What Freight Firms Can Teach B2B About Structuring Supply Chain Data

Firms can’t control what they can’t control if they have no visibility into it. That’s the state of play right now across the supply chain landscape, as geopolitical stress tests firms’ ability to adapt in real-time.

After all, as covered here Monday (April 6), global supply chain pressure is currently at its highest level since at least January 2023, according to data released by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

But six new recommendations from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) focused on tightening supply chain data quality could signal that, for freight and cargo firms, structured, auditable data is no longer optional.

For the rest of the B2B world, it may be a preview of what’s coming.

At its core, the GAO’s position reflects a growing recognition: supply chains are only as resilient as the data that describes them. And while freight companies have long operated in complex, multi-party environments, their increasing investments in standardized data infrastructure offer a blueprint that other industries would be wise to study.

Read more: Earnings Season Made It Clear: Digitize Supply Chains or Fall Behind

Structured Operational Data as a Supply Chain Advantage

For B2B firms, it may seem counterintuitive to look to the freight sector for an innovation blueprint. Freight logistics has historically been defined by fragmentation. Multiple carriers, ports, customs authorities and intermediaries interact across borders, each with its own systems and formats. Bills of lading, customs declarations, shipment manifests and compliance documents often exist in parallel silos.

This operational complexity, however, is what makes the freight space one to watch. The operational challenge for freight and cargo firms has never been a lack of data, but rather a lack of coherence. Spurred by the GAO, leading freight firms have shifted to imposing structure on that chaos.

Instead of treating data as a byproduct of transactions, these multinationals are treating it as an asset. This means investing in standardized schemas, consistent identifiers and interoperable systems that allow information to flow seamlessly across stakeholders.

The takeaway is that data that cannot be easily shared, audited or reconciled is not just inefficient but can be a liability. As regulatory bodies like the GAO push for greater transparency, the cost of fragmented data architectures may only increase.

When data is auditable, it becomes trustworthy. And when it is trustworthy, it can be used more aggressively to drive decision-making. Companies can optimize routing, anticipate disruptions, and model risk with greater confidence. They can also share data with partners and regulators without fear of inconsistency or error.

“We’re moving from the era of ‘we have a lot of data — what do we do with it?’ to how do we leverage data and AI to drive outcomes?” FedEx Senior Vice President Jason Brenner told PYMNTS at the end of March.

See also: CFOs Become the Source of Truth as Data Sprawls Across B2B

How Visibility Becomes an Operating System

One of the most tangible benefits of structured supply chain data is enhanced visibility. In freight, this has traditionally meant tracking shipments in real time by knowing where goods are, when they will arrive, and what risks might affect them.

But visibility is evolving beyond simple tracking. With structured data, companies can create a comprehensive view of their supply chain as a dynamic system. They can see not just the movement of goods, but the relationships between suppliers, the dependencies between processes, and the vulnerabilities that could lead to disruption.

After all, cross-border trade introduces layers of complexity that domestic operations rarely encounter. Different jurisdictions have different rules, documentation requirements and enforcement mechanisms. Managing these variations at scale requires more than operational expertise and can often require data infrastructure that can adapt to multiple regulatory environments.

As the GAO’s recommendations make clear, the regulatory environment is moving in a direction that will reward such investments in data infrastructure. But even in the absence of mandates, the business case is compelling. Structured supply chain data enables better decisions, reduces risk and supports growth in ways that fragmented data simply cannot.

In an era where supply chains are both a source of vulnerability and a driver of value, data is the thread that connects everything. And as freight firms are demonstrating, the way that thread is structured may ultimately determine who succeeds and who falls behind.