Executive Commentary |
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CaDi Systems
Justine Kruger
Co-founder and Director www. cadisystems. com
If supply chain visibility has become a commodity, where everyone can see where their cargo is, then the real value of technology lies in what it empowers us to do with that visibility; however, in today’ s world of fast-evolving smart technology, visibility alone no longer suffices.
The next evolution is actionable intelligence, technology that connects data across the entire supply chain to drive both operational excellence and environmental performance. In my line of work, I’ ve seen firsthand how smart technology is transforming visibility from information into real impact, reshaping the supply chain industry and redefining how we measure success.
Right now, the hottest topic at every logistics event is AI and how it’ s being used to predict delays
70 nuclear power plants by 2030. We may face a choice between boiling your morning tea or making an AI query. This energy demand will drive AI-pricing sky high, forcing more rigorous ROI evaluation and strategic selection of use cases rather than blanket implementation across all operations.
CBRE
Blaine Kelley
Executive Vice President www. CBRE. com
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The US industrial warehouse market has shown some improvement with demand edging up by 10 % but impacted by tariffs and inflationary pressures. |
before they happen. Add to that digital twins, which model greener routing scenarios, and carbon traceability tools that reveal the emissions cost of every movement and we have a powerful toolkit helping supply chain leaders act faster, collaborate smarter and cut carbon across every link.
Modern technology delivers true value when it turns insight into action rerouting freight to avoid congestion, optimising port calls to reduce idle time, and selecting transport modes based not just on cost or speed, but on carbon efficiency.
Today, visibility is the map, but smart technology is the intelligence that reads it, interprets it, and guides us toward a cleaner, more efficient global supply chain.
And as I continue working with trailblazers across the globe, one thing remains clear, the future of logistics isn’ t about seeing more, it’ s about doing more with what we see.
Uncertainty has led many retailers / wholesalers to outsource distribution to third party providers, reaching 36 % lease market share.
Supply chain visibility into operational costs lacks accuracy, especially in the form of real estate forecasting and market trends. Technology is now providing greater value, anticipating market pricing and the fluctuations of supply and demand. With insightful data, logistics companies can anticipate, for example, rental rate increases 1 – 2 years in advance. Given that pricing increased 15 % yearover-year during the COVID peak, this visibility is crucial for operational planning. Similarly, many sophisticated owners now use advanced logarithms to underwrite pricing and lease rates.
Going forward, use of predictive real estate cost analytics and forecasting technologies will provide the planning savvy and visibility currently missing in the process.
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“ Going forward, use of predictive real estate cost analytics and forecasting technologies will provide the planning savvy and visibility currently missing in the process.”
Blaine Kelley
“ If visibility has become a commodity, the value will come from what technology enables us to do with it.”
Michael Rabaud
“ Visibility is the map, but smart technology is the intelligence that reads it.”
Justine Kruger
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As for another factor to be considered, we see AI’ s pervasive impacts span across all sectors of the economy. In the real estate domain, it is most acutely felt by the proliferation of data center development. Consequently, an enormous demand for industrial land, infrastructure and, of course, electricity has created a great scarcity of resources from switch gear to transformers. A 10-year run up is expected in development, indicating long term growth, coupled with capacity constraints.
Looking to 2026, consumer demand will likely remain muted. Investment in manufacturing and data centers will stretch the industry and predictive supply chain visibility will be imperative to achieve operational success during this transitional period.
CEVA Logistics
Michael Rabaud
Digital, Data and Innovation Leader www. cevalogistics. com
AI is reshaping global supply chains by transforming how we expect to answer the most fundamental customer questions: Where are my goods, when will they arrive and can you help me cut costs?
Visibility once meant directing customers to check tracking online. Today, the technological backbone is evolving. AI is beginning to shift the industry from static plans to dynamic ones, and from reacting to problems to anticipating them.
With these tools, we will be able to alert customers before they ask. Instead of simply reporting a delay, we will show the projected impact on stock levels and, based on real sales patterns, whether supply chain adjustments are needed. For example, if a shipment of white t-shirts is late but a customer has eight in stock and sells one per day, AI can help determine that no sales will be lost.“ Where is my shipment?” becomes“ What does this mean for my ability to sell?”
AI is also shaping work across the supply chain. Instead of automating tasks one by one agentic AI— systems that can design and run entire processes
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