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Day: 2 July 2025

Sorting Robots Boost Fulfilment Capacity

Posted on by David Priestman

THG Fulfil, fulfilment and courier management solution, has announced a partnership with intelligent robotics provider, Libiao. The collaboration will see the installation of 430 state-of-the-art T-sorting robots into THG Fulfil’s automated Manchester warehouse facility, a move projected to increase operational capacity by approximately 75%.

The T-sorting robots are set to be operational in September 2025, providing THG Fulfil with the capacity to output c1 million units per day – a move that will strengthen THG Fulfil’s ability to manage peak demand as it onboards new brands and retailers ahead of the holiday season.

THG Fulfil provides solutions by seamlessly integrating automation, AI-driven technology and proprietary software, delivering customer satisfaction. The strategic implementation of Libiao’s innovative robots is testament to THG Fulfil’s commitment to leveraging advanced automation to enhance speed and improve efficiency across its ecommerce operations. The modular and flexible design of the T-sorting system allows for dynamic scalability, enabling THG Fulfil to rapidly adapt to fluctuating consumer demand, regardless of seasonality.

Libiao’s T-sorting robots are renowned for their high stability and fault tolerance capabilities, boasting a remarkable sorting accuracy of up to 99.9%. The system is engineered to sort for multiple destinations simultaneously, with electroplating robots operating on optimal paths to maximise sorting efficiency. The technology also offers significant space-saving advantages due to its low footprint requirements and versatile deployment options across warehouse levels.

Furthermore, THG Fulfil is Libiao’s UK distribution partner, enabling brands and retailers to access Libiao’s cutting-edge robotics solutions and benefiting from THG Fulfil’s proprietary technology, optimisation and know-how. Brands and retailers will also benefit from rapid deployment capabilities, with installation of Libiao’s robotics solutions possible in as little as three weeks. This short project cycle contributes to fast and high return on investment, resulting in a typical return period of less than three years.

Tom Killeen, COO, THG Ingenuity, said: “We have always believed that fulfilment is a core driver of customer excellence and brand reputation. Our collaboration with Libiao further solidifies our commitment to providing brands and retailers with industry-leading, scalable automation solutions that optimise everything from pick and pack to final mile delivery, ultimately enhancing customer experience and driving loyalty. Our unique approach, which often sees 95% of all units sold moving through some form of automation, combined with our late NDD cut-off times of up to 1am, is truly what sets us apart. We are committed to investing in the future of logistics, while empowering our clients to meet and exceed evolving consumer expectations with unparalleled efficiency.

Jason Zhang, VP of Sales – Europe, Libiao, said: “We’re excited to partner with THG Fulfil, showcasing the elegance and scalability of Libiao Robotics’ solutions. Our compact, modular robots enable rapid plug-and-play deployment. With THG Fulfil as our UK distribution partner — leveraging their vast retail network and warehouse automation expertise — we look forward to expanding Libiao’s reach across new industries. At Libiao, our mission is to make the world more efficient, and this collaboration is a meaningful step toward that goal.”

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Logistics and Shipping Support Teams are Adopting Agentic AI

Posted on by David Priestman

Delivering results is the reason why logistics and shipping support teams are adopting agentic AI, writes Sebastian Glock, Director of Product Marketing & Technology Evangelist at Cognigy.

Billions of letters, parcels, and shipments are delivered each year. They cross international borders and state lines, spanning languages, cultures, and time zones. These are truly global operations. A melting pot of variables at an almost unimaginable scale. Providing consistently strong customer support under these conditions is extremely challenging. As well as acute seasonal peaks in volumes, there are unpredictable spikes in demand. When even 99.8% of transactions go smoothly, companies still face millions of potential inquiries.

Compounding these challenges, labour shortages in contact centres, alongside rising expectations for rapid, digital-first services, are straining customer service teams. Fragmented TMS, WMS, ERP, and CRM systems hinder end-to-end visibility, slowing time to resolution and frustrating customers and staff alike.

AI helping hand

Multinational shipping firms like DHL are turning to the latest generation of AI assistance for support. With human-like interactions in multiple languages, the ability to complete entire workflows, and the reasoning and autonomy to do so, agentic AI is quickly proving to be an invaluable tool in customer service and support.

Not your everyday chatbot

Agentic AI differs from conventional chatbots in almost every way. Where chatbots run off scripts and keyword identification, the AI agents truly understand language and can readily switch between languages. They accurately identify and respond to key information, even when it’s phrased unusually. For example, a customer might say, “I’m expecting a parcel, and so is my housemate,” to which the agent would confirm, “So, we’re talking about two parcels? Please can you confirm the shipment number or numbers if these were two separate orders?”

But the differences between bots and AI agents don’t just stop there. As well as language comprehension, agents have reason and logic. They apply context and variables to their responses, accounting for things like delivery windows or temporary routing conditions. They hold on to this context, even across long and complex interactions, and can work across channels (chat, voice, messaging apps), ensuring customers get the help where and when they need it.

This logic and reasoning shines when we consider agents are integrated with back-end systems and given executional permissions. Not only do they understand the customer’s goal and have access to their profile and account history, but they can also analyze multiple systems at once, deduce the actions needed to resolve the issue, and then see them through – all autonomously. This is incredibly useful for actions like shipment tracking, delivery changes, and pickup requests.

Seb Glock, Cognigy

Agents are, in fact, proactive in their operations. They actively start and complete workflows without direct human prompting, provided it helps them achieve their goal. So, should a delay in shipping arise, for example, agents could proactively inform customers, confirm new delivery windows, and attempt to find the appropriate workaround. Likewise, they can chase up late payments or send reminders.

Supporting DHL internationally

You can begin to see why DHL adopted such a powerful tool to support its customer service teams. Processing over 15 billion letters and parcels annually, the company’s 0.2% inquiry rate means it still handles over 30 million customer service interactions each year. With an increasingly international customer base with a preference for phone interactions, DHL needed multilingual support across time zones that could handle its colossal scale.

The deployment of its AI voice agent, Paula, has helped the company maintain a high customer satisfaction score of over 80%, lowered operational costs, and reduced response times. Fully integrated with their CRM, SAP, and Salesforce, and providing multichannel, multilingual support, Paula has relieved a significant amount of strain on DHL’s customer service teams. And when inquiries sometimes prove too complex, Paula seamlessly hands over to a human agent.

Benefits at scale

Agentic AI presents a new chapter in customer support services. Offering demonstrable value at scale, shipping and logistics companies are becoming more resilient, efficient, and cost-effective as they continue to deploy AI agents. Human workforces are relieved of repetitive, high-volume inquiries and are able to focus on higher-value interactions. And customers continue to enjoy satisfying interactions, with faster resolution times and fully digital support. The future is agentic.

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Shipper TMS SaaS Solution Launched

Posted on by David Priestman

CtrlChain announces the launch of its Shipper Transport Management System (TMS), a SaaS solution built from the ground up to challenge the status quo of logistics technology.

Designed to address the complexity and fragmentation of today’s fast-paced logistics environment, the system provides a unified, scalable solution that supports all transport modalities, including full truckloads (FTL), less-than-truckloads (LTL), groupage, and parcels.

Companies like Ingram Micro, PON, and VDL rely on CtrlChain’s technology to support their logistics operations; and the system continues to scale with them as they expand into new markets.

A Unified System for Full Shipment Lifecycle Management

CtrlChain TMS consolidates all core transport management functions: carrier setup, rate management, order execution, shipment tracking, documentation, and compliance into one centralized system. This integrated approach eliminates the operational silos and software fragmentation that often slow down logistics teams and create data inconsistencies.

At its core is high-quality, actionable data that goes beyond simple shipment tracking. By analyzing key data points across the transport flow, the system helps businesses optimize routes, reduce delays, and address disruptions before they scale, without constant manual intervention.

“Shippers don’t need another rigid platform,” said Giovanni Gubbels, CEO at CtrlChain. “They need visibility that goes beyond surface-level tracking. They need insights that help them act fast, stay reliable, and deliver a better experience to their own customers.”

Shippers can onboard and manage their own carrier networks or work with CtrlChain’s vetted partners, all while retaining full control over workflows and data.

Addressing Fragmented Logistics Markets

Both U.S. and European markets remain highly fragmented. Over 90% of road freight companies are small businesses operating with fewer than 10 trucks. CtrlChain TMS is designed to operate reliably in these environments.

As a cloud-based solution, it requires no heavy IT infrastructure. Businesses can go live in days through a fast, intuitive onboarding process, minimizing the delays typically associated with traditional logistics software. Shippers are free to configure their own network and operate independently, without being locked into a predefined one.

Scalable Architecture to Support Growth

CtrlChain TMS is engineered to grow with the business, from small regional operations to enterprise-level global logistics.

“Scalability is not a layer we added later, it’s part of the core architecture,” said Rik Van Elk, VP of Technology at CtrlChain. “Whether a customer is moving 50 shipments a week or 50,000, the system handles it without requiring costly integrations or performance tradeoffs.”

This ensures that growing teams maintain consistent control, speed, and traceability across their operations.

Key Functional Capabilities

CtrlChain’s approach to TMS is defined by six core capabilities:

1. Real-Time Visibility
Live status updates via telematics, geofencing, and mobile app integration enable timely response and proactive decision-making.
2. Carrier Management
Shippers can onboard and manage their own carriers or use CtrlChain’s vetted network while maintaining full control of relationships and data.
3. Procurement Automation
Centralized management of rates, contracts, and order workflows reduces administrative load and ensures consistency.
4. Multimodal Transport Support
Supports FTL, LTL, groupage, and parcel shipments, adapting to a wide range of logistics models and geographies.
5. Infrastructure Ownership
All operational data and processes remain with the shipper, avoiding vendor lock-in and preserving long-term control.
6. Scalability
Handles increasing shipment volumes, teams, and regions without compromising performance or visibility.

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