--- title: [Webinar Recap] Data Management in Transportation & Logistics description: A quality data management process enables you to turn your data into KPIS that make it actionable. image: https://blog.metafora.net/hubfs/Webinar%20Recap%20Data%20Management.png --- [hello@psdtohubspot.com](mailTo:hello@psdtohubspot.com) [+91 8874569874](tel:+91%208874569874) Hours : Opens 10:00 AM To 07:00 PM [![MF_Logo_Only_1575+4167_RGB](https://blog.metafora.net/hubfs/MF_Logo_Only_1575+4167_RGB.png "MF_Logo_Only_1575+4167_RGB")](https://www.metafora.net) - Services - Technology Consulting - [Technology Strategy](https://metafora.net/services/technology-strategy/) - [Software Selection & Implementation](https://metafora.net/services/technology-consulting/software-selection-and-implementation/) - [Software Development](https://metafora.net/services/software-development/) - Tech-enabled Services - [Socket](https://metafora.net/services/tech-enabled-services/socket/) - [Training-as-a-Service: Sync](https://metafora.net/services/tech-enabled-services/training-as-a-service/) - [M&A Support](https://metafora.net/services/mergers-and-acquisitions/) - [Business Consulting](https://metafora.net/services/business-consulting/) - [Partners](https://metafora.net/partners/) - Company - [About Us](https://metafora.net/company/who-we-are/) - [Careers](https://metafora.net/careers/) - [News](https://blog.metafora.net/tag/press-releases) - [Blog](https://blog.metafora.net) - [Resources](https://metafora.net/downloadable-resources/) - [Contact Us](https://campaign.metafora.net/contact-us) ![Transforming Transportation](https://blog.metafora.net/hubfs/AdobeStock_246515233.jpeg "Transforming Transportation") ## Transforming **Supply Chain** CarrierDirect is on a mission to Transform Supply Chain and here-in you'll find documentation of that journey. 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How do we turn this data into KPIS that make it more manageable and more importantly, make it actionable.  In this webinar, Metafora VP of Technology, Steven Godfrey chats with Bill Zenk, Principle & Practice Leader from TrueNorth Risk Solutions Group and Megan Thirtyacre, TrueNorth Data Analytics & Business Intelligence Lead. They discuss data strategy, data management, industry challenges with data, and Metafora's integration platform [Socket](https://metafora.net/services/socket/). In case you missed it, or just want a refresher, you can catch the full webinar hosted by [TruthNorth Companies](https://truenorthcompanies.com/) below, and we're sharing some of the key takeaways in this article. ## What is Data Management? Data Management is the practice of collecting, protecting, and storing an organization's data so it can be analyzed for business decisions. ### **Data Strategy** An organization’s data strategy ties into your company’s overall [business strategy](https://metafora.net/services/transportation-logistics-consulting/) and [tech strategy](https://metafora.net/services/technology-strategy/) and includes everything from the roles that support it to the architecture that organizes it and the processes that manage it.  We organize data strategy into these four pillars: 1. Business Strategy - How is the business going to use the data? Define how your data strategy will reinforce and advance your business strategy. - What are the key objectives? What are the KPIs and metrics that will need to be addressed? A quality data strategy aligns to measurable business objectives in both short and long term. - You’ll want to periodically review your data strategy and business strategy to ensure continued alignment. 2. Organizational Roles - Data strategy is not only an IT responsibility! It encompasses the entire organization - Defines key stakeholders and roles and responsibilities across the entire organization - Avoids data duplication - Define data owners 3. Data Management - Defines data governance, stewardship, quality, master data and data integration - Focuses on Master Data Management (MDM) to create single, primary records - Consistent view of business critical data 4. Data Architecture - Defines the tools and processes that will be used to manage and analyze data - Cloud services make this easier than ever using data ingestion to centralize storage and analysis ### **Data Management** Data management is about how to support the data in your environment and how to optimize the use and efficiency of the data. You want to make sure that data that is coming in or already lives in your environment is being used effectively. Data Governance and Stewardship - Management and oversight of data in an organization - Ensures data is accessible, usable, and trusted - Ambassadors of data for the organization Data Quality - Ensures data is complete, consistent, and accurate - Normalization is often necessary as data originates from many different sources. You want your data to be in a similar, usable format. This ensures that data can be analyzed effectively. - Provides timely access to data Data Integration - Provides the connection from the source system data to the target systems - Opportunity to enrich data to improve its value - Reduces errors to avoid rework and increases efficiency - You want to automate integration as much as possible. ![Turn Data into Insights - Metafora](https://blog.metafora.net/hs-fs/hubfs/Turn%20Data%20into%20Insights%20-%20Metafora.png?width=1200&name=Turn%20Data%20into%20Insights%20-%20Metafora.png)**Data Architecture** Data architecture is equally simple and complex. Data architecture is focused on three things: 1. Source system: Getting data out of the source system and into a data repository or a transition system. This could be through a change data capture, legacy data from mainframes, ETL, APIs. There are a lot of tools that can be used there. 2. Proposed system: This refers to data storage. This could be a MDM, a data lake, a data warehouse. 3. Downstream Applications: This is where you get into analytics, visualization, and reporting. This is where you really can discover insights that enable you to make data-driven decisions. ## What are some industry challenges that can be tackled with quality data management practice? - **Data Silos:** Data is everywhere! Many transportation companies have been built on and grown from acquisitions. Technology has often kept the silos divided rather than bring them together.  - **Data Transformation:** Bringing the data together is not easy. Ensuring data quality and planning for normalization and transformation is a huge challenge. - **Managing Integrations:** The cost of managing enterprise integrations is high and increases friction of expansion and growth. If you have a lot of disparate systems and are thus having to manage a lot of one-to-one integrations, this constrains scalability.  ## How can we address these data challenges in transportation & logistics?  Metafora developed [Socket](https://metafora.net/services/socket/) to directly address many of the issues with integrations in transportation and logistics, and ultimately to enable carriers, brokers, shippers, and tech vendors to make better use of their data.  Socket is a configurable platform developed to enable easier, faster integration between shippers, brokers, and carriers, and technology providers while offloading maintenance and management of the integrations.  With Socket, you get to offload these otherwise time-consuming tasks, so you that you can focus on the outputs of your data: the visualization, the insights, the stuff that really matters. ## What are some examples of the data that Socket can help you connect from your disparate systems? Loss Analysis Data Accidents per million miles (MM) By company By location Loss frequency by type Loss severity by type Driver Turnover Analysis Data Driver Turnover Ratio By company By location Drivers added Drivers termed Revenue per Truck Data By company By location By month Total revenue Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) Analysis Data Violation points per truck by location # of violations # of inspections [![New call-to-action](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3367946/f378910a-7a70-41c2-93eb-c9975d9e895e.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3367946/f378910a-7a70-41c2-93eb-c9975d9e895e) ![Metafora](https://blog.metafora.net/hubfs/Metafora%20Logo%20Square%20for%20Social%20Profile.png) ###### Metafora Metafora is the leading consulting & software development firm for transportation, logistics, and supply chain businesses. Metafora partners with carriers, shippers, and freight tech vendors to help you optimize your business and build software to fuel their growth. Welcome to the new way forward. Welcome to Metafora. This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. ### Recent Posts [![New Call-to-action](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3367946/f0166de4-e4e4-4701-85cf-c4a7de8c2889.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3367946/f0166de4-e4e4-4701-85cf-c4a7de8c2889) [Tweets by CarrierDirect](https://twitter.com/CarrierDirect) ## Subscribe and Get The Latest News ## Related Posts ## [The Economic Shift of "Throw-Away Code": From 2009 Theory to 2026 Reality](https://blog.metafora.net/the-economic-shift-of-throw-away-code-from-2009-theory-to-2026-reality) May 20, 2026 [Chris Taylor](https://blog.metafora.net/author/chris-taylor) May 28, 2026 8:14:34 AM ## [Amazon Enters LTL: What Today’s ASCS Launch Means for Transportation](https://blog.metafora.net/amazon-enters-ltl-what-the-ascs-launch-means) May 8, 2026 Executive summary Amazon launched Amazon Supply Chain Services (ASCS), packaging its freight,... [Mike Rude](https://blog.metafora.net/author/mike-rude) May 14, 2026 12:59:15 PM ## [\[Press release\] RWI Logistics Announces Strategic Engagement with Metafora to Enhance Capacity Capabilities and Drive Industry Leadership ](https://blog.metafora.net/rwi-logistics-announces-strategic-engagement-with-metafora) Phoenix, AZ — 5/20/2024— RWI Logistics, a leading cold chain-oriented logistics solutions provider, today... [Metafora](https://blog.metafora.net/author/metafora) May 21, 2024 2:51:18 PM [![MF_Logo_Only_1575+4167_RGB](https://blog.metafora.net/hs-fs/hubfs/MF_Logo_Only_1575+4167_RGB.png?width=570&height=177&name=MF_Logo_Only_1575+4167_RGB.png "MF_Logo_Only_1575+4167_RGB")](https://carrierdirect.com/) Metafora is a management consulting and software development firm focused on supply chain, transportation, and logistics. Let's see how far your business can go. [Terms | Privacy Policy](https://carrierdirect.com/policies/)   Let's connect on social! © All Rights Reserved 2022