It's A Small World With Real-Time Supply Chain Visibility

For many manufacturers, keeping track of shipments as the traverse a global supply chain can be a serious challenge.Between crossing borders, tricky hand-offs between carriers, and transitions between different modes of transit, making sure that key shipments arrive when and where they're supposed to - and in good condition - can be pretty tough.

That's why forward-thinking companies are investing in real-time visibility solutions to keep track of the location and condition of their in-transit goods. New multi-sensor trackers can monitor not just location, but also temperature, humidity, impact, and other vital in-transit data. With these always-connected trackers sending sensor data to a cloud-based software platform, it becomes possible to access key supply chain information, and act on it before it's too late. 

Specifically, access to real-time information enables manufacturers to take proactive steps to avoid problems and resolve issues when they do occur. Instead of finding out after the fact that a shipment has been delayed or damaged in transit, real-time trackers make it possible to stay informed even when a shipment is on the other side of the world. 

For example, specialty chemicals manufacturer EMD Performance Materials Group ships high-value, temperature-sensitive goods all around the world. Despite the importance of these shipments, the company struggled to maintain updated information regarding their status. "Our visibility ended when we shipped product out the door," explained Andreas Grimm, supply chain program manager with the global specialty chemicals company. Faced with rising costs due to in-transit damages and delays, EMD turned to a sensor-driven supply chain visibility solution to gain real-time insight into the temperature of their chemicals shipments. With cellular trackers attached to key shipments, EMD was able to stay connected to their shipments, identifying and eliminating temperature excursions en route.

Similarly, executive managing director at Tri-Wall Austria Packaging Systems Agron Galimuna describes how real-time tracking can help automotive parts manufacturers identify and eliminate the root cause of in-transit damages. A visibility system can "detect rough handling of the container during a particular time frame in a particular place," he explains. "This may prove that the shipments were deliberately transported during a storm when the responsible course would have been to avoid it." Armed with real-time information, supply chain stakeholders can stay abreast of their global shipments even as they travel across different modes of transit all around the globe.

With real-time in-transit visibility, teams can access the information they need, when they need it, no matter where their shipments are. As supply chains grow ever more globalized and interconnected, it has only become more important to ensure transparency and visibility from end to end. To stay competitive, manufacturers must embrace tools and technologies that provide global visibility and enable a global mindset.

Sometimes the world can seem like a big place. But with real-time visibility into where shipments are, and how they're doing, it becomes possible to make it a whole lot smaller. To learn more about how Tive can help you manage your global supply chain, request a trial with Tive today.