Ross Hickey of Shippeo argues that fragmentation, not missing sensors, is the root cause of visibility failures — and outlines a diagnostic, outcomes‑led approach to prioritising integrations, measuring value and treating real‑time tracking as an enabler of orchestration rather than a bolt‑on project.
When the conversation turns to making supply chains resilient against the next disruption, few recommendations are more persistent — or more practical — than investing in real‑time transportation visibility. In a recent episode of Let’s Talk Supply Chain, Ross Hickey, Lead Solution Consultant at Shippeo, argued that closing visibility gaps is the single most effective way to future‑proof logistics operations. The discussion laid out not only where those gaps typically sit, but how businesses should diagnose them, measure value and treat visibility as an enabler of wider orchestration rather than a bolt‑on technology project.
Fragmentation: the recurring root cause
Hickey told the podcast that visibility problems rarely stem from a single missing feed or sensor. “Fragmentation really is the root cause behind so many problems,” he said, describing how split systems, disparate carriers and a mix of modes create blind spots from the first mile through to the last. Typical trouble spots, he added, include first‑ and last‑mile legs and periods of in‑transit uncertainty where GPS or telematics data are sparse.
The remedy he outlined is diagnostic rather than technological-first: map the ecosystem, identify where data and process handoffs fail, then prioritise interventions that remove the worst operational friction. “Organisations need to take a more diagnostic approach at the actual problem itself,” Hickey said on the podcast.
Linking visibility to measurable outcomes
Shippeo’s approach, as Hickey described it, is structured around clearly defined value drivers. The company’s customer research — summarised in its Visibility Insights ebook and referenced during the episode — identifies principal returns from visibility projects: higher customer satisfaction, fewer expensive expedite shipments and penalties, improved workforce productivity, lower emissions and the ability to automate repetitive tasks. Hickey framed visibility as a foundation for performance: “Think of visibility as your system of information powering your system of orchestration,” he told listeners.
That framing matters because it shifts evaluation from technology feature lists to business outcomes. The podcast explored how immediate access to reliable shipment status turns routine customer enquiries into true escalations, freeing logistics teams to act on exceptions rather than chase basic information. Shippeo and others report that this kind of prioritisation reduces manual incident handling and can unlock measurable gains in cost, service and staff efficiency.
What the platforms claim they bring
Shippeo positions itself as a multimodal visibility network that aggregates data from TMS platforms, telematics, AIS, parcel APIs and other IoT sources to provide continuous tracking across road, rail, ocean, air and parcel flows. The company says it combines consolidated, cleaned data with AI/ML models to generate predictive ETAs and automated exception alerts, and offers capabilities such as geofencing, driver photos and white‑label customer portals to streamline communications.
According to Shippeo materials referenced in the episode, those capabilities are organised around four practical actions: connect, anticipate, communicate and improve — in other words, collect data, predict outcomes, inform stakeholders and measure for root‑cause analysis. The platform’s multimodal network is presented as “carrier‑first”, designed to maximise coverage and completeness where GPS signals or telematics are absent.
Maintain editorial distance: these are the company’s claims, and they echo the way many visibility vendors position their products. For buyers, the important questions remain: how complete is coverage for the specific lanes and modes you run, how accurate are the predictive ETAs in your environment, and how easily will the solution integrate with your TMS and other orchestration tools?
Technology as enabler, not replacement
A recurring theme on the podcast — reinforced by broader industry thinking — is that technology alone does not deliver value. Hickey emphasised that “the technology is the enabler, to enable people to become more effective in achieving the outcomes they want to achieve.” He warned against the reflex of choosing tech first and asking how to fit the organisation around it; instead, teams should identify the business problem and align tools to that end.
That prescription matches the conclusions of independent advisory work. Industry analysis highlights the human and organisational side of digital transformation: consolidated, high‑quality data must be accompanied by governance, training and incentive alignment or adoption stalls. “The technology works, but getting people to adapt to it, to work with it and use the information they’re being given – that’s the bigger challenge,” Hickey acknowledged.
Choosing partners and scaling for the future
Practical procurement advice emerged repeatedly. Hickey recommended selecting partners with scalable integrations and a network suited to the buyer’s modal mix, and treating the roll‑out as a programme of change rather than a one‑off implementation. He urged businesses to look at white‑label customer portals, automated notifications and exportable analytics as signs of a platform that can both improve customer communications and provide evidence for ROI.
Shippeo’s own materials offer a playbook consistent with that advice: start with diagnostics, prioritise integrations that close the largest blind spots, measure improvements against the visibility programme’s seven value drivers, and then expand coverage and automation as governance and adoption mature. The firm’s customer research — based on interviews across sectors — is used to make the business case and to recommend the tactical sequencing of integrations.
A human‑centred closing argument
The podcast’s final throughline was that visibility is less a discrete product than a business transformation. “Think about visibility as not just data, but as the thing that allows you to orchestrate,” Hickey said, summarising the episode’s intent. That orchestration depends on clean data, pragmatic technology choices and, crucially, people: operations teams, customer service and carrier partners must be coached to use new signals and act differently.
For supply‑chain leaders seeking to future‑proof their networks, the guidance is clear and practical: diagnose fragmentation, prioritise the blind spots that drive cost and customer pain, choose partners whose network and integrations match your flows, and treat rollout as a change‑management programme as much as a technical integration. When these elements come together, real‑time visibility becomes more than a dashboard — it becomes the operational nerve centre that helps companies anticipate disruption, reduce cost and deliver reliable service.
Source: Noah Wire Services
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