Cargo Signal: Enriching supply chain and freight logistics data with cloud technologies
About Cargo Signal
Cargo Signal provides enriched logistics data and visibility through advanced IoT sensor and API technologies. The company serves all stakeholders throughout the supply chain, ranging from manufacturers and shipping companies to consumers and beyond.
Tell us your challenge. We're here to help.
Contact us
About Confluent
Confluent, a Google Cloud technology partner, helps set data in motion with real-time access to insights at scale enabling a non-disruptive, persistent bridge to Google Cloud with Confluent’s cloud data streaming services.
Cargo Signal uses Google Cloud and partner Confluent to optimize IoT sensor data pipelines and provide logistics enrichment services to all stakeholders across the supply chain.
Google Cloud results
- Removes obstacles from the IoT data capture and analysis pipeline
- Cuts potential data integration issues in half through managed data streaming services on Confluent Cloud
- Maximizes speed-to-market and accelerates issue resolution through flexible development infrastructure in GKE
Enhances supply chain visibility through flexible cloud infrastructure
Cargo Signal is working to give retailers, consumers, manufacturers and everyone else impacted by the supply chain greater visibility into their goods. As supply chain complexity increases, the company leverages Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and relevant data sets, such as ship tracking data, real-time flight positioning, and more. Cargo Signal has been able to meet ongoing supply chain challenges with data to give its users a complete view of freight pipelines.
"We don't just focus on geolocation of goods in real time. We also look at other important factors such as freight temperature, humidity, and security to avoid damage and ensure quality," says Jack Butler, Software Architect at Cargo Signal. "We accomplish this by capturing highly accurate data aimed at evaluating inputs and sending alerts when issues arise. We can see a range of sensor-based data, contextualize it in terms of historical performance on similar shipments, and correlate with known risk areas."
Cargo Signal processes countless types of data from many sources, making interoperability a primary focus of its processes. Additionally, it requires a platform that can maximize flexibility and accelerate time to market to support new services without sacrificing security. To achieve its goals, Cargo Signal chose to build on Google Cloud and leverage technologies from Google Cloud partner Confluent.
Building a foundation on modern cloud data services
Cargo Signal started off using App Engine and was successful in initial builds, but quickly recognized the need for even greater flexibility and control as it expanded integration between frontend and backend tools. It chose to go all-in on Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) to optimize the control and flexibility of its build pipeline, while gaining the strong identity control and visibility to confidently deploy on cloud architecture.
"Google Cloud consistently provides security-by-design approaches to architecture and infrastructure, which is an important selling point for us given the sensitive nature of the data we rely on," says Jack. "It also enables us to grant access to several business units and end users based on their needs, rather than exposing unnecessary information."
Because Cargo Signal has a lean team, it wanted to establish itself on a cloud that could support developers while minimizing infrastructure maintenance. GKE and other Google Cloud solutions are the right fit given their Platform-as-a-Service attributes. At the same time, Google Cloud Marketplace opens the door to easily procure and deploy partner technologies.
Google Cloud Marketplace proved especially valuable when the company decided to stop managing its own Kafka brokers and databases to free up staff for more development-related activities.
"We spent a lot of time managing our own brokers and databases and wanted to offload some of that. Confluent Cloud was the clear choice for us," says Jack. "Getting Confluent Cloud on Google Cloud Marketplace was a big win for us. It removed our infrastructure concerns, frees us to focus on all aspects of our Kafka integrations, and increased our general speed as a business."
"Getting Confluent Cloud on Google Cloud Marketplace was a big win. It removed our infrastructure concerns, freed us to focus more on all aspects of our Kafka integrations, and increased our speed as a business."
—Jack Butler, Software Architect, Cargo SignalConfluent Cloud removed concerns about Kafka broker integrations, which eliminated 50 percent of possible issues within its databases and core infrastructure. This translates to accelerated resolutions of issues through access to knowledge experts at Confluent, as well as resources that can provide best practices to minimize downtime.
"Our official tagline is 'real time, all the time,' so if any of our services are out or underperforming, that is a failure in our eyes," says Jack. "The combination of GKE and Confluent Cloud offers us a stable, agile infrastructure, and a reliable way to capture and manage the data we need to meet our customer demands."
"The combination of GKE and Confluent Cloud offers us a stable, agile infrastructure, and a reliable way to capture and manage the data we need to meet our customer demands."
—Jack Butler, Software Architect, Cargo SignalSupporting end users in turbulent times
The infrastructure and architecture decisions positioned Cargo Signal to grow and scale to meet increasing demand for real-time visibility into freight. The ability to scale both vertically and horizontally was especially vital when the COVID-19 pandemic caused severe supply chain challenges.
"Since 2020, we've seen a lot more data flow through our system to answer increasingly pressing questions from customers whose freight is stuck on ships in harbors," says Jack. "We've been able to provide real-time insight into not just the location of their freight, but also whether it's safe, secure, and when it begins to move again."
Using GKE, Confluent Cloud, and other technologies, Cargo Signal supplements its own data sets with data from vessels, cargo planes, and other systems to provide a comprehensive, accurate picture of the entire freight pipeline.
"Having real-time visibility in a supply chain crisis is especially critical when the customer uses Cargo Signal for supply chain management," says Jack. "We are able to help our customers plan further out given so much disruption, and that is largely thanks to our use of Google Cloud and Confluent Cloud."
Building on Google Cloud helped the company transition to a work-from-home model when lockdowns started in 2020. Cargo Signal attributes its ability to provide the same reliable services to customers in a much different working environment to its reliance on cloud technologies.
"Google Cloud gives us the ability to scale and adapt in almost real time. It's architected in such a way that maximizes flexibility, so we can adapt quickly to any changes," says Jack. "Everything that has happened since the pandemic started has proved that our initial assumptions about the power of cloud services were correct."
Innovating and growing through new technology offerings
Cargo Signal currently uses BigQuery and Google Cloud Storage, and is now evaluating Google Cloud artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies. It has also made Google Cloud Marketplace its preferred resource for procuring new technologies.
"When we evaluate third-party vendors, we require the ability to procure them through Google Cloud Marketplace so we can easily see all of the service agreements and invoices," says Jack. "This accelerates adoption by improving conversations and approvals across our leadership team and business units."
Cargo Signal is well-positioned to regularly deploy new services with little to no downtime. The company’s development teams can follow Agile practices and have built-in platform observability to maximize quality of deployments. As the company continues to capture massive amounts of IoT sensor data, Google Cloud solutions remove potential obstacles to maintaining smooth data ingestion and analysis.
"The supply chain visibility that we provide our customers is going to become more of an expectation for all freight, all the time. We have to be able to adapt quickly to capture more data from new sources," says Jack. "Google Cloud and partners like Confluent allow us to fully adopt a DevSecOps mindset. That translates to better user experiences, less interruption, and an ability to meet increasing demands from all types of customers."
As the company continues to grow, it intends to use GKE, Confluent Cloud, and other technologies to enhance platforms that solve additional challenges facing trucking companies, shippers, service providers, manufacturers, and consumers alike.
"Google Cloud and partners like Confluent allow us to fully adopt a DevSecOps mindset. That translates to better user experiences, less interruption, and an ability to meet increasing demands from all types of customers."
—Jack Butler, Software Architect, Cargo SignalTell us your challenge. We're here to help.
Contact us
About Cargo Signal
Cargo Signal provides enriched logistics data and visibility through advanced IoT sensor and API technologies. The company serves all stakeholders throughout the supply chain, ranging from manufacturers and shipping companies to consumers and beyond.
About Confluent
Confluent, a Google Cloud technology partner, helps set data in motion with real-time access to insights at scale enabling a non-disruptive, persistent bridge to Google Cloud with Confluent’s cloud data streaming services.