Supply Chains as a strategic component in the age of e-commerce
With the irreversible shift to e-commerce in both B2B and retail sectors, supply chains have graduated from a second rung in the strategic hierarchy of business planning to becoming a backbone around which all strategic decisions by firms are now based. In this age when customers expect hourly updates and real-time tracking of their shipments and before time delivery is the expectation, logistics providers can no longer be content with just guaranteeing timely deliveries.
Firms want to partner with shipping companies who are reliable and can easily integrate with their strategic plans. Late shipment consequences are becoming more severe which can have a ripple effect on the supply chain crippling productivity and enhancing costs.
Manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, and other shippers now require full visibility into freight status and location. Business owners expect to access a single-point comprehensive information dashboard including arrival and departure time, pick-up and destination locations, in-transit updates with a real-time concrete GPS-enabled system. 100% visibility has become a core service offering and an important metric evaluated by shippers when choosing service providers. Brokers and 3PLs have also embraced freight visibility in a big way.
