New Emerge offering focuses on data-driven decision-making for shippers

Earlier this week, Scottsdale, Arizona-based Emerge, a provider of its proprietary Digital Freight Marketplace (DFM) and TMS focused on accelerating productivity and increasing visibility for supply chain stakeholders and freight procurement, rolled out a new offering is part of its RFP solution that it said empowers data-driven decision-making.

Entitled Emerge Benchmarking, the company explained that this Machine Learning (ML)-enabled product updates and aggregates freight industry data from “numerous trusted sources,” equipping shippers with real-time business intelligence and market insights, in order to quickly evaluate options and also make informed decisions.

Andrew Leto, Emerge Founder and CEO, told LM that a key driver for Emerge Benchmarking is focused on how the ongoing volatility in the freight market makes it challenging for shippers to know when and how to react to a business environment where rates and capacity change constantly and significantly.

“Emerge Benchmarking provides actionable real-time business intelligence, empowering shippers to make data-enabled decisions in freight procurement,” he said. “Emerge Benchmarking is one of several product enhancements planned to help customers make data-enabled decisions. Other predictive analytics solutions are in the works at Emerge, and we plan to launch them later this year.”

As for the main shipper benefits of Emerge Benchmarking, Leto noted that understanding market bid activity and market insights enables shippers to hedge during periods of market instability.

“Shippers know how they are performing against industry averages and have the granularity to isolate specific lanes where they are below market and can take action through mini bids to address the issue,” he said. “The information they gain through Emerge Benchmarking is real-time, actionable, and all in one place.”

When asked to show how Emerge Benchmarking is used by shippers, Leto said that at any moment in time, Emerge Benchmarking users can compare their specific pricing for one particular lane against the market.

“Knowing if current pricing is at, above, or below the industry average, users can take action to address rates in those lanes, on a 3-, 6-, 9-month or annual bid,” he said.

Addressing Emerge Benchmarking’s main competitive advantages, Leto said that Emerge Benchmarking is just one of many enhancements it plans to add value for Emerge customers.

“We are committed to continuous improvement and innovation,” he said.

Emerge is unique in offering a freight procurement solution designed specifically for the freight industry. Our industry-leading technology, extensive expertise in the freight industry, and a clear focus on the needs of stakeholders in the freight market are all factors in our rapid growth.”

Leto added that Emerge was named the second fastest-growing business in the Southwest Region by Inc. 

Analyst insight: Steve Banker, Vice President, SCM at ARC Advisory Group, observed that to do the kind of benchmarking Emerge is doing is not easy.

“You need the right kind of architecture—a public cloud,” he said. “You need to have permission from the users of the solution that data can be aggregated to provide insights and that this can be done in a way that protects client confidentiality. Other transportation solution providers have not been able to secure those permissions. And you need network effects—visibility to billions and billions in transportation spend. Emerge has achieved all three of these things.”