FourKites has introduced multimodal purchase order (PO) tracking for all freight in the FourKites supply chain visibility system. This new capability gives shippers, carriers and receivers the ability to track the full lifecycle of shipments using their associated PO numbers. PO tracking can simplify freight visibility for the many organizations and teams—including inbound logistics, track-and-trace, customer service, procurement/materials management, merchandising—that manage the exchange and transportation of goods primarily via PO numbers.
POs, which might include a single load of freight or hundreds, include comprehensive product details, such as name, quantity, price and SKU. The FourKites PO tracking system can provide every organization, team and partner with a common view of exactly where a PO is in its lifecycle.
FourKites built its new PO lifecycle tracking solution in close collaboration with retailer Meijer, which has since implemented the system across its procurement/materials management, transportation and merchandising teams. This has simplified and streamlined the scheduling, transit and on-time delivery of all of Meijer’s POs from its vendor facilities to its own, and between its distribution centers. A better understanding of transit times on critical products has enabled the company to derive optimal lead times for its ordering process. In addition, Meijer is now sharing product details, along with shipment statuses, to its merchandisers so they can proactively plan for retail store deliveries.
With FourKites PO tracking, shippers, carriers and receivers can visualize and track individual SKUs to their destinations, whether a shipment is being transported through multiple loads or a single load.
