C.H. Robinson/SAS: a new era of dynamic business planning

With bold ambitions to rewrite the way global supply chains work due to their increasing complexity, global logistics company - C.H. Robinson - has formed a joint partnership with data analytics company - SAS. 

With current supply chain demand planning and shipping execution often worked in autonomous siloes connection, digital integration, or real-time visibility, the two organisations have set their ambitions to solve this problem by creating a first of its kind, end-to-end supply chain solution that integrates inventory and demand signal data with real-time transportation data. 

The solution is expected to allow companies to make more fluid adjustments when it comes to scheduling, carriers, and responding to changing consumer demand while inventory is still in transit.

The solution will be first available for Retail and consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies in North America, but is designed to bridge the gaps across all industries. 

“Powered by SAS and mobilized by C.H. Robinson, this partnership helps companies see their supply chains in a new light. It will help make opportunities and challenges visible as they happen so our customers can accomplish more – even during a disruption of pandemic proportions,” commented SAS’ Richard Widdowson, Vice President of Global Retail & CPG Solutions.

How the solution works

Using an integrated data loop, SAS triggers a demand plan that feeds into C.H. Robinson’s transportation procurement tool. The procurement tool connects to supply chain management platform, Navisphere, to provide real time inventory visibility, which links back and informs SAS’ Intelligent Planning suite. 

Reported benefits include: connecting corporate demand plans to products and freight on the move, allowing for better reactions to real time changes in demand. 

“The C.H. Robinson and SAS collaboration uses data and analytics to solve a gargantuan supply chain problem: agility. As 2020’s shortages illustrated, COVID pushed retailers and consumer goods companies over the supply chain cliff. The C.H. Robinson-SAS partnership combines data from retailers and consumer goods companies with logistics and transportation data to build faster, more resilient, cost-effective shipping methods that honor traditional models while clearing a path for needed innovation,” commented Brian Kilcourse, retail and CPG analyst at RSR Group. 

For more information on procurement, supply chain and logistics topics - please take a look at the latest edition of Supply Chain Digital.

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