Supply chain technology providers often face strategic questions that cannot be answered through general market commentary. A company may need to understand how buyers are evaluating a specific category, how competitors are positioned, which use cases are gaining traction, or whether a new market opportunity is large enough to justify investment.

These are not simple marketing questions. They are strategy questions. They affect product direction, messaging, sales enablement, partnership strategy, investor communication, and go-to-market planning.

That is where a custom market research study can be especially valuable.

When General Market Insight Is Not Enough

Standard reports, analyst commentary, customer conversations, and sales feedback all have value. But they do not always answer the exact question a leadership team is trying to resolve.

A company may be trying to determine whether to enter an adjacent category. It may need to understand how a specific buyer persona defines value. It may want to compare its positioning against a set of competitors. It may be trying to determine whether a market is ready for a new technology approach or whether adoption is still too early.

In these situations, generic insight can leave important gaps. A custom market research study can focus directly on the question that matters most to the business.

Strategic Questions Custom Research Can Help Address

Custom research can support many types of strategic decision-making. It can help companies assess market opportunity, buyer priorities, competitive positioning, technology maturity, category definition, use-case adoption, and demand drivers.

For example, a transportation technology provider may want to understand how shippers are thinking about the future of transportation management systems as they become more connected to inventory, warehouse operations, procurement, and customer service. A warehouse automation company may want to understand how labor constraints are changing investment priorities. A visibility provider may want to understand how buyers distinguish between tracking, orchestration, risk management, and decision support.

In each case, the value of custom research is that it can be designed around a specific business decision. The research is not simply informational. It is actionable.

Supporting Market Positioning

Many supply chain technology markets are crowded. Buyers may see multiple providers making similar claims around AI, automation, resilience, optimization, visibility, orchestration, or end-to-end execution.

Custom research can help a company sharpen its positioning by identifying what buyers actually care about, where confusion exists, which claims are overused, and where differentiation may be strongest. It can also reveal whether the market language used by providers matches the language used by buyers.

This is especially important in emerging categories. When a market is still forming, providers often compete not only to win deals, but to define the category itself. Research can help clarify whether the market understands the problem the provider is trying to solve.

Informing Product and Commercial Strategy

Custom research can also help connect market strategy to product and commercial decisions. A leadership team may need to know which capabilities buyers consider essential, which features are seen as differentiators, which integrations matter most, or which buying triggers are creating urgency.

This insight can support roadmap planning, sales messaging, content strategy, pricing discussions, and channel development. It can also help align internal teams around a more disciplined view of the market.

That internal alignment is often one of the most valuable outcomes. When product, sales, marketing, and executive leadership are working from the same market understanding, the company can move with more confidence.

Research as a Foundation for Thought Leadership

Custom research can also become the foundation for stronger market education. A study may generate insights that support articles, webinars, executive briefings, sales conversations, or customer-facing narratives.

This does not mean turning research into promotion. The strongest research-driven thought leadership is credible because it begins with real market questions. It helps the audience understand what is changing, why it matters, and how decision-makers should think about the issue.

For supply chain technology providers, this can be a powerful way to move beyond product messaging and contribute to the broader market conversation.

When to Consider a Custom Study

A custom market research study is most appropriate when the question is important, specific, and tied to a business decision. It is especially useful when a company is entering a new category, refining positioning, preparing for a major campaign, evaluating market demand, supporting executive planning, or trying to better understand buyer priorities.

It can also be valuable when leadership teams are working from assumptions that need to be tested. In fast-moving technology markets, assumptions can become outdated quickly. Custom research provides a more disciplined way to evaluate whether the market still behaves the way the company believes it does.

For companies operating in supply chain, logistics, transportation, warehousing, automation, planning, visibility, and decision-intelligence markets, that discipline matters. The market is too complex for guesswork.

CTA: Download the Custom Market Research Study overview to learn how tailored research can support strategic planning, market positioning, and growth decisions.

If you have questions about whether a custom research study fits your company’s current market objectives, reach out to me directly at jfrazer@arcweb.com. I’d be glad to discuss where your priorities align with the Logistics Viewpoints and ARC Advisory Group research and market engagement calendar.

The post When a Custom Market Research Study Is the Right Tool for Supply Chain Technology Strategy appeared first on Logistics Viewpoints.

Supply chain technology markets are crowded, complex, and changing quickly. Buyers are trying to separate durable capabilities from short-term claims, while solution providers are trying to explain where they fit in a market shaped by automation, AI, labor constraints, global disruption, network complexity, and rising expectations for operational performance.

In that environment, visibility alone is not enough. Providers need credibility, context, and market education. They need ways to reach the right audience with substance, not just promotion.

For many supply chain, logistics, transportation, warehouse automation, planning, visibility, global trade, and decision-intelligence providers, the challenge is not simply getting in front of the market. The challenge is helping the market understand why a capability matters, how it fits into broader operating realities, and what buyers should consider as they evaluate options.

That is where Logistics Viewpoints and ARC Advisory Group can help. Through market research, advisory services, sponsored thought leadership, webinars, podcasts, supplier spotlights, and industry event sponsorships, companies can engage the supply chain market in a more substantive way.

This article introduces a series on how supply chain technology providers can build credibility, visibility, and executive engagement through research, advisory services, sponsored thought leadership, webinars, podcasts, supplier spotlights, and industry sponsorships.

Over the next several posts, this series will look at each path in more detail, including when it is most appropriate, how it supports market education, and how companies can use it to strengthen positioning, credibility, and demand generation.

Market Visibility Has Changed

There was a time when visibility could be built largely through advertising, trade shows, press releases, and sales outreach. Those tools still have a role, but they are no longer sufficient by themselves.

Supply chain executives are operating in a more complex environment. They are evaluating technology in the context of labor availability, network volatility, service expectations, inventory policy, automation strategy, AI adoption, sustainability goals, regulatory change, and global risk. A narrow product message can easily get lost if it is not connected to the larger market conversation.

That is why market education matters. Buyers need help understanding what is changing, why it matters, and how different approaches should be evaluated. Providers that can contribute to that education are better positioned to build trust.

Research Helps Clarify the Market

Research is often the starting point for stronger positioning. A custom market research study can help a company answer specific strategic questions, test assumptions, evaluate market demand, understand buyer priorities, or explore a new category.

Standard market research can provide a broader foundation. It can help companies understand market size, technology adoption, competitive structure, and investment trends. For companies operating in complex supply chain technology categories, research can support product planning, executive alignment, sales enablement, and market messaging.

Annual advisory support adds another layer. It gives companies recurring access to analyst perspective throughout the year, helping them interpret market signals, refine positioning, and stay aligned with industry direction.

Thought Leadership Builds Credibility

Market credibility is not built through claims alone. It is built through perspective. Companies need to show that they understand the problems their buyers face, the tradeoffs involved, and the direction of the market.

Logistics Viewpoints sponsorship, webinars, podcasts, and supplier spotlights can all support this goal in different ways. Sponsorship provides sustained visibility in front of an engaged supply chain audience. Webinars allow companies to explain complex issues in depth. Podcasts create room for executive perspective and market narrative. Supplier Spotlights help clarify company positioning through an analyst-framed discussion of strategy, capabilities, and differentiation.

The strongest thought leadership does not begin with a product pitch. It begins with a market problem. It helps the audience understand the issue, evaluate possible responses, and connect the discussion to broader operational priorities.

Events Create Strategic Market Presence

Some conversations are best developed through direct industry engagement. Events bring together executives, practitioners, analysts, technology providers, and decision-makers around the issues shaping the future of operations.

ARC Industry Forum sponsorship gives companies an opportunity to connect their brand and message with a broader executive audience. For organizations focused on supply chain, logistics, manufacturing, automation, industrial technology, infrastructure, and enterprise transformation, this can be a way to participate in the strategic conversations that influence market direction.

Choosing the Right Path

The right program depends on the business objective. A company looking to answer a specific strategic question may begin with custom research. A team that needs recurring market perspective may benefit from annual advisory support. A provider seeking broader awareness may look at Logistics Viewpoints sponsorship. A company with an educational story may choose a webinar. An executive team with a strong market point of view may choose a podcast. A supplier that needs clearer positioning may pursue a Supplier Spotlight. A company looking for strategic industry presence may consider ARC Industry Forum sponsorship.

These programs are not mutually exclusive. In many cases, the strongest market engagement strategy combines research, advisory insight, thought leadership, and audience activation. Research can clarify the market. Advisory can sharpen the strategy. Webinars and podcasts can educate the audience. Sponsorship can sustain visibility. Supplier Spotlights can reinforce positioning. Industry events can deepen executive engagement.

The common thread is credibility. In a noisy market, buyers respond to clarity, relevance, and substance. Companies that can explain where the market is going, why it matters, and how they help customers respond will be better positioned to earn attention and trust.

For supply chain technology and logistics providers, the opportunity is not just to be seen. It is to be understood.

Explore the Series Resources

For companies evaluating the best way to build market visibility, the following program overviews provide more detail:

Custom Market Research Study
Annual Contract Advisory Service
Standard Market Research Report
Logistics Viewpoints Sponsorship Program
Sponsored Webinar Program
Sponsored Podcast Program
Supplier Spotlight Program
ARC Industry Forum Sponsorship

If you have questions about which type of program fits your company’s market objectives, reach out to me directly at jfrazer@arcweb.com. I’d be glad to discuss where your priorities align with the Logistics Viewpoints and ARC Advisory Group editorial, research, and market engagement calendar.

The post How Supply Chain Technology Providers Can Build Market Visibility with Research, Webinars, Podcasts, and Thought Leadership appeared first on Logistics Viewpoints.

The global supply chain landscape is currently defined by rapid transformation and persistent volatility. This week’s developments underscore a shift toward greater operational resilience and adaptation, ranging from the immediate impact of the CBP’s suspension of the de minimis exemption to the mounting pressure of early peak season rate spikes. As shippers navigate these headwinds, we are also seeing structural long-term pivots, including significant federal investments in domestic nuclear manufacturing and a fundamental rethink of Transportation Management Systems—moving away from traditional software toward integrated, outcome-driven operating models. This week’s round-up explores how these forces are reshaping procurement, execution, and strategy for logistics professionals.

The End of De Minimis: CBP Suspends Low-Value Duty-Free Imports

In a monumental shift for cross-border e-commerce, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has implemented an interim final rule that indefinitely suspends the de minimis administrative exemption, which previously allowed shipments valued at $800 or less to enter the country duty-free with minimal clearance. As detailed in the Federal Register Interim Final Rule, all commercial imports arriving via ocean, air, and trucking lanes must now undergo formal or informal customs entry procedures, exposing them to standard tariffs and rigorous compliance checks. The sudden change, also highlighted in the official U.S. Customs and Border Protection Press Release, temporarily spares only the international postal network under a strict, flat-rate tariff structure. For direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands that have built entire supply chains around direct-from-factory shipping, this regulation effectively erases their primary cost advantage overnight. Logistics planners must now scramble to transition from fragmented individual parcel shipping to bulk ocean freight, bonded warehousing, and localized domestic distribution strategies to absorb the sudden surge in operational costs and clearance times.

Ocean Freight Spot Rates Surge as Early Peak Season Collides with Port Congestion

Global container freight markets are experiencing severe pricing pressure as an exceptionally early peak season collides with systemic network constraints. According to the latest Locada Intelligence Report, spot rates from Asia to the U.S. West Coast have jumped by over 23% to cross $6,800 per FEU, while East Coast routes have surged past the $8,100 threshold. This dramatic spike is being driven by sustained shipping diversions away from the Red Sea, acute port congestion, and a preemptive rush by retailers to front-load holiday inventory. With major carriers signaling further general rate increases that could push spot rates toward $10,000 per FEU on key lanes, shippers are urged to diversify their transport modes, secure capacity early, and prepare for a highly volatile and expensive third quarter.

Shoring Up the Grid: DOE Injects $17.5 Billion to Rebuild the Domestic Nuclear Supply Chain

To safeguard the nation’s energy independence and accelerate clean grid transitions, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced a massive $17.5 billion loan initiative aimed at financing the manufacturing of nuclear reactor components. As reported by Mining.com Coverage, the funding targets critical vulnerabilities in the specialized, highly concentrated upstream supply chain, which has historically plagued large-scale energy projects with severe delays. By providing low-cost capital to domestic fabricators of heavy forgings, coolant pumps, and control systems, the initiative seeks to establish a resilient, highly localized manufacturing base. For supply chain managers within the industrial and utility sectors, this federal backing—signified by Westinghouse’s secured allocations outlined in the Cravath Legal Announcement—signals a major push to de-risk high-consequence procurement, shifting reliance away from bottlenecked foreign suppliers.

Beyond Software: Why the Future of TMS is an Operating Model

The traditional software model for Transportation Management Systems (TMS), in which shippers purchase a system of record solely to execute tenders, routing guides, and audits internally, is rapidly shifting. Shippers are increasingly looking beyond basic software features to invest in entire transportation operating models. This evolution reflects a growing operational reality: deploying complex software does not automatically generate logistics excellence, particularly when an organization lacks internal process maturity, a robust carrier strategy, or real-time exception-management capacity. To bridge this execution gap, industry categories are blurring as TMS software, managed transportation services, and digital freight brokerages converge. Modern buyers are shifting focus away from legacy functional checklists and toward integrated solutions that bundle technology with embedded capacity, workflow automation, and concrete outcome ownership.

Autonomous Tendering Is Coming for the Routing Guide

The traditional, static routing guide, long the central control mechanism for freight execution, is struggling to keep pace with highly volatile transportation markets. In response, modern logistics operations are transitioning toward autonomous tendering, redefining the routing guide from a fixed ladder of preferred carriers into a dynamic, policy-driven decision framework. Instead of manually cycling through a sequence of static, pre-negotiated carrier rankings that may be outdated or misaligned with current lane conditions, next-generation systems continuously evaluate live variables. By analyzing real-time capacity, historical acceptance rates, spot market alternatives, service risk, and facility constraints, these platforms can determine which carrier is most likely to deliver the optimal outcome under current conditions. This evolution does not eliminate contract rates or human oversight; rather, it establishes automated guardrails that operationalize procurement expertise at scale, ensuring logistics decisions are optimized for real-world execution rather than historical assumptions.

The post Supply Chain and Logistics News Weekly Round Up June 22nd-26th 2026 appeared first on Logistics Viewpoints.