WiseTech Global is making a bold, if uncomfortable, case for fewer people and more output. The Australian logistics software company says its adoption of AI tools has driven measurable productivity gains across product development and customer service, even as it carries out a plan to eliminate roughly 2,000 jobs from its 7,000-person workforce.

The market reacted quickly. WiseTech shares rose 11.1% on the day the company announced the restructuring together with half-year results showing revenue of $672 million, up 76%.

The scope of the cuts

The layoffs amount to close to 30% of WiseTech’s global headcount and are being implemented in phases. The first wave, about 500 roles, took place in the first half of fiscal year 2026. The remaining reductions are scheduled for the second half of FY2026 and into FY2027.

Up to half of the cuts are concentrated in product development and customer service, the same areas where AI integration has been most aggressive. CEO Zubin Appoo has been direct about the company’s direction, saying that the era of manual coding is effectively over.

That is a notable statement from the head of a company that, only a year earlier, had doubled its workforce to around 7,000 employees across 40 countries following its $2.1 billion acquisition of E2open in 2025. Appoo’s argument rests on a different calculation: smaller teams using AI tools, he says, are now delivering projects in days that previously took months. WiseTech also said the initial round of cuts produced net cost savings that were ahead of internal projections.

AI as the productivity lever

WiseTech began conducting efficiency reviews tied to artificial intelligence in mid-2025, which led to modest job reductions before the larger restructuring was announced. By the time Appoo publicly outlined the full plan in late February 2026, the company said it had real data to support the approach.

The 76% revenue increase is notable, although a substantial share of that rise came from the E2open acquisition rather than organic growth alone. That distinction matters because it puts the restructuring in the context of both integration work and software development, where management is tying AI to faster delivery and lower operating costs.

What this means for the sector

WiseTech operates in logistics technology, developing software platforms that help freight forwarders, customs brokers, and shipping companies manage complex global supply chains. Its CargoWise platform supports more than 22,000 companies in 193 countries and is used as a critical tool by major freight forwarders.

For customers and competitors alike, the announcement is a reminder that AI adoption in enterprise software is no longer limited to product features; it is also shaping how vendors organize engineering and support teams. The challenge is whether early productivity gains can be sustained as the cuts deepen. Eliminating 500 roles is one thing; reducing 2,000 positions across multiple functions and geographies is another, particularly when the remaining workforce must maintain software quality for customers that rely on WiseTech’s platforms to move goods around the world.