A container ship log-jammed in the Suez Canal. The Ukrainian port of Sevastopol coming to a standstill. North American allies on the brink of a trade war.
What do these headlining news items mean for modern businesses? Just this: that supply chain agility has become a critical success factor in navigating geopolitical tensions, environmental disruptions and tariff landscapes that shift at a moment’s notice. The organizations that thrive are those that can simultaneously mitigate risks and find open doors in the global market, all while building strong supplier relationships.
How are best-in-class businesses achieving this agility in 2025 and beyond? They are leveraging the combined power of fully digitalized logistics and compliance systems to gain full visibility into and control over their supply chains. Technically, this looks like using a Global Trade Management (GTM) system and a Transportation Management System (TMS) in tandem.
Understanding the foundations
Let's start with some definitions. A Transportation Management System (TMS) handles the movement of goods and their associated costs across supply routes. A TMS helps companies analyze and respond to the ripple effects of tariffs, for example, by providing real-time data on shipping costs, delivery times and route efficiency.
A Global Trade Management system (GTM), meanwhile, ensures compliance with local laws governing these international movements. It optimizes duties, manages free trade agreements and oversees foreign trade zones to reduce costs. It also ensures compliance by screening denied parties, managing global classifications and handling export/import processes.
While each system serves its purpose, using the two in combination is the real key to supply chain control and resilience.
“By adding transportation management capabilities to existing GTM processes, organizations can Streamline their end-to-end shipping workflow.”
Complement trade management with logistics control
While GTM systems handle critical trade compliance requirements, complementing it with a TMS can ensure effective follow through on the crucial “last mile” of global trade – transport – by:
Automating transport preparation that would otherwise require manual handling
Enabling direct carrier communication and booking management
Providing real-time shipment tracking and visibility
Freight estimations, audits and settlements
This combination is particularly valuable for large enterprises managing complex international supply chains. These organizations now consider integrated tracking and visibility essential to their operations.
Using both in combination makes practical sense: every import or export requires customs compliance, whether handled internally or through a broker. By adding transportation management capabilities to existing GTM processes, organizations can:
Streamline their end-to-end shipping workflow
Reduce manual intervention
Maintain compliance while improving operational efficiency
Gain better visibility into shipment status and location
Respond in an agile manner to tariffs and other shipping disruptions
“By leveraging the two together, businesses can gain the control and visibility needed to shift activities in their supply chain at a moment’s notice.”
Pagero for ERPs: connect to a Smart Business Network
For businesses already using GTM systems, adding TMS capabilities is often a straightforward enhancement that delivers immediate operational benefits.
A real-world solution
Pagero's Transportation Management System (TMS) and Thomson Reuters ONESOURCE Global Trade Management (GTM) complement each other to offer a more efficient and controlled supply chain. ONESOURCE GTM provides the tools to ensure compliance, minimize risk and optimize duty payments, backed by Thomson Reuters' renowned regulatory expertise. Pagero's TMS, meanwhile, delivers automated route planning, streamlined freight invoice handling and ensures e-invoicing compliance, all while providing actionable data insights for continuous improvement.
By leveraging the two together, businesses can gain the control and visibility needed to shift activities in their supply chain at a moment’s notice, while still maintaining compliance and optimizing for cost and speed of delivery.
Get started with your supply chain optimization
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