GOODQUESTION Readers Weigh In
What Oft-Used Selling Point Has Become Meaningless? What’s a Better Term?
“AUTONOMOUS” is almost meaningless. A robot that can travel from point A to point B does not necessarily improve operations. A better term is “orchestrated automation,” meaning robots, people, and systems are continuously coordinated to improve the workflow. –Cody Upp Chief Commercial Officer, Vecna Robotics “DO MORE WITH LESS” has become shorthand for asking people to absorb more pressure. A better term is “remove friction from work.” –Robert O’Dwyer Senior Industry Principal, UKG “PLUG AND PLAY.” No technology is frictionless in a live operation. A better term is “deployment-ready,” supported by specifics: required infrastructure, integration work, training, time to value, and how performance will be measured after launch. –Joe Mirabile Vice President of Operations, Gather AI “WE HAVE EXPERIENCE.” Experience should show up as verifiable actions: spotting packing that will not fit a container, checking package counts and dimensions, deciding whether late cargo should wait or split, and defining unloading before delivery. A better claim is: “We show what we checked, changed, and recorded—and what remains outside our scope.” –Ethan Chen
Time to Peel Off The AI Label?
AI has become a catchall phrase that often means everything and nothing at the same time. Rather than searching for a better term, companies should focus on explaining the problem being solved, the outcome being achieved, and the value being delivered. They need to move beyond buzzwords and articulate what differentiates their approach in the marketplace. Simply saying “AI” doesn’t cut it anymore. –Caroline Price Account Executive, Arketi Group Technology should not be judged by whether AI is involved, but by whether it improves productivity, service levels, quality, or cost performance. So a better term would be “performance-enabling technology.” –Andreas Podwojewski Managing Director, North America & Brazil, Arvato
accountability”—one party owning execution from order through delivery. This is a more precise way to convey fewer handoffs, clearer responsibility, and a true logistics partner. –Zack Houghton Director and Lead, Transportation & Logistics, Alexander Group “END-TO-END VISIBILITY” has always been an interesting phrase. No shipper wants partial visibility. What shippers need is order-impact awareness: the ability to sense and respond based on real business impact. Visibility alone, even “end- to-end,” isn’t enough. Understanding what a shipment delay means to an open order, and acting to preserve the business, gives visibility its real value. Doug DeLuca Product Marketing Manager, SAP Business Network
“End-to-End” Endlessly
“END-TO-END VISIBILITY” has sat on every transportation pitch for a decade and now means little. A map pin isn’t visibility when an excavator sits waiting on a second-state oversize permit, or an escort no-shows. Shippers need status updates they can act on: permit issued, escort confirmed, hours left, and a revised window. Call it “exception-ready status.”
–Benjamin C. Hall CEO, Logi Transports LLC
“END-TO-END SOLUTIONS.” The phrase rarely defines a distinct operating model. What customers actually value is called “single-point
Founder and Building Materials and Furniture Logistics Lead, Buildcargo Logistics
6 Inbound Logistics • October 2026
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