companies that
$10 Billion
participated in the study ranged in size from small (<US$100$1million
in revenue),
medium (US$100 million to $1 billion) and
large
(US$1
billion
to
US$10
billion)
More
than
$10
Billionto
17%
very large (>US$10 billion). The participant profile extended across executive-office,
IT and functional/business heads.

Interviews by Revenue

Interview by Number of Employees

6%

20%
50%

7%
17%

Less than $100 Million

17%

$100 $500 Million

46%
11%

$500 $1 Billion
$1 $10 Billion
More than $10 Billion

3%

9%

17%
10%
60%
27%

Finance
Salesthan
& 1,000
Less
Marketing
1000 5000
Commerce
Management
5,000
10,000
Information
10,000
100,000
Technology
Shipping &
Logistics
Operations

Respondent Profile
Finance

17%17%
10%

46%11%
3%

9%

27%

Interview by Line of Business

60%

Sales1,000
&
Less than
Marketing
1000 5000
Commerce
5,000Management
10,000
Information
10,000
100,000
Technology
Shipping &
Logistics
Operations

Global Freight
Forwarder

23%

Ro-Ro Shipping

16

7%
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7%
10%

53%

December 2016

Terminal Operator
3PL
Liner Shipping

Global Freight
Forwarder

23%

Ro-Ro Shipping

7%
7%
10%

53%

Terminal Operator
3PL
Liner Shipping

Footnotes
1

Delivering large-scale IT projects on time, on budget, and on value. McKinsey & Co., October
2012. http://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/business-technology/our-insights/
delivering-large-scale-it-projects-on-time-on-budget-and-on-value.

About the Authors

Badrinath Setlur leads Cognizant Enterprise Application Services (EAS) consulting.
He has more than 23 years of global experience as a management consultant,
manufacturing industry specialist and business consultant in IT services. He
can be reached at Badrinath.Setlur@cognizant.com | https://in.linkedin.com/in/
badrisetlur

Navin Rajendran is Manager of Consulting in Cognizant Business Consultings

Manufacturing & Logistics Practice. He has 12-plus years of experience in business
consulting, process re-engineering and product development, and has led multiple
business consulting engagements in the transportation and logistics space. His
areas of interest include the impact of IoT in logistics, digital, and supply chain
management. He can be reached at Navin.Rajendran@cognizant.com | https://
in.linkedin.com/in/navin-rajendran-8a45ba1

Kartik Ravi is a Consultant in Cognizant Business Consultings Manufacturing

& Logistics Practice. He has over four years of cross-domain experience across
refinery/manufacturing, logistics, food and beverages, and consulting industries
and has led end-to-end solution development in the transportation and logistics
space. He can be reached at Kartik.Ravi@cognizant.com | https://in.linkedin.com/
in/kartik-ravi-cscp-cpim-b2b54221

Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank and acknowledge the support and guidance of the
following Cognizant leaders in helping shape this report. Rajaram Radhakrishnan,
Business Unit Head, Manufacturing, Logistics, Energy and Utilities (MLEU); Vikash
Gaur, Vice President, Manufacturing & Logistics; Sathishkumar Soundararajan,
Senior Director, Manufacturing & Logistics; Ramesh Krishnamurthy, Director,
Manufacturing & Logistics; and Alan Alper, Assistant Vice President, Corporate
Marketing.

CONNECTED SHIPPING: RIDING THE WAVE OF E-COMMERCE

17

Cognizants Manufacturing &

Logistics Business Unit
Cognizants Manufacturing & Logistics Business Unit operates
as a trusted partner to global manufacturing leaders, helping
them accelerate business performance in the digital world. The
unit is recognized for its forward-looking approach by industry
gurus, such as IDC MarketScape, which bestowed on it a
Leader rating for service lifecycle management. Our business
consulting professionals ensure that manufacturing and
logistics clients receive exceptional business results from their
technology investments and sourcing programs. Our domain
solutions leverage digital technologies to build smart products,
connect with digital consumers, provide real-time visibility
into manufacturing operations, and automate knowledge work
with cognitive computing. Learn more at www.cognizant.com/
manufacturing.

About Cognizant Business

Consulting
With over 5,500 consultants worldwide, Cognizant Business
Consulting offers high-value digital business and IT
consulting services that improve business performance and
operational productivity while lowering operational costs.
Clients leverage our deep industry experience, strategy and
transformation capabilities and analytical insights to help
improve productivity, drive business transformation and
increase shareholder value across the enterprise. To learn
more, please visit www.cognizant.com/consulting or e-mail
us at inquiry@cognizant.com.

World Headquarters
500 Frank W. Burr Blvd.
Teaneck, NJ 07666 USA
Phone: +1 201 801 0233
Fax: +1 201 801 0243
Toll Free: +1 888 937 3277
inquiry@cognizant.com

European Headquarters
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Paddington Central
London W2 6BD
Phone: +44 (0) 207 297 7600
Fax: +44 (0) 207 121 0102
infouk@cognizant.com

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#5/535, Old Mahabalipuram Road
Okkiyam Pettai, Thoraipakkam
Chennai, 600 096 India
Phone: +91 (0) 44 4209 6000
Fax: +91 (0) 44 4209 6060
inquiryindia@cognizant.com

About Cognizant
Cognizant (NASDAQ: CTSH) is a leading provider of information
technology, consulting, and business process services, dedicated
to helping the worlds leading companies build stronger businesses. Headquartered in Teaneck, New Jersey (U.S.), Cognizant
combines a passion for client satisfaction, technology innovation, deep industry and business process expertise, and a global,
collaborative workforce that embodies the future of work. With
over 100 development and delivery centers worldwide and
approximately 255,800 employees as of September 30, 2016,
Cognizant is a member of the NASDAQ-100, the S&P 500, the
Forbes Global 2000, and the Fortune 500 and is ranked among
the top performing and fastest growing companies in the world.
Visit us online at www.cognizant.com or follow us on Twitter:
Cognizant.

Copyright 2016, Cognizant. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the express written permission from Cognizant. The information contained herein is subject to
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