Systems and methods for integrated global shipping and visibility

Abstract

Disclosed is an integrated global shipment system that provides end-to-end visibility of the movement of a package. The integrated global shipment system employs a shipment consolidating application for integrating one or more freight tracking systems with one or more end-delivery systems. As a result, shippers are provided with complete visibility of the movement of their shipments of goods from an origin country to a destination country and till the final consignees. In addition, the integrated shipment system significantly decreases the cost of managing inventories by providing a virtual inventory solution. Under this virtual inventory solution, suppliers are able to bypass distribution centers and delay allocation of goods until after the importation of goods into a destination country.

1 . An integrated global shipment system providing visibility of movement of goods in shipment, said system comprising:
 one or more shipment databases; and   a web portal having one or more processors, one or more memory devices, and one or more displays;   wherein said web portal is configured to:   (1) provide a web interface to said web portal through which a user is enabled to enter criteria defining a group of consolidated shipments;   (2) in response to said criteria entered by said user, identify, from said one or more shipment databases, shipping data associated with said group of consolidated shipments;   (3) display to said user said shipping data associated with said group of consolidated shipments;   (4) receive a first input from said user to select a particular consolidated shipment from said group of consolidated shipments;   (5) in response to said selection in (4), retrieve, from said one or more shipment databases, first-level shipment details associated with said particular consolidated shipment and a list of child shipments that are combined in said particular consolidated shipment, said first-level shipment details including movement data of said particular consolidated shipment;   (6) display to said user said first-level shipment details associated with said particular consolidated shipment and said list of child shipments that are combined in said particular consolidated shipment;   (7) receive a second input from said user to further select a particular child shipment from said list of child shipments;   (8) in response to said selection in (7), retrieve, from said one or more shipment databases, second-level shipment details associated with said particular child shipments and a list of packages in said particular child shipment, said second-level shipment details including movement data of said particular child shipment;   (9) display to said user said second-level shipment details associated with said particular child shipments and said list of packages in said particular child shipment;   (10) receive a third input from said user to further select a particular package from said list of packages; and   (11) in response to said selection in (10), retrieve, from said one or more shipment databases a movement status of said particular package; and   (12) display said movement status of said particular package to said user.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each of said group of consolidated shipments is represented in said one or more shipment databases by a shipment reference number that is associated with one or more child shipment reference numbers or package tracking numbers. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said criteria in Step (1) comprise an input of a particular shipment date or a particular shipment period. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said criteria in Step (1) comprise an input of a particular destination country. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more shipment databases are in a carrier's backend shipping system, said carrier's backend shipping system configured to communicate with a web server, said web server operating said web portal. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said web portal is further configured to verify, prior to allowing access to said web interface at (1), a user's identity and for selectively permitting access as far as inputs at (1), (4), (7), or (10) based on said identity.