Faster, Smoother, Greener Shipping Comes from Building the Best Network

Sometimes it’s the less-lauded achievements that underpin great change. The team at project44 introduced one such innovation last year, which deserves a spotlight for how impactful it will prove to be for the future of the industry: the first-ever carrier onboarding service level agreement (SLA).  

Carrier SLAs are essential to the shipping industry, determining everything from KPIs on timing, spoilage, etc, to specific compliance agreements.   

In this context, a new service-level agreement may not seem like a world-changing innovation, but it does speak volumes about the importance and the future of networks in supply chain transformation.  

The technology we’ve built at project44 is fundamental to better managing the supply chain - I could not lead the company if I didn’t believe this to be true - but establishing a visibility network and ensuring carrier compliance is just as important as the technology itself. 

Looking at it in a different way, the carrier onboarding SLA demonstrates project44’s commitment to the industry at large. If we aim to be the leading visibility solution, we must be able to deliver results for retailers, manufacturers and distributors alike. That comes down to building and connecting the network in innovative ways, and helping our customers do the same.  

The network has always been at the center of our business model. I founded project44 based on experiences from my own career working for a carrier. During that time, I saw firsthand the struggles carriers were having collaborating with their customers. Improving visibility, helping carriers and the total ecosystem elevate themselves to the technological standard of and beyond other industries has not just been a goal, but a passion.  

Building global connectivity is important not only for project44, but for everyone across the global economy. Visibility technology acts as the connective tissue for that global connectivity, creating a better environment for everyone to succeed and thrive in.  

But the truth is, carrier networks are large and fragmented, ranging from “mom and pop” drivers to global shipping conglomerates. The technology and skill sets within carrier networks can vary widely. It is essential for companies who want to innovate and modernize to reimagine what they need from carriers. From a solution perspective, this can be boiled down to: 

• An extensive existing network   
• An automated onboarding application   
• A carrier compliance guarantee 

Companies who depend on the supply chain can no longer just assume that carriers are up to standard. They must demand a new level of visibility and service. project44 stands ready to make that happen for everyone.  

Only after a standardized network and information flow is established can we accomplish our larger goals: To ship faster, more cost-effectively and to ensure shipping is less stressful for those involved. You can’t change what you can’t measure, and you can’t measure what you can’t see.