These insights come from multi-year conversations with executives across automotive, tech, consumer sectors and logistics, including beverage and oil & gas.

The message is consistent: supply chain has moved to the boardroom. Shippers now buy outcomes, not activity, and they expect LSPs to demonstrate value with hard numbers rather than polished decks.

What shippers value

Shippers focus on P&L impact. They want clear improvements in on time, in full (OTIF), cost per unit, inventory days and CO₂ per shipment. They expect LSPs to get the basics right first — safe, reliable teams supported by consistent SOPs, and only then introduce technology that accelerates and simplifies decisions. Clean, shareable data with clear Source–Make–Deliver ownership is more important than any “digital” label.

Standardisation and early collaboration are also priorities. Joint design beats RFQ ping-pong, and contracts that include gain-sharing encourage real innovation. At the same time, the EV transition is reshaping expectations. LSPs must operate dual ICE/BEV fleets, comply with dangerous goods (DG) rules, manage weight/axle constraints, handle battery flows and provide charging in yards. Sustainability has become a core operational KPI: higher fill rates, smarter modes and tighter networks reduce carbon and cost in tandem. And across all of this, sector fluency matters. Specialists who understand regulations and distribution rhythms often outperform generic scale.

How LSPs win

The LSPs that stand out are those who prove their impact with transparent, recent numbers. They bring redesign ideas before the RFQ and propose gain-sharing where it fits. They publish their EV and DG readiness, from yard charging strategy to high-voltage training, and run a consistent exception cadence that protects sold orders. They use AI where it already delivers results: cleaning data, improving ETA accuracy and triaging exceptions. They also make integration painless with APIs, clean EDI and shared control-tower views. Commercially, they price what they can guarantee, build in corridors for volatile inputs and tie innovation fees to measurable outcomes.

Finally, they show the depth of their team via named leads, cross-training and succession planning.

90-day quick wins

Early wins are available. A sold-order “fast lane” with clear milestones can reduce lead times and raise hit rates. A disciplined consolidation calendar lifts fill rates and lowers both cost and CO₂. Basic EV yard upgrades such as marked BEV bays, mobile charging, adjusted load plans and DG rehearsals, build credibility fast. A lightweight exception-triage bot can summarise issues and pre-fill communications. And carbon should be made auditable from the start, with a clear method, a current baseline and monthly tracking of fill and mode.

Common pitfalls

LSPs often stumble when they lead with scale instead of sector fit, sell buzzwords instead of outcomes, or burn teams on tactical heroics while core flows remain broken. Other traps include vague data terms that stall procurement and bespoke country processes that undermine standardisation.

Your 6–18-month roadmap

The path forward starts with a “control-tower lite” model: shared visibility, exception rules and then predictive ETA and auditable CO₂. Build vertical playbooks under a common core, refresh contracts to include gain-sharing and innovation sprints, and invest in a people pipeline that blends operations and data skills. Finally, scale up EV readiness across your footprint: charging infrastructure, DG training and reverse logistics for batteries.

Why this matters

Shippers have more choice than ever. The providers who win combine sector expertise with standardisation, measurable P&L impact and easy integration. They aren’t just moving product, they’re protecting revenue, lifting margins and reducing risk for their customers.

A synthesis of executive interviews across automotive, tech, consumer and logistics: what’s working, what isn’t, and what leaders should do next.

Over the past few years, I’ve interviewed senior leaders across automotive, tech, consumer and logistics. Different industries, same message: supply chain has moved from back office to boardroom. Here’s a plain-English summary of what works, what doesn’t, and what to do now.

Supply Chain Strategy

Supply chain now shapes revenue, margin and the customer experience. Treat it as a competitive capability, not a cost line. The leaders who win show P&L impact, not just activity.

People first

Performance starts with people: safety, fair pay, good tools and leaders who don’t micromanage. Trust, and promises kept, move work forward faster than any system.

Data before “digital”

Before buying AI, fix the basics: clean, shared data and clear Source–Make–Deliver ownership. If the data and process logic are shaky, automation only scales the noise.

Standardise and collaborate

“One way, best way” beats local tweaks. Shared standards (including emissions reporting) and genuine OEM–supplier/LSP partnerships cut waste, reduce risk and speed decisions. Contracts should reward innovation, not just the lowest rate.

Learn across sectors

Bring automotive’s rigour and cost discipline, and borrow retail/FMCG speed and customer proximity. Cross-industry learning is often the quickest route to workable ideas.

Sustainability as an operating metric

Carbon is becoming a monthly KPI. Many “green” moves such as higher fill, better network design, smarter modes, also save money. Make CO₂ a decision input, not a press release.

Electrification is redesign, not reinvention

EVs change weight, safety and charging needs; batteries bring dangerous-goods constraints. Most networks can adapt with yard and process redesign. Expect a long overlap of ICE and BEV fleets and plan service, parts and logistics accordingly.

The sticking points

• Fragile tiers: Chips, chemicals and upstream constraints exposed shallow visibility and slow run-out decisions.

• Silos and legacy systems: M&A adds data debt; “digital” fails without discipline.

• Outbound pinch: Finished-vehicle logistics is tight, specialised and fragmented; complexity is rising.

• Talent gaps: We need leaders fluent in software and operations.

• Carbon accounting: Methods are inconsistent; audit-ready standards are still maturing.

• EV infrastructure: Public and compound charging lag; battery DG rules limit premium expedites.

• Geopolitics and infrastructure strain: Shifting trade lanes and congested ports/rail/roads add cost and risk.

What works: the practical playbook

• Measure like finance: Build certified baselines for cost, service and CO₂; track progress as you track cash.

• Run end-to-end: Daily tier reviews, shared KPIs and inventory positions, and systematised run-out decisions.

• Think global, act local: Central standards; agile regional execution.

• Redesign flows, don’t just squeeze: Fix the data model and core process logic rather than hunting 2–3% productivity at the edges.

• Invite partner ideas and pay for them: Gain-sharing and flexible contracts unlock better answers.

• Protect what matters: Prioritise sold orders over stock moves to reduce noise and waste.

• Be EV-ready: Charging, battery handling, temperature and fire protocols, training, and reverse logistics for packs/modules.

• Tell the P&L story: Link availability and service to revenue, loyalty and margin.

Where the opportunity is

• AI for planning and exceptions once the data foundation is sound.

• Cleaner, smarter ocean shipping now (routing/port-call optimisation); alternative fuels as they scale.

• More regional, flexible networks with smaller asset footprints.

• Used-car logistics and hybrid sales models as direct and dealer channels converge.

• Circular, pooled packaging to raise density and cut cost/CO₂.

• Cross-OEM collaboration on standards, lanes and capacity where it makes sense.

What leaders should do now

1. Lock in data discipline and make Source–Make–Deliver ownership explicit.

2. Treat sustainability as cost, risk and growth, not a side project.

3. Upskill teams in analytics and software; hire for “bits + atoms.”

4. Align incentives with partners so innovation pays for both sides.

5. Plan for the dual-fleet decade and design EV logistics deliberately.

6. Keep the board narrative simple: revenue protected, margin lifted, risk reduced.