Real-time visibility and its effects on transportation, scheduling, and customer service operations

Abstract

Supply chains are continuously evolving and highly complex value networks that help organizations gain or maintain a competitive advantage. Real-time information is still lagging in many organizations' data-driven systems, leading to information gaps. Real-time visibility into products or cargo is essential for enabling managers at various points in the supply chain to make informed decisions and communicate these changes to stakeholders. Real-time visibility is attainable through various integrated data sources using the Internet of Things (IoT) in conjunction with Blockchain technology, complementing existing and future data analytics software systems, other existing technologies, and Transportation Management Systems (TMS). The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the body of research on the positive effects of real-time visibility.