This week we hear that ePost Global and QuickBox have shored up their partnership to give e-commerce retailers better global and cross-border capabilities to help them expand. And Descartes Systems Group snatched up Tai Software, which offers an AI-powered transportation management platform for freight brokers. And lastly, Epicor updated its platform with AI agents to help supply chain companies in Latin America improve their workflows.
Descartes acquires Tai for $100 million
The Descartes Systems Group, the global logistics network and technology company, said it acquired Tai Software, a California-based provider of advanced transportation solutions for freight brokers.
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Descartes said it acquired Tai for approximately $100 million, “satisfied from cash on hand.”
The company said Tai offers the market an AI-powered transportation management platform, which serves as a “system of action for freight brokers.” Tai’s platform coordinates shipment lifecycle across truckload (TL) and less-than-truckload (LTL), drayage as well as cross-border operations.
“By unifying quoting, carrier sourcing, load execution, billing and customer engagement in a single workflow, Tai helps brokers automate operations and make better decisions faster,” the company said in a statement.
Andrew Wimer, associate general manager, transportation management at Descartes, said freight brokers play a critical role “in connecting shippers and carriers to efficiently execute transportation moves across North America.”
“The acquisition expands our transportation management capabilities for freight brokers and adds valuable transaction, carrier and shipment execution data to the Descartes Global Logistics Network,” Wimer said. “We’re also pleased to welcome Tai’s team of proven domain experts to help accelerate our pace of innovation while best serving our joint customers.”
Edward J. Ryan, chief executive officer of Descartes, said transportation networks are becoming increasingly dynamic and complex. “At the same time, AI is changing how our customers manage freight, capacity and execution. Tai complements our strengths in carrier onboarding, compliance, fraud prevention and real-time visibility.”
The CEO said by combining the two companies’ solutions, “We see a significant opportunity to help freight brokers navigate change, streamline freight execution, improve operating margins, strengthen customer and carrier relationships and support digital transformation.”
Epicor rolls out AI agents in Latin America
Epicor, the global ERP software solution provider, is deploying in the Latin American market a portfolio of vertical AI agents made specifically for supply chain industries. Called “Epicor Prism,” the suite is embedded directly in Epicor Kinetic and Prophet 21.
The company said Epicor Prism gives manufacturers and distributors “conversational access to live ERP data and related documents without needing specialized analytics skills or separate AI tools” and added that Epicor Prism is designed to help customers “develop customizations and take pre-approved actions, with human oversight, faster.”
Epicor joins a long line of tech companies rolling out AI agents that specialize in conversational commands and prompts.
The company said Epicor Prism aims to help users access knowledge and analyze information as well as automate routine work—and take action within ERP workflows. “Together, these capabilities are designed to improve productivity, reduce manual effort, increase visibility and help organizations achieve better outcomes using natural-language queries,” the company said in a statement.
Epicor even has a name for this new level of workflow improvement. The company said the launch reflects a broader shift in ERP “from systems of record to systems of outcomes that help users interpret data, make decisions and act in real time—a transformation Epicor calls Cognitive ERP.”
The rollout of Epicor Prism is in response to pressure on productivity and skills, the company said, noting that manufacturers and distributors in Latin America are under growing pressure to level up productivity. They are also navigating more volatile and disruptive supply chains amid a rapidly changing technology landscape. The challenges are real, and the frustration levels are high.
Arturo Buzzalino, chief product officer and chief innovation officer at Epicor, said AI adoption is accelerating across the region, “but the opportunity is not simply to add more technology—it is to turn the operational data businesses already have into faster, better decisions.”
“By bringing industry-specific AI directly into ERP workflows, Epicor Prism can help teams identify issues earlier, reduce manual work and act on information with greater confidence,” he added.
Helping companies expand globally
In response to ongoing tariff challenges and changing customs regulations as well as never-ending suppy chain disruptions, ePost Global, the shipping network for e-commerce businesses, and QuickBox, the third-party logistics (3PL) company, have teamed up to help businesses make international fulfillment easier as well as scale cross-border commerce.
The companies have been working together for the past two years, but are now bringing their capabilities closer together. By doing so, the companies said they can help businesses adapt to changing trade requirements and do so without disrupting international operations.
“The pace of change in global trade isn’t slowing down, and brands can’t afford to rethink their international operations every time trade policies shift or a new disruption emerges,” said Kathy Krum, director of sales at ePost Global. “Whether it’s changing customs requirements, transportation networks or new tariffs, businesses need partners that can help them respond quickly without adding complexity.”
Krum said the strategic partnership brings fulfillment and cross-border shipping together “so brands can expand into new markets while staying focused on running their business.”
Peter Hunnewell, vice president of transportation at QuickBox, said global expansion has become an operational discipline—as much as a growth strategy. “Changes to trade policy, customs requirements and transportation networks ripple through every stage of the fulfillment process.”
Hunnewell said fulfillment and cross-border shipping “can no longer operate independently. By bringing those functions together with ePost Global, we’re helping brands build international operations that are more agile, more predictable and better positioned to navigate change over the long term.”
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