FourKites, Zebra Technologies expand partnership

Industry tech firms FourKites and Zebra Technologies are expanding their partnership to help bring enhanced asset visibility solutions to customers, the companies said today.

Zebra, which provides enterprise mobile computing and asset intelligence tools, will resell FourKites’ Dynamic Yard YMS (yard management system) and real-time visibility platform as part of its suite of asset visibility solutions, the companies said. Zebra’s Motion Works Yard YMS will now combine Dynamic Yard with Zebra locationing hardware and professional services. Motion Yard will continue to be sold through some of Zebra’s Partner Connect program channel partners in North America and Europe as well, the companies also said.

The expanded partnership aims to provide customers greater end-to-end visibility of their freight, from the warehouse to the yard and across all transportation modes, according to company leaders. Essentially, the move further combines Zebra’s expertise in warehouse visibility solutions with FourKites’ visibility outside the warehouse walls.

“Businesses want real-time visibility into their goods and assets throughout the journey—from the manufacturing facility to the final destination,” Zebra Executive Drew Ehlers said in a statement. “Our relationship with FourKites adds a critical layer of visibility that helps companies improve asset visibility, streamline the shipping process, and unlock new levels of performance and customer service.”

As an investor in and user of FourKites’ real-time visibility solutions, Zebra says it has reduced turn times on urgent product requests for fulfilling critical customer orders, while also eliminating nearly 75% of shipment-tracking e-mail inquiries to its global logistics team. By extending its relationship with FourKites, Zebra says it will continue to help businesses modernize warehouses and create supply chains that are completely transparent, connected, and fully optimized.

“FourKites’ relationship with Zebra has grown over the years, as we work together on a joint mission to create a fully transparent supply chain and reduce time to delivery for customers,” Mathew Elenjickal, founder and CEO of FourKites, said in a statement. “By combining Zebra’s expertise in delivering warehouse visibility with FourKites visibility outside of those four walls, we can provide better end-to-end predictability and forecasting of assets for our shared customers—all while dynamically accounting for the on-the-ground realities across the supply chain.”

FourKites’ supply chain visibility platform tracks more than 2 million shipments daily across road, rail, ocean, air, parcel, and courier, reaching 176 countries.