
Visible impact
A major industry study finds real-time visibility into orders and shipments is increasing in importance. Our Ted Roth tells you how to take advantage right now.
A major industry study finds real-time visibility into orders and shipments is increasing in importance. Our Ted Roth tells you how to take advantage right now.
A recent report on real-time visibility providers from Gartner, the global research company, has some interesting takeaways for shippers, traders, third-party logistics companies and their customers.
Turns out in the industry there are very few initiatives funded by companies to rival visibility. A Gartner survey, in fact, put it ahead of sales and operations planning and business analytics in its importance on companies lists of funded projects.
Why? It’s the so-called Amazon effect, the study says. Commercial customers and consumers are increasing their demand for visibility on their orders while on the commercial side, we see an increased demand for the same in North America and Europe and to a lesser degree in Asia.
What this has done is given shippers that can create efficiencies with increased visibility the chance to become the “shipper of choice.”
Moreover, real-time visibility providers themselves are seeing the trend and enhancing their offerings by adding functions, expanding transportation modes covered and reaching out to new geographical regions.
My recommendations for you would echo those Gartner lays out in its 27-page report, which you can download here.
When I talk with people here in Sweden about this topic we often discuss AEB’s Carrier Connect solution. It is a digital platform that seamlessly integrates carriers and parcel services into workflows. This means you can streamline your shipping processes and make it easier to collaborate with your transport service providers.
Our track & trace displays info from your transport partners, so you always know the real-time status of every shipment. This data can be automatically forwarded to your customers, greatly reducing time-consuming inquiries and phone calls.
This helps make day-to-day shipping operations less hectic. You can also keep tabs on whether your transport partners are complying with agreed-upon lead times and actually providing supplemental services.
Carrier Connect can move you ahead on visibility and help grow your business as this trend takes hold.