C.H. Robinson Announces Alliance With Microsoft to Digitally Transform the Supply Chain of the Future


Tue. July 14th, 2020 - by Chandler James

EDEN PRAIRIE, MN - To be faster, stronger, and more flexible are qualities that have consistently propelled growth over time, and these same attributes can be applied to a successful plan across programs and producers. With digital transformation for the supply chain in mind, C.H. Robinson is joining forces with Microsoft Corp.

Chris O'Brien, Chief Commercial Officer, C.H. Robinson“The pace of change we’re seeing in the supply-chain industry today is unparalleled. Being able to quickly scale and adapt our technology is what helps give our customers a competitive advantage,” said Chris O’Brien, Chief Commercial Officer, C.H. Robinson. “As we continue to invest and enhance our technology built by and for supply-chain experts, we look to partner with other best-in-class companies that bring the most value to our customers. Through Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform, we gain more scalability, premier data security, and increased application speed, which benefit our customers and carriers around the world.”

The partnership, according to a press release, will see a combination of C.H. Robinson’s Navisphere®, Microsoft Azure, and Azure IoT.

With digital transformation for the supply chain in mind, C.H. Robinson is joining forces with Microsoft Corp

This latest step will enable C.H. Robinson customers to have real-time visibility, the next step in revolutionizing the supply chain.

Jordan Kass, President of Managed Services, C.H. Robinson“The supply chain of the future is smarter, less volatile, and can be navigated with a new level of visibility thanks to the power of this relationship. Through this collaboration, our customers receive a greater competitive edge, as well as industry-leading insights and expertise,” said Jordan Kass, President of Managed Services at C.H. Robinson.

So, how does it work? Navisphere—C.H. Robinson’s global multimodal transportation management platform—will now leverage Azure IoT Central to integrate device monitoring that measures key supply chain components in shipments. Customers will now have an in-transit window to:

  • Temperature
  • Shock
  • Tilt
  • Humidity
  • Light and pressure

Sam George, Corporate Vice President, Azure IoT, Microsoft“We are committed to providing customers with a trusted, easy-to-use platform so they can build seamless, smart, and secure solutions regardless of where they are on their IoT journey,” said Sam George, Corporate Vice President, Azure IoT, Microsoft. “We’re thrilled to collaborate with C.H. Robinson as it transforms the supply-chain industry by leveraging our Microsoft Azure and Azure IoT solutions.”

In addition to its innovation on Azure, C.H. Robinson is leveraging Dynamics 365 and Power BI to streamline its customer relationship management (CRM) platform—bringing customer-centricity from small businesses to the world’s largest shippers. As part of this partnership with Microsoft, C.H. Robinson will integrate its real-time pricing, execution, and transportation management tools into Dynamics 365, making these capabilities available to Microsoft customers.

In its movement toward taking the supply chain into the future, C.H. Robinson will combine its Navisphere® with Microsoft Azure and Azure IoT Central

Together, C.H. Robinson and Microsoft will work with several Fortune 250 companies, making it easier to scale and develop new solutions to provide the world’s largest shippers with greater supply-chain efficiency, real-time insights, and visibility. To read even more about how this partnership is empowering both entities and those they serve, read the full release here.

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C.H. Robinson