Microsoft and Fedex detail new cross-platform “logistics as a service” solution for retailers

Back in 2020, Microsoft announced a partnership with FedEx to boost the efficacy of a joint platform titled FedEx Surround. FedEx Surround is an enterprise tool that organizations can use to get visualizations in real-time of their supply chains.

Fast forward to January 2022, and the two companies are following up their previously announced partnership an additional solution born out of their joint efforts and a multiyear collaboration in “logistics as a service” for businesses.

The companies announced plans to introduce a unique data integration coupling data insights from FedEx with Dynamics 365 Intelligent Order Management to help brands access new information and capabilities to better fulfill, ship and service customer orders while easily integrating with their existing e-commerce platforms. This cross-platform approach helps brands deliver modern, high-value experiences directly to their customers including faster, more cost-effective delivery; near real-time delivery status communications; and convenient, frictionless returns with approximately 60,000 drop-off locations and printerless QR codes. For brands facing increased pressure to build affinity while managing higher order volumes, ensuring cost-effective fulfilment and reducing costly customer service calls, this new technology brings unprecedented opportunity to leverage existing systems of record, optimize fulfillment and deliver on their order promises with increased precision, while benefiting from a more complete view of their customer.

The newish platform is referred to as Dynamics 365 Intelligent Order Management and will use data and AI to help give businesses an omnichannel order management application. The omnichannel app produced by Dynamics 365 Intelligent Order Management can be integrated with existing businesses resources through the multitude of CRM, ERO and EDI supports Microsoft currently host.

More than just a single feed to monitor, business can also use Dynamics 365 Intelligent Order Management for order intake, cross-channel order fulfillment and delivery, create rules-based order actions with low or no-code environments, all while leveraging Microsoft’s Azure cloud machine learning and AI services.

Microsoft and FexEd are expected to roll out availability to Dynamics 365 Intelligent Order Management to US-based customers in the second half of 2022, with no further word on an international rollout at this time.