Transportation
Business Wire | October 30, 2023
UPS announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Happy Returns from PayPal (NASDAQ: PYPL). Happy Returns is a U.S.-based software and reverse logistics company that enables frictionless, no-box, no-label returns for merchants and consumers.
“We know that returns have long frustrated shoppers and retailers looking for quick and easy solutions,” UPS CEO Carol B. Tomé said. “By combining Happy Returns’ easy digital experience and established drop-off points with UPS’s small package network and footprint of close to 5,200 The UPS Store locations, box-free, label-free returns will soon be available at more than 12,000 convenient locations in the U.S.”
“Joining the UPS team is a win for both our employees and our customers,” said Happy Returns CEO and co-founder David Sobie, who will continue to lead the business for UPS after the deal closes. “In recent years, the growth of Happy Returns has accelerated, and we’ve built an enterprise-grade solution. This new chapter is a natural next step for Happy Returns and allows us to harness the power of the UPS network to transform the returns industry.”
Happy Returns offers a full stack of returns solutions, powered by software and fully scaled reverse logistics operations that facilitate frictionless returns. In a few simple steps, users can access a returns portal, make a box-free return at the most convenient location and have their item shipped, sorted and returned to the merchant. With more than 800 merchant customers, Happy Returns has a strong track record of providing hassle-free, no-box returns, reducing the cost of e-commerce for all players and creating a more efficient, sustainable supply chain.
The acquisition of Happy Returns is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2023, subject to customary conditions and regulatory approvals. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
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Supply Chain
GXO Logistics, Inc | September 20, 2023
GXO Logistics collaborates with Datasparq to successfully deploy AI solutions, boosting operational efficiency and reducing environmental impact through transportation route optimization.
The company's partnership with industry leaders like Körber's Operator Eye solution transforms its warehousing operations, focusing on automation efficiency, picking accuracy, and streamlined processing times.
GXO's AI-driven route optimization delivers significant environmental benefits, exemplified by its partnership with U.K. retailer Iceland. Reducing road miles, fuel consumption, and carbon emissions underscores GXO's commitment to sustainability.
GXO Logistics, a leading pure-play contract logistics provider, has unveiled the successful deployment of artificial intelligence solutions in its operations. Collaborating with Datasparq, the company has leveraged AI to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and mitigate its environmental footprint through route optimization in transportation. Additionally, GXO is transforming its warehousing operations by partnering with industry leaders like Körber's Operator Eye solution to improve automation efficiency, enhance picking accuracy, and streamline processing times. This strategic integration of AI underscores GXO's commitment to operational excellence and prioritizing the safety and well-being of its workforce.
This collaboration yields remarkable results, particularly in tailored route optimization tools, exemplified by the operations transformation for renowned U.K. retailer Iceland. GXO expertly manages four distribution centers across three temperature ranges, diligently serving over 1,100 stores nationwide on Iceland's behalf. Applying cutting-edge AI technology within this complex network, spanning over 50 million kilometers annually, has delivered substantial benefits.
Steve Pennington, Supply Chain Director of Iceland, stated,
“Iceland was the first food retailer internationally to join the Climate Pledge, a commitment to be net-zero carbon by 2040."
[Source – Globe Newswire]
Minimizing road miles and reducing fuel consumption across their fleet without compromising customer service. Steve further mentioned that, with the incorporation of new technologies like AI and through their strong partnerships with GXO and Datasparq, they were progressing towards this goal.
GXO Logistics has positioned itself as an industry leader in automation, with approximately 30% of its revenue originating from automated solutions, a substantial increase compared to the industry average of 8%. In the first quarter of 2023, the company set a remarkable record by achieving a 64% year-over-year increase in total technology and automated solutions deployment. This demonstrates GXO's unwavering dedication to harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to optimize its logistics operations comprehensively. GXO remains on top of technological changes in the logistics industry, and keeps giving its customers more value by improving its speed, accuracy, and service quality.
Iceland's commitment to sustainability is underscored by the reduction of over 900,000 kilometers driven from a single depot each year, leading to a remarkable decrease in diesel consumption by more than 25,000 liters and a substantial overall carbon emission savings of over 720 tonnes. In addition, this strategic AI implementation empowers GXO drivers to allocate more time to high-value tasks, significantly enhancing productivity and job satisfaction. This success story exemplifies GXO's dedication to innovation, efficiency, and sustainable logistics solutions.
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Supply Chain
Uber Freight | September 29, 2023
Today, during the company's annual customer conference that hosts nearly 300 of the world's largest shippers, Uber Freight announced the most comprehensive evolution of its logistics technologies designed to power the global movement of goods.
The news comes nearly two years after the $2.25B acquisition of the market's largest transportation management company Transplace, which partners directly with shippers to manage their logistics networks. Now, with $18B freight under management, the company is releasing for the first time a next generation of products that infuse Uber's advanced technology development capabilities, including AI-powered software. The strategic expansion of the business enabled Uber Freight to build a new kind of logistics company, one uniquely able to offer the kinds of comprehensive, end-to-end enterprise applications and services for the industry in an increasingly complex logistics landscape.
"The past couple of years have been transformative for our business, driving significant amounts of resources into delivering the next generation of technologies designed to power the global movement of goods," said Lior Ron, Founder and CEO of Uber Freight. "The focus on developing new enterprise solutions underpins our commitment to our strategic customer base and the industry at large as we drive to be the most comprehensive partner to advance logistics networks."
Uber Freight has made a deep investment in technology, with $120M invested since the acquisition that is focused heavily on scaling enterprise applications that span logistics software solutions, generative AI and data-enabled insights tools, as well as innovative capacity and mode expansions.
Reimagining logistics management with advanced software
Uber Freight is rolling out the most comprehensive update of the widely-used Uber Freight TMS since it was first launched by Transplace in 2005. The Uber Freight TMS is the all-in-one solution for planning, executing, and monitoring complex logistics operations across modes and regions, bringing shippers the time-tested expertise, Uber-grade technology, and high-quality service they need to drive their intelligent logistics forward. Initial upgrades focus on delivering a new standard of visibility, foresight, and control, "Uberizing" modules to promote ease of use and actionable data—all while expanding global, end-to-end shipment visibility across modes including rail, ocean, and air.
"When you have a supply chain that's expansive and complex as ours, cutting-edge technology isn't a nice-to-have—it's essential," said Randy Cooper, Director of Transportation at Del Monte Foods. "Our partnership with Uber Freight's managed transportation and innovative technology has become our secret sauce as we serve our customers."
Uber Freight is deepening its investment in software solutions with the launch of Uber Freight Exchange, a powerful new tool designed to meet the evolving needs of shippers and carriers by expediting freight procurement cycles and powering rapid shipment execution. Uber Freight Exchange is a neutral platform open to all shippers and carriers—a shipper can utilize Uber Freight Exchange to run auctions with their own carriers, in addition to Uber Freight's network of 100,000 carriers across the US. With integrated communication, simple bid functionality, and historical performance reporting, it enhances operational efficiency, fosters partnerships, and safeguards lane coverage risks in any market conditions.
Bringing the power of generative AI and machine learning to enterprise shippers
Uber Freight is unveiling Insights AI, a powerful generative-AI-powered insights tool that will transform decision making in logistics and support transportation teams from granular, tactical views to more complex, strategic analyses. Insights AI will leverage LLMs to generate and surface insights from Uber Freight's vast store of transportation data for customers.
Uber Freight is also leading the industry in the creation and application of AI and machine learning to drive network optimization and service improvements at scale with several new models rolled out recently, including a sophisticated ETA model, which, when combined with Uber Freight's Probability of Late Arrival (PLA) model, helps to drive automated 'self-healing' workflows to improve shipper service.
Expanding dynamic capacity and freight modes, across regions
Uber Freight has strategically grown the footprint of the Powerloop program to meet surging client demand for drop and hook and dedicated capacity solutions. The program has expanded operational scope from localized freight within Texas, California and Georgia, to regional and over the road freight stretching across several new states including Arizona, Utah, New Jersey, New York, Arkansas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, and Kentucky.
Uber Freight continues to gain ground as the most extensive autonomous freight network in North America with active partnerships with the leading developers and dozens of shippers moving autonomous loads on the network daily. In September, the company achieved a milestone of 100k autonomous miles driven with AV carriers on the network.
Uber Freight has expanded support across the North American cross-border supply chain. To meet a 20% increase in production from across the customer base, the company now has six cross-border locations between US and Mexico and over 1,000 team members throughout the region to support this tailwind.
Uber Freight also shared the extensive progress the business has made since the acquisition, including expanding its connected network of shippers and carriers to one of the largest in the world with 2 million drivers registered since the founding of the company, and dramatically advancing its sustainability impact, with an estimated 2.4 million empty miles eliminated from its network in the past year alone.
ABOUT UBER FREIGHT
Uber Freight is a market-leading enterprise technology company powering intelligent logistics. With a suite of end-to-end logistics applications, managed services and an expansive carrier network, Uber Freight advances supply chains and moves the world's goods. Today, the company manages over $18 billion of freight and has the largest network of carriers. It is backed by best-in-class investors including Greenbriar Equity Group and partnered with 1 in 3 Fortune 500 companies, including Del Monte Foods, Nestle, Anheuser-Busch InBev and more.
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