en.Wedoany.com Reported - C.H. Robinson has launched a new system called Lean Engineer AI, which the company claims is the first solution capable of continuously evaluating and improving overall performance while operating a customer's global supply chain. This technology is being used to serve its 4PL managed solutions customers and works in conjunction with the Lean AI Planner, released in September. C.H. Robinson states that together, they form a single connected system uniquely capable of enhancing supply chain operations.
Jordan Kass, President of Managed Solutions at C.H. Robinson, noted that the breakthrough here is a closed-loop AI system that continuously runs and improves ongoing operations, self-correcting when issues arise without requiring human intervention to first identify the problem. The Lean AI Planner handles real-time execution, while the Lean AI Engineer studies results, identifies patterns, adjusts logic, and influences future decisions. This system eliminates the need for standalone supply chain intelligence and orchestration tools.
In terms of application, C.H. Robinson reports that Lean AI Engineer currently autonomously handles 92% of global 4PL shipments, covering the entire process from order creation through tendering, route planning, delivery, exception handling, and carrier payment, encompassing truck, ocean, air, and rail transportation.
The impetus for launching this system is that most supply chains still separate execution from improvement. Shipments are managed in real-time by Lean AI Planner, while optimization is typically conducted through post-event reviews. Lean AI Engineer aims to close this loop, creating a system that helps improve the supply chain while it operates, continuously evaluating the network to identify opportunities and risks, and feeding intelligence back into operations.
The Lean AI Planner was launched last year. C.H. Robinson began building AI models and AI agents in 2023 and has already connected hundreds of AI agents directly embedded into customer workflows. The Lean AI Engineer was added earlier this year to complete the closed loop of continuous execution and intelligence, moving from concept to customer readiness in less than two months.
The primary benefit for shippers is a shift from periodic improvement to continuous improvement, with constant network monitoring to identify opportunities and risks, enabling action before performance is impacted. This translates into faster identification of cost-saving opportunities and cost leakage, early detection of service risks, quicker response to disruptions, consistent execution across regions, and continuous supply chain improvement as intelligence accumulates with every shipment.
Currently, the biggest task for Lean AI Engineer is identifying unnecessary expenditures before they accumulate, by continuously evaluating freight flows for process improvement opportunities—such as identifying lanes where transportation frequency can be optimized, avoiding premium freight, and discovering opportunities for consolidation, deconsolidation, or mode conversion. It is designed to replicate the capabilities of a human supply chain engineer, but with scale, continuity, and the ability to consider both historical and current performance simultaneously.
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