UK-based express parcel and freight logistics specialist Mark 3 International has partnered with New York-headquartered technology startup Dobby AI to develop an "AI operations agent" to improve shipping data management across the logistics ecosystem.
Mark 3 said the AI operations agent will organise and consolidate data on each shipment, making it easier to reconcile and creating a single source of information.
The company will provide core data and information from which the AI tool can learn, helping to make shipment data more readily accessible for its customers.
The tool will help streamline processes and iron out data inconsistencies, explained Mark 3. The tool automatically organises and consolidates shipment data from multiple sources - emails, texts, ERP and TMS systems, and more.
Matthew Ware, chief executive at Mark 3, said: “The logistics sector has remained somewhat reluctant to embrace emergent technologies, so we’re excited to be working with such an innovative partner to bring AI into the global ecosystem.
“We will significantly improve our customers’ experience by providing more accurate, verified information at every stage in the shipment chain.”
Mark 3 intends to introduce AI functionality in a carefully controlled rollout. Some elements are in place now and the company expects the full system to be used internally over the next four to six months.
Dobby AI is founded by former senior product manager at Dropbox, Taylan Kalkavan, and Francesco Paduano, a former staff engineer at Meta.
Kalkavan said: “Before embarking on this journey, we took a year to undertake deep research into the sector, interviewing people across the supply chain, from manufacturers to freight forwarders and carriers, while also experimenting with what AI can do.
“Most tech in this ecosystem is built by people who’ve worked in logistics and deeply understand one narrow part of it - but don’t think about the ecosystem as a whole.
“More importantly, they aren’t strong technologists. That’s why supply chain tech is full of horror stories: companies promise to make life easier but build low-quality products that don’t consider the bigger picture. They often fragment the tool landscape further and make things worse.
“By working with Matt and the team, we are perfectly placed to gain a deep understanding of the industry and use real-world data on which to train our AI tool.”
The partnership with Dobby AI follows Mark 3's efforts to expand its physical operations. This includes a newly operational 12,000 sq ft facility at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York and the announcement of plans to open a similar facility at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in the next 18 months.
