The transportation and logistics sector is one that’s filled with both opportunities and challenges, and a new Schneider innovation center in the works is designed to address both — and give the trucking, intermodal and logistics services provider a place to dream big.
Construction will get underway this fall on The Grove. The 20,000-square-foot facility will be built on land south of Schneider’s headquarters in Ashwaubenon, and it will house the latest in collaboration and visualization technologies. It’s slated to open by the end of 2022.
Shaleen Devgun, chief information officer for Schneider, says the center will further establish the company as a leader in creating first-to-market innovations and show its willingness to disrupt itself to discover “the art of the possible.” It’s designed to accelerate Schneider’s vision of creating the transportation marketplace of the future.
“The Grove is a physical representation of that aspiration. It’s the infrastructure that will facilitate that move toward the future,” he says.
The facility will feature the latest collaboration technology and offer capabilities including machine learning, artificial intelligence, virtual reality and augmented reality. As Schneider pursues transformational efforts that reimagine the industry, The Grove will be home to those projects. The building’s proximity to Schneider’s main campus is designed to make it easy for customers, vendors and fellow innovators to move between buildings.
While Devgun says The Grove is but one piece of a process that Schneider’s been pursuing for a long time, it will help the company increase its focus on deriving data from a continuous stream of assets. It can then use machine learning and AI to make operational decisions based on that data.
The Grove also will serve as a gathering place to host signature events for interactions with the community, investors and customers, as well as offering a venue for customer collaboration. The center will not only showcase technologies but also highlight the applications for them.
“It’s the ability for our associates and stakeholders in our ecosystem to collaborate without boundaries,” Devgun says.
As talent remains a top commodity, Devgun says The Grove will help Schneider attract the best in the industry at all levels within the company. To help draw and keep drivers, Schneider’s trucks feature technology that’s designed to keep them — and the motoring public — safer. Drivers also can use technology for tasks like prebooking shower reservations and obtaining work assignments.
The pandemic has uncovered supply chain vulnerabilities, and Devgun says Schneider is doing its part to create strong supply chains and ensure the smooth flow of goods. “We’ve all learned in the last year how important trucking is. As we move from the pandemic, our ability to get those absolutely essential goods and services to all of us as consumers (is vital).”
The Grove will provide a place for Schneider to develop solutions to address other major issues facing the transportation and logistics industry, including sustainability and efficiency. In the case of the former, freight is a major contributor to air pollution. As for the latter, creating efficiencies can help meet the strong demand for freight services, driven in large part by the e-commerce boom.
“We’re driving toward safety. We’re driving toward reducing our carbon footprint. We’re driving toward operational efficiency. All of those will be places you see in the work that’s happening in The Grove,” Devgun says.
