Yokogawa Electric Corporation has signed a distribution agreement with France-based BuyCo to offer its Transportation Management System (TMS) to companies, primarily in the materials sector.

The partnership expands Yokogawa’s digital supply chain capabilities beyond plant-level automation, helping manufacturers manage and optimise logistics and transportation across their wider operations.

Materials companies, particularly those in the chemicals industry, are facing increasingly complex global supply chains, geopolitical risks, rising transportation costs and stricter environmental regulations.

Fluctuating demand and pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are also increasing the need for more integrated production and logistics management.

BuyCo’s platform is designed to address these challenges by centralising container transport data and supporting shipment planning, booking and real-time operational visibility.

The system enables companies to share information across stakeholders, select shipping lines and transport routes based on cargo data, and track shipments door-to-door in real time.

The platform is particularly suited to industries handling diverse cargo and hazardous materials, where regulatory requirements and complex logistics can make end-to-end supply chain management challenging.

Yokogawa said the agreement forms part of its broader strategy to expand its support from individual plant operations to end-to-end supply chains connecting multiple facilities.

The company plans to leverage its experience in manufacturing operations alongside digital solutions and consulting services to help customers improve supply chain performance.

By adopting BuyCo’s platform, companies can potentially reduce logistics costs and inventory levels while improving on-time delivery.

The system also supports efforts to reduce the risk of cargo quality deterioration and provides greater visibility into CO₂ emissions, helping companies identify opportunities for emissions reduction.

Developed using BuyCo’s experience in the maritime sector, the platform is currently used by more than 12,000 users worldwide, according to the companies.

Carl Lauron, the founder and CEO of BuyCo, commented: “We are delighted to augment the Yokogawa offering, enabling them to close the gap between production and logistics. With BuyCo's container shipping platform, manufacturers can optimise their entire supply chain, including the international transportation aspects. The partnership between Yokogawa and BuyCo enables manufacturers to impact transportation costs, effectiveness and sustainability.”

Naohisa Endo, a Yokogawa executive officer and head of the company’s Materials Business Headquarters, stated: “By leveraging BuyCo’s container transport management platform, we will strengthen initiatives to optimise supply chains for the materials industry. Building on our strengths in measuring and connecting, we aim to achieve integrated optimisation spanning everything from our customers’ production operations to international logistics. Looking ahead, we intend to evolve this into a comprehensive supply chain management solution that integrates demand forecasting, inventory optimisation, and more.”  -OGN/TradeArabia News Service