In an era defined by disruption, from pandemics to geopolitical shocks, logistics leaders are being asked to do more than deliver. They must Anticipate, Adapt, and Accelerate. Badrinath Setlur, CEO – Pando.ai, TMS Business, shares a candid, customer-centric view of how intelligent, connected systems are reshaping logistics resilience. With decades of experience and a sharp eye on business outcomes, he offers a grounded, yet visionary take on what it means to lead through volatility.
Resilience in logistics is no longer a reactive capability, it’s a strategic imperative. The volatility we’ve seen in recent years isn’t an anomaly; it’s the new operating environment. As leaders, we must shift from asking “what went wrong?” to “how fast can we respond?” Intelligent logistics infrastructure is no longer a support function, it’s the backbone of agility and value creation. At Pando, we’ve made it our mission to turn disruption into data-driven opportunity. We don’t just digitize logistics, we make it intelligent, adaptive, and measurable.
MAKING LOGISTICS HAPPEN, WITH TECHNOLOGY THAT LEARNS
I’ve spent over three decades in logistics, wearing many hats, from operations to consulting to technology. But today, I speak through the lens of my customers. At Pando, we’re a logistics tech provider focused on making logistics happen — not just digitizing it, but transforming it into a responsive, intelligent system.
Our platform is built to learn. It’s iterative, adaptive, and industry-agnostic. Whether we’re working with an FMCG giant managing volatile demand, an automotive leader navigating supplier complexity, or a chemical company optimizing compliance and cost — we don’t offer a one-size-fits-all solution. We offer a product that evolves with each engagement. The brilliance isn’t in me as a consultant, it’s in the product. Powered by AI and machine learning, it absorbs operational nuance and converts it into scalable intelligence. When we optimize for Johnson & Johnson, we learn. When we solve for Castrol, we learn again. That’s how resilience is built, not by guessing the next disruption but by preparing to respond to any.
VISIBILITY IS THE NEW CURRENCY
In logistics, what you can’t see can hurt you. Visibility isn’t just about tracking, it’s about control, accountability, and speed. Our platform acts as a control tower, offering real-time insights into shipments, dock operations, transit delays, and vendor performance. This isn’t just operational hygiene, it’s strategic leverage. With Pando, customers can identify inefficiencies, benchmark performance, and act in real time. Visibility reduces friction, accelerates decisions, and builds trust across the value chain. In today’s environment, that’s not optional, it’s essential.
PREDICTABILITY WHERE IT MATTERS
While no software can predict the next pandemic or geopolitical shift, we can help customers anticipate risk within their own operations. Predictability, in our view, is about surfacing patterns and anomalies that would otherwise go unnoticed. For example, when a customer’s vendor costs rise despite increased volumes, that’s a signal. Our platform flags it, contextualizes it, and enables action. These insights aren’t just helpful, they’re transformative. They allow supply chain leaders to move from reactive firefighting to proactive strategy. Predictability also means scenario planning. What happens if a key lane is disrupted? What if demand spikes in a region with limited capacity? With Pando, customers can simulate outcomes, test responses, and build contingency plans. That’s not just resilience, it’s readiness.
QUANTIFYING VALUE, NOT JUST PROMISING IT
Every technology investment must prove its worth. At Pando, we start by establishing a baseline using one to three years of shipment data to understand where the business stands. Post-implementation, we measure impact in hard numbers. Whether it’s 8–10% savings in freight spend or procurement optimization across 800 lanes, we make the value visible. One client expanded from managing 10 transporters to 8,000. With our simulation tools, they processed RFP data in hours, not weeks. That’s not just efficiency. That’s strategic acceleration.
We don’t just say “trust us.” We say “test us.” Our platform delivers quantifiable ROI: on cost, speed, compliance, and customer satisfaction. And we make those metrics transparent, so our customers can track progress and share success.
LEARNING BEYOND YOUR INDUSTRY
Resilience isn’t built in isolation. The most forward-thinking enterprises learn from others across sectors, geographies, and technologies. We encourage our customers to engage with podcasts, float RFPs, and explore emerging AI solutions. This cross-pollination of ideas fuels innovation. It helps companies avoid blind spots and discover new efficiencies. At Pando, we see ourselves not just as a vendor, but as a learning partner helping customers evolve by connecting them to broader ecosystems of insight.
We’ve seen customers gain breakthrough ideas by studying industries outside their own. An automotive company learning from FMCG’s demand agility. A pharma leader adopting procurement strategy from chemicals. That’s the kind of learning that builds resilience, not just for today but for what’s next.
ENGINEERING THE FUTURE: FROM INTELLIGENT INFRASTRUCTURE TO AGENTIC AI
As technology providers, we’ve seen firsthand how innovations like digital twins, IoT, and blockchain are reshaping logistics ecosystems. These tools allow our clients to simulate supply chain scenarios, monitor operations in real time, and secure transactional integrity across complex networks. They’re not just digital enhancements, they’re foundational enablers of smarter, more resilient logistics. Among these, machine learning has delivered the most immediate impact. By continuously analyzing operational data, our platforms help clients uncover patterns, optimize workflows, and apply insights at scale. It’s a shift from static systems to adaptive intelligence where every transaction becomes a learning opportunity.
Looking ahead, artificial intelligence is the most transformative force. We view it as the electricity of modern enterprise: pervasive, invisible, and essential. From smart routing to predictive insights, AI is already embedded in daily logistics workflows. But the next leap is agentic AI: systems that not only learn but act autonomously, with contextual awareness and decision-making capabilities. That’s the frontier we’re building toward where logistics platforms don’t just support operations, they intelligently orchestrate them. It’s an exciting time to be building what powers the next generation of supply chains.
RESILIENCE IS A MINDSET
Technology is only as powerful as the mindset behind it. At Pando, we don’t claim to predict the future, we build for it. Our platform learns, adapts, and evolves. And as leaders, we must do the same. Resilience isn’t a feature, it’s a philosophy. It’s about listening to data, learning from disruption, and leading with clarity. Logistics isn’t just about moving goods. It’s about moving forward, with intelligence and purpose. In a world where volatility is constant, resilience is no longer optional. It’s the new competitive advantage. And intelligence-led orchestration platforms are how we build it, together.
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