By Geoffrey Berselli Published on 5 mars 2026 4h00

While the energy transition is focusing on electric or hydrogen-powered engines, an obvious truth is still struggling to assert itself: the massive reduction of CO₂ emissions will not come primarily from changing engines, but from transforming the way logistics flows themselves are organized.

According to the 2024 transport report, the transport sector remains the largest emitter of greenhouse gases (34%), ahead of agriculture (21%) and industry (17%). Yet most political and industrial attention remains focused on technological solutions such as electric batteries or hydrogen for heavy vehicles.

However, when it comes to long-distance freight transport, these technologies face major obstacles: the weight of batteries, the scarcity of infrastructure, the high cost of hydrogen, and the enormous energy requirements needed to produce and distribute it. In this context, betting everything on new propulsion technologies risks creating a “green illusion” that diverts attention from more immediate and effective solutions.

Logistics flow reduction: intelligent sobriety

The decisive lever lies in eliminating unnecessary freight flows through better route optimization and the pooling of logistics operations, particularly through logistics pooling and Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI). These collaborative intelligence solutions attack waste at its root: partially loaded trucks (average load rates of 60–75%), empty return trips (20–40% of journeys, according to a study by the Union TLF), duplicate routes between competing suppliers.

In logistics pooling, a software “control tower” automatically generates optimization calculations using specialized software. These tools analyze stock levels and the needs of different actors to generate the orders to be placed and to plan optimal loading. Suppliers in the retail sector—often competitors in the market—become allies in logistics operations. By joining the same “pool,” they group their inventories in a shared warehouse so that their orders can be loaded from a single location. Logistics pooling therefore promotes cooperation rather than competition.

Retailers who pool their supply chains reduce their emissions by at least 25%. With Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI)—where the supplier manages the client’s inventory in order to optimize deliveries—truck load rates can reach 85–100% in large-scale retail, drastically reducing unnecessary trips and the carbon footprint. At the national level, eliminating just 10% of unnecessary journeys would already represent several million tonnes of CO₂ avoided—without massive subsidies and without waiting until 2030.

A European challenge

Digital platforms now make it possible to synchronize shippers, carriers, and industrial companies. They reduce empty trips, anticipate orders, and adjust freight flows to real needs. The enormous waste in the logistics chain is therefore not inevitable: intelligent management of flows is within reach. The challenge now is to convince Europe to adopt this pragmatic approach, which has already been tested and can be deployed immediately from our territories. Just as energy demand reduction in buildings has become a central lever of the energy transition, logistics flow reduction represents a model of efficient and sustainable sobriety, replacing the race toward new engines with a genuine collective project based on organizational intelligence.

Encouraging the fiscal incentives for pooling, opening data platforms, and promoting cooperation are structural efficiency levers that could accelerate decarbonization more effectively than any technological breakthrough. Investing in the control and optimization of logistics flows means choosing the fastest, most frugal, and most profitable lever for a truly sustainable transition.

Geoffrey Berselli
Deputy Managing Director– Interlog Group,
an Orléans-based mid-sized company specializing in the optimization of logistics flows, currently expanding internationally with the upcoming opening of an office in India.

Economie Matin Article

Written by Jim GREGOR

VP Interlog North America

Using Freight Audit Insight to Navigate Tariff Complexity

For today’s importers, landed cost forecasting has become a moving target.  A shipment that clears under a manageable duty rate in June might arrive with a different cost in July.  These swings can erase margin overnight and force supply chain into constant damage control.  Freight Audit professionals experience the turbulence firsthand.  Every shipment record, every customs line, and every charge tells a story about how trade policy and transportation dynamics shape cost.  When those details are analyzed together, they offer a clearer picture than any stand-alone system can provide.   For example, as US – China trade parameters co to shift in 2026, companies need a grounded understanding of how these pressures shape their cost structure.  Systems and technology can collect the data, but people provide the analysis that turns data into solutions.

The Ongoing Challenge of US – China Duties

Tariffs between the United States and China have changed repeatedly in recent years, and the pattern shows no signs of stabilizing.  Even minor changes in the tariff schedule can have major effects when applied across thousands of units or dozens of product categories.  The difficulty is compounded by the pace of change.  Many organizations discover the impact of a new duty rate only after the goods have already moved, leaving little time to adjust pricing or communicate budget updates internally.  The uncertainty is what frustrates planning the most.  Import teams often find themselves trying to reconcile freight costs from transportation platforms, customs entries from brokers, and supplier terms from spreadsheets or ERP systems.  Because these tools were not originally built to interact, it becomes difficult to understand how duties and freight combine to influence the full landed cost.  Freight Audit helps resolve this challenge by consolidating the shipment details, carrier charges, and duty information into one view.  When these pieces are joined, questions that once required hours of manual comparison can be answered in minutes.

The Expanding Role of Freight Audit

Freight Audit was once defined by its original purpose, verifying freight invoices and recovering overcharges.  That responsibility still matters, but the function has matured into something much more strategic.  Modern audit processes capture granular shipment detail, transportation behavior, carrier performance, and accessorial trends.  Layering customs records and tariff classifications onto that data gives companies a deeply textured understanding of how logistics decisions and trade policy intersect.  Because the audit process maintains years of historical detail, it offers a long-term view of cost movement.  Organizations can see how certain goods behave under different duty regimes, which suppliers drive volatility, or which lanes repeatedly show discrepancies.  These insights enable companies to anticipate potential cost pressure rather than waiting until the issue appears on an invoice or in a margin report.

From Raw Data to Tariff Awareness

Using audit intelligence to guide tariff strategy depends on linking systems that were never originally designed to work together.  Freight details, customs entries, supplier records, and tariff codes are often maintained in separate platforms.  Integrating them creates a continuous understanding of how costs behave.  Once combined, the information becomes easier to analyze.  Teams can more easily identify where landed cost shifts originate.  As companies improve their ability to interpret these patterns, they move from simply reviewing invoices to actively managing tariff exposure.  Collaboration across departments is essential.  Freight Audit can bring insights to light, but logistics, procurement, compliance, and finance must coordinate to act on them.  When they share one data foundation, they respond faster and with a clearer understanding of the trade-offs involved.

A Real-World Example

A U.S.  importer recently noticed an unexplained increase in landed cost on several China-origin products.   Freight rates had remained stable, so the finance team assumed the issue was a carrier billing problem.   After reviewing the Freight Audit data alongside customs records, the real cause became clear.   A few key products had been reclassified under a new tariff code, triggering higher duties that blended into total shipment costs.

Once identified, the company appealed the reclassification and adjusted supplier agreements to recover costs.   The discovery led to several million dollars in savings and improved forecasting accuracy.   Without the Freight Audit data connecting the dots, the issue could have gone unnoticed for months.

A Second Scenario Highlighting the Human Factor

Another company importing electronic components experienced recurring fluctuations in landed cost that seemed to track with changes in routing.  The data alone showed the variance, but it took a Freight Audit analyst to notice the pattern: shipments routed through certain ports experienced different inspection practices that affected the timing and classification of goods.  The issue was not the tariff schedule itself but the way the entries were being processed in specific locations.  This insight allowed the importer to shift routing, clarify documentation requirements, and negotiate new terms with suppliers to better manage the risk.  It is a reminder that even with sophisticated systems, human interpretation remains essential.

Why 2026 Will Be a Turning Point

The coming year is expected to introduce additional shifts in US – China policy, especially involving technology-related goods, automotive components, industrial materials, and certain consumer products.  Companies that wait for these changes to be finalized often find themselves reacting too late.  Freight Audit intelligence allows organizations to model possible outcomes long before they materialize.  By examining historical behavior alongside expected policy timelines, companies can simulate how tariff increases or reclassifications might affect margin.  They can test the downstream effects of moving production from one Chinese province to another or shifting to a third-country supplier.  These scenarios support more realistic budgeting and give procurement teams a stronger foundation for negotiation.  When organizations have a view of potential cost shifts in advance, they protect margin more effectively and avoid the rapid scrambling that follows sudden policy changes.

Moving Beyond Recovery Toward Predictive Insight

Recovering overcharges will always be part of Freight Audit’s identity, but the most competitive organizations now use audit data to predict the conditions that create those overcharges in the first place.  By studying patterns in surcharge changes, port behavior, and carrier routing, companies can see where volatility tends to emerge.  This understanding helps them adjust their operations to preempt problems rather than correct them afterward.  Many firms now build quarterly or even monthly landed cost forecasts driven by Freight Audit data.  These projections incorporate everything from historical duty patterns to freight behavior to supplier reliability indicators.  The result is less guesswork and more confidence when planning budgets or committing to pricing.  The Freight Audit function becomes not only a safety net but also a strategic advisor.

How Organizations Use Freight Audit Intelligence Across Teams

Finance relies on Freight Audit data to improve forecasting and manage accrual accuracy.  Procurement uses it to evaluate suppliers based on total landed cost rather than headline pricing.  Logistics uses it to identify routing inefficiencies, negotiate carrier agreements, and understand the true impact of operational decisions.  Compliance uses it to verify classifications and catch duty issues before they become expensive mistakes.  Because each department draws from the same set of verified shipment information, organizations avoid the confusion that comes from competing versions of the truth.  This alignment speeds decision-making and reduces the risk of overlooking cost drivers that sit outside any one department’s line of sight.

How Companies Build a More Tariff-Aware Audit Process

Companies that want to improve tariff strategy usually begin by improving data quality.  Ensuring that SKU-level information, tariff codes, and purchase order data are captured consistently is the foundation for everything else.  Integrating customs records into the freight audit system creates a single reference point for landed cost.  Clear dashboards make it easier to identify trends such as rising duty exposure or shifting carrier patterns.  Automated alerts allow teams to act quickly when something in the cost structure changes unexpectedly.  When teams meet regularly to review these insights, they turn data into action.  Over time, the process becomes part of how the organization operates rather than a project to revisit once or twice a year.

Keeping Data Practical and Human

The real purpose of Freight Audit intelligence is not to produce endless data but to make cost information understandable.  A clean visualization showing landed cost by supplier or by port can help teams focus on the issues that truly matter.  Technology ensures accuracy, structure, and scale, but it is human interpretation that brings meaning and direction.  Experienced analysts look beyond the numbers, identifying themes, inconsistencies, or subtle patterns that automated systems would never flag.  This combination – strong data with strong human judgment – is what helps organizations stay ahead of cost volatility.

Finding Clarity in a Complicated System

Tariffs will remain complicated and often unpredictable.  The rules will shift, and the market will shift with them.  But with accurate Freight Audit data, companies can see the effect clearly, sometimes even before it fully materializes in their cost structure.  Visibility turns confusion into control.  Freight Auditors often describe their work as transforming scattered or noisy information into a narrative that others can use.  Every data point represents a detail in that story, and when the story is understood, supply chain decisions become more grounded and far less reactive.

The Future of Freight Audit and Trade Insight

The same structures that help organizations manage tariff unpredictability now support other areas such as emissions reporting, risk scoring, and supplier performance monitoring.  Freight Audit has evolved into a central hub that connects finance, logistics, procurement, compliance, and supply chain strategy.  As global trade becomes even more complex, having one trusted source of shipment-level truth becomes a competitive advantage.  Rather than acting as a back-office checkpoint, Freight Audit is emerging as a strategic intelligence function.  It gives companies a clearer understanding of how their supply chain behaves, how their costs shift, and where they can improve resilience.

Conclusion

The relationship between the United States and China, and across the globe, will continue to evolve in unpredictable ways.  But unpredictability does not have to lead to confusion.  Freight Audit intelligence gives organizations the clarity needed to understand where their costs are rising, why they are changing, and how to respond effectively.  When companies use this insight strategically, they can anticipate landed cost movement, prepare for tariff-related shifts, and protect margin in a challenging trade environment.  Technology organizes the data, but people interpret it.  And when informed people are supported by structured, reliable data, uncertainty becomes far more manageable.  In a world shaped by shifting trade dynamics, that combination is a genuine advantage.

Written by Jim GREGOR

VP Interlog North America

Contact: jgregor@interlogservices.com | +1 734 585 6413

The transport sector is entering a new era. Long organized around intermediaries, it is set to experience a historic break in the coming years: new information technologies now make it possible to connect supply and demand directly. Thanks to digitalization and real-time tracking tools, companies can now aspire to manage their transport operations in a direct, transparent, and autonomous way.

Transport: a distinct function

Yet transport remains, by its very nature, a distinct economic function. It “belongs to no one.”
It is the only economic function that connects different actors without ever being part of their core business.
Neither the shipper nor the consignee is meant to make it their profession. From this uniqueness arises the emergence of a market for expertise, intended to be operated by “trusted third-party” companies capable of ensuring consistency, neutrality, and performance between shippers, carriers, and consignees. This role of independent expert—guarantor of the performance of transport operations between different economic worlds—becomes all the more essential in a context of accelerated disintermediation.

The transport market: an irreversible structural transformation

This shift marks the end of the intermediation model that is the core business of very large historical operators, most of them multinationals. Their activity consists of buying transport capacity to resell it to their customers, and their objective is therefore naturally to maximize margins.

Intelligence: the new horizon of the transport function for shippers

By contrast, turning to an expert trusted third party allows shippers to rely on a provider whose goal is to ensure the efficient use of transport budgets. Digital platforms, often presented as the ultimate solution, remain to date mere passive tools: they facilitate connections but do not replace strategic thinking, the governance required for a well-controlled supply chain, or a commitment to results. The abundance of data enables independent expert managers to demonstrate the level of performance of the budgets entrusted to them, both in terms of operational efficiency and pricing. The performance indicators derived from this data finally give shipper clients the ability to understand a function that lies outside their core business. We are therefore quite literally entering an era of intelligence in the transport function—intelligence being defined, etymologically, as the capacity to understand.

The transport sector is thus not undergoing an evolution, but a structural rupture.

By Jean Marie Mascarenhas Founding President of Interlog Group

Supply Chain Village Article

Interlog Group is proud to announce its participation in the 2025 Supply Chain Night alongside BJORG & Compagnie, one of the major players in the organic and plant-based food industry in France. Together, we have been nominated for a joint project that showcases how a strong 4PL partnership can significantly enhance transport efficiency and financial control.

This nomination recognizes the value of Interlog’s expertise and the measurable impact achieved through our collaboration with BJORG & Compagnie.

Overview 

Our customer, BJORG & Compagnie, handles considerable annual transport volume, and recognized the need to improve control and performance in their transportation spend.

With a 30-person Supply Chain team and a large nationwide distribution network, reducing transportation costs, increasing visibility, and optimizing operating efficiency was a critical task.

Interlog Group supports BJORG & Compagnie through three complementary areas of expertise, creating a fully integrated 4PL ecosystem:

• Audit and payment of transport invoices
• Outsourcing of logistics and transportation operations
• Supply Chain IT solutions that give transparency and control

Key objective: To provide greater visibility, cost control, process clarity, and operational performance throughout the whole transport chain.

A Structured Multi-Phase Deployment

This project was implemented within 8 months, supported by two 2-month hypercare periods, and mobilized a common team of 16 professionals from both organizations.

This collaborative approach ensured:

• Robust governance
• Smooth operational transition
• Rapid adoption by teams
• Sustainable performance outcomes

The nomination reflects the success and impact of the partnership.

Help us win the Public Choice Award!

Interlog Group & BJORG & Compagnie are among the finalists for La Nuit de la Supply Chain 2025, your vote could help us bring the people choice award home.

Vote for our project here: https://candidatures.republikgroup.fr/fr/applications/nuit-de-la-supply-chain-2025/sessions/trophees-des-achats-2024-duplicate-1c589e-duplicate-a45bcd-duplicate-5a5f54/688b630eb10963c8965667b6?type=vote&id=664c9e70c1fce899d2361054

Thanks for supporting a project that combines innovation, teamwork, and operational excellence. Please share the link – every vote counts! 

Join Us at the 2025 Supply Chain Night Ceremony. 

The ceremony will be held on 15 December at Théâtre Mogador. All nominated projects will be presented, and the winners will be announced on stage. We are excited to represent Interlog Group and demonstrate the strength that comes with our 4PL excellence.

In recent years, a trend has emerged where large third-party logistics companies (3PLs) have begun offering white-labeled 4PL services. In this setup, the 3PL operates behind the scenes, providing services under the client’s brand name. To the outside world, it appears that the client is fully managing their supply chain, while in reality, the 3PL is calling the shots. At first glance, this arrangement sounds appealing. It promises simplicity, a seamless experience, and the appearance of having complete control. However, the truth is more complicated.

While white labeling might seem like a convenient shortcut, it comes with some significant disadvantages. In many cases, working with an independent 4PL provider delivers far greater transparency, accountability, and long-term value.  Here are some of the key reasons why relying on a white-labeled 4PL solution can actually create more problems than it solves.

The Conflict of Interest Problem

The most fundamental issue with white-labeled 4PL services is the built-in conflict of interest. A 3PL’s primary business revolves around moving goods using its own assets, technology platforms, and preferred partner network. These companies make money by selling their transportation services, warehousing space, and related offerings. When a 3PL also serves as a 4PL, it is expected to act as a neutral, strategic advisor. However, its financial incentives remain tied to its core business.

This creates a natural tension. Imagine asking a car dealership for unbiased advice on whether you really need a new vehicle. You might get some good suggestions, but odds are they’ll recommend a solution that involves you driving off the lot with one of their cars. In the same way, a 3PL posing as a 4PL may appear to present a wide range of options, but behind the curtain, it can be prioritizing its own services or its closest partners.

The client is left believing they are receiving an objective, data-driven strategy when in fact decisions may be influenced by what benefits the 3PL most. This hidden bias can lead to higher costs, missed opportunities, and logistics processes that serve the provider’s interests rather than the client’s.

An independent 4PL avoids this problem entirely. Because we do not own trucks, warehouses, or transportation networks, we have no reason to push a particular carrier or warehouse. Every recommendation is based on what delivers the best results for the client, whether that means lower costs, better performance, or faster delivery times. This independence allows companies to truly optimize their logistics without worrying about hidden agendas.

Accountability Gets Murky

Another major drawback of white-labeled services is the lack of clear accountability. When a 3PL operates invisibly under the client’s brand, it can become extremely difficult to identify where problems originate.

Picture this scenario: a shipment is delayed, a customer is upset, and your internal team needs answers fast. Who is actually responsible for resolving the issue? Is it your company, since the service is being presented as yours? Is it the white-labeled 3PL, who is actually running the show? Or is it a downstream carrier that dropped the ball? By the time you untangle the chain of responsibility, valuable time has been lost and frustration has escalated.

This confusion is not just inconvenient, it can have real business consequences. Delayed responses erode customer trust, and slow problem resolution can lead to additional costs. It also creates internal strain, as employees are forced to spend time chasing answers instead of focusing on strategic improvements.

Independent 4PL providers eliminate this problem by serving as a single point of accountability. This clarity makes it easier to address issues quickly and gives the client peace of mind knowing they have a true partner standing behind them.

Limited Access to Innovation

Large 3PLs are highly invested in their own systems, platforms, and technologies. When they offer white-labeled services, they naturally gravitate toward solutions that align with their existing network. This can severely limit the client’s access to new ideas or cutting-edge tools.

For instance, a 3PL might have its own transportation management system (TMS) or freight audit process that it insists on using. Even if there is a better, more advanced tool available on the market, the client may never see it. In some cases, the 3PL may not even mention that other options exist.

This kind of limitation can stifle innovation and prevent companies from exploring new ways to gain a competitive advantage. Over time, the client’s logistics strategy may start to feel outdated and inflexible, while competitors who work with independent 4PLs continue to evolve.

How white labeling limits innovation:

• Forced reliance on outdated or proprietary systems.
• Fewer opportunities to test emerging technologies or new carriers.
• Limited flexibility to adapt quickly to market changes.
• Reduced visibility into industry trends and best practices.

Independent 4PLs bring a much broader perspective. Because they are not tied to a single network or system, they can evaluate and integrate best-in-class solutions from across the industry. Whether it is implementing a new data analytics platform, testing a different carrier model, or adopting emerging technology, an independent 4PL can move quickly and creatively to deliver what the client truly needs. Think of it like being free to shop at multiple stores, rather than being locked into a single brand that may or may not have what you want.

The Illusion of Control

At first, white labeling might feel empowering. After all, the service operates under the client’s brand name, giving the impression that the company is fully managing its own supply chain. But this is often just an illusion.

When a 3PL controls operations behind the scenes, the client loses visibility into how decisions are made and what data is being collected. Key insights about performance, costs, and customer trends may remain hidden within the 3PL’s systems. Over time, the client becomes dependent on the provider, unable to fully understand or replicate the processes on their own.

This dependency can be dangerous, especially if the relationship ever needs to change. Transitioning away from a white-labeled service can be incredibly difficult because the client may not have access to the systems, data, or workflows that have been running under their brand. It’s a bit like renting a house for years, only to find out that you never really knew how the plumbing worked until you owned a place yourself.

By contrast, an independent 4PL works transparently, giving clients full access to their own data and a clear view of how decisions are made. This transparency empowers the client to build its own capabilities over time, creating true control rather than just the appearance of it.

The Branding Trap

There is also a subtle branding risk to consider. When a 3PL operates under your name, your company becomes closely tied to the quality of its services. If the 3PL underperforms, customers will not blame the 3PL because they never knew it was involved in the first place. They will blame you.

Imagine an important client experiencing repeated delivery problems. From their perspective, your company is directly responsible. Meanwhile, you may have very little control over the actual operations causing the issue. This disconnect can harm your reputation and strain relationships with key accounts.

Working with an independent 4PL protects against this scenario. Because the 4PL is openly identified as a partner, it is clear to everyone involved who is responsible for which aspects of the supply chain. This clarity helps protect your brand while still delivering high-quality service.

Why Independent 4PLs Stand Out

Independent 4PLs are designed to be objective, flexible, and client-focused. Their entire purpose is to serve as a trusted advisor and strategic partner. By staying free of asset ownership and network obligations, they can focus solely on optimizing performance and driving long-term value for the client.

What sets independent 4PLs apart:

• Unbiased recommendations based on performance and value, not internal interests.
• Freedom to work with any carrier, technology, or partner that fits your needs.
• Transparent processes and open access to data.
• Single point of accountability for all logistics functions.
• Flexible, innovative strategies that evolve with your business.

An independent 4PL understands that logistics is not just about moving freight from point A to point B. It is about building strong relationships, fostering innovation, and creating resilient systems that can withstand disruption. Sometimes that even means injecting a bit of humor into challenging conversations. After all, if we can’t laugh about a delayed shipment once in a while, we might just cry instead.

The Bottom Line

White-labeled 4PL services from large 3PLs may sound appealing at first. They promise simplicity, brand consistency, and an easy path to outsourcing logistics management. However, beneath the surface, they introduce serious risks: conflicts of interest, murky accountability, limited innovation, loss of control, and potential damage to your brand.

Key takeaways:

• White labeling hides conflicts of interest that can drive up costs.
• Accountability becomes unclear, slowing problem resolution.
• Innovation is restricted by reliance on a single provider’s systems.
• Your brand’s reputation is tied to a service you do not fully control.
• Independence ensures transparency and protects your long-term strategy.

Choosing an independent 4PL provides a different path. It offers transparency, flexibility, and a true partnership built on trust. With an independent provider, you gain not only a logistics expert but also a dedicated ally focused entirely on your success.

In logistics, there are no shortcuts to building a supply chain that is both efficient and resilient. While white labeling might seem like a clever workaround, the long-term costs often outweigh the short-term convenience. Working with an independent 4PL ensures that your strategy remains your own, your data stays in your hands, and your future remains firmly under your control.

And if you ever need someone to help sort out a freight bill, an independent 4PL will be there to untangle the mess, no white labels required.

Jim Gregor

VP North America

jgregor@interlogservices.com 

We’re excited to share that Interlog Group, recognized experts in supply chain management and leaders in freight audit solutions, has renewed its ISAE 3402 certification with BDO.

What This Means for Our Clients

This internationally recognized assurance standard confirms that Interlog Group maintains:

– Strong internal controls across all operations

– Secure management of carrier setup and bank information

– Reliable and transparent audit processes, including freight audit workflows

Why It Matters

As trusted supply chain experts, we understand that security, compliance, and process reliability are essential. Renewing our ISAE 3402 certification ensures our partners can continue to rely on us for secure and efficient freight audit and supply chain management solutions.

Our Commitment to Excellence

This renewal reaffirms our dedication to operational excellence, data security, and continuous improvement. It ensures our clients receive the highest level of trust and compliance across all services.

As Freight Spend Management experts, we know that the performance of a company’s supply chain is a key factor for business success. Data analysis and visibility are indispensable.

With double expertise in the fields of transport and information processing, INTERLOG translates, analyzes and synthesizes your data in order to assist you in making strategic decisions.

Freight Spend Management is based on the control of invoices and transportation data that analyze your data flows, giving you a clear view on your expenses, budgets, and the opportunity to identify cost reductions. Our transportation experts at Interlog combine freight audit expertise with data analysis of BI tools to bring you these opportunities to make a true Freight Spend Management service.

The collection and analysis of your data is at the heart of our service. We believe making transportation a growth vector for your company is key factor of success in a fast-moving transportation landscape.

If there’s one word that sums up today’s business climate, it’s speed. Products are developed and released faster. Customers expect service without delay. Competitors are quick to launch alternatives. And behind the scenes, supply chains stretch across multiple continents, making every move more complicated.

For companies, the challenge is clear: if you can’t deliver quickly and adapt to shifting demand, you’re at risk of falling behind. Yet speeding up isn’t as simple as shaving a few days off a shipment. True acceleration comes from rethinking how the supply chain works end-to-end. That means looking at lead times, production planning, logistics choices, and even the way teams communicate internally.

Interlog Group has been working with global organizations on these exact challenges. Through its Studies & Consulting services, the firm helps clients uncover where time is being lost, how to realign operations with real demand, and what steps will make the biggest impact on speed and resilience.

The Rising Stakes Around Time-to-Market

Think about how customer expectations have changed in the last decade. With same-day delivery available in retail, the idea of waiting weeks for a product feels outdated. Whether you’re selling consumer goods, industrial components, or technology, the expectation is the same: fast, reliable, and flexible delivery.

But customers aren’t the only factor. Supply chains themselves have become fragile. One late shipment from a supplier in Asia can hold up production lines in Europe or North America. Port congestion, strikes, tariffs, and geopolitical issues ripple across the system in ways that were easier to absorb in the past but are now critical risks.  These factors have a bigger impact when the lead times are shorter.

And then there’s demand. It rarely behaves the way forecasts suggest and the slightest variation in demand has significant consequences upstream in the supply chain, known as the “bullwhip effect”. Consumer preferences change quickly, seasonal peaks come earlier or later than expected, economic shifts push demand up one month and down the next. For companies trying to match production to this moving target, the old models aren’t enough.

The result is simple: businesses need to move faster, but also smarter. Cutting time-to-market isn’t just about speed for speed’s sake—it’s about staying relevant and competitive.

Where Companies Get Stuck

Most organizations know they need to move quicker. The issue is figuring out how. Delays are rarely concentrated in one obvious place. Instead, they’re scattered: a supplier that’s slow to respond, a production line that isn’t flexible enough, customs procedures that take too long, or transportation routes that are outdated.

What makes things harder is the way decisions are often made. Procurement focuses on costs, production teams on efficiency, logistics on capacity, and sales on customer needs. Each group may be doing its job well, but when they aren’t working in sync, the overall system slows down.

Forecasting is another stumbling block. Many companies still rely on models that lean heavily on historical data. That worked in more stable markets, but in today’s environment it leads to mismatched supply and demand. The result is inventory sitting idle in one place while customers are waiting in another.

And finally, there’s a technology gap. Plenty of businesses have invested in systems, but they don’t always connect across departments or regions. Decisions get made on partial data, and by the time the full picture is clear, it’s often too late to act.

How Interlog’s Studies & Consulting Approach Solves the Problem

Interlog Group steps into this picture with a mix of structured analysis and practical consulting. The process usually begins with a full study of the supply chain. Every stage—from sourcing materials to delivering the finished product—is mapped out. Lead times are measured not just in theory, but in practice, with all the real-world delays factored in. This creates a clear diagnostic: where the time is being lost, what causes it, and which delays matter most to the end customer.

From there, the focus shifts to strategy. Interlog works with clients to build out scenarios. What if a key supplier misses deadlines? What if demand jumps by 20% in a month? What if shipping shifts from ocean to rail? These exercises aren’t abstract—they give businesses the ability to react in real time because the playbook has already been considered.

Another core piece is demand alignment. Rather than depending only on backward-looking forecasts, Interlog helps companies integrate real demand signals into planning. That could mean refining the sales and operations planning process, resetting safety stock levels, or adopting tools that better connect sales data with production schedules. The goal isn’t perfection.  Forecasts will always be imperfect, it’s your responsiveness that moves the bar.

On the operations side, changes are often more hands-on. Interlog’s consultants might recommend diversifying the supplier base, redesigning transport routes, streamlining customs processes, or digitizing manual workflows. Every action is tested against financial impact, so improvements are not only faster but also cost-effective.

What makes this work is that Interlog doesn’t stop at strategy. Implementation support – training teams, embedding new processes, monitoring results – is part of the service. Change is difficult in any organization, and lasting improvements require more than a slide deck.  Our practical implementation is the key to lasting improvement.

What the Results Look Like

The outcomes speak for themselves. A manufacturer working with Interlog saw delivery lead times drop by 25% after bottlenecks in supplier management and customs were addressed. A consumer goods company implemented new demand-driven planning and cut excess inventory by nearly 20%, while also avoiding stockouts during the busiest season. In technology, scenario planning made it possible for a client to switch suppliers midstream when shortages hit, keeping product availability steady while competitors were stuck in delays.

These aren’t isolated wins. They show that when time-to-market is treated as a strategic priority, and when studies lead to action, businesses can build supply chains that are both faster and more resilient.

Why Interlog?

There’s no shortage of firms offering supply chain advice. With modern technology, many firms can offer some of these services.  What sets Interlog apart is the combination of deep specialization and practical execution, combined with our signature independence. We are not simply another carrier offering a simplified consultancy.  We are a true Supply Chain Optimization provider with decades of experience across freight, logistics, auditing and optimization, the team brings a level of insight that comes from being embedded in the industry.

The approach is data-driven but never detached. Every recommendation is backed by analysis, but also tailored to the realities of the client’s industry and geography. And most importantly, Interlog stays with clients through implementation, ensuring that strategies don’t just sit on paper but deliver real results.

Interlog’s global reach also matters. Supply chains today rarely stop at one border, and having a partner that understands the nuances of multiple regions makes a difference. Whether navigating customs in Europe, sourcing in Asia, or distributing in North America, the experience is there.

Where Companies Can Start

For businesses looking to accelerate time-to-market, the first step is often the simplest: visibility. Mapping out the current supply chain, with a focus on real lead times, provides the clarity to see what’s slowing things down.

From there, the priority is usually alignment—getting procurement, operations, logistics, and sales to work toward the same goal rather than optimizing separately. Integrating demand signals into planning creates responsiveness, while scenario planning builds resilience.

Of course, these steps take resources and expertise. That’s why many organizations bring in outside support. With Interlog, they gain both the structured analysis to pinpoint issues and the consulting expertise to fix them.

Turning Speed Into Strategy

At the end of the day, speed isn’t just an operational detail. It’s a strategy. Companies that deliver quickly and adapt to demand shifts are the ones that outperform. Those that don’t, struggle to keep up.

Interlog Group’s Studies & Consulting services give businesses the tools and guidance to shorten lead times, align production with real demand, and build supply chains that can withstand uncertainty. It’s not about chasing speed for its own sake—it’s about making speed part of a company’s competitive edge.

For organizations ready to move faster and smarter, the path is clear: take a closer look at your supply chain, find out where the time is really going, and partner with experts who know how to turn analysis into action.

Ready to Move Faster?

📌 Interlog Group’s Studies & Consulting team can help you uncover delays, align production, and transform your supply chain into a driver of growth.

👉 Contact Interlog today

Freight Spend Management

Our 4PL model is a single point of contact for every logistics function. We are the conductor, orchestrating multiple 3PL providers, suppliers, and stakeholders, making coordination easier. Having all logistics functions at one location eliminates inefficiencies and improves visibility along the supply chain. Also, it makes decision making easier when you know what is happening in your supply chain.  We schedule meetings according to your schedule to monitor what is happening in all aspects of the supply chain.

• Freight Audit & Payment

By examining the data and market trends of your company, we uncover savings opportunities, negotiate better contracts, and optimize shipping routes. We also mitigate risks by proactively addressing disruptions, and maintaining the integrity of your supply chain despite factors like global supply shortages, pandemics, and economic recessions.

• Logistics Operations

One of the biggest challenges to logistics is managing many vendors and service providers. Our 4PL model streamlines all the players, from manufacturers to distribution partners, for optimal communication and coordination. This integrated strategy reduces bottlenecks and overall inefficiencies.  We have also developed specific tools that optimize your flows and streamline your operations, reducing time inefficiencies and increasing customer satisfaction.

• Business Intelligence & Consulting

Utilising daily visibility and key performance indicators (KPIs), we provide complete reporting and analysis to track your supply chain performance. Analysis and consultations become a daily part of our work.  You have a team of experts you can call anytime you need them. Our commitment to constant improvement allows us to work together to continually optimize your processes, keeping your business competitive in an evolving market, and making your supply chain as effective as possible.

• Supply Chain IT Solutions

Our team of developers are working daily on cutting-edge technology, including analytics and cloud-based platforms, to deliver end-to-end supply chain visibility and the tools to optimize it. With our data driven approach, businesses can make informed decisions, predict demand uncertainty, and optimize inventory levels to lower costs and delays. Since our platforms have been created by professional developers, hand-in-hand with logistic professionals who are in the field daily, our tools are precise and effective.

Why Use Our 4PL Model?

By using our services, your supply chain will be transformed into a smarter, quicker supply chain that optimizes efficiency, reduces costs, and increases customer satisfaction. Our expertise in logistics management, freight audit and payment, and consulting and IT solutions ensures your supply chain is operating at its peak at all times, allowing you to focus on your core business operations.

Are you ready to transform your supply chain? Contact us today to learn more about how our 4PL solutions are helping the growth and efficiency for our customers with:

Freight Spend Management

• Freight Audit and Payment
• Logistic Operations
• Business Intelligence & Consulting
• Supply Chain IT Solutions

● Alignment of demand and supply to reduce excess inventory and optimize loads (full-
load planning);
● More informed choice of transport modes and more effective multimodality ;
● Better alignment between sales forecasts and production forecasts, thus reducing the
need for emergency deliveries, which are the costliest and most polluting (incomplete
and non-optimized loads) ;
● Better balance between production and distribution, in order to avoid transport peaks :
● Better collaboration between services over the long term, to optimize transport choices
and reduce unnecessary journeys ;
● A wide range of performance indicators (KPIs), including those relating to CO2
emissions.

Thanks to its ability to control and optimize all these elements, S&OP can serve as a strategic
platform for deploying more efficient and sustainable transport operations throughout the
company and its system of partners. It is therefore crucial, especially in the context of a strategy
to reduce GHG and achieve operational excellence, because it helps to identify and eliminate
energy waste, optimize resource use, and reduce carbon emissions.
Against a backdrop of decarbonization, this means rethinking production, logistics and
distribution processes to make them more respectful of the environment, while at the same time
maintaining or improving quality and productivity.
It's now clearer than ever, data-driven management, more than the energy transition of vehicles
(or at least before the energy transition of vehicles), is the quickest way to increase transport
performance, and therefore reduce carbon footprint.
ISO 14064 and Blockchain: further steps toward control of CO2 emissions
ISO 14064 is an international standard that specifies the principles for the quantification,
management, and reduction of GHG emissions. It also requires transparency in emissions
management, in particular through the communication of results. The companies that adopt it
commit to quantified objectives and must be able to report on them – which S&OP does very
well. On the one hand, the objectives of quantifying, managing and reducing emissions can be
integrated into the S&OP process to align operational planning with sustainability strategies. For
example, S&OP can include performance indicators based on GHG emissions, enabling more
informed decision-making, in line with the company's reduction targets defined by ISO 14064.
Energy consumption and emissions data can also be integrated into S&OP processes, enabling
companies to adjust their operations to use renewable energy sources or more efficient
processes.
On the other hand, S&OP meets transparency requirements by centralizing and structuring the
necessary information into integrated reports. This approach will be even more efficient and
reliable by leveraging blockchain technology.
Integrated into S&OP, blockchain offers an opportunity for transparency and traceability
throughout the supply chain. Thanks to this technology, companies can record and track every
stage of the production and distribution cycle, ensuring that actions and decisions regarding
carbon emissions are verifiable, accepted, and audited in real time.
This not only enables emissions to be tracked in accordance with ISO 14064, but also to ensure
that every player in the supply chain respects its commitments to reduce emissions. Blockchain
can also facilitate the certification of CO2 emissions, making carbon credits and decarbonization
projects more reliable and traceable.
S&OP, blockchain and the ISO 14064 standard can therefore be interconnected to create a
sustainable, transparent and efficient operations planning strategy.

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