Don’t Fear Tech. Partner with a Modern 4PL to Embrace It.

AI. ML. IoT. EDI. RFID. APIs. ChatGPT. Robotics. Smart containers. Camera vision. Predictive analytics. Data science. Control towers. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, instead of inspired, by the sheer range of modern supply chain technologies — and their acronyms — you’re not alone.  

That’s why, in writing the book on modern logistics, Redwood included an entire chapter on the strategic and financial value of technology. In Chapter 3 of Modern 4PL for Dummies, author Eric Rempel discusses the many ways advanced digital solutions can help optimize logistics. But integrating those technologies and orchestrating them with your logistics execution are crucial to getting the greatest return on technology investments.  

As Chief Innovation Officer at Redwood, Rempel is more than qualified to discuss advanced technology. And, as a Modern 4PL, Redwood is more than qualified to deliver it — in a way that makes sense for each customer.  

“Technology complexity increases with the uniqueness of every shipper and every organization,” writes Rempel. “There’s no one-size-fits-all technology solution for every business need. Instead, the true power lies in customizing and weaving…systems together, creating a tapestry of technology that aligns with your organization’s goals.” 

Understand the Tech — Because Knowledge Is Power. 

In the interest of overcoming the “fear factor” that affects many of us when we hear phrases like generative AI, let’s take a moment to review some of the widely accepted and proven solutions leading logistics teams are leveraging to optimize their results today. While every supply chain is unique, here are some general systems and solutions most supply chains rely on: 

• Order management systems. Just about every company needs a system for handling orders, managing inventory, interacting with sales, and overseeing fulfilment operations. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) and supply chain management (SCM) solutions fall under the OMS heading. 

• Financial systems. Similarly, most organizations have financial tools and transaction platforms to manage invoicing, payables, accruals, and budgeting. 

• Demand planning systems. These advanced solutions are critical to accurately match supply with demand on a continuous basis. An accurate forecast helps ensure inventory, labor, transportation, and warehouse space are available to meet demand. In today’s volatile landscape, these solutions are becoming more intelligent and dynamic, enabling supply chain replanning and resilience as conditions change. 

• Transportation management systems (TMS). A TMS is essential to optimize loads, capacities, routes, fleets, drivers, and other moving parts in today’s fast-changing world.  

• Warehouse management systems (WMS). Managing a modern, efficient warehouse is nearly impossible without a WMS to coordinate the movement of inventory, as well as people and processes in the distribution center. 

In addition to these core systems, many organizations are adding more specialized tech components to address their most urgent supply chain challenges. These include control towers and risk management solutions that sense and resolve disruptions, global trade management systems to maximize worldwide results, and robotics and automation to maximize the efficiency and accuracy of daily tasks. Data interchange and file transfer tools help support information-sharing and collaboration, while analytics and business intelligence solutions equip companies to make optimal, fact-based decisions. 

Recognize That Integration is Your Superpower. 

While this is a big list — and your own digital footprint will be unique — the key takeaway is that none of these systems should be working in isolation. As Rempel emphasizes in Modern 4PL for Dummies, advanced technology solutions perform at their highest level when they’re integrated with one another, as well as fed by shared, real-time data. 

Why is integration so important? Because all people, processes, and technology in the business need to share the same awareness and the same visibility. They need to be focused on common goals, not working at cross-purposes. 

A real-world example might be helpful. Let’s say the WMS logs a missed inbound delivery of goods. That’s going to affect order fulfillment (the OMS), load building and outbound shipments (the TMS), carrier partners, and other downstream systems. Obviously, the supply chain will perform better in terms of cost and customer service if every stakeholder is aware of a disruption at the same time and is able to pivot together. 

If it sounds impossible to integrate all these different platforms, solutions, and systems, then you need to partner with a Modern 4PL. Redwood offers a proprietary technology integration platform, RedwoodConnect, that’s purpose-built for this specific challenge.  

RedwoodConnect enables every company to easily drag and drop logistics platforms, partners, processes, and connections to seamlessly integrate and orchestrate the end-to-end supply chain. With a fluid, dynamic ecosystem of logistics solutions and open cloud connectivity, every organization can master the tech challenge — and create a personalized digital fingerprint. 

Operate at the Leading Edge with Redwood 

As outlined in Modern 4PL for Dummies, the fastest, easiest, and most cost-effective way to embrace technology innovation is to partner with a Modern 4PL like Redwood. Backed by decades of hands-on experience and hundreds of customer success stories, Redwood has the tech expertise and the best-practice knowledge you need to adopt and apply next-gen solutions in a way that makes practical sense for your supply chain. 

Redwood has partnerships with every leading provider of logistics systems, which means we deliver open, objective support — with no vested interest in any solution or vendor. Redwood can not only specify and install solutions but also integrate them and feed them with real-time data to support fast, intelligent decision-making. Redwood also knows exactly how to train employees and create the cultural change that’s usually required when new tech is adopted.   

This blog post only touches on Chapter 3 of Modern 4PL for Dummies, so you might want to download a free copy of the book and read it for yourself. Or start embracing advanced technology today by reaching out to Redwood.