The pandemic presented both opportunities and challenges to the logistics industry, particularly highlighting the importance of resilient supply chains.
To argue this case, the logistics industry has merits over related industries, and eCommerce has brought increased demand to it. However, according to CEOs and logistics players, thriving and achieving scale in such a highly competitive, low-margin industry can be particularly challenging.
Besides, the rising customer expectation is no question. Timely deliveries are well expected, and delivery exceptions and delays without fully addressing the problem can risk losing future sales against similar players in the market.
Then, we decided to ask industry experts about their own experience in tracking and logistics. We believe that by learning from their experience and insights, we can achieve a better understanding of the logistics dynamics, including everyday challenges and industry-specific needs that a logistics solution should entail.
We also want to introduce TrackingMore to all of you. Our suite of order tracking solutions, and connectivity to over 1,300 carrier providers, are something we want to share with the upcoming players in the eCommerce and logistics industry as well.
The Ultimate Goal: Real-Time, Data-Driven
In this case, we are reaching out to CEOs and logistics leaders via Connectively to ask about their key lessons on the logistics landscape and practice. This time, we have received over 25 responses.
Interestingly, a huge amount of the responses emphasized one or two of the following needs and demands: Real-time, data-driven tracking and logistics. These two terms appear more so like the “pinnacle” that many businesses want to achieve.
Realistically, we argue that these two are not as easy to achieve, and issues such as delivery exceptions, delays, and returns are still going to happen from time to time.
Despite the realization, there are still actionable insights that are interesting to learn from the CEOs and logistics leaders who answered us. Particularly, by piecing through the responses available, either you or I should be able to find some common experiences that resonate well at the operational and strategic levels.
7 Key Themes About Tracking and Logistics
Nevertheless, the insights from CEOs and logistics leaders are quite insightful, and we are able to draw 7 key themes from the mix of responses.
1. Apply Full Transparency to the Entire Supply Chain
One of the interesting answers is from Kate Hill, who has been working in her Australian high-end floral design studio, Kate Hill Flowers, for several years now.
While reflecting on her business, Kate elaborated, “(the) transparency is not only for our benefit but also for our clients.” Real-time transparency helps businesses manage expectations and ensures a seamless experience from order placement to delivery.
As a boutique, high-end floral business, they also have an efficient tracking system in place. Her experience with tracking systems is positive in general, pointing out benefits such as inventory management, ease of communicating changes, as well as dedicated customer support in order to sustain a “reputation of excellence”.
In the floral industry, where the “beauty and freshness” of products are paramount, according to Kate, timely and precise logistics can be crucial. In this case, the key lies in finding a third-party tracking system that can come in and address these issues, reflecting the commitment to quality and exceptional service.
2. Multi-Carrier Logistics Helps You Hedge Risks
Robin Luo, the CEO and founder of Rantle East Electronics, has over 20 years of experience in sourcing electronic components from China to different parts of the world.
While he also agreed with the notion of meticulous planning and real-time flexibility, he addresses the common pitfall of many industry players as they “over-rely on a single logistics solution or partner.” He highlighted that a single-carrier approach can lead to bottlenecks, especially in an environment where crisis and market fluctuations are inevitable.
To address this issue, Robin suggests, is to establish strong business relationships with multiple partners and provide flexibility regarding origin, ensuring consistent supply and price stability. It means that a multi-carrier approach is paramount, given the cost and geographical advantages that such can provide.
At TrackingMore, we also abide by a multi-carrier approach, ensuring that our customers can be connected to over 1,300 carriers globally with ease.
Overall, the benefits of a multi-carrier approach are huge. Topping the discussion is the ability to save up on shipment costs and improve your bottom line. You are also in a premium position to achieve flexibility and adaptability in your supply chain, and easily cater to customer and specific shipment needs as they arise.
3. Automation to Reduce Inconsistency
On the other hand, Jason Woo, the founder of Able Hardware, agrees with the above viewpoint but with a different rationale.
Jason’s commitment to Able Hardware stems from a strong focus on quality and excellence in metal fabrication manufacturing. They focus heavily on an exporting role, and with a positive track record of exporting around 200 containers to different countries globally while maintaining good QC standards and prompt delivery times.
As he further discusses his export practice, several keywords flow through his mind: Accuracy, precision, and promptness.
The key lies in “automated logistics solutions and real-time updates,” Jason said. As they are exporting hundreds of containers annually to several countries, the added automation and real-time tracking give them further clarity to address the transparency with their B2B partners, deliver consistent quality, and meet deadlines reliably.
For companies dealing with high volumes of transactions at a global scale, it prompts efficient logistical operations to deal with cross-border shipments. Also, customers with this scale will demand flexibility in production and delivery schedules, which brings real-time, precise tracking an increasingly important notion.
4. Operational Data-Driven Monitoring Is Key
James Wilkinson is the CEO and co-founder of Balance One Supplements. The eCommerce store targets the sale of premium dietary supplements, featuring a strong U.S. market presence but an increasingly global footprint in the pharmaceutical space.
One of the recurring themes from James’ response is the need to be “proactive” in the journey and future of global fulfillment.
With real-time tracking made feasible, James argued, it “gives us valuable information about our supply chain.” Such information was previously not available for tracking stocks in their warehouses around the world, avoiding stockouts and seeking supplies earlier.
A great example that he quotes is the anticipation of demand spikes.
“During cold and flu seasons, we were able to prevent stockouts by strategically scheduling inventory in key warehouses,” James notes. This proactive approach ensures that products are readily available when customers need them the most.
On the consumer side, they also mentioned that this proactive monitoring helps them to control the expectations of their customers. Over time, it has helped them realize a 20% drop in customer service inquiries. Better tracking, coupled with a proactive demeanor, can result in cost savings and a seamless customer journey.
5. Tracking Drives Down WISMO Inquiries, Too
Tracking is not purely a “bottom line” topic, it can be highly effective when it comes to managing customer expectations and reducing support inquiries.
Brian Kroeker, the President of Little Rock Printing, eyes the early opportunity over 15 years ago in the on-demand printing industry in Canada. Over time, his business venture persisted and it serves as a 100% eCommerce brand for printing high-quality products for a multitude of brands and individuals worldwide.
Brian’s success lies in his relentless obsession with the customer experience, even extending to aspects of tracking and logistics. Three years ago, Brian and his team implemented automated tracking updates as a means to proactively notify customers of any delays.
The results, as suggested by Brian, are extraordinary. As mentioned by Brian, the initiative has been able to ”improve customer satisfaction rates and cut down WISMO emails by over 30% from time to time”. They have also helped streamline Little Rock Printing’s logistics operations, as he describes, saving “tons of time” for their support team.
Brian has a positive vision towards predictive shipment tracking tools that provide even deeper insights for eCommerce players. As directly quoting his words, “With the ease of access to tracking tools in 2024, staying one or two steps ahead of your customers when situations arise is what separates the successful from the unsuccessful businesses going forward”.
6. Think Highly of the Last-Mile Delivery
Posh UK is a Home & Garden Furniture Superstore with an omni-channel presence in place. Its CEO, Andy Ellis, also shares a few words about the potential of real-time visibility in the logistics process, especially during the last-mile delivery.
“Real-time visibility was one of the hardest and most important lessons,” Andy notes. His focus on logistics excellence is coupled with congruence in both his words and the business choices he made. His pursuit of real-time tracking is not a straightforward journey, but when he is doing it, his delivery experience shows otherwise.
Currently, Posh UK can offer free delivery on all orders over £500 and express service featuring next-day delivery. It received a Trustpilot review of 4.5 stars, with many citing the smooth and timely deliveries from order to delivery, as contributed by Posh’s strong national delivery network and great last-mile tracking.
He further adds, “The implementation of GPS, RFID, and IoT as advanced tracking systems has completely changed my business, giving me peace of mind and making everything more efficient than ever.” Real-time tracking gives him the advantage of full visibility to make quicker decisions because he is “seeing everything as it happens (at the ground level)”.
Tracking technologies, including order tracking platforms like TrackingMore, can be the “silent heroes” of the last-mile experience.
7. Real-Time Visibility Is Not a “Nice-to-Have” Anymore
Real-time visibility is an essential requirement. Customers value transparency more than ever these days, even when the efforts do not go perfectly.
The CEO of PhoneBurner, Chris Sorensen, has a particularly strong view towards the future of logistics and tracking. While PhoneBurner operates in a similar SaaS space as TrackingMore, its primary business is on cloud-based power dialers that empower the sales team to track and automate workflows over time.
His view may be inferred from his SaaS business, but nonetheless empowering. “A key lesson that I learn is that transparency and real-time visibility in (the world of) tracking is no longer just nice-to-haves – they are essential to business success.” With improved access to live tracking data, it fundamentally changes the way businesses manage customer expectations and drives internal efficiency.
He also explores the pitfalls of many tracking solutions in the SaaS market. “Without a smooth integration, you end up with siloed, fragmented data or missed opportunities to streamline the logistics process.” Data compliance can be another challenge that comes into mind, especially as tracking also involves handling sensitive customer data.
Chris’ rationale reflects the importance of searching for an industry-compliant, easy to integrate tracking solution. Currently, TrackingMore is ISO-27001 compliant and fits great for enterprise uses and growing ventures. We also offer easy-to-use SDKs to ensure the integration can be made as smoothly as possible within 1-7 days.
TrackingMore Can Be Your Trusted Logistics Partner
The responses from these different CEOs and logistics leaders are really inspiring. However, a common theme is that they are already having some form of logistics and tracking system in place to support their online business forward.
If you are late to the tracking game, no worries, there is still time. In the market, there are more than enough tracking solutions out there, with different price ranges, features, and geographical reach that cater to different groups.
On this occasion, we hope to position TrackingMore as one of your “must-haves” when it comes to order tracking. Our tracking solution is highlighted with comprehensive tracking capabilities and a huge commitment to customer-centricity.
TrackingMore supports over 1,300 carriers worldwide, providing real-time tracking for customers regardless of location. We also have a user-friendly interface and customizable features that can fit your specific requirements. This includes:
- Branded tracking page, shipment notifications, data-driven insights, and more.
- Seamless integration with existing systems, with APIs and plugins available for popular eCommerce platforms.
- 24/7 live chat support that caters to the non-resting pace of online businesses.
- API rate limit up to 100 QP, 1-7 day fast implementation, and developer-friendly SDKs to optimize development efforts.
If you are interested, please do not hesitate to reach out to us or book a demo. You can consult our experts via this link.
Final Words
With the advent of AI and technology, tracking and logistics solutions are equipped with added capabilities than before. Across the respondents, they are reporting on some form of tracking and logistics systems in place, regardless of whether they are involved in the logistics business or not. It is a positive sign of growth in this sector.
On the other hand, while “real-time, data-driven tracking and logistics” is a dream to many, one should consider specific needs and challenges when it comes to achieving so. Considerations may include a multi-carrier approach, integration considerations, and your own business growth stage before committing to a specific tracking solution in the market.
Overall, we hope that by learning from the experts, you will have a better understanding of the tracking and logistics considerations out there, and we are once again thankful for the variety and depth of responses that we receive from time to time.
At TrackingMore, our order tracking solution is committed to meeting your tracking needs. We are, indeed, “looking forward to partnering with you”.
The TrackingMore team shares insights on logistics tracking technology, industry trends, and e-commerce logistics solutions to help businesses streamline shipment tracking and enhance customer post-purchase experience.
