Why Is Real-Time Trade Visibility Still So Difficult?

Your company might have sophisticated trading systems, advanced risk management tools, and real-time market data. But ask a simple question like "what's the status of our wheat shipment to Rotterdam?" and suddenly everyone's digging through emails.

The Fragmentation Problem

Trade information lives everywhere except where you need it. The contract is in the trading system. The bill of lading came via email. Shipping updates are on the logistics provider's portal. The LC status is with the bank. Inspection reports are in someone's inbox.

Pulling together a complete picture of a single trade requires checking multiple systems, making phone calls, and piecing together fragments of information. For a portfolio of active trades, real-time visibility is practically impossible.

Why Existing Tools Fall Short

Most trade management systems assume clean, structured data. They work great for information entered directly into them, but they can't handle the messy reality of external documents arriving via email in various formats.

The result is parallel workflows: one in the system, one in spreadsheets and email. The system of record is never quite complete, and the true status of a trade exists only in someone's head.

How Mercora Addresses This

Mercora creates visibility by processing documents automatically. When a bill of lading arrives, it's not just filed away. It's parsed, matched to the relevant trade, and the trade record is updated instantly.

Every stakeholder sees the same information. No more chasing updates. No more wondering if a document has arrived. The trade record reflects reality in real-time, built automatically from the documents themselves.

Get in touch to see unified trade visibility in action.