The Hard Pivot Toward Adaptive Supply Chain Design

Agistix and Freightos say today’s logistics systems aren’t just under strain—they’re underprepared.

Planning for Permanent Volatility

If 2020 was the year of supply chain shock, 2025 is shaping up to be the year of chronic unpredictability. Between fluctuating tariffs, unstable trade routes, and ongoing freight volatility, global shippers are being forced to trade efficiency for adaptability. Two firms working deep inside these shifts say the old playbook no longer applies.

"Tariffs and geopolitical tensions continue to create massive uncertainty," says Trevor Read, President of Agistix. "That volatility drives up costs and disrupts established sourcing and transportation strategies with little warning."

Agistix, which provides supply chain visibility and execution tools, sees centralized data and inter-team collaboration as foundational to adapting in real time. “Companies need better oversight of what they can control,” Read explains. “Procurement timing, carrier selection, shipment execution—these are all decisions that benefit from a unified data view and fast coordination.”

Trevor Read, President of Agistix

Ian Arroyo Chief Strategy Officer Freightos on Dynamic Network Design

But reacting fast isn’t enough. Freightos, operator of the Freightos Baltic Index (FBX), which tracks global container shipping prices, says companies need to rebuild their logistics architecture with flexibility as a design principle.

“This year alone, the trade war has pushed FBX transpac rates as high as $6,000/FEU and as low as $2,300/FEU,” says Ian Arroyo, Chief Strategy Officer at Freightos. “That level of volatility makes long-term planning impossible without dynamic network design.”

For Freightos, dynamic means two things: access to granular rate data and the ability to run real-time scenario simulations. Fortune 500 clients, Arroyo says, are now investing in tools that help connect procurement, planning, and execution into a single decision loop.

Ian Arroyo, Freightos chief strategy officer

“This isn’t just about switching suppliers,” he adds. “It’s about understanding total cost of ownership in real time—factoring risk, cost, and availability into each shift.”

As rate swings and regulatory whiplash become the norm, agility is less a goal than a baseline requirement. And supply chain leaders are learning the hard way that agility is expensive to build but priceless to have.

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