FedEx Supply Chain makes upgrades to FCIL service through the Web

Earlier this week, FedEx Supply Chain, a subsidiary of FedEx, announced it has introduced significant upgrades to its FedEx Critical Inventory Logistics (FCIL) service, an offering established in 2006 that allows shippers to centrally locate their most important inventory at stocking facilities throughout the world.

These types of facilities include 24-hour locations, those located near hospitals, business centers, and other strategic locations that enable shippers’ field representatives to pick up critical parts or devices or ship them via various FedEx service offerings.

Company officials said that these upgrades will enable shippers to track inventory levels, order and shipment status on a global basis in real time by logging onto www.fedex.com. Through the home page, shippers can leverage order placement and status messaging through electronic data interchange (EDI) and be delivered in a common message format, according to FedEx.

A FedEx spokesman told LM these upgrades are the result of customer feedback, with customers stating that as their supply chains get more complex, supply chain IT and integration can help to reduce that complexity.

“The new FCIL enhancements have simplified supply chain management for our customers through technology that wasn’t available before,” the spokesman said. “Now customers have more robust integration and the web options that can provide them with improved control and consistency in their worldwide operations.”

Prior to these upgrades, inventory visibility tools were available regionally but with new enhancements tracking is simplified now that customers have access through the web application on fedex.com or through a single EDI integration, explained the spokesman.