/es/lp/blog/technology/msc-adopts-dcsa-commercial-schedule-api
Direct Benefits: How MSC’s Adoption of the DCSA Commercial Schedules API is Enhancing Maritime Transparency and Efficiency
26/06/2025
We all know that fragmented data can lead to inefficiencies and ultimately higher business costs for your global solutions. But even more importantly, your customers expect regular, timely updates about the status of their cargo at every stage of its journey.
Ultimately, to meet consumer expectations and remain competitive, system integration has had to become a top priority for shipping and logistics companies around the world.
Transforming from an IT, back-office concern to a strategic driver of growth, today, logistics platforms need to be accurate and accessible. At MSC, we constantly invest in our technology and solutions, meaning that our Direct Integrations solution are designed to share data quickly and securely using direct connections between our system and our customers’ or partners’ system via APIs and EDIs.
But our investment in the future of global logistics doesn’t end here. As a founding member of the Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA) MSC has recently adopted the Commercial Schedules API standards showing our commitment to further streamlining logistics and elevate the experience of both our customers and our partners.
Transforming from an IT, back-office concern to a strategic driver of growth, today, logistics platforms need to be accurate and accessible. At MSC, we constantly invest in our technology and solutions, meaning that our Direct Integrations solution are designed to share data quickly and securely using direct connections between our system and our customers’ or partners’ system via APIs and EDIs.
But our investment in the future of global logistics doesn’t end here. As a founding member of the Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA) MSC has recently adopted the Commercial Schedules API standards showing our commitment to further streamlining logistics and elevate the experience of both our customers and our partners.
What Is the DCSA
Commercial Schedules API?
The DCSA Commercial Schedules API is a standardized way to give easy access to important vessel schedule information. The ‘Commercial Schedules’ part of the name refers to the published sailing options and timings that carriers offer for shipments.
The API (Application Programming Interface) allows information to be exchanged between the carrier and customer’s or partner’s systems in almost real-time. Through the DCSA Commercial Schedules API, as a customer, you can retrieve three types of schedules:
Point-to-Point Routings:
End-to-end route options for shipments, including all transport legs and estimated timings.
Vessel Schedules:
Timetables for specific vessels, services, or voyages.
Port Schedules:
Lists of all vessels arriving and departing from a specific port within a given timeframe.
This standard ensures that all stakeholders, including beneficial cargo owners (BCOs), freight forwarders (FFWs), and solution providers, can access consistent, high-quality data, regardless of their chosen carrier.
What Is the Impact of the DCSA Commercial Schedules API?
The adoption of DCSA standards is an important step in making the shipping industry more digital. By fostering collaboration between carriers, ports, and logistics providers, data sharing becomes a smoother process, resulting in enhanced real-time, cross-carrier visibility. The use of standardized APIs gives beneficial cargo owners and freight forwarders more accurate, actionable information which enhances operational efficiency on a wider scale.
At MSC, our Digital Solutions follow the standards to improve compatibility, growth, and cost savings for our customers. Ultimately, this enhances customer satisfaction by enabling improved planning and reduction in manual intervention, helping improve overall supply chain resilience and profitability.
The Benefits of MSC’s Direct Integration
Since the latest standards have been introduced, our customers will be able to enjoy several advantages, such as:
Standardization
Using one common data schedule format for all carriers, adopting the standard API helps to cut IT complexity by eliminating the need for multiple integrations.
Efficiency
By replacing manual data entry, automated data exchange helps improve the speed of schedule updates and cuts operational workload by transferring information instantly across systems.
Transparency
Real-time, consistent schedule information enabled by direct integration ensures that everyone in your supply chain has clear visibility of your cargo throughout its journey. As a result, you’ll be able to make smarter, more proactive decisions that benefit your overall business.
Improved Customer Experience
As a customer, you’ll get timely and accurate schedule information shared directly into your system, helping you to plan and adapt your supply chain operations more effectively.
Not only does this help reduce the risk of manual errors and save time, but our wider solutions such as Track & Trace, Booking, and Shipping Instructions, also let you manage your shipments directly from your systems.
To offer further support, our team at MSC has created a Developer Portal. It contains all relevant API definitions and EDI guidelines, allowing you to learn about the data and standards at your own pace.
What’s New, What’s Next with the DCSA Commercial Schedules API
Previously, getting MSC’s sailing schedules meant using special formats or checking manually on our website or third-party sites. While effective, this could be a time-consuming process and could result in some discrepancies. With the DCSA Commercial Schedules API, you’ll get:
- A standard format that makes working with multiple carriers easier.
- Schedule information that goes straight into your systems, reducing the need for manual checks or data entry.
- Accurate, real-time data to help with better planning and reduce the risk of supply chain disruption.
However, our journey with the DCSA standards is just beginning.
What’s New, What’s Next with the DCSA Commercial Schedules API
Previously, getting MSC’s sailing schedules meant using special formats or checking manually on our website or third-party sites. While effective, this could be a time-consuming process and could result in some discrepancies. With the DCSA Commercial Schedules API, you’ll get:
- A standard format that makes working with multiple carriers easier.
- Schedule information that goes straight into your systems, reducing the need for manual checks or data entry.
- Accurate, real-time data to help with better planning and reduce the risk of supply chain disruption.
However, our journey with the DCSA standards is just beginning.
Currently, we have fully adopted the Point-to-Point endpoint of the Commercial Schedules API, and are developing the Vessel Schedule endpoint, with Port Schedules to follow.
We’re also adopting the DCSA Booking 2.0 API and the DCSA Bill of Lading 3.0 API to offer a fully digital, API-based customer experience. Stay tuned for more information at our Direct Integrations page.
Ask MSC
At MSC, we believe that digital innovation and industry collaboration are key to building a more transparent, efficient, and resilient supply chain. By embracing DCSA’s Commercial Schedules API, we are not just upgrading our technology but empowering our customers with the tools they need to thrive in a fast-moving world. Join us as we continue this journey toward a fully digital, standardized future in container shipping.
Ready to integrate or want to learn more? Check out our Developer Portal, connect with our team, and be part of the transformation!
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