Additional challenges arise through continuously increasing numbers of supply chain partners, complex distribution channels and diverse product portfolios, as well as higher market standards and customer expectations regarding on-time deliveries and quality of service.

Based on this complexity, online tracking now goes far beyond the "track and trace" of a decade ago. It's no longer about simply tracking a shipment from the point of pick-up to the point of delivery, but about achieving visibility throughout the entire supply chain, providing transparency of orders in demand, production, transit, customs clearance, stock, and overall order fulfillment, while monitoring all individual process steps and making the data available to all relevant supply chain partners.

All supply chain partner's benefit from full transparency of the physical flow of goods from procurement to fulfillment. The foundation for achieving such comprehensive transparency is the use of a common visibility platform by all relevant partners. And that's exactly where the challenges start: firstly, the required system must provide convenient access for all supply chain partners; and secondly, all partners must be willing to use it and support the process.

End-to-end overview of all supply chain processes and events requires a powerful solution that provides transparency of all resources, capacities and inventories, and standardizes and simplifies the information exchange between all parties. Generally, the benefits of visibility platforms increase with the number of partners and processes to be integrated.

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