Tech Tips for Building Real-Time Information Delivery in Manufacturing, Logistics, and Supply Chain

Today's dynamic yet disruptive business environment emphasizes the need for manufacturing, logistics, and Supply Chain firms to have complete visibility and better control of their supply chain.

Many have discovered the advantages of technologies to connect with partners efficiently, respond to disruptions quickly, and, more importantly, meet evolving customer expectations accurately.

Although some use Web Services and EDI to attend to information delivery, these systems are flawed.

For example, when a customer asks, ‘where is my order,’ the EDI system cannot process the request. Moreover, if goods are held at customs for unclear reasons, traditional information delivery methods fail to convey the delay to customers. Not only does it dampen business credibility, but it also makes customers lose interest.

So, can you build a real-time information delivery mechanism regardless of your business size?

Absolutely.

Recently, APIs, or app-based interactions, have become a far more effective method to deliver information as and when requested. According to Gartner, APIs perform at least 25% of all B2B interactions. This percentage will only increase in the future. And there is a valid reason behind this.

Since businesses change rapidly, APIs have become the preferred solution for logistics problems. With APIs, the IT department can send automated replies to customer requests instead of manually handling information.

The best example is when goods are held at customs in cross-border delivery. The estimated delivery times are impacted for several reasons, leading to the customer being kept in the dark. But by using APIs, you can send regular alerts and keep a continuous string of real-time information delivery. Doing this can maintain customers’ trust in the business and reinstate the business’s stance in the competitive market.

In sum, you can reap the following benefits of APIs whether you are a manufacturing, logistics, or supply chain firm of any size:

• Mitigate business risks by reacting quickly to changing circumstances

• Streamline change management by managing partner relations

• Lower administrative errors and costs by automating data and document sharing

• Grow and scale as you desire by maintaining real-time connections with partners

For more information or pro tips on technological advancements, connect with me via rizwan.khan@mac.com.