Qued, an up-and-comer in FreightTech, has been honored with FreightWaves’ inaugural AI Excellence in Supply Chain award, a recognition that underscores its pivotal role in transforming logistics through advanced artificial intelligence. In an industry fraught with inefficiencies and ripe for disruption, Qued has identified a significant pain point: the complex process of load appointment scheduling for brokers, third-party logistics providers (3PLs), and carriers.
Scheduling inefficiencies in supply chain processes can lead to a cascade of challenges, including late deliveries, detention charges, and penalties for failing to meet On-Time In-Full (OTIF) standards. In response, Qued has developed a pioneering platform that automates appointment scheduling, minimizing manual interventions and optimizing every aspect of the process. One standout feature of Qued’s solution is its integration with existing Transportation Management Systems (TMS). This seamless embedding not only eliminates unnecessary manual work but also delivers a unified scheduling experience that processes every appointment mode. By harnessing thousands of data points right from the TMS, Qued’s platform is equipped to determine the most optimal scheduling times efficiently.
A key to Qued’s success is their use of generative AI and machine learning, which aids in understanding and responding to location-specific feedback through their email scheduling solution. This allows the system to learn and adapt to nuances, such as facility behaviors and carrier preferences, dynamically shaping scheduling strategies. The true extent of their platform’s efficiency is highlighted by their impressive exception rate: approximately 95% of appointments are confirmed autonomously, with minimal user involvement.
Qued’s AI strategy is not static; it has evolved from simple automation to embedding intelligence throughout the logistics experience. By forecasting potential bottlenecks and identifying exception-prone facilities even before issues arise, Qued has transformed its AI from a supplementary feature into a core component of its service offering. This predictive capability not only enhances the reliability of logistics operations but also drives significant improvements in operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.
The ROI for companies utilizing Qued’s technology is clear. Their innovative approach to appointment scheduling not only secures prime scheduling windows but also enhances lane profitability. By processing appointments seamlessly and swiftly, customers gain access to more desirable lanes, effectively reducing shipment delays and improving overall logistics efficiency. Beyond uplifting the scheduling facet of supply chains, Qued’s advancements have attracted the attention of the shipping community, who are eager to leverage Qued’s data insights to refine labor allocations and open additional prime scheduling windows.
A testament to their technological advances is the fact that Qued’s system scores appointment submissions in real time, predicting the likelihood of confirmations or rejections with precision. Such predictive analytics enable actionable insights, paving the way for a reportedly notable boost in OTIF metrics for their customers.
Moreover, their automated solutions offer actionable strategies for resolution, effectively cutting through the clutter of exception handling and significantly reducing response times. This capability has yielded measurable improvements in on-time performance, ensuring that scheduling inefficiencies do not spiral into costly errors or penalties.
Qued’s impact is exemplified through its collaboration with a large logistics provider, where they managed thousands of appointments across hundreds of facilities. Prior to Qued’s intervention, the scheduling process was marred by delays and potential errors. However, by tapping into AI’s strengths in pattern recognition and optimizing submission timings, Qued achieved an impressive confirmation rate exceeding 95% and reduced exception rates to below 5%. Moreover, these improvements were achieved without increasing the manual workload, highlighting the transformative power of artificial intelligence within the supply chain.
Qued winning the AI Excellence in Supply Chain award is well-earned, reflecting its innovative solutions and significant contributions to advancing logistics management. By turning reactive processes into anticipatory, streamlined operations, Qued not only enhances the supply chain experience but also sets a new standard for efficiency and reliability in logistics.