NTT DATA and Penske Logistics today presented the 29th Third-Party Logistics Study 2025 , led by Pennsylvania State University’s John Langley , which analyzes the evolving dynamics of the supply chain under the theme Navigating Change , reflecting current challenges within the industry.
The study covers topics under three key areas: change management in carriers and 3PLs (third-party logistics providers); artificial intelligence (AI) , and the importance of direct-to-consumer experience.
In this regard, the study highlighted that carriers (61%) and 3PLs (73%) agree that change management in the supply chain is vital , driven mainly by customer experience, economic factors and technological advances.
Among survey participants, 58% of carriers and 76% of 3PLs currently use a change management structure .
“This reinforces what we’re seeing in the market about companies trying to manage the volatility of daily operations through new capabilities like artificial intelligence and closer relationships with partners,” said Shanton Wilcox, executive vice president of Supply Chain Consulting at NTT DATA.
Both carriers and 3PLs agree that AI can be key to automating data analysis , identifying patterns, solving problems and automating repetitive tasks, resulting in competitive advantages for the business.
The results revealed that 33% of shippers are looking for implementations related to supply planning and demand forecasting, while 19% of 3PLs said they plan to implement implementations in this area.
Additionally, 27% of shippers expressed interest in transportation and route optimization technologies , while 22% of 3PLs indicated they plan to install these capabilities.
“This year’s study once again succeeds in providing readers with detailed information on the key issues facing our supply chains today. Technology will drive the industry forward in many exciting ways,” said Ramu Pannala, vice president of Supply Chain Technology at Penske Logistics.
On the other hand, 48% of shippers and 53% of 3PLs said customers typically expect delivery in less than two days, and 27% of shippers and 26% of 3PLs said they expect delivery in three days or less.
In this context, carriers (44%) and 3PLs (38%) are willing to absorb a small percentage of the costs related to shipping speed, as they consider delivery speed and greater visibility of deliveries to be key areas of differentiation.
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