🎙️ Mihai Teodorescu, Managing Director, EltraLogis: What is particularly valuable is not just automation, but the ability to create a shared, real-time understanding of operations

Outsourcing Today, the business services industry’s integrated networking and news platform, continues its interview series with leaders shaping the future of business services and related sectors. We explore key perspectives on the year ahead, strategic priorities, and growth opportunities.

Read below the key standpoints and perspectives of Mihai Teodorescu, Managing Director, EltraLogis

Power words in 2026: Clarity. Speed. Partnership.

🎙️The impact of AI-based technologies

AI is increasingly becoming a structural layer in how we operate, rather than just a set of isolated tools. It helps us bring consistency, clarity, and discipline to areas where previously much depended on manual effort and individual interpretation, particularly in high-volume, time-sensitive processes.

We are currently applying it in focused domains such as reporting and data interpretation. In these areas, AI allows us to standardize how information is processed and presented, significantly reducing manual workload while improving accuracy and coherence across the organization.

What is particularly valuable is not just automation, but the ability to create a shared, real-time understanding of operations. We can identify patterns faster, react earlier to deviations, and align decisions across teams with much more confidence.

As a result, our competitive edge is evolving around decision quality and execution speed. In our view, the real advantage does not come from over-automating processes, but from enabling better, faster, and more consistent decisions at scale.

🎙️Misconceptions about AI

A major misconception is the expectation that AI is a plug-and-play solution that can quickly transform a business. In reality, AI tends to amplify whatever structure already exists within an organization. If processes are unclear or data is inconsistent, AI will not fix those issues; it will simply expose them more quickly.

Another common misunderstanding is the belief that success comes from rapid, large-scale adoption. In practice, sustainable impact usually comes from a more disciplined approach, starting with well-defined use cases, ensuring data quality, and integrating AI gradually into existing workflows.

There is also a tendency to overestimate short-term impact and underestimate long-term transformation. AI requires not just technological adoption, but also operational maturity and a shift in how decisions are made and validated within the organization.

At this stage, AI plays a strong supporting role in decision-making rather than leading it. It is particularly valuable in helping us interpret large volumes of operational data, identify recurring patterns, and highlight deviations that require attention.

For example, in areas such as performance monitoring, route efficiency, or exception management, AI helps structure information and bring forward insights that would otherwise take significantly more time to identify.

However, decisions themselves remain human-led. In a dynamic environment like transport and logistics, context, relationships, and situational judgment are critical. AI improves the quality, speed, and consistency of our decision-making process, but it does not replace the need for human oversight and accountability.

🎙️AI changing customers’ expectations

Even when it is not directly visible, AI has fundamentally reshaped customer expectations. There is now a much lower tolerance for delays, ambiguity, or incomplete information. Clients expect faster responses, clearer communication, and a higher level of predictability in service delivery.

More importantly, there is a growing expectation for transparency and data-backed interactions. Customers increasingly want to understand not just the status of a shipment, but also the underlying context, what is driving delays, what risks exist, and what corrective actions are being taken.

This shift is gradually redefining the role of a logistics provider. It is no longer sufficient to execute reliably; there is an expectation to act as an informed partner that can provide visibility, context, and proactive guidance.

🎙️Leveraging the competitive edge

Our differentiation is built on a combination of operational depth and a structured, data-aware way of working. We have a strong regional focus on Central and Eastern Europe, where we develop stable, recurring transport corridors. This creates a level of predictability and efficiency that is difficult to replicate in more fragmented setups.

A key enabler in this is our internal TMS, Rapido, which acts as a central layer for real-time visibility and coordination. It allows us to consolidate operational data, align teams, and make faster, more informed decisions across the entire flow.

Beyond that, we leverage additional tools that enhance visibility and support decision-making, while deliberately maintaining flexibility and direct communication. We avoid over-standardization which could reduce responsiveness.

In our market, differentiation does not come from a single capability, but from the consistency with which you execute. Reliability, adaptability, and the ability to maintain control in complex situations are what ultimately define long-term competitive advantage.

🎙️Balancing innovation with responsible and ethical AI use

We approach innovation with a strong emphasis on control, accountability, and practical relevance. AI is integrated, where it clearly improves outcomes and can be reliably managed within our operational framework. A key principle for us is maintaining human validation, especially in processes that directly impact execution. This ensures that decisions remain accountable and that AI outputs are always interpreted within the right context.

We also place a strong focus on transparency – understanding how AI-driven outputs are generated and ensuring they can be explained and trusted internally.

Rather than prioritizing speed of adoption, we prioritize robustness and long-term sustainability. In logistics, where operations are interconnected and sensitive to disruption, responsible implementation is significantly more valuable than rapid, but fragile, innovation.

🎙️Technology trends to grasp in 2026

One of the most important trends is the increasing role of emissions tracking and sustainability-driven technologies. With growing regulatory pressure and customer expectations, the ability to measure, report, and optimize environmental impact is becoming a core operational requirement rather than a differentiator.

At the same time, we are seeing a clear shift toward integrated supply chain visibility. The focus is moving from isolated systems to interconnected ecosystems, where information flows seamlessly across partners – carriers, clients, and platforms.

This level of integration will significantly reshape how companies plan, execute, and optimize their operations. It will also require a higher degree of standardization, data alignment, and collaboration across the entire value chain.

In the coming years, the companies that can combine visibility, sustainability, and operational control will be in the strongest position to adapt and scale.