Reimagining the Supply Chain: Blue Yonder's Unified, AI-Driven Platform for a Sustainable Future

This IDC Perspective discusses the 2025 Blue Yonder ICON event, where the company outlined a major overhaul of its supply chain technology, reworking 28 applications into an integrated, AI-driven platform aimed at improving speed, coordination, and decision-making across the entire supply chain. Key initiatives included embedding cognitive and agent-based AI into all functions, unifying data through partnerships with Microsoft Azure and Snowflake, and expanding the use of digital twins for modeling and scenario planning. Blue Yonder also emphasized sustainability, launching tools that integrate carbon measurement and optimization into supply chain decisions, supported by its acquisition of Pledge. Other developments included enhancements to order and returns management - bolstered by its acquisition of Doddle and a new FedEx Easy Returns partnership announced in June - so that reverse logistics can be handled more efficiently and with less waste. Collectively, these changes aim to provide organizations with a more connected, responsive, and environmentally conscious approach to supply chain operations."With a unified, AI-driven supply chain network, companies are finally able to break down silos, make fast and coordinated decisions, and build real resilience - while also embedding sustainability directly into every step. Advancing technology is creating real opportunities not just to operate smarter but also to reduce waste and environmental impact across the board," said Jordan K. Speer, research director, IDC Retail Insights.