Investigating the potential benefits of enhanced end to end supply chain visibility

This report examines the benefits of using end-to-end supply chain visibility technologies and considers issues relating to leadership and practical adoption of the technology. The project was undertaken with the Australian Logistics Council (ALC) Supply Chain Standards Working Group and GS1 Australia. Pilot studies with TOLL, Arrium OneSteel and Nestlé assessed the impact of adoption of the technology based on GS1 global data standards (GDS). Adoption of these technologies and common identifiers for goods, transport equipment, places and events, allow activities in the supply chain to be viewed from supplier to customer, including: freight transport assets; pick up storage and delivery locations; and events occurring throughout shipment such as traffic congestion, accidents, or other delays. The pilots measured benefits of efficiency, integrity, visibility and innovation. Costs were assessed across the variables of preparation, development and implementation. The pilots show that the benefits are not evenly dispersed across the supply chain network. Costs and added complexity for small transport suppliers countervail benefits in the short term, where bespoke legacy systems are involved. Larger transport suppliers experienced immediate and significant benefits with enhanced business processes and dynamic capabilities, including innovation, already apparent. The benefits to Australian manufacturers, producers and traders justify an industry-based Supply Chain Visibility Strategy to promulgate adoption. Governments, the standards body and industry peak bodies will need to work together to execute the strategy which is paced to take into consideration the needs of the fragmented freight transport industry.

Media Info

  • Pagination: 41p

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01628956
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: ARRB
  • ISBN: 9781925451580
  • Report/Paper Numbers: AP-R538-17
  • Files: ITRD, ATRI
  • Created Date: Mar 16 2017 10:48AM