Real-time visibility is nowadays imperative for supply chain
managers, both to streamline deliveries and to generally optimize logistics operations, reducing costs and increasing performance. Moreover, it also allows companies to give customers more accurate information about the status of their deliveries, which represents a valuable intangible advantage that contributes to the peace of mind of our customers and, therefore, to their better experience and satisfaction.
We refer to the ability to live monitor and track assets accurately throughout the supply chain, considering the variables that can disrupt it, such as delays, traffic, weather conditions, etc. This helps to obtain highly accurate delivery times, and a window into your operations to keep them up to speed.
For this, real-time transport visibility platforms are used such as software tools that provide live updates on the location and status of goods in transport. Usually, this information is obtained from a telematics hardware and a GPS located in the vehicle, trailer, or container which transports the merchandise, and is activated when shipments leave the facility.
The advantages of having visibility into the processes
With this kind of platform, many benefits and opportunities are achieved for companies of
all sizes and sectors:
1. Real-time access to accurate data can avoid setbacks caused by false or inaccurate information, and allows a better data filtering. So, it is possible to focus in detecting and solving irregularities, allowing faster action before interruptions occur.
2. The reduction and reallocation of labor costs, as usually happens when asks are automated, as well as freeing up staff to focus on tasks that will add greater value to the company.
3. Cargo monitoring, with visibility of real stops and breaks, which allows knowing where and how long the shipments are delayed, aiming to improve these situations.
4. Access to real-time data on other countries; border wait times,
delays, etc., both at land border crossings and at seaports of entry. This
gives chain managers or those in charge of the transport the opportunity to choose
more efficient routes on the go.
5. Accurate knowledge of available capacity and how to free up additional capacity, which
represents a great advantage, particularly in the midst of a global capacity shortage.
6. Easier collaboration between carriers, e.g., through shared lanes, transfers, improved communications, etc.
7. Relevant reduction in monitoring and tracking calls and mail sent by carriers and customer service staff trying to locate shipments.
8. Reduction of unjustified stop requests (e.g., by cross-referencing carriers stop time requests with real-time visibility data), generating savings in stop fees and costs.
9. Ease to locate products by batch, and in case of a defective batch, it can be quickly located, immobilized, and then removed, also making it possible to identify at which point or stage of the chain the failure occurred.
10. Reduction of fines and sanctions
The best visibility platforms and their roles
Real-time transport visibility platforms (RTTVP) are becoming an essential support for companies. When choosing one, it is a key factor that is should have the ability to scale and grow with your business.
Even if a third party provides this service, this provider should be able to adapt and respond to demand and its variations, as well as stay ahead of new capabilities and technologies.
Likewise, its platform should offer connectivity with a wide carriers network, status and condition monitoring of shipments; immediate and full integration with existing business systems, end-to-end multi-modal cargo monitoring capabilities, that is, no matter the transport mode; yard-level visibility to monitor performance; purchase order-level monitoring (for individual products), as well as advanced and detailed analytics on cargo and the entire supply chain.
Our Capabilities — SOLISTICA INTERNAL REVIEW
That is why at Solistica we equip our transport vehicles with GPS/GPRS, different types of gauges, portable locators, voice modules, facial recognition, motion locks, advanced assistance systems, additional trackers, panic buttons, etc. In addition to maximizing visibility,
we use this technology to obtain more specific information to improve our drivers; performance.
We also operate a Monitoring Center from where units are monitored
24/7, alerts are addressed, critical routes and road assistance services are monitored, and
the operation of telemetry equipment is daily validated; a Security Center, that also
handles 24/7 security protocols, maps routes and risky points, identifying incidents and coordinating with authorities for the prevention and response to robberies, as well as the ability to create geo-fences by type.
And, finally, a Business Analytics Center that reviews statistical information to
improve the productivity of our clients and their supply chains, offering
detailed analysis of productivity indicators, vehicle performance, predictive
analytics, measurement of dispatched trips, unit availability with using maintenance time data, etc.
At Solistica, we are experts in paying attention to details, flexibility, and innovation. Please
contact us
and let's start improving your supply chain with full visibility!
