Real-Time Tracking and Transportation Visibility
Real-time tracking and transportation visibility is a necessity for any modern supply chain management system.
Real-Time Transportation Visibility Platforms Solve Supply Chain Challenges
With technology, shipping visibility becomes a game-changer. Traditional methods, on the other hand, run the risk of diminishing revenue, higher costs, inefficient delivery processes, bad customer service, and increased risk. Real-time tracking of shipments is an awareness of ground-level delivery processes at the exact location and precise time of its occurrence.
It enables companies to track and trace shipments across different modes of transportation, allowing them to plan and forecast deliveries and adapt instantly to unforeseen circumstances. Real-time logistics is all about the small details and the ability to communicate these details securely to shippers and recipients from the loading dock to delivery.
This kind of visibility and transparency gives transportation managers the resources they need to identify areas of concern and streamline processes. But without modernization, supply chains are at risk.
Here’s what it looks like when your tracking platform needs to be modernized:
Deliveries Aren’t on Time
Customers want to know when their shipments will arrive. They want to know everything possible about their deliveries; staying in the dark is no longer an option. They want to know where their orders are, when they will be delivered, and how they will be delivered. If there are delays, they need to know why. This gives shippers and customers the information they need to find modes of transportation and other solutions that avoid delays and meet customer expectations.
Costs Are Rising
Fuel expenses are major cost factors for shippers, and lack of shipping visibility and control usually means higher-than-average fuel consumption. Real-time logistics tools find quicker routes to help mitigate costly diversions. They also fine tune the timing for deliveries, so trucks spend less time idling waiting to offload. Lower fuel costs improve performance throughout your supply chain, but they also have the added benefit of lowering your carbon footprint.
You Don’t Have Answers
Without an effective logistics tracking system, delivery managers never really have full control over delivery operations. Your delivery supply chain tracking system should be able to instantly tell you if a delivery will be on time, what is causing a delay or unnecessary diversions, how effective a carrier is, and how often your shipments arrive on time.
Shipments Are Damaged, Spoiled, or Stolen
Logistics tracking systems not only track where a shipment is, they also monitor its condition. The Internet of Things (IoT) is an interconnected network of objects, most consumers recognize this as smart doorbells or smart thermostats. Logistics managers see the IoT as a way to monitor crucial information about shipments including the severity of an impact, whether the shipment is upright, its current temperature, a history of temperature changes, moisture levels, and whether the shipping container has been opened. The real-time tracking of shipments can be used to help protect future shipments and manage customer expectations.
Your Shipping Records Are Filled With Errors
Human error and mistakes in shipping not only increase costs, but they also jeopardize the name of the company. Errors are a sign of inefficient processes, and when your staff has to rely on outdated processes, the risk for errors skyrockets.
But inaccurate records lead to what could be the greatest cost: an inability to improve. Information has tremendous value, and a modern, transparent transportation management system compiles important data about every shipment that can be used to improve shipping. Without it, any process improvement is merely guesswork.
Having a robust system of real-time transportation tracking will gain customer loyalty, prove cost-effective, and mitigate risks, which means it is critical for staying ahead in today’s competitive market. Businesses that have identified this need will find a ready ally with Sheer Logistics and SheerExchange.
We Can’t Make You Modernize
We can only show you that there is a more efficient world out there driven by powerful technology that is easy to use and understand. Sheer can help you seamlessly integrate it into your existing infrastructure and will be with you every step of the way.
How SheerExchange Works
Transportation management systems (TMS) that feature real-time tracking are an important investment in your supply chain. But as specific a tool as a TMS application is, MercuryGate, for example, is designed with unique business needs in mind: it monitors deliveries, uses the Internet of Things, and fully tracks supply chains. Together, all of these improvements require advanced integration, and as a MercuryGate Partner, SheerExchange integrates MercuryGate seamlessly into your existing systems.
Our Sheer Exchange software allows your TMS system to integrate with and enhance the capabilities of a wide range of systems, from ERP products like SAP and Oracle to visibility applications such as Project 44 and FourKites. Think of SheerExchange as a universal translator that interprets and integrates data from multiple tools across any format and through any language.
The Sheer Difference
Our mission is to build trust, use our brainpower for the best interests of every customer, and always deliver extraordinary results. Let’s Think Logistically.
