Supply Chain & Logistics AutomationPurpose
1.2. Automating updates to logistics teams, customers, and inventory systems ensures precise arrival estimations and reduces manual tracking.
1.3. The automation monitors transit status, triggers alerts for delays, and integrates data into the central supply chain dashboard for awareness and proactive intervention.
1.4. Automate compliance and cold-chain monitoring by recording key delivery checkpoints and temperature logs where regulated.
Trigger Conditions
2.2. Automate on GPS ping or status update received via IoT devices or shipping carrier APIs.
2.3. Automating when a shipment enters or exits defined geofences.
2.4. Automator triggers if temperature/humidity thresholds are breached, or if shipment is delayed past estimated ETA.
2.5. Automate webhook triggers on barcode scans at departure, arrival, or interim checkpoints.
Platform Variants
3.1. FedEx Web Services
• Feature/Setting: TrackShipment API — automate fetching real-time tracking data using shipment IDs.
3.2. UPS Developer Kit
• Feature/Setting: Tracking API — automate pulling delivery status and event details by reference number.
3.3. DHL eCommerce API
• Feature/Setting: Shipment Tracking Endpoint — automating data integration for current shipment location and ETA.
3.4. Shippo
• Feature/Setting: Track API — automate updating internal systems and automator notifications on status change.
3.5. EasyPost
• Feature/Setting: Tracker Object — automate creation of shipment trackers and pipeline data into dashboards.
3.6. Twilio SMS
• Feature/Setting: Programmable Messaging API — automate SMS notifications to logistics and customers upon shipment milestones.
3.7. SendGrid
• Feature/Setting: Marketing Campaigns — automate triggered email updates on shipment and delivery progress.
3.8. Slack
• Feature/Setting: Incoming Webhooks — automator posts automated shipment status updates to team channels.
3.9. Microsoft Teams
• Feature/Setting: Connector API — automate push notifications to supply chain or operations channels.
3.10. Google Maps Platform
• Feature/Setting: Geocoding/Distance Matrix API — automate calculation of updated ETAs and route monitoring.
3.11. SAP Logistics Business Network
• Feature/Setting: Freight Collaboration API — automate tracking information sharing between supply chain partners.
3.12. Oracle Transportation Management Cloud
• Feature/Setting: Integration API — automate real-time carrier status ingestion and automator-based alerting.
3.13. Salesforce
• Feature/Setting: Service Cloud Integration — automate case creation for delayed shipments or exceptions.
3.14. MongoDB Atlas
• Feature/Setting: Triggers — automate database updates on shipment status for real-time analytics.
3.15. AWS Lambda
• Feature/Setting: Scheduled Functions — automate polling carrier APIs and initiating automator workflows per update.
3.16. Azure Logic Apps
• Feature/Setting: Prebuilt connectors — automate orchestration across ERP, logistics, and messaging platforms.
3.17. Zapier
• Feature/Setting: Multi-step automated workflows — automate linking of tracking, notifications, and dashboard updates.
3.18. Tableau
• Feature/Setting: Web Data Connector — automate ingestion of tracking updates for automated visual reporting.
3.19. Power BI
• Feature/Setting: Dataflows — automate refresh of logistics visualizations with real-time tracking.
3.20. Google Sheets
• Feature/Setting: App Script Triggers — automate spreadsheet updates and automated notifications on key status changes.
3.21. IoT Platform (e.g., Particle Cloud)
• Feature/Setting: Webhooks — automate transmission of GPS/temperature logs when thresholds or geofences are crossed.
3.22. Shopify
• Feature/Setting: Order Fulfillment API — automate customer shipment tracking status directly in e-commerce portal.
Benefits
4.2. Automates compliance and food safety via audit-ready, timestamped tracking logs.
4.3. Automatedly increases customer satisfaction with real-time communication.
4.4. Automates workflow efficiency, timely interventions, and proactivity on delays.
4.5. Aggregation of automatable data sources for data-driven supply chain optimization.
This approach automates the real-time shipment and delivery tracking process, connecting end-to-end supply chain participants and automating notifications, compliance monitoring, and business insights.