Inbound Logistics | October 2024

GOODQUESTION Readers Weigh In

What Supply Chain Term Will Be Top of Mind in 2025?

OPTIMIZATION. 2025 will be a year of optimization as companies look to offset the impact of prior years’

Artificial Intelligence Commands Attention

high inflation. After considerable effort spent improving our supply chain footprint, sustainability profile, and tools/processes over the past two years, we’re looking forward to building on that to optimize how we make and deliver our products. –Crist Jennings COO, Bragg Live Food Products CONVERGENCE because we can’t afford to have planning and operations working in their separate silos where plans can’t be executed or if they can they are very expensive to execute. Good companies plan. Great companies execute. –Tom Moore Founder & CEO, ProvisionAi GROUND TRUTH and condition tracking, the ability to collect hyper-accurate, multimodal shipment data—in real time—is unlocking tremendous ground truth insights that are optimizing lanes and routes, minimizing dwell times, geofencing cargo theft danger zones, and more. –Steve Bonadio VP, Global Marketing, Tive DATA-DRIVEN SUPPLY CHAINS. Companies have been investing in technology that creates massive amounts of supply chain data—customer behaviors, orders, INSIGHTS. As the industry moves from passive shipment tracking to real-time location warehousing, delivery, vehicles, drivers, and more. It is increasingly

AI will be the defining supply chain term in 2025. This high-potential technology will deliver real benefits across many processes— from predictive analytics to automation and real-time optimization. Implementing AI will be indispensable for managing risks and staying competitive as supply chains grow more complex. –Lilian Bories Director, Marketing, TradeBeyond The true power of artificial intelligence capabilities has yet to be seen, and we are all trying to figure out how to deploy it effectively in our businesses. AI will play a major role in supporting sustainability initiatives, personalization of customer and worker experiences, supply chain visibility, quality, accuracy, and overall customer satisfaction. –Bart Cera CEO, VARGO® An obvious answer, but it’s clearly artificial intelligence. Adopt it or be a laggard. It will dominate discussions. –Mark McEntire CEO, Princeton TMX

necessary to use AI to create meaning from data. If companies do not start to make sense of it, they’ll be left behind in the wave of innovation coming from AI-based analytics.

experience—damaging customer trust and brand growth.

–Sylvia Ng CEO, ReturnBear

STAGFLATION —a mix of slow growth and rising costs—could challenge shippers, carriers, and third- party logistics providers, squeezing profit margins. To navigate, companies should diversify suppliers, leverage technology to enhance efficiency, and evaluate transportation models. Plan for reduced demand and increased costs now. –Frank Granieri COO, Supply Chain Solutions, A. Duie Pyle

–Cyndi Brandt Vice President, Fleet Solutions, Descartes

CROSS-BORDER will be top of mind. International sales are growing at twice the rate of domestic sales, and as ecommerce booms, international markets present huge opportunities. Without a solid cross- border strategy, companies face risks like delayed shipments, higher costs, compliance issues, and poor customer

10 Inbound Logistics • October 2024

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