What makes C.H. Robinson unique among major logistics companies? It’s not just that our people are the most creative and experienced in the business. It’s not just our trailblazing use of A.I. and advanced analytics. It’s not just our tight network of global connections, built over 120 years in business.
In fact, it’s all of the above: people and AI and trusted relationships.
That’s how we, better than anyone else, can offer our 83,000 customers integrated supply chain solutions that combine digital insights with human ingenuity, and end-to-end control with visibility down to the individual item. In a world of ever more intricate logistics networks, where disruption is not the exception but the norm, we help our partners gain control of their supply chains, save costs and improve every day.
But don’t take it from us, take it from them. For instance, from Qdoba, whose Director of Distribution & Logistics, Brian Uranowski, recently lauded C.H. Robinson for helping the popular Mexican Eats chain gain a new level of clarity in its supply chain.
“One of our big initiatives coming into the relationship with C.H. Robinson was visibility,” Uranowski said. “With C.H. Robinson, we’re now able to see that full picture.”
Qdoba is far from the only restaurant customer that can tell a story like this. In fact, we’ve worked with so many companies in the quick-serve business in the past few years that we can say we’ve helped to transform the sector itself.
What these food companies have in common is complex supply chains. They deal with perishable ingredients that come from dozens of vendors and suppliers in many different locations. Demand is highly variable, and supply can be inconsistent. Too often, suppliers and distribution centers are proverbial black boxes that make it hard to gain visibility upstream.
For restaurants, this kind of complexity frequently adds up to higher logistics costs and missed business goals. But at C.H. Robinson, we’re not fazed by complexity – we embrace it. And then we solve it by delivering tailored, tech-enabled solutions that simplify logistics and drive efficiency. And we do it at a global scale like no one else can.
That’s how we’ve helped many of these brands gain control of their global supply chains, so that they can see the big picture and at the same time keep track of every drum of vegetable oil, every batch of meat, and every case of produce in their system.
That approach is called Item-level Solutions, or in other words, end-to-end visibility and control across inventories and supply chains at the most granular level—by the individual item or SKU.
The foundation for success lies in four critical areas:
- Item-level visibility
- Purchase order management
- Supply chain design
- Inventory optimization.
By offering item-level visibility, we empower businesses to track individual SKUs in real-time, ensuring unparalleled control and insight into every facet of the supply chain. Our advanced purchase order management system digitizes and centralizes operations, eliminating errors and driving efficiency. Supply chain design, grounded in real-world data and scenario modeling, allows us to craft resilient, cost-effective networks tailored to our customers’ needs. Finally, inventory optimization leverages predictive tools and automation to align stock levels with demand, cutting costs and enhancing service delivery. Together, these elements form a tailored approach to transforming supply chains into engines of growth and innovation.
And with our combination of people, technology and global scale, nobody is better at delivering Item-level Solutions than C.H. Robinson.
A good deal of our experience was built in our Robinson Fresh produce business, where item-level control is crucial because of perishability as well as temperature and food safety demands. But it speaks for itself that these solutions aren’t limited to the food and restaurant sectors.
Other industries, for instance automotive, energy, healthcare, and retail, have supply chains that can be just as complex. But that’s where C.H. Robinson thrives. When you call on us, we’ll deploy the full depth of our technology and expertise to help you solve even the most stubborn logistics problems.
Why? Because supply chains aren’t just a part of the business—they can make or break your whole business. In today’s world, if you can’t move fast and adapt even faster, you’re already behind. Working together, we can help you stay ahead.
