When you’re in the midst of chaos, it’s nearly impossible to achieve perspective. All your energies are directed at simply getting through it. 

That said, I’m not confident that we’re anywhere close to “getting through” the turmoil and uncertainty that’s currently afflicting trade and global supply chains. As I write this, the federal government is in partial shutdown — just the latest in a series of blows to have struck business and consumers in the five years since COVID-19 upended the world. The list is long but hardly in need of recitation here. And right now, it’s feeling far from complete. 

Keep moving forward: That’s a logical first step for surviving in uncertain times. But beyond hunkering down in firefighting mode, it’s just as important that companies take a longer view of things. Somehow, we’ve got to catch our collective breath and see beyond the crisis of the moment to the inevitable yet unpredictable changes that await us further down this rocky road. And that means building up an unprecedented degree of organizational resilience. 

And how do we do that? By prioritizing innovation — constantly rethinking underlying assumptions, systems, structures and strategies. It’s a quality that we’ve celebrated for 20 years through the Supply Chain Innovation Award, which SupplyChainBrain launched, and continues to judge, in partnership with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals. Through hundreds of submissions over that time, we’ve had the privilege of witnessing innovation and creativity take multiple forms across industries. 

This year was no exception. The winner of the 2025 Supply Chain Innovation Award is Quickcode, a provider of trade-compliance software, and Magaya Corporation, a vendor of freight-management software for logistics service providers, who came together to automate the classification of imported goods under the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule — a burdensome process that was crying out for the power of artificial intelligence. (And, for all the hype surrounding AI, it should be noted that the system keeps human decision-makers in the loop.) 

This year’s additional finalists are: 

GAINSystems, creator of an AI-powered tool for supply chain planning that accurately forecasts lead times and anticipates variability with the help of machine learning. 

Intel, which introduced an advanced workflow and accompanying processes to ensure that its freight rates are competitively bid, while promoting contracted pricing to minimize total spend. 

Uber Freight, whose comprehensive transportation management system streamlines planning and execution of logistics operations across modes and regions, providing deep visibility and foresight into current conditions. 

SupplyChainBrain congratulates the winners and finalists of the 2025 Supply Chain Innovation Award, and looks forward to judging the next group of innovators who are slashing through the thickets of uncertainty that lie in the road ahead. And we urge you to submit your stories of innovation for the 2026 competition, the entry period for which opens right after the new year.

Read more about innovation in our November issue. View the Digital Flip Book here.