Visibility within the supply chain extends beyond merely tracking freight location; it involves anticipating delays, offering predictive ETAs, and optimizing operations. This broader understanding of visibility generates value across various departments beyond transportation. In today's market with consumers demanding swift and accurate order fulfillment coupled with detailed delivery information, real-time connectivity and visibility solutions address these expectations, elevating vendor scorecards, improving customer service, and bolstering revenue.

However, visibility and connectivity in supply chains encounter significant hurdles due to fragmented systems and processes, hampering seamless communication and data sharing among suppliers, distributors, carriers, and stakeholders. This fragmentation results in inefficiencies and delays, complicating booking/tendering, accurate shipment tracking and response to changes. Supply chain disruptions like rerouting, canal delays, and geopolitical tensions worsen these challenges, alongside regulatory requirements and nearshoring complexities.

Addressing them requires comprehensive solutions offering end-to-end visibility and connectivity that prove to be crucial to navigate these complexities effectively.

Descartes, a global transport and logistics software provider, collaborates with SAP to offer unified real-time transportation visibility and connectivity solutions to SAP customers through the integration of Descartes MacroPoint and Descartes eBookings^TM with SAP Transportation Management or SAP Business Network for Logistics. This integration provides access to a multi-modal supply chain visibility and messaging platform used by manufacturers, retailers, distributors, carriers, freight brokers, freight forwarders, and third-party logistics providers (3PLs). It allows for real-time communications and visibility of shipment location and status in transit, covering the full logistics process from the transportation of raw materials to home delivery.

Descartes MacroPoint delivers a comprehensive real-time view of freight, shipping, and third-party logistics operations, supported by extensive data and performance insights from a vast global carrier network. While Descartes eBookings™ brings multiple parties and processes together from the contract to booking/tendering phase, through to financial settlement. The platforms enhance the control of shippers, freight brokers, and logistics service providers over their operations by offering capabilities such as EDI/API messaging, real-time shipment tracking, status alerts, customs data, and estimated time of arrival (ETA) updates. They integrates with various transportation methods, including road, air, parcel, rail, and ocean carriers, through telematics, electronic logging devices, transportation management systems, a mobile driver application, APIs, portals, and even text messages.

Descartes not only boosts customer service and distribution efficiency but also fosters better automation and collaboration among customers, suppliers, and carriers, while helping to minimize the impact of disruptions and penalties associated with late deliveries and containers sitting past their free time. The solutions are integral for enabling effective management of shipments from full book to bill process , enhancing overall supply chain visibility and operations.

Case in Point: Steelcase Inc. Improves Shipment Visibility with Descartes MacroPoint

Steelcase, a leading supplier of architecture, furniture and technology products and services, with an extensive distribution and logistics network across the U.S. and Mexico, faced significant challenges due to transportation disruptions. These issues were exacerbated by inefficient manual processes and a heavy reliance on carriers for status updates, resulting in late shipments, costly chargebacks, and compromised customer service. To address these issues and enhance the customer experience, Steelcase implemented the Descartes MacroPoint solution, a real-time freight visibility tool.

The integration of Descartes MacroPoint into Steelcase’s operations has led to significant improvements. The solution is integrated with SAP TM and provides real-time tracking of loads, which has halved the time spent on tracking from four to five hours daily to about two hours. This has enabled Steelcase to better manage its distribution network, which includes five manufacturing facilities, five factory distribution centers, and six regional distribution centers, along with a dedicated fleet and over 60 carrier partners.

The new system allows Steelcase to offer more reliable on-time deliveries and quicker response times. Real-time load status updates enable proactive management of the delivery schedules, ensuring minimal disruption at job sites and other critical delivery locations. This has not only improved customer satisfaction by keeping clients well-informed of any changes in shipment status but also reduced internal costs by cutting down on the time and resources spent on manual tracking.

Descartes MacroPoint has enhanced Steelcase's operational efficiency, reduced costs, and improved customer service across its complex logistics network.