Industrial manufacturers are navigating unprecedented challenges due to global disruptions, material shortages, and rising costs. To help address these complexities, Blue Yonder recently hosted the Industrial Connect event on March 12, 2026, at the Microsoft Innovation Hub in Chicago. The complimentary half-day gathering brought together industry leaders from organizations like Border States, SiteOne, Novolex, and Wesco to share actionable insights on building resilient, sustainable, and responsive supply chains.
The event focused heavily on how companies can transition from traditional, siloed operations to unified, data-driven networks. Attendees discussed real-world use cases detailing how end-to-end AI and Cognitive Solutions capabilities are transforming operations. From navigating complex warehouse implementations to tracking end-to-end carbon emissions, the sessions provided a clear blueprint for companies looking to optimize their supply chain performance in an evolving global market.
Driving warehouse efficiencies at Border States using Cognitive Solutions
As the sixth-largest electrical distribution company and a 100% employee-owned organization, Border States shared its ambitious journey toward a Cognitive Solutions managed warehouse ecosystem. They are currently building a multi-echelon distribution network designed to fulfill customer needs with a smart, unidirectional flow that seamlessly handles exceptions.
Their immediate milestone is a major go-live in Fargo, Minnesota in April 2026, which involves managing 25,000 distinct stock-keeping units. Following this, the rollout will expand to Phoenix, Chantilly Bay, and other large branch locations. The organization highlighted its technological evolution: moving from manual spreadsheets to a standard warehouse management system and ultimately to Blue Yonder Cognitive Solutions Warehouse Management, which leverages AI-driven agents.
Mastering change management and value transformation during technology adoption
Technology is changing rapidly, and organizations must be willing to adopt or test out new solutions to stay competitive. However, technology alone cannot drive success without proper alignment and adoption. A dedicated panel discussion unpacked the realities of supply chain transformation, emphasizing that change management is the critical bridge between vision and execution.
Key strategies shared during the panel and value transformation sessions included:
- Creating a dedicated change management group to increase user adoption by clearly answering the "seven whys" for employees.
- Engaging an external analyst to ask the right questions and effectively bring internal stakeholders together.
- Building a value-centric roadmap that aligns business priorities with technological capabilities.
- Developing a strong business case for initiatives by carefully weighing the opportunity cost and the expected return on investment.
Orchestrating the connected supply chain
Modern supply chains can no longer operate successfully within their own four walls. Blue Yonder Network sessions demonstrated how organizations must extend their supply chain visibility and collaboration far outside their internal networks. By integrating global risk data, companies can quickly cascade disruption alerts directly into transactional workflows.
Global visibility is achieved through Blue Yonder Command Center, which enables multi-tier collaboration with both suppliers and carriers. The sessions highlighted how establishing standard workflows for supplier onboarding and utilizing machine learning to predict shipment delays can significantly reduce operational friction and improve customer service levels.
Sustainability as a core driver of supply chain excellence
Sustainability has rapidly evolved from a strategic aspiration into a core driver of operational excellence. Today, supply chain activities—spanning procurement, transportation, and facilities—represent a significant portion of a company’s emissions footprint, making them a powerful lever for meaningful impact. This shift is creating new opportunities for organizations to embed sustainability directly into planning and execution in a way that also enhances performance.
During the sustainability session, leaders highlighted the positive progression from early-stage environmental efforts to more mature, best-in-class sustainability programs. A key enabler in this journey is the ability to effectively measure and manage end-to-end carbon emissions. With improved data visibility, manufacturers can proactively identify emission-intensive areas within their networks and make smarter sourcing and routing decisions. The result is a more sustainable supply chain that not only reduces environmental impact but also drives efficiency, resilience, and long-term value.
Harmonizing planning processes post-merger at Novolex
Mergers and acquisitions often introduce significant complexity into supply chain planning, particularly when integrating large, geographically dispersed operations. Following the merger of Pactiv Evergreen and Novolex, the combined organization faced the formidable challenge of aligning processes, systems, and decision-making across more than 100 manufacturing sites. This scale of integration quickly exposed the limitations of traditional supply chain approaches, which lacked the agility and connectivity needed to support a more unified and responsive operation.
In response, the organization made a strategic shift toward data-driven forecasting and advanced inventory optimization capabilities. By standardizing and harmonizing planning processes across the enterprise, they were able to break down long-standing silos and foster greater cross-functional collaboration. Teams that once operated independently are now connected through a shared data foundation, enabling more consistent and informed decision-making. This evolution toward a platform-based strategy has significantly enhanced their ability to sense and respond to demand variability, improving both the speed and precision of supply chain execution while positioning the company for continued growth and operational excellence.
Seize the moment to innovate your supply chain
The insights shared at the Chicago Industrial Connect event made one thing clear: the future of the industrial supply chain relies on connectivity, Cognitive Solutions intelligence, and unified data. Manufacturers and distributors can no longer rely on outdated spreadsheets or fragmented systems to navigate global disruptions.
Empower your operations with solutions that enhance efficiency and minimize waste. To learn more about how Blue Yonder solutions can help your organization achieve resilience and responsiveness, visit the Blue Yonder website and explore the next generation of Cognitive Solutions supply chain technology.
