As the logistics industry prepares for a more positive 2025, the potential of automation (using machine learning and artificial intelligence) to impact operations has never been more significant.
From optimizing electric vehicle fleets to mitigating fraud and automating non-revenue-generating tasks, automation is positioned to address some of the industry’s most pressing challenges. Below is a look at the key areas where automation could drive changes in logistics this year.
The complexity of global supply chains demands that logistics companies possess complete and real-time visibility of their operations. AI has the potential to transform this aspect of logistics, particularly in supplier relationship management.
In a recent McKinsey report, 55% of the supply chain leaders surveyed said they were planning to invest more in AI-based tools to improve end-to-end supply chain visibility. It described this technology’s capabilities to analyze structured and unstructured data from multiple supplier tiers to obtain real-time risk analysis.
Semantic Visions, an analytics company, is building a multi-tier mapping tool platform that uses artificial intelligence and natural language processing to uncover complex supplier relationships. Using the company’s technology, businesses can automate compliance tasks, such as monitoring sanctions and environmental, social, and governance performance, across all their supplier networks. This also helps organizations stay ahead of changing regulatory demands.
The Chief Operating Officer, Julius Rusnak, explained to FreightWaves how the technology allows clients to mitigate risk, find new opportunities, and generate greater resilience.
“AI is an enabler that opens up new possibilities that were previously unimaginable. … These systems not only optimize existing workflows but also inspire leaders to rethink their current strategies,” he said in an interview.
Fraud has been a persistent problem in logistics, but as scammers’ tactics evolve, so do the tools used to combat them. AI is proving to be an ally in identifying fraudulent activities across the supply chain.
A recent interview with an Uber Freight executive highlighted how AI-driven systems can monitor every aspect of operations in real time, analyzing data to detect anomalies and suspicious patterns that might go unnoticed by human teams.
“We use predictive analytics and artificial intelligence throughout our onboarding process. We are analyzing various data points and correlations to generate signals for human intelligence to review,” said Chris McLoughlin, Uber Freight’s Senior Director of Risk and Compliance Operations.
“We use it throughout an entity’s journey on our platform and observe how it evolves over time. The longer someone is on our platform, we will make adjustments to how we assess that entity’s performance. … We don’t just focus on…
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