Companies like LVMH are embedding AI across their entire operations, while fast fashion players use it to accelerate everything from forecasting to logistics. Every day more brands are turning to AI to optimize production planning, predict equipment maintenance and streamline fulfillment processes.

As we’re seeing across thousands of supply chains in our network, AI isn’t just about gaining a competitive advantage anymore; today it’s table stakes.

According to Gartner’s 2025 Supply Chain Symposium, 74% of CEOs believe AI will have the most significant impact on their businesses over the next three years. But it’s critical to understand: your AI is only as good as the data you’re feeding it.

What’s working with AI today?

Every day we’re hearing about new uses of AI in the marketplace:

• Generative AI for scenario planning: Cutting edge retailers are using AI to run “what if” scenarios—simulating demand spikes, supplier issues and logistics constraints through digital twins. Instead of being stuck in reactive mode, they’re testing their responses before disruptions hit.
• Turning waste into wins: Companies are applying AI to optimize returns, cut packaging waste and forecast more precisely to avoid overproduction. Traditional cost centers of waste management and sustainability are becoming margin protection tools.
• Connected automation: From smart warehouses to exception automation, retailers are using AI to reduce manual work and simplify operations. Gartner calls out “connected supply chains” and workflow automation as must-haves for 2025.

How’s your data? A reality check

When it comes to where we see AI working in supply chains, the companies winning with AI aren’t the ones with the fanciest algorithms—they’re the ones with the cleanest, most standardized trading partner data.

And here’s why:

• Your AI may build beautiful supplier disruption models, but if the lead time data is inconsistent, its recommendations are worthless when real problems hit.
• Optimizing returns with AI should work, but without accurate item data from trading partners, AI can’t tell the difference between defects and customer preferences.
• While your customers expect flawless execution, your AI can only deliver if your partner data is consistently accurate across every single relationship.

What do you need for a better data foundation?

Across our retail supply chain network, we see that the companies who successfully apply AI are using standardized, real-time partner data. Without it, AI can’t deliver.

The foundations required for AI implementations include:

• Clean EDI data: AI systems need consistent product info, order acknowledgments and shipment notifications. When this varies across trading partners, your AI models produce unreliable outputs.
• Standardized communications: Exception automation requires partners to communicate disruptions in standard formats. Manual, inconsistent communications break AI workflows every time.
• Real-time visibility: AI lives on current information. You need up-to-the-minute partner feeds, but across diverse trading relationships, most companies can’t maintain them.

When AI ideals meet reality

While new technology is always part of the discussion in modern business, what we’re hearing about AI usage across customers is consistent: Companies start excited about the possibilities of what AI can do for them but quickly realize it won’t work without first standardizing their data.

The dilemma:

• The most sophisticated AI fails if trading partners can’t feed it accurate, timely information.
• Manual exception handling is getting replaced by automated workflows, but only when the underlying data triggers actually work.

Where are we heading?

The future of supply chains may actually be written by AI.

We’re moving toward autonomous systems that respond to disruptions without human intervention: connected ecosystems, with AI orchestrating workflows across all trading partners, and sustainable applications optimizing resource usage.

But how well this works (or not) will depend on if there’s standardized, reliable partner data.

Build your foundation now

The companies who’ll win with AI understand that AI transformation begins with better data. They’re investing in standardized trading partner data formats, real-time partner performance visibility and automated workflows that eliminate manual errors.

AI has incredible potential to transform retail supply chains. But you must have a foundation of clean, standardized and real-time supplier data.

Want to see how leading retailers are preparing their supply chains for the future? Explore our latest insights.

At 9:46, you’re blindsided by changing requirements for another long-time customer, spiking load acceptance times. It’s an all-hands-on-deck moment, but the full consequences of the bottleneck won’t be felt until the carrier scorecards are delivered. Your teams start to worry about keeping the shipper relationship alive as they scramble to manage the chaos.

Hour by hour, the challenges that come with outdated systems and disconnected processes combine to take their toll on revenue. At the center of it all is a tangled web of slow communication, manual effort and missed insight. But even the toughest challenges carriers face can be overcome with solutions designed to help transportation companies fit into the flow of today’s supply chain.

Let’s break down where it hurts the most and how implementing new solutions could prove to be a turning point for carriers.

1: Slow tender response time

Delayed response to load tenders leads to missed opportunities, slashed revenue and eroded trust. With shippers giving preference to carriers who respond quickly, inconsistent communication damages relationships and increases the chances of being passed over entirely. The longer it takes to respond, the less likely a carrier is to win profitable loads.

That makes reducing the time from receipt to response a high priority for carriers, and as transportation companies look to process optimization to push times down, load tender responses are a prime target.

As companies evaluate options to accelerate the pace of business, leaders are turning to centralized EDI solutions that can simplify tender responses. Instead of chasing down information, dispatchers can respond to tenders within seconds, helping boost revenue and keep preferred carrier status. The benefits of implementing an EDI solution can be far-reaching, as carriers find they gain added visibility on top of improved customer relationships.

2: Delayed shipper onboarding

Onboarding new shippers can require carriers to enter a danger zone of endless emails, redundant paperwork and disconnected workflows. When carrier teams are stuck in the weeds and unable to focus on performance or relationship-building, shippers experience downhill delays, confusion and frustration.

Ensuring that new customers feel comfortable and your systems align can help carriers shorten time to value. But what happens when all the new business results in a mess of disconnected portals and logins? As you take on more shippers, the need to work alongside their tech stack can drag efficiency down.

Some carriers are working toward standardized forms, real-time data validation and automatic system updates to reduce friction and error, but increasing numbers of transportation companies are opting for turnkey, full-service solutions with onboarding workflows already built in. This results in shippers being onboarded in weeks instead of months, allowing carriers to grow their business without increasing manual effort.

3: Lack of TMS optimization

Operating without a TMS—or with one that’s poorly configured—leaves carriers gambling with their shipments. There’s no reliable way to manage capacity, optimize routes or track carrier performance. The result is a mixed bag of effects caused by manual processes: slow dispatching, underused resources and excessive labor costs.

But even as more carriers move to a TMS system to handle these details, barebones implementations can leave out vital features, leading to processes that are only half as powerful as they could be. As carriers work to remain relevant in a fiercely competitive industry, ensuring that their TMS is supported by solutions that streamline other areas of the business can help them stay ahead.

As carriers fight to keep pace with their peers, more powerful TMS tools will be a deciding factor in their success. A centralized EDI system can integrate seamlessly with TMS platforms, enhancing their capability by feeding them real-time data. The addition enables better automation and more accurate routing while boosting the scalability of the business as a whole.

4: Weak shipper scorecard results

Without clear, trackable shipper scorecard metrics, performance management becomes guesswork. Are you meeting SLAs? Are certain lanes costing more than they’re worth? Without the numbers, you’re flying blind, and that’s risky, especially with shippers who expect transparency and proof of value.

Better scorecard results can strengthen partnerships with higher freight volumes and better contracts, while less desirable scorecard results can spell disaster for medium-sized carriers. But to get the best scores, it’s clear that carriers need the right solutions in place to manage common friction points that can drive scores down and leave dollars on the table.

Solutions that enable automatic metric tracking from load acceptance to delivery KPIs can best help carriers sidestep those friction points and achieve scorecard success. The result is a win-win situation: Shippers get the visibility they need, and carriers gain actionable insights to improve efficiency, win more freight and do it all with improved service quality.

5: Trouble turning growth into scale

As volume increases, so does the complexity of managing the people, systems and data needed to support a network of new customers. Without streamlined workflows, growth becomes unsustainable, leading to burnout, mistakes and customer dissatisfaction. That means operational inefficiency isn’t just holding carriers back from doing their best work day-to-day—it’s holding them back from scalable growth year-over-year.

Scaling logistics operations can be shackled by complexity as carriers expand operations to take on new business, with slowdowns surrounding billing and hiring compromising carrier revenue. As carriers manage a list of billing templates, schedules and workflows, the added complexity requires carriers to spend extra time handling shifting requirements.

The disruptions have led carriers to look for solutions that create a foundation for scalable operations by standardizing communication, automating routine tasks and consolidating fragmented customer portals. New solutions allow carriers to grow without having to chase down updates, reconcile documents or respond to avoidable exceptions, leaving teams to focus on strategy and service.

The turning point

The challenges facing transportation companies today are more about structure than speed. A centralized, full-service solution offers a framework for running leaner, faster and more resilient operations, and it shows in our original example:

It’s 9:03 a.m. and a high-priority customer posts a shipment that’s bid, accepted and off the dock faster than ever. Your team is on top of every reply and all your customers experience an onboarding workflow that’s fast and standardized. Drivers are busy, and every requirement is managed without extra personnel to manage it all. The upcoming scorecards look great, and you’re looking forward to taking on even more shipments next quarter as the excellent results keep rolling in.

Sound too good to be true? SPS for 3PLs Transportation Solution can get you there. In a business where every delay costs money and every inefficiency compounds, carriers who focus on modernizing their workflows can gain margin and momentum. That’s why SPS for 3PLs Transportation Solution was made to help carriers work at the pace of today’s supply chain and offer a standout customer experience in the process. Learn more here.

In addition to this top ranking, SPS Commerce also secured a place in the Top 100 Best Software Products overall. This recognition means so much to us because these awards are based entirely on feedback from the people who matter most—our customers. Your trust, reviews and partnership made this possible, and we couldn’t be more grateful.

Empowering businesses through technology

2024 was a stand-out year for SPS Commerce. We’ve been working hard to make supply chain connections even easier, helping businesses like yours streamline operations, automate processes and eliminate the headaches of manual work. From seamless integrations to full-service support, we’re committed to delivering innovative solutions that help businesses scale, automate and adapt—and it’s amazing to see that recognized.

What our customers are saying

Hearing how our solutions make a difference is what keeps us going. Here’s what SPS Commerce users had to say on G2:

• “It is so easy to navigate through the system and find what you need. Easy to process invoices for payment, there has never been an issue with any invoices that we have processed through this system. The same goes for any orders we receive; they are easily accessible through the dashboard. It takes no longer than a couple of minutes to complete the tasks of processing, accepting or finding anything on here. Good job on creating such a helpful tool. Plus, customer support is exceptional!” – Laura G.
• “I love the fact that their reach is so vast and they are able to quickly make a connection to any customer we have come up. Making any new connections is always quick and easy to get set up. They are always quick to respond to any questions or concerns that our team may have.” – Derek I.
• I am not the most tech-savvy human, and the team over at SPS does a great job at breaking down the system for me to use and understand what is going on. I really like the ease of use when it comes to file transfer.” – Braxton L.
• SPS makes it easy to pass order information back and forth frequently. With its integration into NetSuite, we’ve been able to really automate much of the order process and make communication seamless with our customers.” – Kasia W.

These reviews are why we do what we do!

Looking ahead

As we celebrate this achievement, we’re not slowing down. SPS Commerce will continue to innovate, evolve and expand our capabilities to meet the needs of our customers. Whether you’ve been with us for years or just started, we appreciate your trust and collaboration. Your success is our success, and we can’t wait to keep delivering solutions that help you grow.

Learn more about what makes SPS Commerce a G2 leader.

1. Digital transformation gets real

Remember when digital transformation was merely a hot topic in the industry? Now it’s finally happening.

Grocers are making major moves to upgrade their core technology, especially ERP and WMS systems. They’re getting serious about food tracking too, implementing specialized solutions that help manage products made in their facilities. It’s all about staying ahead of FSMA 204 requirements while making recall management more efficient.

2. Traceability takes center stage

Here’s something interesting: amid rising food safety concerns and recent high-profile recalls, major retailers like Walmart, Target and Albertsons aren’t just following the FDA’s traceability rules. They’re going way beyond them. By tracking everything rather than just required items, they’re building stronger safety nets for recalls and staying ready for any future regulatory changes.

3. Private label growth plateaus

The numbers tell an intriguing story about private label products. Sales jumped to $217 billion in 2023, a 6% increase. But unit sales? They only grew by 0.9%. This gap is pushing retailers to rethink how they market and price their store brands.

For grocery suppliers, this trend suggests increased opportunities as grocers may need to expand their supplier networks to balance their private label and name-brand offerings. This could accelerate the pace of supplier onboarding as grocers adjust their product mix.

4. Local sourcing feeds sustainable growth

Sustainability and local sourcing are becoming must-haves, not just nice-to-haves. Despite inflation worries, consumers will pay almost 10% more for sustainable products, while over 75% actively seek local goods.

For example, ALDI has made local produce a cornerstone of their offering. Leading grocers are following suit, strengthening local supplier relationships while monitoring emissions and embracing sustainable practices.

5. Automation gets practical

AI is generating lots of buzz, but let’s look at what’s actually working. When grocers have accurate, standardized data flowing through their systems, they can use AI tools effectively. Leading grocers are turning inventory records into smarter forecasts and automating reorder decisions to reduce waste. The foundation isn’t fancy algorithms. It’s reliable data that grocers can act on with confidence.

6. Privacy considerations emerge

Innovation comes with new challenges. As grocers explore digital price tags and automated personalization, they face growing scrutiny over consumer privacy and pricing transparency. The rapid adoption of technologies like facial recognition has created a complex landscape of state biometric privacy laws and consumer protection concerns.

7. Data sharing drives collaboration

Success in the grocery industry isn’t just about what happens inside your four walls anymore. It’s about how well you share and act on information across your entire supply chain. When retailers share forecasts, promotional calendars and sell-through data, suppliers can respond with production schedules, accurate inventory levels and shipping updates. Better data sharing means better everything, from inventory management to promotional planning.

These trends point to a more connected, efficient and sustainable grocery industry. That’s what 2025 looks like: smarter systems, stronger partnerships and practices that serve both the bottom line and the broader community.

Want to stay ahead of these trends? Talk with our grocery experts today.

At SPS Commerce, many of our retail experts were previously buyers at major retailers. They’ve hosted hundreds of meetings with new suppliers and know firsthand what it takes to impress a busy buyer.

Here is their advice on how to make your next buyer meeting a success.

1. Master your financials

Financial performance is at the heart of every buyer’s decision-making process. Retailers focus on profit margins, market share and how your product will contribute to their bottom line. You must come prepared with compelling financial data demonstrating your product’s success or potential.

If your product has a track record, share specific metrics like market share gains, revenue growth and how it has outperformed competitors. It’s also good to share the markets in which it performs best.

For new products, focus on your company’s history of successful launches of similar items. Show how each performed and how your go-to-market strategy led to financial success in an in-store or online retail environment. Use market insights, trend analysis and competitive data to support your projections. These reports may be available from Nielsen, IRI or other industry research providers.

Your goal is to create a compelling financial story that convinces buyers that your product is a profitable addition to their assortment.

2. Understand the retailer’s process

Buyers appreciate suppliers who demonstrate a thorough understanding of their internal processes. This insight, from timely sample submissions to accurate product information (such as weights, dimensions and packaging details), showcases your competence and readiness.

Before your meeting, familiarize yourself with the retailer’s submission guidelines and requirements. These are usually available online or provided to you by the company in advance. Be clear about what is expected and ensure you meet those requirements.

Be prepared to discuss if you’d consider an exclusive deal for your product and what commitment or level of bulk buy you’d require.

Be sure to highlight your ability to deliver on time, comply with their specifications, provide product images that meet their specifications if needed and navigate their supply chain processes by being EDI-capable.

3. Provide detailed product information

Buyers need to be fully informed about what they’re purchasing. Therefore, it’s crucial to come prepared with detailed product information. They’ll expect you to provide details on everything from the availability of different sizes and colors to production capacities and pricing. This level of detail will make you appear knowledgeable and reliable.

Discuss your production capabilities candidly. Buyers will want to know if you can meet their demand, especially if your product takes off and they need you to scale rapidly. This insight will also help them determine whether they should plan to carry the product across all stores or a subset of locations and what they can expect to set as available inventory online if drop-shipping. Be honest about your current production limitations and how you can scale up if necessary.

Quality is another critical factor. Make sure your product meets the retailer’s quality standards and be prepared to discuss any certifications or compliance with industry regulations. If your product has unique attributes—such as being eco-friendly or locally sourced—highlight these, as they can be key selling points.

4. Leverage samples and visuals

Samples and visuals are powerful tools in a buyer meeting. Bring live samples of your product or ship in advance (and confirm receipt) if the meeting is virtual. The items allow the buyer to see, feel and experience your product firsthand, which can make a significant impact.

In today’s environment, where many meetings still happen virtually, ensure your digital presentations are polished and professional. High-quality images, sharp photography, detailed slides and a straightforward narrative are essential.

5. Be professional and respectful of time

Buyers are busy, and their time is valuable. It’s important to approach the meeting with a clear, concise and focused agenda. While building rapport and a relationship is important, it’s crucial to keep it from overshadowing the business at hand. Every minute of the meeting is precious, so it’s respectful to keep the small talk to a minimum.

Focus on delivering the product information the buyer needs to make a decision. Start with a brief introduction, but quickly transition into the key points: financials, product details and how your offering aligns with the retailer’s needs. Avoid the trap of focusing too much on the relationship aspect; your goal is to communicate the value of your product efficiently and effectively. Their decision isn’t based on likeability. It will be based on how well your product adds value to their category.

Lastly, don’t leave the meeting without identifying how and when the buyer will contact you regarding the next step (or, if they don’t, letting them know when you will follow up), asking for feedback and determining a timeline for further communication.

Conclude the meeting with confidence

Nailing your next buyer meeting takes more than just having a great product—it’s about presenting a compelling business case, understanding the retailer’s needs and their business and demonstrating that you are a reliable and knowledgeable partner ready to do business with them.

By mastering your financials, understanding the retailer’s supply chain processes, providing detailed product information and respecting the buyer’s time, you increase your chances of securing a slot in their planogram or online assortment. Remember, the meeting is your opportunity to show why your product deserves a spot on their shelves—make it count.

SPS helps suppliers be at their very best at every buyer meeting, our experts and products ensure you have the right data and are prepared to dazzle the buyer with your product and its value to their business. Learn more today.