Technological advances such as global positioning, telematics, RFID, wireless communication, etc. allow to improve near real-time visibility over assets in transit. Despite the technological advances it appears that many global supply chains still suffer from the lack of visibility. While the costs for deploying systems providing visibility can be determined relatively easy, there is only little knowledge about the business value that can be generated with near real-time information on assets in transit. Obviously, the availability of data is not a value by itself and real-time data on assets in transit must be converted into information that can be used to generate business value. This joint research by Deutsche Post World Net, DHL Exel Supply Chain, MIT Center for Transport & Logistics, and the Zaragoza Logistics Center, assesses the value that can be generated with In-Transit Visibility.
There are various challenges in achieving In-Transit Visibility: a) assets in transit may be consolidated and deconsolidated in the supply chain b) various stakeholders in the transportation chain have different interests, business rules, process definitions, and data requirements c) capabilities to react on disruptions in the supply chain differ between the various actors involved and actors in the transportation chain usually do not have exact knowledge about the capabilities of other actors. This research shows how In-Transit Visibility can be achieved and provides a framework for assessing the value of In-Transit Visibility.