Alex, the Logistics Manager of Grupo Acerero, a leading company in the steel sector in Mexico with national and cross-border shipments, starts his day at 6:30 AM, mentally preparing for the challenges that await him in managing over 5,000 monthly shipments.
Upon arriving at the office 8:00 am, Alex opens the company's SAP system, but his relief is short-lived. Despite having this sophisticated ERP system for inventory and financial management, he faces a technological abyss when it comes to logistics.
"It's incredible that in the 21st century, we still depend so much on Excel," he mutters while watching his team struggle with spreadsheets, trying to reconcile information on routes, rates, and truck specifications.
The problem is evident: the lack of integration between the ERP and logistics processes creates a massive bottleneck. Alex observes how his team spends hours manually inputting shipment details, an error-prone task that has caused costly delays in the past.
Mid-morning, Alex meets with his dispatch team. The load assignment process is a daily headache.
"How are we doing with today's assignments?" Alex asks.
"We're behind," responds a dispatcher. "We had to reassign several shipments due to last-minute changes in cargo volumes."
Alex nods, frustrated. The reliance on subjective criteria and personal experience of dispatchers not only introduces biases but also severely limits the scalability of the process. With the high staff turnover in the sector, every time an experienced dispatcher leaves, it's like losing a walking database.
Shortly after, Alex receives an urgent call from a VIP client asking about the status of their shipment. The odyssey of tracking the cargo begins.
"Which GPS platform is that shipment on?" he asks his team.
"We're checking the five different platforms used by our carriers," responds an assistant, clearly overwhelmed.
Alex sighs deeply. Each carrier uses a different GPS provider, and his team must juggle between multiple platforms that don't communicate with each other or with the rest of their systems. This not only consumes valuable time but also increases the risk of errors and delays in information.
While waiting for the shipment information, Alex receives a message about an incident affecting the punctuality of another delivery. A truck has broken down on the highway.
"We need to activate the incident protocol," says Alex. "Where is all the necessary documentation?"