December 2025
Supply Chain News to Know

 
 
December 2025

News To Know

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Your teams might be using AI, but is it helping them resolve problems that slow cash, inflate inventory, or erode margin? According to research, probably not. But you could... Let's dive in.

 
 
 

 The Lead: Freeing Up Capital
 
 
 
 
 
According to Bain, “The semantic layer is becoming the bottleneck for agentic AI — without a shared representation of business objects, even the most advanced models cannot autonomously act.”

For supply chain leaders, this means your AI is stuck in observer mode. It can flag a problem, but it can't fix it. It can't orchestrate across nodes because it doesn't fundamentally understand what needs orchestrating.

In his latest for Logistics Viewpoints, FourKites Founder and CEO Matt Elenjickal argues that this is exactly why so many automation projects fail to launch.
 
 

  In View
 
 
 
 
 
  • You might be operating in a “normal” demand environment now, but your cost baseline never reverted to pre-pandemic levels. FourKites’ Tyler Nickel examines how you can address structural cost drivers.
  • CNBC’s Lori Ann LaRocco reports that imports are falling after tariff frontloading led to a trade surge, led by Chinese goods, and the Port of Long Beach is concerned about jobs and the economy.
  • After years of experimentation, 2026 is when AI shifts from potential to proof. Read what FourKites leaders predict will change.
 
 

  Numbers to Know
 
 
 
 
 
2025 Year in Review.png
 
 
According to FourKites data, retailers and CPG companies used the summer months to position inventory domestically, moving it from ocean containers to forward stocking locations well before the holiday rush.
 
 
“
Words of Wisdom
 
 
“In 2026, supply chain leaders need to ask the tough questions that force organizations to reconcile what they say they want with how they're structured to operate. The tension between growth mandates and cost-focused accountability isn't going away until someone calls it out directly.”

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Stephen Dyke
PRINCIPAL SOLUTIONS CONSULTANT, FOURKITES
 
 

  ICYMI
 
 
 
 
 
  • In a recent webinar, FourKites, Nucleus Research, and a Fortune 500 supply chain advisor tackled the tension between AI recommendations and autonomous action, realistic ROI timelines (hint: 6-9 months), and why 32% of companies say autonomous decision-making is critical to scale.
  • FourKites launched its Food and Beverage Customer Advisory Board, comprised of eight influential supply chain leaders from leading food and beverage companies who will provide strategic guidance on product development, industry challenges and emerging opportunities.
 
 
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