A Customer Experience That No-one Owns: How Data Will Change Shipping

This piece explores the second of five major themes affecting digitalisation in shipping — customer centricity. You can read the introduction to the five themes here, and the piece on the first theme is found here.

Technology has paved the way for seamless customer experiences.

From getting a ride, to booking a flight, to getting groceries delivered to your door in a matter of hours, there’s less friction than ever to get what we want.

But such seamlessness takes effort and a relentless pursuit of customer centricity.

As shipping becomes more customer-centric, digital tools will help us automate repetitive manual tasks, provide faster more intuitive ways of interacting, and free up humans to add value in a more meaningful way.

But as usual, the world of shipping presents some unique challenges.

A customer experience that no-one owns

Unlike most industries, in shipping, no single entity owns the entire customer experience from end to end. Cargo passes from shipper, to carrier, to port, to customs, and to land transport, with shifting responsibilities along the way.

Each plays a role, yet no-one owns the experience end to end.

If no-one owns the whole experience, who is ultimately responsible? These fuzzy in-between areas complicate a truly unified customer experience.

In shipping, customer centricity is about more than our own direct customers — it requires a broader perspective.

Customers getting cargo shipped from A to B want their cargo to arrive on time, and without issue. If something goes wrong, they want to know that someone is handling it. They care little about all the steps in between.

But it’s the steps in between, and how well data flows between them, that presents the biggest opportunity (and challenge) when it comes to creating a better end-to-end customer experience.

Data flow makes the difference

A seamless customer experience depends on data.

For example, if customs have advance knowledge of a shipment they can clear it more quickly, if a trucker knows in advance to pick up a load on Wednesday morning they can plan more effectively.

The better data flows from A to Z through the chain, the more data can be used to optimise the entire customer experience, not just individual steps.

Digital notifications and updates are helpful, but connecting vessel, port and inland in a more seamless way improves the customer experience as a whole.

But such integration depends on data, and that data flow begins with standards.

Alignment on formats, definitions and standards are crucial foundations from which better end-to-end customer experiences will be developed.

Automate to enhance (not replace) the personal touch

Digitalisation can enhance the customer experience, but some fear it could replace the personal touch. In an article I wrote two years ago, I argue this is not the case.

From a customer-centric mindset, technology enhances the customer experience and the personal touch. It is, after all, about creating solutions customers want. Technology is simply a tool to bring it to life.

If customers want self-service, or fast online quotes and booking, then it makes sense to provide it. If they want the option to deal with people directly, then this too should be part of the approach.

A company like MSC has been built on relationships and the personal touch, so a customer-centric approach to digitalisation is a natural evolution.

But these are just my perspectives… let me know in the comments how you see shipping becoming more customer centric? And what are some of the main challenges?