Supply chain visibility : From analogue to aggregation — a brief history and guide to implementation

Abstract

Supply chain visibility (SCV) is the ability to track an order step-by-step to see real-time status updates across the supply chain from origin to final destination. Visibility enables a company to know exactly where their product is in the shipment process and can be a significant driver for a company’s improved profitability and relationships with its trading partners. While SCV is a standard expectation for e-commerce orders, adoption of visibility capabilities for non-e-commerce companies is surprisingly low. Improved visibility provides companies numerous benefits by lowering costs and reducing inventory while increasing efficiency and accountability. Business investment in new technology, increased collaboration and higher maturity levels lead to full visibility for all trading partners, while utilisation of data aggregation technology provides a single version of the truth. This paper analyses the substantial value derived through supply chain visibility, and discusses how more companies could benefit from implementing SCV capabilities.