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The Importance of Real-Time Visibility in Transport Management How Technology is Changing the Game

June 25, 2024

Transportation has been integral to human civilization for centuries. Goods have been transported on donkeys, boats, humans, horse carriages, and, in today’s world, by motorized vehicles, airplanes, and large cargo ships. Over the past 25 years, the rise of e-commerce and next-day shipping initiated by logistics companies has transformed customer expectations. Nowadays, when purchasing an item online, customers can choose their preferred delivery time (morning, night, weekends, weekdays, etc.). This flexibility allows recipients to better plan their day and avoid waiting in anticipation for deliveries.

To facilitate this precise delivery timing, nearly all companies now offer real-time shipment visibility through mobile applications, websites, or notification services like SMS, WhatsApp, and LINE. Digital technology is the key enabler of this capability, and Spinclabs is at the forefront of building the digital framework necessary for delivery visibility and precise timing.

How Real-Time Tracking Works:

  1. GPS Integration: A GPS chip on a container or delivery vehicle tracks the latitude and longitude (Lat/Long) of the goods’ location.
  2. Data Transmission: This Lat/Long data is transmitted to a computer system (cloud/server) via telecommunications networks such as 4G, LTE, 5G, 6G, Wi-Fi, or satellite links.
  3. Mapping the Location: The Lat/Long coordinates are converted into a recognizable location using a mapping system. For example, 51.5072° N, 0.1276° W is translated into Central London, UK (near Trafalgar Square).
  4. Continuous Updates: As the vehicle moves, these coordinates continuously update, providing a real-time stream of the new location on the corresponding website or mobile application.

In the not-too-distant past, most of us had no visibility into the location of our goods once they were shipped. It felt like the shipment disappeared into a black hole, only to arrive days or months later. Technology has revolutionized this process, offering complete shipment visibility from origin to destination.

While real-time shipment visibility is common in last-mile delivery and e-commerce platforms, it is still lacking in many B2B companies due to insufficient GPS coverage or inadequate technology systems. Spinclabs addresses this gap by collaborating with telecommunications companies to use the driver’s mobile phone location as a proxy for goods movement, significantly reducing GPS hardware costs and simplifying the process (with the driver’s consent).


Benefits of Real-Time Shipment Visibility:

  • Enhanced Planning: Improves planning of goods and services.
  • Reduced Anxiety: Minimises waiting periods and uncertainty for customers.
  • Inventory Optimization: Facilitates better inventory planning, reducing costs.
  • Waste Reduction: Decreases obsolescence and wastage, especially for perishable goods.
  • Cost Efficiency: Ensures accurate pricing for carriers and vendors.
  • Simplified Compliance: Eases tax compliance, accounting, and audit processes.
  • Customer Satisfaction: Increases overall customer satisfaction.

Our Transport Management Services (TMS) provides real-time visibility and helps you optimize your logistics requirement to address all the modern day challenges. 

We invite you to contact us via phone or email to learn more about these technologies and how they can benefit your business globally.

Also Read: The Future of Transport Management Solutions

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