E-commerce in the present day encompasses the customer journey beyond the purchase button. The duration from a customer's order to package delivery determines whether that customer is retained.
The lack of information during delays causes customers to lose their confidence rapidly. Operational transparency throughout the supply chain enables one to protect company image along the way.
The True Cost of Operational Blind Spots
Not having the visibility needed to carry out warehouse operations and deliver services leads to bad results for customers and for the internal teams that work.
Without a single program, brands encounter difficulties with 'Ghost Stock'—a type of stock that is said to be in stock, but in fact is not available at the warehouse. This results in delayed deliveries and dissatisfied customers.
Building a Transparent Logistics Infrastructure
Addressing issues related to supply chain visibility entails collecting information from every stage of the operation. A combination of WMS and OMS technology gives a glance at centralized inventory, warehouse updates, and carrier notifications in one dashboard view. Through solutions such as Edgistify’s EdgeOS, brands can track incoming, storage, order picking, and delivery in real time.
Key Components of Operational Visibility:
1. Detailed Inventory Tracking: Follow the movement of SKUs, safety stock limits, and expiry dates (FIFO/FEFO management) from one operational dashboard.
2. SLA Violation Alerts: The time frame used in alerts allows for identifying any order processing issues before violating SLAs.
3. Universal Package Tracking: Real-time alerts that connect warehouse dispatching and last-mile courier notifications.
Turning Logistics Transparency into Customer Loyalty
Transparency within operations leads to improvements in customer service measures:
- Decreased Support Tickets : With the automatic updates in place, the number of inquiries made by customers about “Where Is My Order?” is reduced considerably.
- Prompt Delay Notification : By informing customers about possible weather and shipping delays, you can help keep trust and decrease the number of order cancellations.
- Elimination of Complicated Return Process : Monitoring the order process can make return and exchange operations easier and transform the hassle-free return into another sale.
The implementation of an entire supply chain visibility helps in setting a strong foundation to make customers satisfied.