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Insights

Coverage of top innovators and technology trends from across The FutureList community

Startups Seek To Shine Spotlight On Supply Chain

In the complex world of global trade, supply chain visibility (SCV) is the torch that illuminates the path for businesses navigating the merchandise movement maze, enabling them to manage their operations efficiently. The ability to track and trace goods as they move from one point to another, understanding the status of inventory, and having real-time updates are all vital aspects of SCV. As per Gartner, only 21% of industry professionals have no difficulty with SCV, indicating that the majority of the market players do not have total visibility.

Lack of SCV leads to difficulties in collecting and processing data, inability to plan order execution effectively, and lack of consistency between digital systems and manual operations among other challenges. Modern SCV technologies, including unified data models, IoT device-based tracking, application programming interfaces (APIs), and blockchain, can improve and strengthen the entire supply chain by providing 24/7 access to data.

In this week’s spotlight, we explore how startups are leveraging technology to bring transparency to the often opaque processes.

Nulogy

Emerging from Toronto in Canada, Nulogy provides a cloud-based platform designed to optimise supply chain operations. The platform is specifically tailored for contract packagers and manufacturers, enabling them to collaborate with their brand customers in real-time. Nulogy’s solutions include PackManager, an end-to-end execution system, and Quality, a quality control solution. These tools help businesses to reduce costs, increase agility, and drive continuous improvement in their supply chain operations.

Beacon (founded 2018)

Beacon is a UK-based supply chain visibility platform that empowers businesses by connecting their supply chain data, providing them with the tools they need to make better decisions faster, and to access capital required for growth. The platform aggregates the latest data through direct carrier and port integrations, providing users with the most up-to-date information whenever they need it. Beacon’s platform also offers visibility into carbon emissions and provides a revolving credit facility to optimise cash flow.

ShipFusion (founded 2014)

ShipFusion is a Canadian 3rd party logistics company that provides all-in-one eCommerce fulfillment services from processing orders to shipping and managing returns. Their platform integrates with popular eCommerce applications and provides real-time visibility into every stage of fulfillment. ShipFusion operates its own warehouses across the US and Canada, ensuring accurate inventory and order data. The company’s services include storage, inventory management, and fast order picking, packing, and shipping.