Hope Solo

In today’s complex supply chain landscape, effective transportation management is less an ambition than a necessity. As the logistics industry attempts to keep pace with rapid technological advancements, a dynamic regulatory environment, and ever-shifting market dynamics, the field of transportation management is working to keep pace with the constantly changing demands of a complex transportation sector. In hopes of better understanding what transportation management means in 2024, Supply Chain Now is partnering with innovative TMS provider RateLinx on an interesting research project: the TM Tech Survey 2024, which focuses on transportation management technology. But before we get there, let’s talk about why shippers in record numbers are demanding effective transportation management solutions. Three Reasons Shippers Require Effective Transportation Management According to an analysis from Gartner, the global TMS industry is expected to reach $2.11B by the end of 2024, a 60% increase from the industry’s value in 2019. It’s clear that today’s shippers, operating in a world plagued by volatility and disruption, understand the value of transportation management. This section looks at three key reasons why today’s shippers require effective transportation management. 1: Enhanced Operational Efficiency In 2024, transportation technology is indispensable for optimizing logistics operations. Today’s leading transportation management…

At the 2025 Gartner Supply Chain Planning Summit in Denver, Scott Luton met with John Lash, who leads strategy and vision at e2open, a WiseTech Global Group company. E2open is a global platform powering the entire lifecycle of making, moving, and selling goods, with capabilities spanning planning, logistics, global trade, supply management, and procurement. The platform is designed not just for enterprise visibility but for true end-to-end coordination across extended supply chain ecosystems. Lash emphasized that disruptions rarely originate within a company’s four walls. “Your sub-tiers are where most of the risk lives,” he explained. “That’s where your day-to-day operations—and your long-term strategy—are truly shaped.” It’s a lesson sharply reinforced during the pandemic, which reminded leaders worldwide that no one does supply chain alone.   Old Challenges Intensified by New Realities When Luton asked about the biggest challenges facing planning teams today, Lash pointed immediately to constraints—supply constraints, manufacturing constraints, and now, the added layer of global trade volatility. Trade policies that once shifted every few years now change weekly, daily, or even hourly. Lash offered a striking example: Brazilian coffee duties jumped from 10% to 50% this summer—before returning to 0%. “How do you plan through that?” he asked.…