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What is shipping visibility and how does it solve logistics challenges?
For years, operations and logistics teams have juggled fragmented systems and manual tasks just to keep tabs on shipments — logging into multiple carrier portals, guesstimating delivery timelines without real-time visibility and even making phone calls to chase down updates. The result? Inefficiencies that slow delivery, erode customer trust and inflate costs.
Legacy, siloed processes don’t just frustrate teams — they limit transparency for customers and make scaling logistics operations nearly impossible. As supply chains grow more complex and customer expectations for real-time updates intensify, organizations need a unified, connected approach.
That’s where shipping visibility solutions come in. By providing a single source of truth for all in-transit shipments, these tools deliver timely, granular data on shipment statuses, potential risks and delays. With this insight, teams can proactively manage disruptions, communicate with customers before issues escalate and optimize downstream workflows.
The result: improved customer trust, reduced operational costs and greater control over the entire supply chain.
- As supply chains become more complex and customer expectations rise, businesses need shipping visibility to maintain control over operations, remain agile and deliver better customer experiences.
- Integrated Visibility offering enables shipping visibility by consolidating first-party shipment data, including near real-time tracking updates, proof-of-delivery (POD) data and estimated delivery dates (EDDs) to support strategic decision-making and swift issue resolution.
- Flexible integration options allow businesses to unlock shipping visibility in the way that best fits their internal systems and workflows.
How Integrated Visibility enables shipping visibility
fdx delivers shipping visibility through Integrated Visibility — a flexible solution that consolidates first-party shipment data from across the FedEx network into a single location. Unlike basic tracking tools that offer high-level status updates, Integrated Visibility provides near real-time access to in-transit shipment data, including:
- Delivery milestone updates and exception alerts
- Shipment location updates
- Proof-of-delivery details (e.g., signatures, GPS coordinates and photos)
Historical data further supports more accurate forecasting and helps strengthen overall supply chain resilience.
How Integrated Visibility works
Businesses can unlock shipping visibility with Integrated Visibility in the way that best aligns with their operational needs and technical capabilities. Many organizations access it through the Integrated Visibility dashboard. The centralized interface provides insight into delivery milestones, exception alerts and other shipment details — no technical integration required.
For more advanced use cases, shipment data can also be integrated directly into a business’s existing systems using one of two primary integration methods:
- A webhook automatically pushes updates like delivery statuses, delay alerts, and proof-of-delivery images as they occur. This approach is ideal for near real-time applications, such as customer-facing tools that provide timely delivery updates.
- An API allows businesses to pull data when needed, giving them greater control over when and how they retrieve information. APIs are well-suited for scheduled reporting and dashboard updates.
These flexible options also allow businesses to tailor how different teams can access visibility data. For example, a logistics team might use a webhook for up-to-the-minute shipment updates, while customer service reps rely on the dashboard to look up order statuses quickly.
What is shipping visibility and why does it matter?
Shipping visibility refers to the ability to track and manage a shipment’s journey through a carrier’s network until final delivery. Visibility means having a clear view of where a shipment is at all times, what condition it’s in and whether it’s on track — at any point along its route.
Consumer expectations for shipping are higher than ever, putting pressure on logistics and operations teams to deliver faster and provide frequent status updates. A lack of real-time visibility makes meeting these demands a serious challenge. Without accurate, up-to-date shipment data, even minor delays can hinder operational efficiency and damage the customer experience.
As order volumes scale and networks become more complex, businesses need access to the right insights to maintain control over their operations. With end-to-end shipping visibility, logistics and operations teams can track shipments, respond to disruptions, adjust plans and keep recipients informed.
This visibility helps teams ship with confidence by solving several key challenges:
Fragmented or outdated tracking data
- The challenge: When shipment information is delayed or siloed across platforms, teams can’t act quickly — and customers are left in the dark.
- The solution: Centralized visibility into every shipment enables teams to reroute shipments, escalate issues and stay on track with service-level agreements.
- The fdx difference: With near-real-time alerts for at-risk or delayed shipments, fdx empowers teams to take action before problems escalate.
Lack of delivery confirmation data
- The challenge: Without timely confirmation data, resolving delivery disputes or confirming receipt of shipments becomes a costly headache — especially for high-value or temperature-sensitive goods.
- The solution: Shipping visibility includes access to delivery timestamps and status updates that support smooth deliveries and resolution efforts.
- The fdx difference: fdx surfaces signature proof of delivery (SPOD) and picture proof of delivery (PPOD) directly within a business’s system of record, streamlining dispute resolution, claims processing and customer communication.
Poor planning due to limited forecasting
- The challenge: When delivery estimates are unavailable or inaccurate, businesses can’t effectively manage inventory movement or set customer expectations.
- The solution: Shipping visibility offers insight into when a package will be delivered, enabling smarter planning and proactive communication.
- The fdx difference: fdx’s Predictive Delivery Estimates (PDEs) are built on near-real-time and historical shipment data, giving teams dynamic arrival windows — not static guesses. This capability helps businesses offer customers a more reliable delivery promise and plan accordingly.
Overwhelming “Where is my order” (WISMO) questions
- The challenge: A high volume of WISMO inquiries can overwhelm support teams and frustrate customers waiting on responses.
- The solution: Near-real-time shipping visibility enables businesses to proactively share status updates and reduce uncertainty.
- The fdx difference: fdx delivers timely, transparent tracking updates that flow into backend workflows and customer-facing channels. By keeping customers informed at every step, businesses can reduce inbound inquiries and create a smoother, more confident post-purchase experience.
Deliver smarter with always-on shipping visibility
Shipping visibility empowers your business to act with speed, precision and confidence, helping teams spot disruptions early and deliver exceptional customer experiences.
By connecting in-transit FedEx shipment data — from delivery milestones to exception alerts — directly to your internal systems, Integrated Visibility transforms how your business plans, communicates and delivers.