Todd Kovi

It’s an exciting, transformative period for the global supply chain. After several years of disruptions from the pandemic, high-stakes labor challenges, and unstable global trade, supply chain innovators are looking to future-focused solutions that can help logistics professionals not just survive, but thrive in this complex environment. In this article, we explore nine FreightTech solutions (in no particular order) that are making a significant impact in 2024. 1. Axle: Streamlining Back-Office Operations with AI Axle Technologies is modernizing the logistics industry by leveraging artificial intelligence to streamline time-consuming back-office operations. Their universal data platform simplifies access to logistics data, enabling companies to optimize deliveries, reduce fuel costs, and enhance the sustainability and profitability of trucking. Axle embraces diversity, collaboration, and the 80-20 rule, understanding that customer feedback is essential for innovation. By wrangling diverse data sources into a universal schema, Axle is building the transportation infrastructure of tomorrow, making the industry more efficient and resilient. 2. EAIGLE: Enhancing Visibility with AI EAIGLE uses AI to provide unprecedented visibility into operations at gates and yards. Their end-to-end AI platform works with existing or third-party hardware, including optical and infrared cameras and radar sensors. This hardware-agnostic approach ensures superior accuracy, eliminating false…

Lean manufacturing is all about reducing waste and increasing efficiency. Manufacturers have been implementing lean practices for decades and have stood the test of time. Now, with technological advancements, lean methodologies can be more transformative than ever before. “Integrating automation into lean manufacturing is a powerful strategy. Unlike traditional automation, which often aims to increase production capacity without considering real needs, lean automation focuses on the smart and selective application of technologies to meet specific continuous improvement goals and eliminate inefficiencies,” the Kaizen Institute said. “Digital transformation provides an unprecedented opportunity for implementing lean,” it continued. “When applied within lean, tools like the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and data analytics can revolutionize how organizations detect and eliminate waste.” What is Lean Manufacturing? In “The Machine That Changed The World,” published in 1990, lean production is hailed as “Toyota’s secret weapon in the global car wars.” The Toyota Production System was developed following World War II from “a series of simple innovations … to provide both continuity in process flow and a wide variety in product offerings,” according to the Lean Enterprise Institute. In “Lean Thinking,” a 1996 follow-up to “The Machine That Changed The World,” authors James…