How Real-Time Tracking Brings Visibility to the Industrial Equipment Supply Chain

When transporting expensive, highly sensitive industrial equipment, the last thing you want is to be surprised by in-transit damage or a late shipment. But in many cases, equipment manufacturers are left in the dark, hoping that shipments arrive on time and undamaged, and clueless as to the source of damages when they do occur.

Specifically, complex machinery such as medical equipment, electrical equipment, and other industrial goods are often very sensitive to rough handling and/or environmental changes such as temperature or humidity spikes. If shipments experience these harmful conditions, the goods can often arrive at the end customer’s installation site damaged in visible or invisible ways. In addition, it is often impossible for the manufacturer to determine when or where along the supply chain the damages are occurring, making it difficult to identify and eliminate the root cause of the issue.

Moreover, industrial equipment generally needs to be installed upon arrival, which means that specialized staff need to know exactly when it will arrive to avoid wasting time and money. If a shipment arrives late, the resulting wasted labor, facilities, and installation equipment hours can be extremely costly. 

So what can equipment manufacturers do to get the visibility they need into the location and condition of their in-transit goods? The key is real-time tracking and smart, cloud-based analysis. With Tive’s supply chain visibility solution for equipment delivery monitoring, manufacturers can monitor their goods in real time and receive immediate alerts if a shipment experiences potentially harmful temperatures, humidity levels, tilting, or shock levels. Location tracking also makes it possible to predict in advance if the equipment will be delayed in transit, enabling the manufacturer to plan ahead and mitigate fallout due to a late shipment. If a climate excursion or shock event occurs, the manufacturer can prepare a thorough inspection upon arrival to minimize damage, and since they know exactly when and where the damage occurred, they can work with the carrier to resolve the issue for future shipments.

This is just one of many industries in which real-time supply chain tracking can give you an edge. If your company ships high-value goods that are susceptible to in-transit damages or delays, request a demo with Tive today to learn more about how a digital tracking solution could improve your supply chain operations.