Today, supply chain visibility is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. Real-Time Visibility (RTV) has emerged as a game-changer, providing businesses with accurate, timely data to inform decision-making. However, RTV alone is not enough to drive meaningful improvements. As a stand-alone function, RTV has limitations. To maximize its value, businesses must integrate RTV with other tools, particularly analytics and performance management.
The Limitations of RTV
What do you do if a shipment is late? Not just a few days—delays in ocean freight are common—but what if it’s two weeks or even longer?
RTV provides real-time tracking, but that’s just one piece of the puzzle. If your shipment sails late or is “rolled” for one or two weeks, what are your options? Beyond simply knowing that a shipment is delayed, what can you actually do?
If a shipment departs late, you might expedite the container or less-than-container load (LCL) at the arrival port, but that would only save a day or so.
If the shipment sails on time but is delayed in transit—perhaps due to port congestion—you can’t speed up the vessel or reroute it to another sailing unless it's with the same carrier, which must match the container already loaded.
What about a Change of Destination (COD)? Attempting to release a container at an earlier port call is challenging for carriers to execute successfully. It also comes with hefty fees, particularly if you end up paying Freight All Kinds (FAK) rates for the new destination port.
While knowing that a shipment will be late allows you to notify customers or inventory management teams and expedite port pickup, your options for mitigating the delay remain limited.
The Real Benefits of RTV
The biggest benefits of RTV lie not just in real-time tracking but in the analytics and performance measurements derived from RTV data. To drive meaningful improvements, businesses must analyze RTV data alongside key performance indicators (KPIs) such as:
- On-Time Performance (OTP)
- Transit Time Variance
- Supply Chain Cycle Time
- Inventory Impact
- Shipper & Carrier Performance
The Power of Analytics
When combined with analytics, RTV data becomes a powerful tool for optimizing supply chain operations. Businesses that analyze RTV data alongside other KPIs can:
- Optimize supply chain operations
- Reduce delays and disruptions
- Improve customer satisfaction
- Increase efficiency and productivity
- Strengthen team performance
A More Effective Approach
Instead of relying solely on RTV, businesses should adopt a more comprehensive approach that integrates analytics and performance management. This allows companies to:
- Focus on the metrics that truly matter
- Develop targeted strategies to optimize supply chain operations
- Drive meaningful improvements in efficiency and performance
- Regularly review and communicate key performance insights with teams
Why Real-Time Tracking Might Be Overkill
For many businesses, real-time tracking might provide too much data without enough actionable insights. What truly matters is knowing when shipments will arrive, when they actually do arrive, and how long they take to get there.
Focusing on key shipment milestones—such as Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA), Actual Time of Arrival (ATA), Estimated Time of Departure (ETD), and Actual Time of Departure (ATD)—enables businesses to optimize their supply chain more effectively than just tracking shipments in real time.
Conclusion: The Importance of Performance Metrics
To truly optimize supply chain operations, businesses must look beyond real-time tracking and focus on the performance metrics that drive success. By combining RTV data with analytics and performance management, businesses can unlock the full potential of their supply chain and achieve tangible, lasting improvements in efficiency and performance.
Take Control of Your Supply Chain with WOWL
RTV is just the beginning—true supply chain optimization comes from leveraging data, analytics, and expert insights to make proactive decisions. That’s where WOWL comes in.
At WOWL, we help businesses go beyond simple tracking to analyze real performance metrics, optimize logistics strategies, and drive operational efficiency. Whether you need better visibility, stronger analytics, or actionable supply chain insights, our team has the expertise to help you reduce costs, improve reliability, and stay ahead of disruptions.
Are you ready to take your supply chain performance to the next level? Contact WOWL today to see how we can transform your logistics strategy.
