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MASTER PLAN DATA • ACCURATE MASTER DATA IS KEY TO COMPLIANCE IN SHIPPING DANGEROUS GOODS. WHY IS IT SO HARD TO COME BY, ASKS LABELMASTER’S MARIO SAGASTUME? WHAT EXACTLY ARE you shipping? This may sound like a simple question, but shippers often don’t know exactly what they’re shipping, and that lack of knowledge has a profound ripple effect on the entire supply chain. This is especially true for companies that manufacture, sell or distribute dangerous goods (DG) and, as a result, must comply with complex and ever-changing rules and regulations regarding the packaging, labelling, documentation and transport of those goods. Having complete, accurate master data is the key to streamlining compliant hazmat transport and it can help unlock efficiencies across all the locations and departments in an organisation. It all starts with the answer
to one question: What exactly are you shipping? The supply chain has become increasingly data-driven, making access to, and communication of, timely and accurate master data imperative. Unfortunately, data accuracy, completeness and reliability are challenging. These shortcomings are apparent in both the centralised data stored and communicated across companies’ supply chains, and in the data quality and accuracy they receive. According to Labelmaster’s 2019 Dangerous Goods Confidence Outlook, which surveyed dangerous goods professionals from around the globe, data collection and maintenance are key challenges:
• 45 per cent of organisations report data collection that’s sporadic, inconsistent or not done at all. • 55 per cent of organisations say their supply chain partners’ data collection is sporadic, inconsistent or not done at all. What exactly is this master data? Why is it so hard to collect? And how does it impact hazmat transport? WHAT IS MASTER DATA? Master data is complete, detailed information about a product’s components, makeup, dimensions and origins. This is the information that forms the basis of every process required for compliant DG shipping. It’s the difference between knowing what you’re shipping and knowing exactly what you’re shipping. For example: - Knowing what you’re shipping: We’re shipping a large lithium battery for a cordless lawn mower - Knowing exactly what you’re shipping: We’re shipping a lithium-ion battery with the following characteristics: • 56 V, 420 Wh, 7.5 Ah • Weight: 3 kg • Dimensions: 23 cm x 9 cm x 9 cm • Manufactured by : XYZ Industries, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China If you work for a manufacturer shipping your own product, master data is relatively easy to come by. After that, it becomes more challenging, due to several factors: 1. Multiple hand-offs across supply chain partners. From raw material sourcing to subcomponent assembly to finished goods to distribution, every time materials change hands there’s a risk that data will be lost, altered or simply not transferred. 2. Disparate data systems between supply chain partners. Data in one format doesn’t always translate to another format – especially if it’s processed manually. Different ERPs, TMSs and WMSs may all store the same data differently. 3. Fragmentation in assembly and deliveries. In assembling a lithium battery device, for example, different components may come from different sources – from different countries, in different languages – on different schedules.
HCB MONTHLY | JULY 2020
