Kuehne + Nagel launches digital platforms Sea Explorer & KN ESP

Sea Explorer offers Kuehne + Nagel’s customers an easy gateway to the company’s comprehensive overview of direct global seafreight services. With access to more than 3,000 vessels and over 750 direct weekly services, Kuehne + Nagels network provides maximum flexibility in global container transport for all trades. Sea Explorer’s unique offering is based on the high level of integration and partnership with all major carriers.

The platform is an extension of Kuehne + Nagel’s outstanding quote, book and track capabilities. It is based on business intelligence derived from different operational data: algorithms built from robust industry expertise are paired with big data and predictive analytics provided by Kuehne + Nagel’s data company LogIndex.

Within Sea Explorer, services are ranked by smart indicators, based on big data technology, including a dynamic reliability indicator (DRI), emission score, nominal carrying capacity insights and realistic transit times for every service.

Sea Explorer is an agile project with further enhancements to come based on close collaboration with customers. Therefore the carbon emission rating actively supports customers to reduce the carbon footprint within the supply chain.

Kuehne + Nagel’s new comprehensive supply chain management platform, KN ESP, offers a modular architecture to connect international supply chain customers with their vendors, their buyers and sellers, Kuehne + Nagel’s physical assets and experts, and their cargo flows. Improvements in supplier reliability and product availability will be enabled through control of the full product life cycle, from sourcing, quality control, purchase order negotiation and management, to commercial invoice release, buyer’s consolidation, transportation and delivery. With predictive analytics and artificial intelligence, KN ESP optimises orders and prioritises transportation decisions based on a set of customer’s defined business rules, cost and service options.

It is an addition to the KN technology suite for medium to large customers providing them with the most comprehensive response to complex supply chain needs. This includes an ongoing strategic partnership with GT Nexus.

Otto Schacht, Member of the Managing Board of Kuehne + Nagel International AG, responsible for Seafreight: “High levels of data transparency are of utmost importance in logistics. Through Sea Explorer our customers will be able to access the world largest portfolio of seafreight service offerings. Thus they can base their respective decisions not just on transit times parameters but also on sophisticated comparative data such as service reliability and emission rating. We strive to provide the maximum visibility, flexibility and information to our customers throughout the world. Sea Explorer is another important step in our digitalisation approach.”

“KN ESP unique features provide a synchronised, transparent and collaborative supply chain platform that eliminates communication frictions no matter how many systems or players are involved,” says Otto Schacht, Member of the Managing Board of Kuehne + Nagel International AG, responsible for Seafreight. “It is part of our digital strategy to become a data-driven value chain provider. The implementation of KN ESP strengthens our position in the international supply chain business and supports our customers to achieve long-term competitive edge.”