Vehicle Shipment Tracking--could it ever be like regular e-commerce?

[Up and Over]

In a world where you can order just about anything online and track the shipment, wouldn't be great if Ford had a better way to track your vehicle? I know they are relying on third parties but with an increased emphasis on online ordering, it would seem like the thing to do. Every night there is a Ford television ad in my market for custom orders. It seems like it is only going to become more common and it would be a basic expectation that you would know where the vehicle is located as it makes its way from the factory. I've checked with the dealer and have asked them to run a VVR but they just recite back the delivery window (which I'm in the middle of right now).

Sponsored

 

[RickMachE]

In a world where you can order just about anything online and track the shipment, wouldn't be great if Ford had a better way to track your vehicle? I know they are relying on third parties but with an increased emphasis on online ordering, it would seem like the thing to do. Every night there is a Ford television ad in my market for custom orders. It seems like it is only going to become more common and it would be a basic expectation that you would know where the vehicle is located as it makes its way from the factory. I've checked with the dealer and have asked them to run a VVR but they just recite back the delivery window (which I'm in the middle of right now).

There are several threads on this. Ford's systems and capabilities are no where near ecommerce companies as far as tracking and reporting to customers. Internally, they can see a great deal. Externally, we don't see squat.

What do you want them to devote IT resources to? Pick only one:

a) Letting people check on the location of their order 27 times a day.

b) Improving the technology in the vehicles and Sync interface, as well as FordPass.

I vote for B. Nobody needs to check to see specifics, and Ford wouldn't want too accurate info or stuff would get hijacked.

 

[FullyCharged]

There are several threads on this. Ford's systems and capabilities are no where near ecommerce companies as far as tracking and reporting to customers. Internally, they can see a great deal. Externally, we don't see squat.

What do you want them to devote IT resources to? Pick only one:

a) Letting people check on the location of their order 27 times a day.

b) Improving the technology in the vehicles and Sync interface, as well as FordPass.

I vote for B. Nobody needs to check to see specifics, and Ford wouldn't want too accurate info or stuff would get hijacked.

Not the same IT team and a surprising false choice. That also doesn’t mean it is a reasonable expectation (yet) to have the supply chain visibility noted.

The reason eCommerce companies have it is due to the carriers that ship eCommerce packages having it (UPS, Fed-Ex, Amazon now, and to a little lesser extend USPS). Those companies have massive scale and a decade head start in a lot of cases. Industrial manufacturers including auto are working this direction with supply chain control towers but it likely going to be years in the making still, and will require cooperation and info sharing across a variety of smaller trucking and rail companies to make it happen.

 

[RickMachE]

Not the same IT team and a surprising false choice. That also doesn’t mean it is a reasonable expectation (yet) to have the supply chain visibility noted.

The reason eCommerce companies have it is due to the carriers that ship eCommerce packages having it (UPS, Fed-Ex, Amazon now, and to a little lesser extend USPS). Those companies have massive scale and a decade head start in a lot of cases. Industrial manufacturers including auto are working this direction with supply chain control towers but it likely going to be years in the making still, and will require cooperation and info sharing across a variety of smaller trucking and rail companies to make it happen.

How do you know? Do you work at Ford? Do you know if the supply chain IT resources are different?
Ford can track any vehicle's location with the modem in the vehicle. Mary's order from Amazon has to be scanned to tell where it is.

 

[FullyCharged]

How do you know? Do you work at Ford? Do you know if the supply chain IT resources are different?
Ford can track any vehicle's location with the modem in the vehicle. Mary's order from Amazon has to be scanned to tell where it is.

The teams, skillsets, platforms, etc. are totally different between an automobile’s hardware and software versus connecting the dots on supply chain data as product gets moved around. Trying to suggest Ford has to make trade-offs due to shared IT resources across app development versus vehicle features versus supply chain traceability is pure fiction. Trade-offs in investments and deciding where to spend their money, for sure. But not quite the same thing. And yes, this is well within my area of expertise. What’s yours?

 

[yngwenli]

I think it'd be helpful to see how it's done in China since that model has Ford sell direct to the consumer and cuts out the dealer.

I sorta agree that we may obsess checking it, but until the car shows up at the dealer, it's all not needed for "most" people and I'd guess not that many obsess over it that much.

It may not be the same teams or developers, but it's still $$ that I personally would rather they spend fixing OTA for all or other things.

 

[Up and Over]

I would say why not both? They are pushing the custom order option as a part of their ad campaigns in some markets. If they are willing to do that, they should provide a service commensurate with what people expect with e-commerce.A multi-billion dollar corporation is not so strapped that they have to decide where to spend their IT resources.

There are several threads on this. Ford's systems and capabilities are no where near ecommerce companies as far as tracking and reporting to customers. Internally, they can see a great deal. Externally, we don't see squat.

What do you want them to devote IT resources to? Pick only one:

a) Letting people check on the location of their order 27 times a day.

b) Improving the technology in the vehicles and Sync interface, as well as FordPass.

I vote for B. Nobody needs to check to see specifics, and Ford wouldn't want too accurate info or stuff would get hijacked.

 

[OWG]

I would say why not both? They are pushing the custom order option as a part of their ad campaigns in some markets. If they are willing to do that, they should provide a service commensurate with what people expect with e-commerce.A multi-billion dollar corporation is not so strapped that they have to decide where to spend their IT resources.

Amen.

There has been a lot of discussion about the benefits of a build-to-order system:
Can Ford's build-to-order strategy work long term? | Automotive News (autonews.com)
Ford Moving toward Build-to-Order, Away from Packed Dealer Lots (caranddriver.com)
Ford Would Rather Build-to-Order Than Pack Dealer Lots (msn.com)
How auto makers like Ford and GM are reimagining the future of car buying - MarketWatch

Part of the consumer gratification is being able to see progress, on what for some (likely not this group) is the largest household expenditure. Ford already provides part of that with the order accepted-built-shipped-delivered on the order status page (when it works). At least up to the built stage.

And then it hit's a black hole.

The last hard date is the built date - shipping - ~ two weeks to KC and then as much as 60 days to delivery. From the consumers perspective it communicates that they are unimportant -"you'll get the car when you get the car"

It would be informative to learn what percentage of orders are abandoned, becoming inventory even if for a short time. That inventory becomes a weight that pulls back towards the "packed dealer lot" model.

This is a cultural pivot. Let's see who can pull it off.

 

[RickMachE]

I'm not making the argument that having the capability is clearly desirable for some consumers. My point, correctly understood by some, is that a corporation devotes a certain amount of resources to functions. In the past 6 months, OTA updates have been an issue. Ford had open job reqs for people in that area, posted by some on this forum. Very visible roles in the company right now, both delivering the OTA updates and changing functionality in the vehicles. Or, you can devote resources to ensure that the consumer knows exactly what train car has their vehicle, and how that impacts delivery (which as most know it doesn't, because of when the car is unloaded, when a truck is available, etc.). And, the more visibility you provide, the more answers you need to have for the consumer, as shown by some on this forum "I call every week" "I check 6 times a day". The average car buyer today doesn't give a rat's behind about much except WHEN is my car arriving. The fact that it's waiting for a truck driver, and there's a national shortage of truck drivers, and more are needed to transport things like food, ...

So, when faced with "where do we put our resources", which are limited in EVERY company, no matter their budgets, you're not going to see this on the top of any company's list, including Ford's.

 

[Up and Over]

I am in this weird position where the dealer that I ordered from went out of business the day before my vehicle shipped. I have spent many hours on the phone with that dealer (before they closed), the "new" dealer and Ford marketing (aka customer service). Each call has more or less gone in circles and no one can say for sure where the vehicle is located as well as where it is headed. It strikes me as odd that I can order a $6 toothbrush online and know exactly where it is but a $60,000 car is in the ether. I know those are apple and orange comparisons and I am commenting from a position of frustration but I agree that this last step in the process is a bit of an empty void.

Amen.

There has been a lot of discussion about the benefits of a build-to-order system:
Can Ford's build-to-order strategy work long term? | Automotive News (autonews.com)
Ford Moving toward Build-to-Order, Away from Packed Dealer Lots (caranddriver.com)
Ford Would Rather Build-to-Order Than Pack Dealer Lots (msn.com)
How auto makers like Ford and GM are reimagining the future of car buying - MarketWatch

Part of the consumer gratification is being able to see progress, on what for some (likely not this group) is the largest household expenditure. Ford already provides part of that with the order accepted-built-shipped-delivered on the order status page (when it works). At least up to the built stage.

And then it hit's a black hole.

The last hard date is the built date - shipping - ~ two weeks to KC and then as much as 60 days to delivery. From the consumers perspective it communicates that they are unimportant -"you'll get the car when you get the car"

It would be informative to learn what percentage of orders are abandoned, becoming inventory even if for a short time. That inventory becomes a weight that pulls back towards the "packed dealer lot" model.

This is a cultural pivot. Let's see who can pull it off.

 

[Up and Over]

I admit that it is hyperbole to say that Ford does not have limited resources but they should have the ability to fix both issues. Your argument is a bit of a straw man and I agree with @FullyCharged. It is a false choice to argue that improving supply chain/shipping visibility would come at the expense of fixing OTA updates.

I'm not making the argument that having the capability is clearly desirable for some consumers. My point, correctly understood by some, is that a corporation devotes a certain amount of resources to functions. In the past 6 months, OTA updates have been an issue. Ford had open job reqs for people in that area, posted by some on this forum. Very visible roles in the company right now, both delivering the OTA updates and changing functionality in the vehicles. Or, you can devote resources to ensure that the consumer knows exactly what train car has their vehicle, and how that impacts delivery (which as most know it doesn't, because of when the car is unloaded, when a truck is available, etc.). And, the more visibility you provide, the more answers you need to have for the consumer, as shown by some on this forum "I call every week" "I check 6 times a day". The average car buyer today doesn't give a rat's behind about much except WHEN is my car arriving. The fact that it's waiting for a truck driver, and there's a national shortage of truck drivers, and more are needed to transport things like food, ...

So, when faced with "where do we put our resources", which are limited in EVERY company, no matter their budgets, you're not going to see this on the top of any company's list, including Ford's.

 

[oadesign]

The teams, skillsets, platforms, etc. are totally different between an automobile’s hardware and software versus connecting the dots on supply chain data as product gets moved around. Trying to suggest Ford has to make trade-offs due to shared IT resources across app development versus vehicle features versus supply chain traceability is pure fiction. Trade-offs in investments and deciding where to spend their money, for sure. But not quite the same thing. And yes, this is well within my area of expertise. What’s yours?

But they all use databases, and with a little effort, databases can ‘talk’ to each other. It’s 2022, this isn’t rocket science, and there’s no excuse.

 

[RickMachE]

You make the assumption that there's something to fix. Ford knows how many people order cars, how much this means (or doesn't mean) to those that order cars, and ranks it along with all other priorities. Even assuming there's a person that can do this right now, he/she has a queue, and where does "give the consumer visibility to where there vehicle is at" rank? And, when you give that visibility, be able to answer questions about it on the 800 line, in social media, at the dealer, ...

 

[OWG]

You make the assumption that there's something to fix.

Adapt or Die.

"Make sure you routinely take time to scan the horizon for developments that might affect your business’ future, either negatively or positively. It is all too easy to just stay down in the trenches working day after day on short-term issues without ever standing up and taking a good look around for what might be coming next."

That does not apply only to small business.

History lesson for small business owners: Don’t be the last buggy whip maker | Succeeding in Small Business

 

[yngwenli]

I admit that it is hyperbole to say that Ford does not have limited resources but they should have the ability to fix both issues. Your argument is a bit of a straw man and I agree with @FullyCharged. It is a false choice to argue that improving supply chain/shipping visibility would come at the expense of fixing OTA updates.

You still have to hire tech people...I hear they're in short supply to the tune where Apple is paying some 180k bonuses just to stay...Some, also refuse to work in the office so there are various things to deal with, none of which is cheap.

Ramping people up to know how to do their jobs in multi-billion dollar companies also takes a very long time to know 'how' it works in these behemoths. A lot of times, everyone does a small little piece and it's hard to even find out who owns/does what (I work in a big company).

It's not just throwing $$ at the problem and it magically fixes. Someone has to train/mentor/ramp up any new hire.

This tracking system has to be completely re-architected dealing with dealers who may/may not be part of the problem/equation.

I assume with all these posts on dealers being sold, that's another piece that's in flux as some dealers just want to close/retire now.

Sponsored