Back in 1904, Captain Peter Moller didn't have to worry about tracking cargo or managing data-he just wanted to make sure that the goods showed up on time. But 95 years after Moller and his son, Arnold Peter Moller, founded the Maersk Line shipping company, things are not nearly so simple. In those early days, the Mollers sailed a single ship between Denmark and the Far East. Today, Maersk is the general agent for the A.P. Moller Group in North America and its fleet of 120 vessels calls on 6,000 ports in over 35 countries.
Competition is intense, keeping profit margins razor thin.
That unforgiving business environment will soon get even tougher, as U.S. shipping rates are scheduled to be deregulated beginning later in 1999. Amid such upheaval, any advantage can be vital. And Maersk figures to gain substantial efficiencies through better information management. Maersk must track each container on every vessel, so the information needs are vast. The company also must determine the most profitable mix of cargo on each ship and ensure that ships are not sailing with too much empty space.