Managing logistics transportation for a global company can be a stressful job. With supply chain networks covering multiple continents and million dollars’ worth of goods flowing across time zones, transportation managers are working around the clock to ensure shipments are handled safely, quickly, and under budget.

Broadly speaking, transportation managers have 6 needs:

· Planning

· Tracking

· Support

· Collaboration

· Reporting

· Compliance

Then there are other related responsibilities, such as Transportation Sourcing, and Freight Settlement, etc. 

Below is a simple sketch to illustrate this framework. The 3 concentric circles represent the scope of interaction. Planning and Tracking are core daily activities within the transportation department of the organization. Reporting and Compliance are conducted with key stakeholders within internal management. Support and Collaboration are mainly outbound activities with customers and business partners.

To address these 6 needs, Oracle has aligned innovative technology solutions to transform supply chain transportation:

1.    Planning: Based on daily shipping needs, create optimal shipping plans that saves money and meets delivery target for all goods

Our solution: Machine Learning

Oracle Transportation Management (OTM) Cloud provides a single platform for companies to manage all transportation activity throughout their global supply chains. OTM Cloud allows users to apply specific business rules and logic in conjunction with powerful algorithms and optimization engines to optimize orders and shipments based on cost, service level, and asset utilization.

In addition, Oracle is continuing its investment in cutting-edge technologies, such as Machine Learning to further enhance the product. We plan to share some of our recent development around leveraging machine learning to improve transportation planning later this year. 

2.   Tracking: maintain real-time visibility of goods and vehicles and view their location and status any point in time

Our solution: Internet of Things (IoT)

The Oracle Internet of Things (IoT) Fleet Monitoring Cloud provides instant visibility into shipments. Companies can either embed tracking devices in their vehicles, or install the Oracle IoT Fleet Monitoring mobile app on drivers’ smart phones. The IoT Fleet Monitoring Cloud keeps receiving real-time location and status updates, and notifies the transportation manager of any issue during shipment execution. 

We delivered a demo at Oracle OpenWorld 2018. In this demo, IoT Fleet Monitoring Cloud and OTM Cloud allowed the transportation manager to detect and resolve an incident in time. Click here for the presentation and demo.

3.   Support: respond to inquiries from customers and partners about real-time information with minimum delay

Our solution: Conversational AI

Oracle Digital Assistant is a new conversational user interface that leverages state-of-the-art Natural Language Processing capabilities to elevate customer experience. With Logistics Digital Assistants, transportation managers can significantly improve customer satisfaction by providing instant response to support inquiries. 

During our proof-of-concept “Logistics Digital Assistant” demo at Oracle OpenWorld 2019, we showcased how an end customer was able to get access to real-time shipment status information by chatting with the “Logistics Digital Assistant” on her mobile device. Click here to view the presentation material.

4.   Collaboration: maintain lineage with customers and partners using trusted and traceable records

 Our solution:  Blockchain

The Oracle Intelligent Track & Trace Blockchain application provides end-to-end visibility into multi-enterprise supply chain networks. Using Blockchain technology, the solution offers transparency and single source of truth for participants in supply chain networks.  

Transportation managers can easily update status and share documents with carriers, customers and other partners in the network through the Blockchain application. They can also add business rules in the form of smart contracts to be executed and validated at runtime. By recording non-disputable transactions from the respective partner enterprise applications, trust is established throughout the network. 

The solution cuts down on operational inefficiencies when coordinating among various organizations and offer greater security and trust due to the decentralized nature of a Blockchain. Click here to view its feature and capabilities. 

5.   Reporting: visualize and analyze transportation performance

Our solution: Advanced Business Intelligence

Data analytics and visualization is vital to the effectiveness of decision making. The Transportation Intelligence capability of Oracle Transportation Management Cloud promotes better supply chain decisions by providing greater insight into both internal operations and trading partner performance. 

Through its user-friendly dashboards, transportation managers can monitor key performance indicators, gain visibility into detailed causal data, share metrics with stakeholders and make more informed operational decisions. Click here to learn more.

6.   Compliance: operate safely under governmental regulations 

Our solution: Oracle Global Trade Management

When it comes to cross-border shipping, companies need to ensure import and export compliance. Oracle’s unique global compliance solutions, Oracle Global Trade Management (GTM) Cloud, enable companies of all sizes to centrally manage their global trade operations. By layering trade data and milestones over the physical flow of goods, companies gain unparalleled visibility and control over both orders and shipments to ensure adherence to global trade regulations. More information is available here.

Modern transportation managers need an intelligent logistics control tower. It needs to be smart, transparent, collaborative and reliable. Learn more about Oracle Logistics Cloud at oracle.com/logistics.