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Data Cleaning

While Splice Exports tracks booking data directly from authoritative sources, these sources often submit non-standardized names or phrases. This lack of consistency can create confusion, introduce errors, and complicate tracking and reporting. To ensure a reliable and uniform dataset, Splice Exports performs basic data cleaning behind the scenes.

Why Data Cleaning Matters​

When a single vessel name is submitted in five slightly different ways—or a date is presented in an unusual format—systems can misinterpret the data, duplicate records, or miss critical updates. Data cleaning helps avoid these issues by:

  • Standardizing terminology and formats
  • Ensuring alignment with authoritative registries
  • Improving accuracy for reporting, filtering, and alerts

Key Data Cleaning Operations​

Below are some of the cleaning processes Splice Exports applies automatically during data ingestion and processing:

Vessel Names and IMO Numbers​

Splice Exports validates every vessel name received by checking it against the official IMO vessel database. This ensures each name corresponds to a registered vessel.

  • If the vessel name matches an IMO entry, it is standardized and mapped to the correct IMO number.
  • If no match is found, the portal flags the discrepancy so the user is aware and can investigate or resolve it.

This prevents confusion caused by alternate spellings, abbreviations, or outdated vessel references.

Terminal Names and Codes​

Marine terminals often appear in documents under a variety of names (e.g., "Pier 400", "APM LA", "APM Los Angeles Terminal"). Splice Exports standardizes these by mapping incoming names to a known set of terminal codes and full names. This improves filtering, searching, and accurate assignment of return dates or vessel cutoffs.

Port Names and UN/LOCODEs​

Splice Exports maps port references to their official UN/LOCODEs. These codes are standardized by the United Nations and help eliminate ambiguity.

  • A LOCODE (or UNLOCODE) uses the first two letters for the country and the next three for the port or location. For example:
    • USNYC = New York, United States
    • USLAX = Los Angeles, United States

Using LOCODEs ensures that even abbreviated or informal references are correctly interpreted.

Rail Terminals and FIRMS Codes​

Splice Exports also uses FIRMS codes—a four-character alphanumeric code issued by U.S. Customs and Border Protection—to identify and standardize rail terminals.

  • FIRMS stands for Facilities Information and Resources Management System.
  • These codes help distinguish between terminals that may have similar or overlapping names and ensure accurate matching of ERDs, LRDs, and gate activity.

Equipment and Container Types​

Variations like "40HC", "40’HC", or "40 High Cube" are all normalized to a standard format. This prevents mismatches when filtering or aggregating bookings by equipment type.

Name Variations and Lexicon Matching​

Even though ocean carrier booking confirmations may appear standard, they often contain a high degree of variation in phrasing. Carrier agents have some flexibility in how they fill out documents, which can result in many ways to name the same thing.

Splice Exports maintains a rich lexicon of name variations—particularly for port and terminal names. For example:

  • If a document references "Sav, GA", the system recognizes and normalizes it as Savannah, Georgia.
  • Variations like “NY”, “New York”, or “New York Terminal” all map to the appropriate standardized value.

These mappings allow Splice to ensure consistency while preserving original details for reference.

Please note: the number of possible variations is endless. If you spot an unfamiliar format or phrase that may require standardization, please email support@splice-it.com so we can continue improving our system.

What’s Not Changed​

Splice Exports cleanses and standardizes data to improve usability but does not overwrite the original source. The original values are preserved and can always be viewed in the History page or in associated documents.

Ongoing Improvements​

Splice continuously updates its cleaning operations and reference mappings as new patterns and phrases emerge across carriers, terminals, and regions. Our goal is to ensure clean, actionable data without compromising the integrity of what was submitted.

If you have questions about a specific data value or want to learn more about how data cleaning affects your exports, contact us or explore more topics in the Knowledge Center.