Customer Visibility Enabled by Logistics Technology

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New technologies are changing the way freight and logistics companies operate. Sensors, Internet of Thing, and cloud-based enterprise resource planning systems have permeated every corner of the industry. In spite of such systems’ greater availability, many logistics companies have yet to use them to achieve improved customer service.

 

The very survival of a logistics company depends on customer satisfaction. An important aspect of customer service is visibility of shipment in transit; customers always want to know real-time status of their shipment to help plan and synchronize other activities.

 

Logistics companies waste precious manhours manually maintaining and updating daily status reports on spreadsheets and sending them via email to clients. Since reports are prepared manually the chance of human error is high and maintaining the report a tedious task. The client also does not usually get timely updates; sending an email as soon as a shipment status update comes in is practically impossible.

 

Next-generation technology solutions offer an answer to those issues. Now customer visibility can be provided in real time. With a basic ERP system in place, updated daily status reports may be sent automatically to customers at pre-determined intervals.  Notifications via email may also be sent to customers upon completion of important milestones.

 

At a more advanced level, a next-generation ERP not only facilitates track and trace but carries advanced functionalities. The system may be accessed by customers, with proper authorization, through a special link from a website.  All information about shipment status is automatically updated in the customer visibility system and customers can view in real time the status of their shipments anytime, anywhere. As a result, customers may interact and engage at multiple levels with the logistics company.

 

A customer visibility-enabled logistics technology has the potential to transform customer service into a highly responsive and efficient system. With such technology in place, the business can achieve the next level of customer service.