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Freight forwarder Flexport has launched a series of new tech-based services that it hopes will give customers greater control of their supply chains.
The headline tool being introduced as part of the wave of new products is an Artificial Intelligence (AI) service that allows users to ask questions in their native language and receive insights about supply chain performance.
“Flexport customers can use this AI-powered tool to build reports and create dashboards with no technical skills required, making it extremely easy for operations managers to take control of their global supply chains,” the forwarder said.
The company said another enhancement is Flexport Control Tower, which allows businesses to monitor shipments where another forwarder or carrier is contracted to move the freight.
Flexport said that customers using its control tower offering reported freight cost savings of around 10% and added that it is now expanding order management, allocation management and third-party booking management capabilities to include carrier and supplier scorecards.
The technology provides end-to-end visibility across the supply chain from order creation to final delivery, Flexport said.
Elsewhere, the company is also introducing real-time pricing for all-in door-to-door ocean shipments, dropshipping for e-commerce fulfillment across more than 50 retail websites and an international parcel shipping offering.
There are also enhancements to its supply chain messaging product to improve communication and upgrades to its visibility and notification features for shipment updates.
The forwarder’s chief executive Ryan Petersen said: “While many startups are emerging to provide AI tools for logistics, they lack the data required to train the AI models and struggle to sign up customers to use their technology.
“Our scale as one of the largest logistics providers in the world gives us huge advantages in both creating the technology and getting it into the hands of businesses operating in the real world.”
He added: “Flexport has been leveraging AI for years, but with the explosion of large language models and new open-source tech, we’re able to innovate faster than ever before.
“AI is incorporated throughout the new products and features you’ll see today. Our vision is to make global commerce as simple and reliable as flipping a light switch, and today’s technology release is the clearest sign that we’re well on our way to bringing that to life.”
Going forward, Flexport will introduce its new technology developments through a semi-annual product release cycle, with the next being in late summer.
The announcement of a series of investments is positive news for the company after a tough couple of years.
Just over a year ago, it was reported that the company would lay off a further 20% of staff, following on from job cuts in October 2023 and January 2023 as it struggled with profitability.
