FourKites forms advisory board to shape manufacturing tech

FourKites has launched a Manufacturing Customer Advisory Board, bringing together supply chain executives from major manufacturers to advise on product development and priorities for the sector.

The board includes eight members and FourKites said they offer more than 150 years of combined supply chain experience. FourKites said the group will provide guidance on product roadmaps and feature prioritisation. The company also expects input on industry challenges, emerging opportunities, and market validation of requirements and use cases.

The advisory board has members from First Solar, HNI Corp., Milwaukee Tool, Ardagh, Medtronic, LyondellBasell, and Trane Technologies. Brad Blizzard, former Vice President of Logistics and Product Delivery at Bridgestone Americas, serves as chairperson.

FourKites positions the move as a sector-specific approach to customer feedback. It already runs customer engagement programmes that feed into product planning, according to the company.

"Manufacturing supply chains require precision and agility to support global production networks," said Mathew Elenjickal, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, FourKites. "By partnering with manufacturing executives who understand the demands of synchronizing raw materials, finished goods and complex logistics networks, we can build solutions that drive operational excellence."

Board members

The Manufacturing Customer Advisory Board members are:

• Brad Blizzard as chairperson
• Bart Verbeke, Head of Global Logistics at First Solar
• Eric Zillig, Vice President of Distribution & Logistics at HNI Corp.
• Jeff Dudzik, Vice President, Supply Chain Transportation at Milwaukee Tool
• Kris Wilson, Senior Vice President and Global Chief Logistics Officer at Ardagh
• Punit Menon, Vice President, Global Distribution, Logistics & Trade at Medtronic
• Scott Campbell, Vice President, Global Supply Chain at LyondellBasell
• Tom France, Vice President of Global Integrated Supply Chain at Trane Technologies.

FourKites said the group will also share best practices on implementation and adoption. The company said it will use collaborative feedback from the board for strategic direction.

"Manufacturing leaders need technology that adapts to their operational reality, whether managing just-in-time delivery for production lines or coordinating global distribution networks," said Blizzard. "This advisory board will help ensure FourKites continues developing capabilities that solve the real challenges manufacturers face every day."

Customer input

FourKites said it engages customers across its product development lifecycle. It said 90% of companies that actively use the FourKites app share ideas through its IdeaExchange platform. FourKites said one in four of those suggestions reaches its product roadmap. It attributed more than 250 new features to that approach.

FourKites also highlighted its Intelligent Control Tower product. It said the product includes AI-powered digital workers that automate supply chain workflows. It said the company developed these digital workers based on customer feedback. It said the AI agents handle tasks such as carrier appointment scheduling, document collection and customer service inquiries.

First Solar uses FourKites, according to the company. Justin Carder, Logistics Operations Lead at First Solar, commented on its use of the technology.

"FourKites allows us to scale effortlessly to support increasing shipment volumes without proportional headcount increases," said Justin Carder, Logistics Operations Lead, First Solar. "This scalability, combined with our improved cost metrics and working capital management, positions First Solar with significant competitive advantages."

FourKites said it processes more than 3.2 million supply chain events daily, spanning purchase orders through to final delivery. The company said it works with more than 1,600 global brands. FourKites said its Intelligent Control Tower creates a real-time digital twin of orders, shipments, inventory and assets. The company said it uses this view alongside AI-powered digital workers to automate routine tasks and manage disruptions.

FourKites said the Manufacturing Customer Advisory Board will focus on product roadmaps and feature prioritisation for manufacturing use cases, and it will continue meeting with customer leaders as it develops and updates its offerings.