Freight News, IT, Logistics

FourKites joins the First Mile Club

[ May 10, 2023   //   Chris Lewis ]

Visibility provider FourKites has signed a partnership with the Gravity supply chain management platform for shippers and freight forwarders. It will extend the real-time visibility offered by the FourKites platform to encompass the first mile — from the time an order is placed with a supplier —through to product delivery through integration with Gravity’s SaaS solution.

The first mile is often the critical link in the supply chain, when raw materials and purchased finished products are shipped from global suppliers to manufacturing and distribution locations. “Last-mile delivery generates a lot of attention and a lot of headlines, and often overshadows the importance of the first mile,” FourKites founder and chief executive Mathew Elenjickal said. “If you don’t have sufficient control over your upstream supply chain, everything that comes after the first mile will be less effective.”

Traditionally, companies have attempted to manage the first mile through manual processes, including spreadsheets and phone calls. This cumbersome, disjointed approach results in unpredictability and higher costs.

Gravity’s SaaS solution offers visibility into and control over the purchase order process — from order creation through changes and fulfilment.

Tags: FourKites; Gravity