Transportation management lies at the heart of supply chain execution. Because it impacts so many core functions of the business, it exerts a crucial influence on the organization’s ability to serve customers and achieve desired service levels. A significant measure of supply chain performance is how successfully it is able to minimize delivery times and avoid delivery delays while optimizing—and cutting—costs.

Organizations that have not focused enough attention on planning and managing transportation as a core competency often struggle to deliver on expectations for their distribution network. In many cases, the goal of delivering the right quantity of the right product at the right time in perfect condition remains out of reach due to a reliance on inadequate, cobbled-together tools aimed at managing individual transactions.

Managers should never treat transportation as a “necessary evil” with infinite capacity, because that leads to mystified frustration when it can’t deliver as expected.

In fact, industry leaders treat their transportation function as a vital component in the success of their supply chains. They implement world-class transportation solutions that encompass people, process and technology, providing the advanced insights and visibility needed to achieve high performance.

This paper, jointly authored by Deloitte and Logility, discusses the compelling reasons for elevating transportation planning and management to a higher level, and explores ways to leverage this critical driver of supply chain maturity.