Visibility is the event-to-action workflow
A supply-chain visibility platform gathers shipment, order and partner events into a view that helps teams identify delays and update customers. Some tools specialize in transportation milestones, others connect several transport modes or expose events through a shipper’s existing network. A useful comparison follows an order from pickup through delivery and asks which system receives each carrier update and who handles an exception.
Three documented platform connections
project44 with SAP Business Network for Logistics
For a company using SAP Business Network for Logistics, project44 describes adding carrier signals for truckload, less-than-truckload, ocean, air, rail, drayage and parcel, including positions, predicted arrival times and port conditions. See project44’s SAP-endorsed-app announcement for the named connection. This is relevant where teams want multimodal carrier information to appear within their SAP logistics network.
FourKites with SAP Logistics Business Network
FourKites documents integration with SAP Logistics Business Network for transportation visibility and arrival estimates across truckload, LTL, ocean and air. Its SAP Store announcement identifies the network and modes. A shipper already using SAP LBN can compare this route with project44 based on which carrier coverage, shipment milestones and exception views its operating teams need.
FourKites with Full Circle TMS
For a shipper whose transportation operation uses Full Circle TMS, FourKites has documented a connection that passes normalized carrier information such as transit times, location and shipment status into the TMS workflow. The vendor’s Full Circle TMS integration announcement gives a second named system pair. Confirm current commercial availability and the implementation scope for the specific deployment.
Match platform type to the people acting on events
A transportation team usually wants tender acceptance, pickup, in-transit, arrival and proof-of-delivery events linked to a load. Customer service needs a customer order view and clear ownership for late orders. Import teams may prioritize ocean milestones, ports and handoffs to destination transport; a regional carrier may need a simple way to send status from its existing TMS. A platform that only displays a map can leave these teams calling carriers unless alerts and status updates reach the system they already use.
In the product demonstration, follow one delayed shipment end to end. Show the event source, its mapping to a shipment, the resulting ETA or alert, the receiving TMS or network screen and the operator’s next action. Include which modes, carriers, legs and locations are supported for your actual lanes, rather than treating a wide mode list as proof of coverage in every country.
Buying checks
- Which exact carrier, mode and event types are available for your lanes?
- How do external shipment identifiers map to your orders and loads?
- Where do alerts appear, and can staff assign and close an exception?
- What happens when an event is missing, late or duplicated?