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EnterpriseLogistics and distribution8 months

A logistics operator sees every shipment and every vehicle live, and stops learning about delays from customers

Regional third-party logistics operator

A 3PL moving goods across three countries tracked shipments through carrier portals, spreadsheets, and phone calls, and maintained its fleet on a calendar. We implemented supply chain management for live order-to-delivery visibility and asset management for the fleet, so exceptions surfaced before customers noticed and vehicles were serviced when they needed it.

−67%

'where is my shipment' calls

customers see live status; exceptions are handled before the call

94%

on-time delivery

up from 81% in the twelve months before go-live

−41%

unplanned vehicle downtime

condition-based maintenance replacing fixed intervals

200+

vehicles under condition-based maintenance

with telematics feeding the asset record

The situation

The operator's customer-service team spent most of its day answering one question: where is my shipment? Answering it meant checking a carrier portal, a warehouse system, and often a driver's phone. Delays were discovered when a customer called. Supplier confirmations arrived by email and were keyed into a spreadsheet, so the plan was always a day behind the truth.

The fleet of around two hundred vehicles was maintained on fixed intervals. Some were serviced long before they needed it; others broke down between services, and a breakdown meant a shipment missed and a customer call. Parts were ordered reactively, so a vehicle could sit for days waiting for a component.

What we did

  1. 01

    One order, one status, every channel

    Orders from retail, industrial, and marketplace customers flowed into a single orchestration engine that allocated stock, chose the fulfilment site, and held one status per order from receipt to delivery.

  2. 02

    Carriers and suppliers write into the system

    Carrier tracking events integrated directly, so order status updated from the scan rather than from a portal check. Suppliers moved to a portal for confirmations and shipping notices that updated the plan on submission.

  3. 03

    Exceptions to a named owner

    Rules for shipments behind promise, confirmations past their window, and stock below cover raised exceptions to the person who could act, with context attached. Customer service moved from answering questions to preventing them.

  4. 04

    Fleet on condition, not calendar

    Enterprise asset management with every vehicle registered, telematics streaming mileage and engine data, and maintenance triggered by condition thresholds and running hours. Work orders went to technicians on a phone with history and parts attached.

  5. 05

    Parts stocked against real consumption

    Spares linked to the vehicles that used them, stock levels set from actual consumption and lead time, and reservations against planned work — so a vehicle came in for service with the parts already on the shelf.

We used to find out about a late delivery from the customer. Now we know before the truck does.

Operations Director, Regional third-party logistics operator

Solutions used

Built with

Supply Chain ManagementEnterprise Asset ManagementCarrier API integrationEDIGS1 SSCCTelematics (MQTT)Mobile technician appPostgreSQL

Start with what Supply Chain Management (SCM) could do for you.

Tell us about your situation and we will walk you through it against this engagement — what carries over, what is different, and what to expect.