Why visibility matters more than speed in e-commerce logistics

For years, e-commerce logistics has been defined by speed. Same-day, next-day and even same-hour delivery have become common marketing promises. Yet, as global e-commerce and direct-to-consumer (D2C) volumes continue to surge, industry leaders are increasingly clear on one point: speed alone no longer defines customer satisfaction. Visibility does.

This shift was at the heart of a panel discussion at IICS 2025 titled Redefining Logistics for Global E-Commerce & D2C Surge with Speed, Precision & Personalisation. The session brought together perspectives from air cargo, platforms and brands. The panel featured Enes Yilmaz, CEO of Widect; Kishore Lanka, Director – India Operations at Amazon Air Cargo; Avinash Dhagat, Chief Supply Chain Officer at Honasa; and Atul Kumar Rai, General Manager – Operations at Fossil Group.

Across different business models and geographies, the message was consistent. Customers are willing to wait, but they want to know what is happening.

Keeping the promise matters more than rushing the parcel
Yilmaz set the tone early in the discussion by clearly separating delivery speed from service quality. According to him, a five-day delivery is not a problem if it arrives in five days. “If it is a five-day service and you give it in five days, no problem,” he said. “But if it is a next-day service and it takes three days, that is a big problem.”

For customers, the real expectation is transparency. “They want to see what is happening in those five days, from first pickup to delivery,” Yilmaz noted. This includes tracking at every stage and clear updates during the delivery window. Without this, trust breaks down quickly.

Yilmaz also pointed out that demand swings in e-commerce are far sharper than in traditional air cargo. While air freight peaks may vary by 25 to 30 per cent, e-commerce volumes can rise five or six times in a short period. “Estimating demand is very important,” he said. Managing such volatility is impossible without strong IT systems. Visibility, forecasting and capacity planning are deeply connected.

In simple terms, without data and tracking, neither speed nor cost control is sustainable.

Visibility is easier in last mile, harder across borders
The moderator raised an important challenge. Modern supply chains involve multiple courier partners, trucking companies and customs systems. Even today, customs processes often do not integrate smoothly with daily logistics operations. This creates blind spots, especially in cross-border movements.

Rai explained that visibility challenges differ between D2C and B2B shipments. In last-mile D2C deliveries, customer preferences such as time slots and delivery days often create friction. He shared an example from Australia, where a customer placed an order on a Saturday and expected delivery on Sunday, even though Sunday delivery was not possible. “The shipment was already in transit, but she still asked us to cancel it,” Rai said. The customer later escalated the issue directly to the company’s CEO.

Such incidents highlight how customer expectations now go far beyond traditional business-day logic.

In B2B shipments, however, visibility plays a different role. Large buyers understand inventory constraints and cross-border timelines, as long as information is shared clearly. “We give visibility on what is available in India and what is in our Hong Kong warehouse,” Rai explained. When customers can see this clearly, they are more accepting of longer lead times, even when customs delays occur.

Here, visibility is less about speed and more about setting the right expectations early.

India’s logistics visibility is uneven, but improving fast
Dhagat offered a broader view of India’s logistics landscape. In organised e-commerce delivery, visibility has improved greatly. “Today, all courier partners have a strong technology stack,” he said. APIs and system integrations mean it is now rare for companies to lose sight of shipments during last-mile delivery.

The challenge lies in the more traditional parts of logistics. Long-haul trucking and regional transport remain fragmented. “A few years ago, unless you were working with a large player, you would only know where the shipment is when someone followed up with the driver,” Dhagat said.

This is changing quickly. GPS-enabled vehicles, SIM-based tracking and toll data have improved mid-mile visibility. “Every time a vehicle passes a toll, you get that information,” he added. These systems are now being linked to central platforms, closing many of the earlier gaps.

While mid-mile visibility still lags behind last mile, the gap is narrowing fast.

Returns and COD are driven by intent, not movement
One of the strongest insights from the panel came during the discussion on returns and cash-on-delivery (COD). According to Dhagat, returns and failed deliveries are not mainly logistics problems. “This is not a logistics problem, it is an intent problem,” he said.

In many cases, the issue begins at the moment of purchase. With the right data and algorithms, companies can predict whether a shipment has a high risk of return. “With decent probability, you can know if it is a high-risk return shipment,” Dhagat explained. Address accuracy, customer behaviour, delivery communication and partner selection all play a role.

Visibility helps reduce failure by allowing pre-alerts, delivery confirmations and better coordination with customers. It also supports smarter COD policies. “Based on purchasing behaviour and pin code, some customers may not even see the COD option,” he said.

India has built strong operational capability to handle returns at scale. The next step is to make returns smarter. “Instead of bringing the shipment back to the source, QC checks should happen closer to demand centres,” Dhagat noted. This reduces cost and improves efficiency.

Once again, visibility enables better decisions, not just faster movement.

Visibility also protects cost and customer loyalty
Although speed often appears expensive, the panel showed that poor visibility is far costlier. Lanka explained how Amazon’s end-to-end planning and seven-day delivery model helps smooth volumes across the week. “When you roster for a seven-day week, you actually save a lot more in the supply chain,” he said.

By spreading volumes evenly, companies reduce Monday spikes, backlog recovery costs and customer service calls. “People are available on Sundays, so first-day delivery success is phenomenal,” Lanka added.

When customers know where their parcels are, they are less likely to chase support teams. When delivery expectations are met consistently, customers return during the next shopping season. In this sense, visibility becomes a tool for customer retention.

Speed still matters, especially during festive peaks, but it works best when supported by planning, data and transparency.

The future belongs to visible supply chains
In his closing remarks, Yilmaz acknowledged that cross-border e-commerce faces growing regulatory risks, especially in the US and Europe. Yet, the long-term growth story remains strong. “The expectations on the customer side are increasing,” he said.

Logistics providers will need to respond with better digital systems, reporting and asset use. “The biggest part of the cost is not utilising the staff and not utilising the aircraft enough,” Yilmaz noted. Data, analysis and visibility allow assets to be used more efficiently, making services both faster and cheaper over time.

As the panel made clear, e-commerce logistics is no longer about racing parcels from point A to point B. It is about building trust through transparency. In a market where customers track every step, visibility has become the real delivery promise.