Predict, pivot, protect: Building resilient logistics with a Control Tower

Today’s supply chains are defined by speed and complexity. However, the frequent disruptions affecting global trade, along with shifting customer needs, mean resilience in logistics is essential. To achieve this, an increasing number of businesses are turning to control towers.

“Control towers are exactly what they sound like,” says Osman Bahadir Demirdis, Supply Chain Expertise Team Manager at FM Logistic. “They are centralised command hubs that integrate people, processes, and technology.” 

They work by connecting siloed organisational systems, such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, warehouse management systems (WMS) and carrier portals to create a logistics ecosystem that is unified and agile.

That matters because even today numerous organisational systems are comprised of siloed tools, roles and data, which in turn explains why half of firms lack end-to-end supply chain visibility. A control tower resolves this: Firms can capture real-time data across the full supply chain ecosystem and enjoy 360-degree visibility. That means smarter and faster decisions, and, by leveraging data analytics and other tech, delivers greater proactivity. 

“So, in the middle of this chaos or this maturity imbalance, the control tower acts not just as a monitoring tool, but provides the heartbeat of a client’s supply chain operations, seamlessly integrating fragmented data into a unified interface,” Demirdis says.

At FM Logistic, our control tower solution acts as a bridge between our services and our clients to identify and fill gaps in client operations. This requires monitoring countless specifics – for instance, ensuring a delivery is only sent on a particular day; following client rules for stacking pallets; or providing detailed packing list instructions. 

Before executing an order, Demirdis says, the platform runs a unique order management process to identify where information is insufficient or incompatible. That could be a missing customer phone number, an unlisted product or an order volume that exceeds a truck’s capacity.

“The control tower also tracks granular deadlines across the supply chain – from export documentation to line-haul transportation – and if it finds something is missing, it instantly registers the delay, replans the subsequent steps and alerts the customer,” he says. “That ensures minor slip-ups do not escalate and become major bottlenecks.” 

With data at its heart, such a process must handle large volumes of data efficiently and get every detail correct, which “is ultimately what the control tower is set up to do – it centralises all the information needed to ensure a smooth delivery”, he says.

One of the key advantages of a control tower approach is that it frees clients from their fragmented logistics ecosystems that were built to serve only local or regional markets. A control tower not only helps to widen and strengthen their supply chain; it brings a more efficient logistical solution and better risk management. It also provides a greater focus on sustainability with better operational efficiency and by dynamically optimising loads.

“Each time we receive an order for the same customer, the system recalculates the optimal solution dynamically – which means that until cutoff I can rerun for new orders and determine the optimal solution,” Demirdis says.

Another advantage is that clients’ logistics can run in line with their emissions preferences, with the control tower acting as an environmental calculator that allows them to simulate the carbon footprint of different transport options.

A control tower also bridges gaps across the supply chain by pulling logistics data from all stakeholders to create a single source of information regardless of the technological readiness of those involved. And, says Demirdis, perhaps most significantly, a control tower approach is something that firms of all sizes can use.

“It’s not a one-size-fits-all model – implementation is modular and adapts to the client’s internal readiness, scale and requirements,” he says. “A client might have an excellent internal planning tool or a preferred customs broker, so they only need FM Logistic to handle basic visibility, export documentation and track-and-trace – which the control tower can also do.”

In other words, a control tower approach is highly flexible, and can be used to fill specific operational gaps with the client retaining those parts in their supply chain that work well. 

By optimising workflows, automating processes and enhancing overall productivity, a control tower delivers the visibility and guarantees that today’s quick-commerce age requires – thanks to the advanced analytics capabilities underpinning the platform.

“Because our system is highly adaptable and learns from historical data and performance metrics, it identifies trends and keeps improving,” Demirdis says. “If there are recurring delivery delays in one region, the control tower lets operators drill down and pinpoint which local carrier is causing the bottleneck, and take action fast.”

The system’s data-heavy approach and proactivity – coupled with live-tracking – also help to overcome disruptions like extreme weather or traffic congestion, creating solutions that minimise delays by reprioritising loads and ensuring deliveries keep flowing.

Demirdis says that firms considering a control tower should first identify the key problems their existing logistics operation brings, then talk to a provider that can co-build a control tower solution to meet their needs. That is best done in three steps: Design the right network, define the customised processes for the agreed-upon solution and support change management across the project lifecycle.

Those that do take the leap should enjoy significant advantages. Not only can control towers help firms to organise and harmonise what is typically a fragmented logistics operation; by boosting visibility, efficiency and risk management, and by making their operations more sustainable, they can also improve customer service, green credentials and the bottom line. 

Ultimately, says Demirdis, selecting data-driven logistics solutions like control towers will soon not be simply about seeking to secure a competitive advantage; it will be a core requirement for modern supply chain management.