FedEx and Microsoft Move to Next Phase to ‘Transform Commerce Ecosystem’

FedEx Corp. and Microsoft Corp. have teamed up once again as part of their multi-year collaboration to “transform commerce, supply chains and logistics,” this time introducing a cross-platform “logistics-as–a-service” offering for retailers, merchants and brands. 

The new service will leverage Microsoft Dynamics 365 to analyze FedEx’s network — through which 17 million packages pass everyday — using AI and machine learning to gather insights that will “deliver improved customer experiences.”

According to the companies, using this service, brands can create an omnichannel order management application that integrates with existing enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM) systems to “better fulfill, ship, and service customer orders while easily integrating with their existing e-commerce platforms.” 

Among the benefits are near real-time delivery status, more cost-effective delivery, frictionless returns, printerless QR codes, optimized fulfillment, and more, the companies report.  

Raj Subramaniam, president and COO of FedEx Corp., said this latest move is part of a two-year mission with Microsoft to “transform the commerce ecosystem.”

“In that time, we’ve made significant progress, leveraging Microsoft Azure technology with our FedEx Surround solution, which provides critical support in enabling advanced monitoring of time-sensitive priority shipments,” added Subramaniam. “This next phase of our collaboration will continue to connect the unmatched supply chain insights from the FedEx network with the Microsoft Cloud to improve e-commerce experiences for brands, merchants, and consumers.”

[See More: Microsoft Partnering with FedEx for Inventory Management]

“More than ever, it’s clear just how critical having a resilient supply chain is for every organization’s success in the modern economy,” said Satya Nadella, chairman and CEO, Microsoft.