Labelmaster gets the data straighter

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.

4.Product changes. Products change frequently, and suppliers may pass that information on separately. The updated information may not reach the shipping or warehousing departments because the quantity and pricing of the goods may not have changed. Now, take those hurdles and multiply them by the dozens of steps involved in the supply chain – classification, preparation, shipping, acceptance, delivery – and you might start to wonder how any data ever gets shared accurately anywhere. And that’s before DG is even brought into the mix.

KEY TO COMPLIANCE Every job is made much more difficult without the right guidance and information, especially shipping DG, which is increasingly complicated due to ever-changing regulations that can vary by country, transport mode, item type and more. And because a product’s components, makeup, dimensions and origins, etc impact every process required for safe and compliant DG shipping – including packaging, labelling, documentation, permits and transport of goods – access to master data is critical.

Unfortunately, DG data is often segregated because many organisations lack the necessary processes, technologies or understanding around the complexity of DG shipping. There is an expectation that the warehouse will automatically know how to handle DG shipments, especially if they have a warehousing or shipping software in place. But here’s the thing: without proper data, no technology can work to its fullest potential.

Effective dangerous goods management begins with knowing what kind of DG shipments a company is processing and making sure that personnel throughout the supply chain have access to that information. That’s why organisations need to expand the ownership of compliant DG shipments by giving all teams a timely, reliable data set. THE WAY TO GO Here are some key strategies to help improve the collection and management of master data. 1.Start with the end in mind. If your goal is to effect DG shipments efficiently, reliably, safely and compliantly, then you need to look ahead and understand the data and tools your colleagues in shipping, warehousing or other departments will need to achieve this goal. DG information is as important as the correct ship-to address – without it, it’ll be tough to get the shipment to your customer correctly and on time. 2.Keep the needs of your internal partners in mind. For example, if you’re in purchasing or product management, ask your colleagues in warehousing and shipping what information they need to process shipments. Don’t assume they have all the data they need. 3.Understand where the data is coming from and in what format. How easily can you absorb that data into your operations?

When procurement is buying products,

are they asking the manufacturer or distributor for the DG data that will enable correct shipping? Is product management adding DG information when launching a new product? How is this data available to the shipper? While this may sound complicated, there’s good news: the information you need to make a compliant DG shipment isn’t light years away from the data you already have and need for invoicing, inventory, RFPs or many other applications. So, gathering the data you need for shipping DG will help you in other areas, too.

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 your organisation. And it all starts with the answer to one question: What exactly are you shipping? * Mario Sagastume is vice-president of software and customer success at Labelmaster. More information on the services and systems that Labelmaster offers can be found at www. labelmaster.com.

WITHOUT ACCURATE MASTER DATA, IT’S IMPOSSIBLE

TO KNOW WHAT EXACTLY IS IN THE BOX, OR HOW TO

SHIP THAT BOX IN COMPLIANCE WITH ALL THE RELEVANT