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information voluntarily supplied by FLOW participants and
is using it to develop a dataset on the level of other commonly
referred to economic indicators. Doing this allows
FLOW participants to track the activity of the supply chain
on a broad level while also assisting in planning for individual
sectors of the supply chain.
Over time, FLOW will also improve the stakeholders’ ability
to react to future supply disruptions, whether those disruptions
are caused by pandemics, climate and weather conditions,
or other factors. As mentioned in a White House news
release, “FLOW is designed to support businesses throughout
the supply chain and improve accuracy of information from
end-to-end for a more resilient supply chain.” A more resilient
supply change means efficient freight movement, stocked
shelves, cheaper prices, and higher consumer satisfaction.
In addition to easing freight congestion and streamlining
movement, the FLOW program has been scrutinized for
other advantages it might bring for the industry.
One of those advantages involves emissions and climate.
The International Transport Forum has suggested that a fully
operational freight data system would lead to a 22% reduction
in global supply chain carbon emissions by 2050. Likewise,
the supply chain improvements would reduce ocean
freight emissions by 280 million tons per year and freight carrier
emissions by 260 million tons. It is estimated that such
streamlining would save 2.5 billion barrels of oil annually.
Reaching those goals, however, would require participation
in a large freight data exchange network as a condition
of accessing ports. In other words, the voluntary nature of
data exchange in the current FLOW program would become
mandatory. It is yet to be determined if stakeholders would
continue to have the buy-in FLOW now enjoys.
Buttigieg has already noted that willingness to share what
stakeholders see as proprietary data is a potential detriment
to FLOW. “One possible obstacle I can see eventually is, as
we grow it people start to be kind of jealously protective of
their data,” he said in the fall of 2022. Still, Buttigieg has
made efforts to appease company executives’ concerns.
“We’re not going after anybody’s proprietary data,” he
said. “We’re just trying to get information that it would
make sense for everybody to have.”
He further suggested that reluctance to share data could
be a problem in the FLOW program — but for the time being
it’s a new program with optimistic participants.
“It’s so new that I’m very satisfied with the level of participation
we got and very mindful of that it is on us to, I think,
get these prototypes going,” he said.
Werner’s Damkroger agrees.
“The program is on track. It’s been a well-coordinated effort,”
Damkroger said, adding that FLOW has been a challenge
and an ambitious undertaking with many potential pitfalls.
“The FLOW team has done a wonderful job of getting
us to a point where we are looking to scale and obtain some
critical mass.”
FLOW remains in its early stages, and the impacts are not
yet measurable. But as a stakeholder, Damkroger has high
hopes for the program.
“The vision would enable demand predictability,” he said.
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