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The global supply chain is at an inflection point. Traditional models are buckling under the pressure of unprecedented disruption, from technological advancements and geopolitical shifts to evolving consumer expectations and heightened sustainability concerns. This moment demands a fundamental rethinking of how we design, manage and optimize the flow of goods and services around the globe.
In the whirlwind of 2025’s supply chain landscape, agility is no longer a buzzword, it’s a survival skill. Every organization needs the ability to not just withstand disruptions, but to adapt and thrive amid constant change. Agile, more advanced companies can respond to market changes faster than their competitors, seizing new opportunities and gaining market share.
Technologies such as transportation management systems are key in providing the needed capabilities and insights to enable this speed and agility. Older, traditional TMS solutions can be compared to a giant ship – powerful, but slow to turn. In today’s environment, a better model is having a fleet of nimble speedboats – each with a specific purpose – working together seamlessly. That’s the power of componentized microservices platforms for TMS. And that is exactly what vendors like Manhattan are offering.
The power of componentized microservices
Manhattan TMS platform is one of those platforms that can be a game-changer for supply chain agility. It’s like the central nervous system, coordinating and optimizing movements, allowing for quick reactions and evolutions. Individual components can be updated, upgraded or replaced without affecting the entire system. This allows for faster adaptation to changing market conditions, customer demands and technological advancements. Need a new feature? Deploy it seamlessly without overhauling the whole system. Development cycles are shorter, and deployments are faster because teams can work on individual components simultaneously. The result is constant innovation, occurring in 90-day cycles and allowing for better responses to emerging needs.
Componentized microservices let companies select and implement only the TMS components they need, avoiding the bloat and cost of a traditional TMS. This allows for a more tailored and cost-effective solution that delivers greater value. Microservices architecture also enables automatic scaling of functionalities as needed, which ensures the solution can handle growing data volumes and evolving business requirements.
Unlocking faster implementation and ROI
What makes a componentized TMS such a powerful platform is that it provides all critical capabilities on a componentized basis, resulting in faster implementation, greater ROI and easier adoption by the end user. Quicker implementation means companies can start reaping the benefits sooner, including cost savings from optimized routing, improved efficiency from automation, and enhanced visibility for better decision-making. Shorter implementation times often translate to lower costs on consulting, training and configuration, freeing up resources for other strategic initiatives. Overall, a componentized approach enables companies to achieve a faster return on their TMS investment.
Unlike traditional, rigid TMS technology, a modern approach acts as a platform for innovation tailored to your unique needs. The power of a TMS platform built with modular components (microservices) is that it can be easily configured, extended and customized to each business, unlocking new levels of agility and value.
Driving competitive advantage through customization
Much like Lego bricks, it starts with a solid foundation of core TMS functionality. But then each enterprise can add or modify specific components to fit its exact requirements. Need specialized logic for carrier selection? Build it. Want to integrate with a unique internal system? Connect it.
This flexibility allows shippers to respond rapidly to changes such as new regulations, evolving customer demands or market shifts. Adapt the TMS quickly by adding or modifying components, without lengthy development cycles or costly overhauls. Customers can also build custom workflows and automation rules to streamline operations and eliminate manual tasks. For example, one might automate carrier selection, optimize load planning or generate customized reports. By developing unique functionalities, businesses can differentiate and gain competitive advantages, from creating specialized algorithms for route optimization to integrating with emerging technologies like blockchain for enhanced traceability.The ability to tailor the TMS to specific needs means shippers can maximize the return on their investment while achieving greater efficiency, cost savings and customer satisfaction.
One shipper, frustrated with traditional carrier selection based solely on price, built its own extension that incorporated unique allocation logic, prioritizing carriers based on their past performance on specific lanes, including on-time delivery rates, reliability and communication. The result? Improved carrier commitment percentages, reduced delays and a more streamlined, automated process.
This is just one of countless examples of how the composable architecture of a modern TMS can empower shippers to innovate, adapt and optimize transportation operations. By providing the flexibility to build custom solutions, these platforms unlock new levels of agility and value, enabling shippers to stay ahead in a dynamic and competitive market.
By adopting a componentized microservices platform, Manhattan offers more flexible, adaptable and scalable solutions. It empowers customers to navigate the complexities of modern supply chains with greater adaptability, speed and value. This approach is essential for providing the agility to compete in a rapidly evolving logistics landscape.
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Bart De Muynck is an industry thought leader with over 30 years of supply chain and logistics experience. He has worked for major international companies, including EY, GE Capital, Penske Logistics and PepsiCo, as well as several tech companies. He also spent eight years as a vice president of research at Gartner and, most recently, served as chief industry officer at project44. He is a member of the Forbes Technology Council and CSCMP’s Executive Inner Circle.
March 15, 2025
