Long-standing success requires innovative thinking
As supply chain demands become more complex, success requires creative problem-solving and a forward-thinking mindset. ArcBest has assembled a team that’s passionate about being on the leading edge to help our customers navigate their supply chain challenges now and in the future.
While we’ve always had a spirit of creativity and advancement, in 2022, ArcBest Technologies formalized the Innovation Management and Strategy team as a part of our mission to connect and positively impact the world through solving logistics challenges. Led by Dennis Anderson, Chief Innovation Officer at ArcBest, the team is key in aligning innovation with our long-term goals, identifying opportunities to improve and delivering solutions that make a real impact.
Where vision meets strategy
As an integrated logistics company focused on our customers, innovation is core to executing ArcBest’s strategy. We encourage our employees to invest time thinking and challenging how things have always been done. The Innovation Management and Strategy team helps close gaps in achieving our strategic goals while developing customer-centric solutions that keep us agile in a fast-paced industry.
Anderson explains, “Innovation is about improving the lives of our employees, customers and partners. It’s not just about technology, it’s about how we use that technology to create real value.”
The team focuses on these areas at the heart of our innovation strategy:
- Internal ideation
- External ideation
- Monetization strategy
- Venture capital (VC) strategy
Internal ideation
Innovation doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Giving our people the space and time needed to ideate and test those ideas is critical.
“Team members in all areas of the company have wonderful ideas, but finding a pathway to integration was a roadblock in the past,” said Kevin Yoder, Vice President of Innovation Management and Strategy at ArcBest Technologies. “Several years ago, we put a process in motion that began enabling collaboration across the organization, allowing us to reach out to other departments and discover and implement solutions that make a difference both internally and in our customers’ businesses.”
One shining example of this is Vaux™, a groundbreaking solution that began as an employee idea and has grown into transformative freight movement technology. Built and tested within our own facilities, Vaux is now helping customers move freight more efficiently and safely through the Vaux Technology Suite:
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Vaux Freight Movement System™: A patented, platform-based system that enables entire freight trailers to be loaded and unloaded in a single movement.
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Vaux Smart Autonomy™: Intelligent technology that allows autonomous material handling equipment to operate safely and efficiently within logistics and manufacturing facilities.
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Vaux Vision™: An integrated suite of hardware and software offering forklift-mounted freight dimensioning and real-time visual and AI-enhanced insights, providing operational clarity.
Other internal ideation tools and strategies include:
Innovation Lab
A space where employees experiment with hardware and software, including VR headsets and 3D printers, to explore emerging technologies and guide implementation decisions.
Innovation Warehouse
At our 235,000-square-foot Innovation Warehouse, engineers, fabricators and data scientists simulate customer warehouse environments to test and refine new logistics tech.
ArcBest Imagine
Initially launched in 2019 as a hackathon, this annual competition brings together cross-functional teams to present ideas that could transform business operations.
One notable example of this innovative process at work came out of the 2022 ArcBest Imagine competition. That year, teams explored ways to improve our corporate impact. One group focused on the waste generated at company events and proposed a solution: partner with a local food waste recycling service. Through cross-departmental collaboration, we partnered with Food Loops during our multi-campus Employee Appreciation Lunch. Together with the caterers, we introduced compostable single-use products and successfully diverted 94% of event waste from landfills to compost at that luncheon.
ArcBest Innovation Ambassadors
What began in 2017 as the ArcBest Innovation Accelerator evolved into the Innovation Ambassador program in 2023. Open to all non-union employees, the program speeds innovation through training, ideation and collaboration.
Ambassadors apply and commit to a two-year term, bringing curiosity, positivity, diverse perspectives and a passion for continuous improvement.
“Innovative thinking drives us forward — and it certainly isn’t limited to employees on the ArcBest Technologies team,” Yoder said. “This program helps connect our innovation process to many departments across the company.”
External ideation
Innovation can also come from outside our organization, and this focus area allows us to tap into the knowledge and creativity of those beyond our company.
“Through external ideation, we can be proactive and strategic in identifying new opportunities,” Yoder said.
Building relationships and engaging in pilot projects with startups or emerging technology companies opens a world of opportunities where ArcBest can create value quickly, providing engagement and value while serving as an accelerator and incubator.
Monetization
Creating a plan and options to monetize internally developed technologies and services can help us deliver added value for customers and investors. Yoder explained, “We want to take the technologies we have created and develop new revenue streams.”
Venture Capital
Strategic investments and relationships in the startup and venture capital ecosystem can accelerate growth for our business and the industry at large. What we learn from external partnerships and investments can fuel many creative endeavors outside the scope of our projects.
Building the future of logistics
With over 100 years in business, ArcBest’s ability to adapt and grow has been fueled by a commitment to innovation.
Anderson said, “At ArcBest, we don’t innovate for innovation’s sake. We innovate to deliver smarter logistics solutions that truly make a difference. That makes us a better partner and provider for our customers while positioning us to adapt and thrive for years to come.”
Ultimately, strategic innovation is not just about generating new services or software; it’s about looking forward so we can support our customers in whatever comes next. With our team's creativity, we can generate solutions and processes that enable us to pivot when our customers’ needs and market demands change.
With a clear plan and a culture that encourages innovative thinking at every level, ArcBest is dedicated to providing logistics solutions that drive our industry forward today and in the future.
