This Week on Supply Chain Now: February 15th – 19th

Global trade practitioners face waves of uncertainty with the possibilities of slews of international tariffs and work stoppages at ports on the U.S. East and Gulf coasts. There are other weighty challenges as well, including conflicts in Russia-Ukraine and the Middle East, increasingly dangerous storms, and seasonal capacity strains and congestion. Technology plays an increasingly important role in overcoming the many challenges in the global supply chain. “The evolution of supply chain technology has allowed the shipping industry to enhance its operational capabilities. Automation, real-time tracking, and improved throughput have helped manage the heavy volume growth experienced during the pandemic, but recent challenges have highlighted the need for even more robust strategies,” Karim Jumma, e2open’s vice president of product management, wrote in a contributed SupplyChainBrain article. Jumma cited geopolitical conflicts, extreme weather events, and logistical bottlenecks as examples of challenges that have tested the industry and “increased the need for innovative solutions that prioritize flexibility and data-driven decision-making to mitigate against ongoing disruptions.” Supply Chain Now is highlighting E2open, WCAworld, and DP World, three companies continually working on innovative solutions to global trade’s most pressing challenges. DP World Takes Collaborative Approach to Global Challenges DP World’s marketing material says the…

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…