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RILA LINK Preview: Top Trends for 2025 are True Gamechangers

This blog was contributed by Jeff Ashcroft, KNNX Corp.

As many of you know, I’ve been attending these RILA Supply Chain events since it was the IMRA in the late 1980s. In 2019 when this conference first became RILA LINK: The RetailSupply Chain Conference I posted the below piece which traces the entire history of this annual landmark event for Retail Logistics & Supply Chain practitioners! The Evolution Continues: RILA Supply Chain Becomes the RILA LINK Conference

New for RILA LINK 2025, I have to say how really excited I am by the addition of the Hosted Program!  

Based on the very positive impact these events had on my own development from Manager to Director and Vice Presidential roles in Retail and Supply Chain, the ability for current Supply Chain leaders to bring their up and coming team members to RILA LINK 2025 at virtually no cost is a true gamechanger!
 
  • The Hosted Retailers & CPMs Program is a more strategic approach to networking that ensures both retailers and solution providers make the most meaningful connections that support their business objectives. Essentially, through a double opt-in, prescheduled meeting approach, the program gives attendees a more structured gameplan for sourcing new solutions and new partners.
  •  Participating retailers and consumer product manufacturers receive free LINK tickets (up to a $1,995 value) and up to $750 in hotel/travel reimbursement.The deadline to apply is January 22, so those wanting to take advantage of this unprecedented development opportunity for their emerging future SCM leaders should action this immediately!
On January 11th, 2025 I shared my Top 5 Logistics and Supply Chain Trends for 2025:
1.    AI in Supply Chain
2.    Flying Order Fulfillment
3.    Perfect Freight Invoices 
4.    The MORAM Cycle
5.    Transportation Spend Risk Management

Below, I highlight relevant sessions and exhibitors for each of these to make them easy for you to find:

1. AI in Supply Chain (AVAC) 
Currently there’s 234 supply chain related tasks being performed by almost 4,000 AIs which are estimated to already cover almost one third of Supply Chain Management related work!
 
One example of an innovative and impactful real world AI application is Advanced Vehicle Access Control or AVAC for short provided by EAIGLE who are exhibiting at RILA LINK kiosk K24.

AVAC reduces gate processing time from minutes to seconds using vision-enabled AI to automate vehicle access control, capturing critical data points seamlessly. This asset-independent solution dramatically reduces gate processing times, enhances security, and enables truly unmanned gate operations. 

In addition to the above, there are no less than 7 AI or Artificial Intelligence sessions at RILA LINK 2025 where you can learn more!

2. Flying Order Fulfillment 
One of my pet peeves when seeing typical goods to person robotic pallet warehouses is the incredible waste of cube from these pallets to the top of the warehouse. 
So I’m excited to learn about solution providers with innovative solutions to unlock the full potential of vertical space. Optimizing storage and ensuring faster fulfillment could be a gamechanger.
 

3. Perfect Freight Invoices
Having now been at KNNX Corp for almost 3 years, with numerous company engagements, it’s shocking to  discover that typically 40% to 70% of freight invoices are incorrect. 
Why should freight industry professionals care about these imperfect invoices?
The answer is easy and explained by the $10’s of Billions of dollars traditional freight invoicing has been costing shippers and carriers for decades driven by use of incorrect rates, accessorial charges, overpayments, audit and other hidden costs.
So when it comes to freight just what is “The Perfect Invoice”?

Perfect Freight Invoice (PFI) Definition: (noun)
  • An electronic document for accurate billing of freight carriage, that is defined by a Smart Freight Contract, created from a Bill of Lading (BOL).
  • Automated business rules allow it to be modified and updated in real-time during shipment with any accessorial charges, compared against contracted rates.
  • Upon delivery of shipment a complete, accurate and a "Perfect Freight Invoice" is immediately available.

There's a multitude of benefits to both Shippers and Carriers of freight through implementing the PFI methodology which are highlighted in the below table:
 
Please stop by and see KNNX Corp at kiosk K6 to learn more about Perfect Freight Invoices.

4. The MORAM Cycle
For clarity, those of you who know and follow me are aware of my ongoing articles on numerous topics including Smart Freight Contracts, Real Time Freight Invoicing and more. In late 2024 I shared details of a new construct, The MORAM Cycle intended to act as a framework for the ongoing application and expansion of AI in Supply Chains. 
As noted in my article "Defining the AI Supply Chain Imperative" future utilization of AI in your supply chain won’t just be a “nice to have” but will become an absolute requirement to ensure end to end monitoring, optimized performance and costs, as well as providing ongoing risk assessment, identification and the orderly mitigation of any risks who’s impacts can’t be avoided.

Adopting comprehensive AI models for your supply chain based on frameworks like The MORAM Cycle explained above are a great initial step in ensuring all are ready to conquer the challenge now upon us, The AI Supply Chain Imperative!

5. Transportation Spend Risk Management
$600 Billion is roughly the total amount paid for freight services by Shippers annually in the United States and Canada. 

Anywhere from 5% to 15% of this amount is a potential financial risk which translates into a total of $30B to $90B annually.
 
It's incumbent upon all senior Supply Chain, Transportation and Finance professionals to adopt emerging Transportation Spend Risk Management methods to verify and eliminate any such risks within their own transportation spend amounts.

As always I’m really looking forward to this year’s RILA LINK to participate in the first Hosted Program and as an opportunity to catch up with many of my long time logistics and supply chain colleagues as well as meet new ones. 

Cheers

Jeff Ashcroft  
 
Tags
  • Retail Supply Chain Conference
  • Supply Chain

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