In the aftermath of the pandemic, supply chain inadequacies have been revealed in a new and stark light. Most found themselves ill-prepared for the magnitude of disruption in supply and demand, followed soon after by political unrest, labor and material shortages, and sharp inflation.

These challenges didn’t end with the pandemic; it’s clear that disruption is here to stay as the so-called “new normal.” What’s also clear is that to not merely survive but thrive in the today’s volatile global market, companies need to take a more synchronized approach to their various business processes.

Today’s question becomes: How do you leverage data to automate and optimize across the full order lifecycle?

The "TMS+" approach is more than a standalone Transportation Management System (TMS). It’s a supply chain execution technology that recognizes companies today operate as multi-party ecosystems, and that transport management activities are just one component of high-functioning supply chains.

Flawless execution relies on strategic planning; cost-effective operations require flexibility and agility to mode-shift and access a full cost-to-serve picture beyond transport; high customer service levels rely on being capable to promise factoring inventory levels and availability across all domains into transport planning and execution.

In this paper we discuss why a holistic “TMS+” approach is integral to success in the new normal and beyond. We outline how the TMS+ breaks down silos to optimize across inventory, transport, logistics, and order management concurrently, intelligently, and in a timely and relevant manner for cost, service, risk, and sustainability.