Dive Brief:

• Walmart's Canada division will partner with FourKites to track shipments in real-time and "optimize operations," according to a release sent exclusively to Supply Chain Dive. 
• The retailer will use FourKites' GPS technology to track truck and rail shipments into distribution centers (DCs), and store managers can use the platform's mobile app for information on inventories and load deliveries.
• Walmart has 400 stores and more than a dozen distribution centers in Canada.

Dive Insight:

While supply chain visibility is often seen as an issue in sourcing and looking beyond Tier 1, black holes exist in operations and logistics, as well. 

Walmart Canada seeks to fill in that gap by using FourKites to track the exact location of shipments in real-time.

The data gleaned from FourKites' GPS technology should help Walmart Canada with its inventory management. Knowing exactly when and where a shipment arrives can help store managers adjust and best meet consumer demand.

At the same time, Walmart will be more attuned to suppliers who consistently face delays and fail to meet on-time, in-full (OTIF) policies.  

With DC managers equipped with the knowledge of exactly when a shipment is arriving, they can more efficiently organize staff to offload shipments.

The increased efficiency should reduce truck drivers' waiting times, which is especially critical given the capacity crunch and enforcement of the electronic logging device (ELD) mandate. 

FourKites is already working with big names including Unilever, Kraft Heinz and AB InBev. Partnering with a major retailer such as Walmart furthers FourKites' goal of becoming the preferred platform for freight and supply chain visibility.