CASE STUDY: ELECTRONICS MANUFACTURER

A large electronics manufacturer ships electronic products from contract manufacturers in Asia to distribution hubs, then on to customers around the world, using sea freight, rail, and trucks. These goods are sensitive to being dropped or handled roughly, and so the company uses Tive’s supply chain visibility solution to monitor in-transit shock, tilt, and vibration levels as well as ensure timely delivery. 

CHALLENGER

Electronics products are sensitive to rough handling, and sometimes arrive damaged or completely broken. Other components are less fragile, but when they arrive late, the effects of the delay can snowball through the entire automotive supply chain and lead to costly production delays. In addition, it is often impossible for the manufacturer to determine when or where along the suppliers’ supply chain the damages are occurring, and which routes or carriers are responsible for the most damage, making it difficult to eliminate the root cause of the issue. 

SOLUTION

The manufacturer attached Tive trackers to shipments traveling from Chinese manufacturing facilities to North American distribution centers. With Tive’s supply chain visibility solution, the manufacturer was able to monitor their goods in real time and receive immediate alerts if a shipment experienced potentially harmful shock levels or was likely to arrive late. If a shock event occured, they could determine the exact time and location of the issue, and work with their carriers to resolve the issue. 

In addition, a comprehensive analysis of data from various routes helped the company to identify exactly which shipment routes tended to lead to more harmful shock events. This enabled them to have a data-driven conversation with their logistics partners and carriers and eliminate specific root-cause issues.

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IMPACT

Real-time alerting and data analysis across all shipments and routes helps the manufacturer avoid unpleasant surprises and eliminate the root cause of issues to optimize the supply chain going forward. This leads to fewer production delays, less waste, and an improved experience for the end customer.