Background:

Our client, an Energy Industry Manufacturer, was having significant issues with production scheduling due to uncertainty in material supply. They manufacture in the central United States, but most of their 100 active suppliers are located in Europe or Asia. Recent supply chain disruptions and demand increases exacerbated the challenge and resulted in significant increases in overtime and last-minute changes to the production schedule. 

Goals & Hurdles: 

Obtaining a delivery ETA included contacting the vendor, receiving tracking information, searching tracking information, and relaying the delivery ETA to colleagues via email, chat, or phone calls. The process was time-consuming, and many had lost confidence in the reliability of the carrier's delivery prediction. Bridge Digital set the following internal goals:

1. Real-Time Item-Level Logistic Tracking of All In-Coming Shipments 
2. Predict a More Accurate ETA than Carrier Tracking
3. Integrate Real-Time ETA Prediction into Production Scheduling System
4. Aggregate All Vendor Tracking in One Platform
5. Integrate Live Lead Time Data into Replenishment Protocol
6. Automate Order Replenishment Process

Solution:

We identified six solutions that met most of the requirements, but data availability led us to one creative solution.

Like most data transformation projects, the most challenging hurdle is gaining consistent and reliable access to the data. Our partner has optimized the data integration process by offering a wide range of acceptable data transfer options. Some prefer to upload a csv or send an email manually. Others automate the process via API, EDI, or FTP. Regardless of preference, our partner integrates the data to provide real-time item-level tracking and reliable delivery predictions. 

This solution stands out because of its unique prediction strategy that includes every stage of the shipping chain. This improves the predictions and offers valuable insights in the event of a delayed shipment.

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