Page 35: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (October 2020)

Shipping & Port Annual

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“At the front of the process we provide our customers a short supply chain pro? le questionnaire which feeds into our cost savings calculator and is presented to the customer in our proposals for validation. A customer will receive a minimum 3X ROI when using Mercado however it can be considerably higher depending on the client.” – Rob Garrison, CEO and Founder, Mercado Labs

Mercado Labs partner with these companies on behalf of our customers. We Social transparency, says Garrison, is especially impor- can also partner with other technology companies purpose-built tant. In a complicated world of dealing with multiple, global for these challenges – such as Straightline for example.” players – some of whom may not be completely transparent

Still other clients have direct ocean contracts and Mercado with trading partners as to how they do business – the issue connects to carriers in a similar fashion as forwarders. But, of ‘social compliance’ and environmental footprint is an in- says Garrison, “The key is milestones. In both cases, we are creasingly important issue. Indeed, U.S. West Coast container looking to gain status updates to provide accounts. The value yards are being asked to de? ne the environmental footprint of

Mercado brings to this process is adding in the order, sup- outside warehouse partners.

plier, and product data to the shipping data in order to give “I de? ne Social Compliance as the ability to measure and accounts a complete picture.” That ‘complete picture,’ comes improve potential harm to humans or the environment,” with grave responsibilities. says Garrison ? rmly, adding for emphasis, “Mercado has the

Mercado Labs touts the increased transparency of key ship- unique ability to collect, assess, monitor, and convey social ment data metrics for concerned parties. Many ocean carri- compliance throughout the production cycle. Social Compli- ers chafe at intrusive pre-arrival requirements of regulatory ance is my ‘why’ for starting this business.” bodies. Separately, clients need real time, accurate windows into their shipments. Data transparency and data security are Experience Counts inextricably connected. Mercado Labs keeps both sides of that The need to connect the dots between physical assets that equation satis? ed and in compliance. move cargo to the technology that enables it to be done ef-

Garrison insists, “Transparency and Automation should go ? ciently is arguably the most important part of the shipping hand in glove, so that you can have transparency without a business. The vision to make that a reality should ideally ema- burden. For example, the U.S. government needs transpar- nate from someone who has ‘been there, and done that.’ ency to what is loading on a vessel pre-departure, for secu- Rob Garrison brings deep experience in the full breadth of the rity purposes. Mercado creates the ISF [the Importer Security supply chain – FEDEX, UPS and before that APL. He under-

Filing for ocean imports] electronically. Carriers need only stands that the maritime aspect of the intermodal equation has supply that number and vessel name. This principle applies lagged behind the shoreside modes in terms of leveraging tech- throughout.” Beyond regulatory transparency, the importer nology. Garrison tells MR, “Historically, the maritime industry should expect production, social and supply chain transpar- has focused on the most ef? cient way to optimize their assets. ency, all of which Mercado provides. This is logical as the ef? cient management of assets are the pri- www.marinelink.com 35

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