This is the fourth and final show in our “Give your business a fresh start” series, in partnership with BluJay Solutions.
Last week in Episode 3 “Your Global Impact,” we were joined by Patrick Maley, the Chief Marketing Officer at BluJay, to talk about the hugely important topic of sustainability. We discussed the impact of international shipping, how we can use technology to help us with our eco commitments and exactly how BluJay are helping us to facilitate them.
And today in Episode 4, “Managing Risk: The Ultimate Balancing Act,” we’re joined by Bill Madden, Group Vice President, Logistics as a Service at BluJay Solutions, to talk about risk. How we can better prepare ourselves for the unknown, how we can utilize technology in risk management and why having a partner there when you need them, can really help you share that burden of risk.
[01.24] Bill’s background, his career at BluJay and the one thing that might surprise people about the idea of risk.
[02.50] Quality, compliance and the right workforce, key focus areas for helping to manage risk.
“When we talk about compliance, conversations have been around repeatability, striving for standardization and having best practices in place around exception management.”
[06.56] Leveraging the power of technology in mitigating risk.
“To get predictability, you really have to get communication nailed.”
[14.25] Core BluJay solutions that can help businesses to prepare for disruption or deal with it quickly.
[21.41] The many and varied unexpected challenges thrown up by COVID, and their impact on supply chain in the long term.
“We built the transition with long hours and hard work, but that’s not sustainable for the long haul. To ensure sustainability, we had to get better – better than we were before COVID.”
[27.05] Why BluJay have been a trusted partner of many of the world’s top LSPs for decades.
“It’s all in our DNA – data, network, applications – and the BluJay way.”
[32.24] What the future holds for the industry and for BluJay.
“One thing we can all count on in the coming year, is that rapid change will be the only constant!”
Head over to BluJay’s website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
Today I’m joined by the number one international shipping carrier for e-commerce. With customer experience at its core, Passport Shipping is putting the ‘care’ back in ‘carrier.’ They believe that a great international experience demands a considered approach to strategy, software and customer experience, as well as great logistics. So with their end-to-end solution, you can tailor experiences for your customers worldwide.
I’m joined by Alex Yancher, the Co-Founder and CEO at Passport Shipping to chat about the company’s unique offering and all about international shipping: the benefits, the challenges and what we can expect in the coming year.
[04.36] Alex’s background, the personal experiences that have driven his career – and one surprising stat about shipping.
[07.30] Alex’s previous business, Lynks, what he learned and how he took those learnings forward to found Passport Shipping.
“It made me realize that international shipping is a whole lot more than just the logistics.”
[10.26] A closer look at exactly what Passport Shipping does and how it helps its customers.
“At Passport, we want to not only make sure that customers are capturing potential revenue, but they’re doing it in a way that doesn’t add undue burden to their operations and customer support.”
[11.45] How customer experience, technology and logistics blend together to create the perfect supply chain solution.
“These three elements have to come together to provide a modern international shipping service.”
[14.08] The benefits of international shipping, especially in light of COVID-19.
[18.30] From returns and customer service to differing rules and local knowledge, a look at some of the obstacles holding brands back from jumping into international shipping.
[22.09] Different shipping methods and how they align with individual business models.
[24.16] The impact that issues like global tax changes can have on your business – and your bottom line.
[27.59] How Passport Shipping helped key customer Bombas Socks to resolve core pain points in their international shipping process.
[32.28] The ideal customer for Passport Shipping.
[34.37] How SME’s can maximise the benefit of the recently implemented U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
[38.05] The future for Passport Shipping, and for logistics, in 2021.
“It’s even more critical, now more than ever, to have a solution and a partner like Passport in place to help you manage the change and stay compliant.”
Head over to Passport Shipping’s website to find out more and discover how they could help you too.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
This is the third show in our “Give your business a fresh start” series, in partnership with BluJay Solutions.
In Episode 2, “Simulation: The Future is Here” we talked to Pam Reeber, Director of Solution Consulting at BluJay Solutions, to talk all about simulation, and using AI to model scenarios within the supply chain so we can predict the future and stay ahead of the game.
Today in Episode 3 “Your Global Impact,” we’re joined by Patrick Maley, the Chief Marketing Officer at BluJay, to talk about the hugely important topic of sustainability. We’ll be discussing the impact of international shipping, how we can use technology to help us with our eco commitments and exactly how BluJay are helping us to facilitate them.
[01.04] Patrick’s background, his role at BluJay and one thing that would surprise people about sustainability.
“Businesses often think about sustainability as an added cost, but they’re not thinking about the true business benefits.”
[03.23] A global network – the benefits of international shipping.
[05.11] The environmental impact of worldwide shipping, and why the tide is starting to turn.
“Economies are growing, but we are becoming more efficient.”
[08.54] From optimization to synchronization, the ways in which we can leverage the power of technology to help create change.
[13.46] From conversation and connectivity to picking the low-hanging fruit, practical ways to start introducing change in your business.
“If you look at the silver lining, the pandemic has really exposed some long held business practices and thoughts that we haven’t been questioning. “
[19.01] How BluJay are helping their customers to improve their sustainability strategies.
“Our solutions are designed to reduce waste; they’re naturally built for sustainability. So companies who employ our solutions use fewer trucks and they drive less miles.”
[23.17] Tips on how to influence our peers and be proactive in championing sustainable solutions.
[25.07] The different levels of sustainability stakeholders within a business – and taking the lead from Heineken.
[27.16] The future for sustainability and logistics.
“It will definitely pick up momentum as the new generations move in.”
Head over to BluJay’s website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
Today’s episode is a very special crossover episode, in honour of collaboration, featuring Mercado and Shipz Inc.
Mercado strive to deliver transparency, collaboration, automation and predictability across supply chain. From product creation and tracking, to document management and shipment, to order collaboration and smart tagging, their platform has everything you need for the first mile of your supply chain.
And when it comes to the middle mile, you need Shipz Inc; the innovative new bid-and-ship freight platform. Working to simplify the complexity often found in logistics, the Shipz platform closes the gap between mid-market shippers and forwarders, creating an accessible and hassle-free logistics solution for all. From quick and accurate quotes, selecting the right partners that fit your business, secure documentation all in one place and even lines of credit, shippers and forwarders will see a variety of benefits by connecting with the Shipz platform.
I’m joined by Rob Garrison, CEO at Mercado, to talk about why collaboration in business is so important, the impact of the pandemic, the vast array of benefits that collaboration can bring – and the new and exciting partnership between Shipz and Mercado, coming for 2021.
[06.18] Why collaboration is so important in supply chain.
“International supply chain is not only a mile wide, it’s a mile deep – and that’s the fundamental reason why collaboration is so important.”
[13.01] An overview of Mercado and Shipz.
[15.37] How collaboration can help businesses to extend their offering by filling in their gaps with a third party.
“As a customer… there are a lot of companies coming up and it’s not always clear exactly who they are and what their competency is. So Shipz Inc’s ability to diagnose those issues and connect them through the platform is a huge benefit.”
[20.55] The benefit collaboration has with regard to data and insights.
“If you’ve got all the data in one source, you can give much richer reporting and much richer insight.”
[21.54] How collaboration can help expand businesses, helping them to operate successfully on both a local and a global scale.
[25.22] Why Shipz is an important partner for Mercado.
“Whilst we’re experts in the first mile, it doesn’t mean we should ignore the rest of the supply chain and it’s great to be able to say to a customer, I have a great partner that can do that for you.”
[28.10] The role good partnerships played in keeping businesses afloat in 2020, and the impact on the industry as a whole.
“The world suddenly shifted – the pandemic accelerated plans from ‘over the next 10 years’ to ‘over the next 2 years;’ it was that rapid. Businesses had to rely on collaboration in order to survive.”
[33.00] A look at Mercado’s new Transform campaign.
[39.11] An introduction to how Mercado and Shipz are collaborating in 2021.
Head over to Mercado’s website to find out more and discover how they could help you too. And don’t forget to visit Shipz to sign up for your FREE trial now.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
This is the second show in our “Give your business a fresh start” series, in partnership with BluJay.
In Episode 1, “Visibility, Unchained” we talked to Bryant, Senior Global Product Manager at BluJay Solutions, about data and visibility: why it’s so important, the impact of last year and how BluJay is innovating in this area, to create unparalleled levels of visibility for their customers.
Today in Episode 2, “Simulation: The Future is Here,” we’re joined by Pam Reeber, Director of Solution Consulting at BluJay Solutions, to talk all about simulation, and using AI to model scenarios within the supply chain so we can predict the future and stay ahead of the game.
[01.04] Pam’s role at BluJay, and the one thing that might surprise people about AI.
[02.44] Exactly what simulation is and how it works.
[04.10] How, and why, BluJay became the first TMS Provider to build a modelling solution on the LLamasoft Cloud Platform.
“We wanted to provide a hands-on, self-service tool that was easy to use but powerful enough to identify some key potential areas of opportunity.”
[06.53] Consolidation, flexible date-shifting and mode conversion: the three key scenarios within the supply chain that BluJay can help to model.
[08.51] Exactly how the solution works, and the ways users can interact with it.
“The data is displayed visually so a user can quickly compare the KPI’s across five different scenarios.”
[12.37] The power of data sharing and collaboration.
“You can export data at a shipment or at a load level and you can use that to drive those conversations with vendors or customers.”
[13.59] The benefits of being able to model different scenarios within the supply chain.
“Shippers have seen an average cost saving of 17-22%.”
[15.29] A real life case study: how BluJay helped a customer with a key cost vs service analysis.
[21.02] The balance between people and technology.
“The adoption of AI and machine learning is going to be a key factor to successful companies moving forward.”
[23.19] An overview of some of BluJay’s other solutions and innovations introduced over the last year.
Head over to BluJay’s website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
In today’s episode I’m excited to be joined by Dan Deigan, a man with nearly 25 years’ experience in the logistics industry under his belt. His passion, dedication and talent has led him to become the go-to for the transportation & logistics sectors’ coaching and sales training.
He began selling transportation & logistics services in 1994, quickly climbing the ranks, winning sales competitions and growing businesses, before the impact of the recession in 2008 led him to confront his mentality and approach to business. In 2012, he established High-Performance Logistics Sales and has become a sales and coaching guru, in demand across the logistics industry.
Today Dan will be talking to us about his business, his journey to success and why freight providers need to get on board with high level sales performance, fast!
[04.43] Dan’s background, how he fell into supply chain and discovered a love for sales.
[10.15] The highs and lows of the journey that led Dan to establish High-Performance Logistics Sales.
[17.30] The issues Dan identified within the industry that helped guide him to founding HPLS.
“I realized there was a major gap, in transportation and logistics, in training.”
[21.56] From online one-to-ones to group coaching, the many and varied ways Dan can help sales people to reach their goals.
“If you want to get into that top 2%, it’s a career, not a job.”
[27.22] Why, historically, sales performance training in logistics hasn’t been something that most freight providers have embraced.
“Businesses are worried that if they train people up, they’ll leave. And I say ‘well, what if you don’t train them, and they stay?!’”
[31.03] A real life case study of how Dan helped revolutionize one customers sales strategy.
“If we don’t have three key areas – clarity about what we want, an intention about getting it, and mastering the critical skills to get us there – we’re always going to be a generalist.”
[34.13] The ideal client profile for High-Performance Logistics Sales.
“If they’re dedicated and want this as a career – I can take care of everything else.”
[38.31] The future for Dan, and for High-Performance Logistics Sales
Head over to Dan’s website now to find out more and discover how he could help you too.
You can also connect with him on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram or Twitter; check out his YouTube channel; or even listen to his podcast on iTunes.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
This is the first episode of our latest mini-series in partnership with BluJay Solutions. Over the next four episodes, our “Give your Business a Fresh Start” mini-series is going to take a closer look at BluJay, and how we can harness the power of new technology and machine learning to help us tackle key pain points within our businesses, from managing risk to improving our commitment to sustainability.
Today in Episode 1, “Visibility, Unchained,” Bryant Smith, Senior Global Product Manager at BluJay Solutions, joins me to talk all about data and visibility. Why it’s so important, the impact of last year and how BluJay are innovating in this area to create unparalleled levels of visibility for their customers.
[01.46] Bryant’s background and his role at BluJay.
[03.16] Who BluJay are and what they do.
“What sets us apart is the BluJay way – our unique blend of philosophy, culture and services.”
[05.38] Why data and visibility is so important, and why it’s been THE key talking point for 2020.
[08.47] The core BluJay tools that are helping customers to get the most out of data and visibility.
“Tools like BluIQ can help surface issues before they happen, so that the user can make more informed decisions on how to react.”
[10.57] The interactive and collaborative relationship between BluJay and its variety of stakeholders, both internal and external.
“We incorporate stakeholder feedback so that we can address today’s problems, and plan for tomorrow’s problems as well.”
[14.43] Supply Chain Monitor, and how BluJay tools help bring visibility and translate data into practical change.
[19.21] Back end data, evaluation and reporting through key BluJay tools.
[23.10] A case study of how BluJay’s solutions helped a customer.
[27.21] Data accuracy and access – BluJay’s focus for the coming year.
Head over to BluJay’s website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
May Shu, today’s woman in supply chain, has nurtured an impressive career with our friends over at Fastenal. Originally from China, she’s now making waves in the logistics industry state-side. A dynamic and innovative supply chain professional with over 15 years of experience with Fastenal, May has a focus on people development, driving process efficiencies, and developing scalable solutions for tomorrow’s business needs in collaboration with multiple departments across the globe.
Today May will be talking to us about her career so far, her approach to self-improvement and why she stays so loyal to Fastenal.
[03.30] May’s background and how she went from a degree in forestry to a career in logistics.
“The more I got into it, the more excited I was with the opportunities – as soon as I accomplished one thing, there was another thing waiting!”
[05.29] May’s role at Fastenal.
[06.37] Why May moved from Shanghai to a small town in the USA – and how the stability of Fastenal’s culture helped ease the transition.
[09.13] What makes Fastenal such a good company to work for.
“We invest heavily in people, we have amazing training programs… and we have a promote from within model.”
[10.25] Supply chain: why May loves it, and why it’s so important.
“Supply chain is the key piece that connects everything!”
[12.07] How Fastenal’s customer-centric approach makes them such a dynamic and ever-changing business.
[13.59] The challenges May and her team faced in 2020.
[16.11] From continued demand for safety products to the importance of agility and being prepared for the unexpected, the trends and challenges to watch out for in 2021.
[18.34] May’s approach to self-development and building confidence.
“It’s still a daily challenge – I’m still building my confidence with a series of small wins every day.”
[22.22] What May has learned about herself on her journey so far, and what the future holds.
“I know that my personal growth is never done.”
[24.04] “Don’t be afraid of stepping out of your comfort zone” – May’s words of advice for women and girls following in her footsteps.
Head over to LinkedIn to connect with May and find out more.
As a company focused on supply chain partnerships, Fastenal is proud to sponsor this piece of Women In Supply Chain. With more than 100,000 point-of-use vending machines around the world, Fastenal is dedicated to helping organizations lower their total cost of ownership. Learn more here.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.