Managers involved with company supply chains believe that optimisation capabilities and real-time visibility are key requirements for firms hoping to profit in the international transportation and global trade environment.
That is according to a new report by Aberdeen Group, entitled International Transportation: Optimise Cost and Service in a Global Market, which suggests that an increase in customer demand for high delivery performance is driving the need to ensure shipment integrity.
Bob Heaney, senior supply chain analyst at the Aberdeen Group, said that inbound transportation is "particularly troublesome", as shipments are often in the hands of trading partners, carriers or suppliers, which limits visibility.
"The key takeaway is that there is a minimum level of visibility, communication and optimisation that is required to balance all these competing pressures. As we shall see, this balance is critical," he explained.
Recently, in an article for PWE magazine, Roger Williams, chief executive officer of the UK Warehousing Association, said that there has a been a "sharp upturn" in the number of companies that choose to outsource logistics and supply chain management functions to third party logistics service providers.
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