Today I’m joined by Logixboard, an exciting software company who are helping freight forwarders to deliver unparalleled customer experience, by combining logistics expertise and personalized service with a powerful digital platform.
Logixboard is a one-stop customer engagement platform for freight forwarders that helps their customers be more efficient and have more visibility into their processes. With a focus on simplifying logistics and delivering unrivalled customer experience, Logixboard can help you to boost customer retention, supercharge your sales team, scale your operations and confidently compete in a busy market.
Today Julian Alvarez, co-founder and CEO at Logixboard, joins me to chat all about the company: what they do; their dedication to customer experience; and the challenges facing the shipping industry right now.
[05.30] Julian’s entrepreneurial journey and how he came to co-found Logixboard.
“We fell deeply in love with the industry and the opportunity for impact that we could have.”
[09.40] An overview of what Logixboard does and how it helps its customers.
“Everybody is always thinking about the ROI, everybody has seen technology as a cost center for a very long time – and we’re flipping the script.”
[13.34] A closer look at the Logixboard platform, and what customers can do within it.
“We’re helping freight forwarders provide better visibility – their customers, in a chaotic supply chain, are trying to understand and answer the basic question: ‘where’s my stuff?!’”
[17.10] The ease and speed of integration with the Logixboard platform.
[21.46] The three signs your business is ready for digitization, and the importance of a people-first mindset.
“Having a mindset that data is an asset is ultra-critical.”
[27.18] Julian reflects on resiliency, Logixboard’s COVID experience and how they were able to support their customers through disruption.
“When you’re an entrepreneur, resiliency and grit is at your core.”
[33.17] Logixboard’s ideal customer.
[35.09] Two case studies, looking at how Logixboard helped their customers to achieve success.
[39.07] The future for Logixboard.
Head over to Logixboard’s website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Logixboard and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter, or you can connect with Julian on LinkedIn.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
Today I’m joined by pioneering software company ToolsGroup, the innovators of service-driven supply chain planning software for companies that face high demand volatility, along with distribution and product line complexity.
For more than two decades, ToolsGroup has been helping companies around the globe achieve the highest service levels in their industries while streamlining inventory and logistics costs. Their flagship software, SO99+, automates and optimizes supply chain planning tasks including demand forecasting and sensing, multi-echelon inventory optimization, replenishment and S&OP to meet target service levels.
Today David Barton, General Manager for the Americas at ToolsGroup, joins me to chat all about the company: what they do; how their service-driven approach sets them apart; and exactly how we get our businesses ready for anything.
[07.26] The incredible history, dating back to the ’70s, that led founders Joseph and Eugenio to establish ToolsGroup.
“They discovered that the low hanging fruit in manufacturing was supply chain – that’s where the greatest impact could be had… so they focused the whole company on the use of service-driven planning in supply chain.”
[12.31] The three core ToolsGroup focus areas of ‘predict,’ ‘protect’ and ‘perform.’
“Working with the constraints of the real world of supply chain and the built in uncertainty, you need an automated engine to optimize towards target service level - and it’s probabilistic forecasting that makes that possible.”
[15.28] ToolsGroup’s unique service-driven approach, and its benefits.
“Fundamentally, our focus is about business outcome, and service level can be equated to top-line revenue."
[18.58] David reflects on the challenges of the last 18 months and what we can learn from them.
“Dealing with those disruptions puts even more pressure on having digital transformation in your operating model.”
[22.38] A closer look at the challenges of adopting a just-in-case approach to inventory and current lead-time disruption.
“You can’t just crank up your safety stock as a strategy... Having a real word digital model of how your supply chain operates is essential.”
[27.35] Why supply chain digitization and digital transformation are so important.
“…being able to normalize and reconcile differences in data, so that you can get to a single view of the operating model of inventory, is one of the critical challenges customers face.”
[30.22] A profile of ToolsGroup’s ideal client.
[32.12] Client case study: how ToolsGroup helped a key customer increase service levels, inventory efficiency and ultimately increase market share.
[35.00] The future for the industry, and for ToolsGroup.
Head over to ToolGroup’s website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with ToolsGroup and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, YouTube or Twitter, or you can connect with David on LinkedIn.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
Today I’m joined by Quickbase, a company who are on a mission to unleash the creativity and problem-solving power of everyone in your business, so you can innovate every day.
Quickbase is an application development platform that unites business and IT teams by enabling problem solvers of any technical background to work together to safely, securely and sustainably to create an ecosystem of applications. Quickbase helps businesses accelerate the continuous innovation of unique processes by enabling citizen development at scale across one common platform.
Today Peter Rifken, Principal Solutions Consultant at Quickbase, joins me to chat all about the company: what they do; the importance of operational agility; and the power to be found in unlocking the potential of your people.
[06.02] An introduction to Quickbase.
“Our goal, at the highest level, is to help our customers achieve operational agility.”
[08.13] An explanation of the terms no-code, low-code and citizen development.
“No code gives you the ability to create end-to-end enterprise grade solutions – but with no coding experience required.”
[13.45] How the Quickbase platform works and its four common pillars.
[17.59] The key misconceptions or objections around embracing a cloud-based citizen development platform like Quickbase.
“We’re talking about the cloud, so I hear a lot of: ‘if you were in this room, talking about Quickbase, 5 years ago – you would’ve been thrown out!'"
[24.22] Integration, scalability and Quickbase Pipelines.
“Legacy systems aren’t going away… We built Pipelines to both plan for your new integration needs and that connectivity to legacy.”
[28.09] Why empowering your people, and unlocking their potential, is so important.
“No-code taps into everybody’s inherent ability and need to solve problems.”
[32.32] The age of operational agility, and how can Quickbase can help facilitate it.
[35.54] The culture and mindset of Quickbase’s ideal client.
[37.48] Case study: how Quickbase helped transform a key client's approach to establishing a new distribution center.
[41.22] What the future holds for Quickbase.
Head over to Quickbase’s website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Quickbase and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, or you can connect with Peter on LinkedIn.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
In today’s episode of Women In Supply Chain, I’m joined by Tara St James: a fashion designer, sustainable design strategist and responsible supply chain consultant all rolled into one.
Tara has spent the last 20 years designing and producing collections for both men and women; and she’s overseen development, production and design procedures at factories across the globe. This extensive experience in product development, sourcing, textile research and development, led her to dive deeper into sustainability and supply chain, and she’s never looked back.
Tara established her own sustainable womenswear brand in 2009, successfully running it for over 11 years, and went on to found Re:Source(d), a consultancy and education platform looking to demystify the world of sustainable fashion and textile sourcing. She’s an instructor at the Fashion Institute of Technology, as well as holding leadership roles at a sustainable fashion brand and fashion collaboration platform.
Today Tara will be talking to us about her career so far, her love for fashion; her dedication to sustainability and shaping the future of ethical fashion; and she’ll be sharing her experiences as a woman in the industry, and her words of advice for all of those women following in her footsteps.
Apex Logistics are proud to sponsor Let’s Talk Supply Chain’s Women in Supply Chain podcast and blog series. Our leadership team actively works to empower an industry as diverse as our workforce with a focus on inclusion, and we’re passionate about promoting the voices of women leaders to drive visibility around their achievements. Find out more over on the Apex Logistics website.
[06.02] How Tara’s interest in fashion started at just five years old, her career journey and how fashion has changed.
“I’m really grateful that there’s now more and more focus on supply chain and manufacturing, and the hands that are making the clothes – not just the people that are designing them.”
[08.43] The two key ‘a-ha!’ moments in Tara’s career that pushed her towards a passion for sustainability and a more ethical supply chain.
“I had to either leave the industry altogether and stop polluting unknowingly, as I had been, or try to make change. That was the first pivot towards sustainability.”
[13.28] How and why Tara established her own sustainable womenswear brand, Study NY, as well as her consultancy, Re:Source(d), and what she learned along the way.
“Sustainability isn’t a series of checkboxes, you can’t do everything.”
[20.34] How packaging and technology ties into sustainability.
“I see packaging as low hanging fruit for brands who want to start on their sustainability story… it’s the first touchpoint that most customers have with their product.”
[26.25] The damaging impact of fast fashion, and why change is on the way.
“Government and industry are starting to take the fashion industry more seriously. It’s flown under the radar for a while because people think its frivolous – but it's not!”
[30.00] How Tara manages her busy schedule and multiple roles and responsibilities.
[32.19] The increasingly inclusive and collaborative mindset that Tara has experienced as a woman working across the worlds of fashion, supply chain and sustainability.
[34.36] Tara’s ongoing journey of finding her voice.
[36.56] What the future holds for Tara.
[39.46] Tara’s words of advice to all of the women following in her footsteps.
You can connect with Tara over on LinkedIn.
Head over to Re:Source(d)’s website to find out more, or connect and keep up to date with the latest over on Instagram.
Discover Study NY over on their website, or connect and keep up to date with the latest over on Instagram.
Discover Another Tomorrow over on their website, or connect and keep up to date with the latest over on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.
Find out more about Eleven Radius over on their website, or connect and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.