COVID-19 Resource Center
Descartes' Cloud-based Logistics and Supply Chain Solutions Provide Customers the Flexibility Needed to Efficiently Respond to Challenges Related to the Global Pandemic
Action Guide for Forwarders & Customs Brokers: Digitizing and Moving to the “New Normal”
In the wake of COVID-19, freight forwarders and customs brokers know they must digitize to provide better customer service, optimize operations, automate customs clearance, analyze performance, and find new leads. Download an action guide that covers how to adapt to this new operational landscape.
Thought Leadership Resources
View the resources below to learn how Descartes Thought Leaders are providing operational strategies to help mitigate the impact of COVID-19.
Event Roundup: FreightWaves Health & Pharma Supply Chain Summit
Freight Waves speaks to Descartes’ Scott Sangster about the importance of real-time visibility of the location and condition of critical air cargo shipments, like COVID-19 vaccines, as they move through the pharmaceutical supply chain.
Pharmaceutical Cold Chain Logistics Resource Center
Learn how to provide greater visibility with real-time air cargo shipment condition and location monitoring.
Navigate the Impact of COVID-19 on Ecommerce Fulfillment Operations
The technology you already have deployed and current market conditions can determine how to best adapt your fulfillment operations to navigate the impact of COVID-19.
Export Compliance in an Age of Disruption
Learn the strategies trade industry professionals have been adopting to build resiliency into their export compliance processes.
Strategies for Fulfilled By Amazon (FBA) Businesses
Sellers who want to continue to sell through Amazon during today's uncertain climate can use ecommerce fulfillment solutions that address the evolving Amazon FBA situation, provide flexibility to sellers and help to mitigate risk for the future.
Take Steps to Mitigate COVID-19's Impact on Supply Chain Operations
There are steps to take and processes that can be followed to quickly mitigate disruptions while keeping people safe.
Adjust Fleet Operations to Adapt Quickly and Operate Efficiently During Challenging Times
Whether you’re fighting to keep up with demand or scrambling to replace dwindling deliveries, logistics technology can help your fleet survive and thrive.
Mitigate the Impact of Disruptions to Air Freight
Changes in air cargo schedules and interruptions to the flow of air freight as a result of COVID-19 are forcing forwarders to find creative ways to manage shipments. This guide identifies four areas of potential impact and the steps that forwarders can take now to mitigate disruptions.
Understand the Impacts of Market Volatility to Food Distribution
Fleet operators in the food distribution and grocery industry are under extreme pressure to ensure people have access to food and consumer staples during the global pandemic.
Import Compliance in the COVID-19 Disrupted Supply Chain
During periods of instability and major supply chain disruption, delivery network reroutes can quickly address extreme changes in demand to increase capacity, improve productivity and reduce costs.
Export Compliance Strategies for a Workforce-Distributed COVID-19 World
COVID-19 shows how quickly our world can change, and organizations should leverage advanced technology build resiliency into their export compliance processes.
Pivot to No-Contact Deliveries with the Right Technology
Technology can help limit personal contact during deliveries to protect the health and safety of both drivers and customers by ensuring social distancing.
Assess the Impact on Supply Sources with Global Trade Data
Descartes' global trade intelligence solutions and services enable organizations to make better supply sourcing decisions, improving bottom line performance and helping businesses avoid government-imposed penalties and brand damage.
COVID-19 Action Guide
Learn the steps you can take to mitigate the financial impact on your business.
How We're Helping Customers
View the resources below to learn how Descartes helps our customers by providing the logistics technology and trade data services needed to help mitigate the impact of COVID-19.
Descartes Announces its Open Network Initiative for Air Cargo Tracking
Descartes’ Open Network Initiative expands the value of the Descartes CORE BLE network to air cargo industry participants by allowing third party, BLE-compatible devices to communicate over the network.
Leading Ground Handling Agents Deploy Descartes Real-time Air Cargo Tracking Solution
Four of the world’s largest ground handling agents are deploying Descartes Core Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)™ readers across their global cargo operations.
Descartes helps Customers Adapt to Supply Chain Disruptions using Microsoft Azure
Descartes has collaborated with Microsoft to help customers adapt to COVID-19–related logistics and supply chain disruptions by leveraging their Descartes solutions. Azure is part of Descartes’ overall cloud advancement strategy announced March 25, 2019.
innoAviation Helps Air Carriers Track Critical COVID-19–Related PPE Shipments
innoAviation is leasing air carriers ULDs with Descartes Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) tags and using Descartes CORE ULD Tracking to provide visibility of critical shipments of COVID-19–related personal protective equipment (PPE).
Freight Forwarders Mitigate COVID-19 Ocean Shipment Disruptions Using Cloud-based Descartes Solutions
“Thanks to Descartes’ cloud-based forwarding solution with role-based access and document sharing capabilities, we transitioned the full organization to work-from-home in less than 24 hours with absolutely no disruption to customer shipments...”
Capital Logistics Keeps Pace with Unpredictable Demand Using Real-time Visibility
Real-time visibility into the status of critical freight has allowed Capital Logistics to keep pace with the unpredictable demand grocery stores are experiencing.
ANCLA Logistik Quickly Onboards New Partners and Adapts Fulfillment Processes
Leading third party logistics services provider ANCLA Logistik has scaled its use of Descartes’ Ecommerce Warehouse Management (WMS) solution to quickly onboard online retailers who have been impacted by COVID-19.
BFC Solutions Improves Service Responsiveness with Continuous Optimization
BFC Solutions has improved responsiveness at the national level with continuous optimization to its route planning horizon and real-time updates to day-to-day changes in its service schedule.
Circle Logistics Keeps Track of Critical Shipments and Improves Carrier Sourcing
Providing the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and grocery customers with real-time visibility of critical medical supply and grocery shipments across the U.S. is the new reality for Circle Logistics.
Heartfelt Thanks to all Logistics & Supply Chain Heroes
We appreciate and honor all of the logistics and supply chain heroes around the world who are on the frontlines of keeping goods moving during these challenging times.
“As our customers focus on keeping food supply chains functioning, having real-time visibility into the status of critical freight has increased our ability to keep pace with the unpredictable demand grocery stores are experiencing.”
— Greg Ackner, Vice President at Capital Logistics
"As our business has become more fluid during the COVID-19 crisis, the ability to use the Descartes solution to make real-time adjustments is proving even more valuable than we anticipated."
— Mike Massaro, Executive Vice President of Operations at BFC Solutions
Descartes Can Help Mitigate Operational Challenges Affecting Your Business
Strategies to Help Logistics and Supply Chain Professionals
Industry analyst and host of Talking Logistics Adrian Gonzalez and Descartes’ Chris Jones discuss strategy, tactics and technology changes that can help logistics and supply chain professionals react to COVID-19.
Additional Resources
Contract Pharma: COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution — The Air Cargo Industry’s Greatest Challenge
Contract Pharma analysis on how the air cargo logistics community is embracing technology to close critical gaps in the cold chain.
AJOT: Descartes helps Customers Adapt to COVID-19 Supply Chain Disruptions using Microsoft Azure
American Journal of Transportation covers Descartes’ collaboration with Microsoft to help customers adapt to COVID-19–related logistics and supply chain disruptions.
Reuters: Ocean Shipping Shrinks as Pandemic Pummels Retailers
Reuters examines slowdown in container shipping industry as U.S. imports of retail goods, such as clothes, shrink due to the impact of COVID-19 on East-West trades.
Inbound Logistics: The Value of Global Trade Insights in Navigating COVID-19 Supply Chain Disruptions
Access to actionable global trade insight is critical to developing a proactive supply chain response to the coronavirus—and emerging from the pandemic with stronger and more resilient logistics operations going forward.
Forwarder Magazine: The Importance of Supply Chain Resilience
Creating supply chain resilience involves multiple stakeholders, including logistics, HR, finance, and compliance/legal. Anne van de Heetkamp, VP of Product Management GTC at Descartes, outlines strategies to build resilience into your supply chain.
Talking Logistics: Making A Difference: Capital Logistics, Echo Global Logistics & Descartes
Industry analyst Adrian Gonzalez speaks to Capital Logistics, Echo Global Logistics and Descartes about the supply chain capabilities that will separate the leaders from the laggards in the years to come.
DC Velocity: Cloud-based Solutions Ease Work-From-Home Transitions
DC Velocity looks at how companies in diverse industries, such as ULD leasing and services provider innoAviation, are embracing logistics technology to manage pandemic-related challenges and save jobs.
Supply & Demand Chain Executive: How to Adapt Supply Chain & Logistics Strategies in a COVID-19 World
Having the right strategies across areas like sourcing, delivery capacity and the new social distancing norm can better position companies to further mitigate the effects of COVID-19
AJOT: When the Supply Chain’s Stressed, it Pays to Have a Solid Platform
Descartes' technology helps shippers and logistics providers pivot, reacting appropriately in our pandemic-battered world
Air Cargo News: Descartes Core ULD Tracking Solution Used to Track Covid-19 Cargo
Descartes Bluetooth-enabled Core ULD tracking devices are being used by innoAviation to track Covid-19-related personal protective equipment (PPE) shipments
Supply & Demand Chain Executive: innoAviation Helps Track Critical COVID-19–Related PPE Shipments
innoAviation is using the Descartes CORE ULD Tracking solution as part of its service to help air carriers track critical COVID-19-related personal protective equipment (PPE) shipments
DC Velocity: Freight Forwarders Mitigate COVID-19 Ocean Shipment Disruptions with Descartes
Descartes’ cloud-based solutions help to streamline back office operations, regulatory compliance, security filings, and global trade flow analysis
Logistics Business: Industry View — The Importance of Supply Chain Resilience
Anne van de Heetkamp, VP of Product Management GTC at Descartes, offers practical steps for developing a supply chain resilience strategy
DC Velocity: Capital Logistics Helps Grocery Retailers With COVID-19 Driven Volatility
Freight broker Capital Logistics is keeping critical grocery shipments moving for their customers with the help of Descartes
Forbes: If Multi-Sourcing Is A Best Practice, Why Are So Few Companies Doing It?
Steve Banker considers the strategic importance of identifying and qualifying alternate sources of supply to enhance risk management in supply chain operations.
AJOT: ANCLA Logistik Supports Ecommerce Retailers Impacted by COVID-19 Disruptions
Leading German 3PL has used Descartes' Ecommerce WMS to assist their own retail customers.
Talking Logistics: Dynamic Routing is a Powerful Tool for Adapting to COVID-19 Challenges
Descartes' Chris Jones highlights customers that rely on dynamic route planning as a powerful tool to adapt to highly changing business conditions caused by COVID-19.
DC Velocity: Three Examples of the Value of Visibility Solutions During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Supply chain visibility has become a powerful tool to help companies deal with shipping disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Find Alternative Supply Sources and Actionable Trade Data
Developing a proactive supply response to the coronavirus is possible with access to actionable trade insight and new supply and trade data.
Ecommerce Bytes: A Global Perspective on COVID-19 and Ecommerce
Descartes' Chris Jones offers insight into how retailers are coping with order fulfillment, distribution, and home delivery challenges during the coronavirus pandemic in this EcommerceBytes article.