Here we are, at the end of another year – and wow, what a year it has been. There is a lot to unpack, so in this end of year special, I’m joined by Eric Johnson - journalist, logistics tech expert and friend - to discuss some of the events of the year.
We talk about disruption and the major challenges within the shipping industry; we reflect on key and emerging trends; and look forward to what might be to come in 2022.
[05.47] An introduction to Eric Johnson.
[07.07] Reflections on COVID during 2021.
“It’s the uneven nature of COVID, it impacts our industry a lot – what happens in one region has a knock-on effect in another.”
“We’re even more adaptable and resilient than we ever thought.”
[16.22] The boom in ecommerce.
“We will look back on this period as a catalyst.”
[22.55] Major disruptions in shipping.
[32.22] Practicalities – what we can do and how we can be proactive about managing COVID disruption ongoing.
“The fact that the White House is so focused on this topic is unique, in and of itself.”
“Whether it’s using technology, or creating a partnership with another company, we need to figure out where we can achieve better efficiency.”
[40.29] Key milestones and achievements for Let’s Talk Supply Chain in 2021.
You connect with Eric over on LinkedIn, or catch up on his show LOGTECH Live over on the LTSC YouTube channel.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
Today I’m joined by Serai, an online B2B platform with a mission to simplify global trade.
Founded by HSBC and based in Hong Kong, Serai has the strength of a global bank and the agility of a start-up. Serai’s mission is to simplify global trade: by helping companies of all sizes connect, build trust and trade; and by empowering them with tools and information to understand their supply chains and manage their risks. Serai want to create new solutions to shape the entire future of international trade, beginning with the apparel industry.
Today Lindsey Hermes, Head of Enterprise Solutions at Serai, joins me to chat all about the company: what they do; the importance of collaboration and visibility; and the simplified future of global trade.
[06.42] Lindsey’s career journey, and how she came to join Serai.
[08.53] All about Serai – what they do, and how they help their customers.
[09.57] The importance of collaboration, the Serai ethos, and how that leads to real diversity within the business, both in the workforce and userbase.
“The faster that leadership realizes you are your supply chain, the more collaboration and transparency become critical to doing business.”
[12.47] Serai’s huge growth over the last year, and how they’ve facilitated it.
[13.36] The key Serai offerings.
“We bring information from multiple sources together in a singular view, so businesses can make decisions faster and stay up to date on who they’re doing business with around the world.”
[17.00] A closer look at implementation, and the ease of use you can expect with the Serai platform.
“We’ve designed the solutions strategically to be simple, so it’s as easy as possible to get started.
[19.31] How regulation, and consumer demand, has changed old ways of working, and how Serai can facilitate better business through traceability and visibility.
[22.00] Why Serai focused on the apparel industry first.
[23.26] What the Serai platform can do for different sizes and types of customer.
[25.17] Lindsey’s reflections on her ideal customer for Serai.
“When you’ve publicly made statements around sustainability and environmental initiatives, the key in meeting those business objectives is transparency – and that comes down to traceability and visibility in your supply chain.
[27.11] A case study, showing how the Serai platform resulted in vast time savings for a key customer.
“Technology is the enabler that we need to do business in a more strategic way.”
[30.32] The future for Serai and the global trade industry.
Head over to Serai’s website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Serai and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook or Twitter, or you can connect with Lindsey on LinkedIn.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
It’s episode 15 of Blended: I’m joined by another incredible panel of guests and we’re talking about ageism. When it comes to the spectrum of topics in the DEI world, it’s not the most talked about, so it’s important to open it up, hear what others have to say and learn something new. And that’s exactly why we do the show: diving into other people’s experiences, leaning into empathy, engaging with new points of view – it’s what opens up our minds and makes us all better employees, leaders, entrepreneurs, and people.
Today we’ll be diving into our guests personal experiences with ageism; why ageism isn’t just an issue for the old; ageism’s place within the larger context of DEI discussions; and the panel will be sharing their advice for creating more inclusive workplaces.
[0.32] Introductions to our Blended panellists.
“At my dinner table, there’s nobody smarter than the oldest teenager and nobody dumber than a boomer!” Brendan
[06.02] The guests share their own experiences with ageism, and reflect on why it continues to be an issue within the workplace and society overall.
“I’ve had people assume that I don’t understand how to use something as simple as Facebook. I’ve built systems more complex than Facebook! …There’s an assumption that, if you’re of a certain age, you don’t understand.” Leona
[32.14] The panel discuss how we can better support people as they move through their careers, and ensure that at every stage, it’s working for everyone.
“How do you develop a culture where speaking up is acceptable? We can educate ourselves and have the right motives, but to put that out into the universe requires courage. And that’s the systemic change we need to see, this overwhelming sense of courage to speak for truth.” Rebecca
[56.42] The group dig deeper into the reasons that ageism is rife throughout society, and how we can move out of a culture of divided workplaces.
“Unless you’re willing to stand up and support someone else’s action, change is very slow and you only see it many years after the damage has been done.” Lavinia
[1.06.08] The panellists consider ageism alongside other issues within the world of diversity and inclusion, and why we don’t talk about it as much as we should.
[1.15.20] The panelists sum-up their learnings from today’s discussion.
You can connect with Lisa, Lavinia, Brendan, Leona and Rebecca over on LinkedIn.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
Today I’m joined by FourKites, a market-leading next-generation real-time transportation visibility platform for logistics and supply chain.
FourKites is the world's fastest-growing predictive supply chain platform, delivering real-time visibility and execution for Fortune 500 companies and third-party logistics firms across 70 countries. Using a proprietary algorithm to calculate shipment arrival times, FourKites enables customers to lower operating costs, improve on-time performance, and strengthen end-customer relationships. With a network of more than four million GPS/ELD devices, FourKites covers all modes including ocean, rail, parcel and over-the-road.
Today Chris Brumett, Vice President of Facility & IoT Solutions, and Courtland Halbrook, Director of Product Management at FourKites, join me to chat all about the company: what they do; their Dynamic Yard management solution; the importance of collaboration and visibility in supply chain; and why we all need to be committing to sustainability.
[06.32] An overview of FourKites, what they do and how they help their customers.
“We integrate with the complexities of the shippers' supply chain in order to help standardize and provide actionable insights to each data stream.”
[9.18] A closer look at FourKites’ Dynamic Yard Management software.
“You’d be surprised at the large organizations that still use pen and paper and clipboards, that are not leveraging the technology... We’re in a state now where you just can’t do that, you need to digitize operations.”
[12.49] Exactly how customers can benefit by using Dynamic Yard.
“By providing that level of visibility, and traceability once it’s in the facility, we can help companies better manage that expense.”
[17.13] How integration and implementation works with FourKites Dynamic Yard solution.
“Integration means two different things – operational and technical – and it’s the blending of these two that allow our customers to unlock value.”
[19.52] From collaboration to culture, what makes FourKites so special.
“It’s cliché, but it always comes down to the people… Our people live and breathe the industry.”
[21.47] Collaboration: why it’s so important, and how co-innovation with the community has helped FourKites to grow and strengthen its offering.
[25.49] FourKites commitment to sustainability, and how Dynamic Yard can help businesses to meet their own eco goals.
[28.14] Automation, the key trend for 2022 and beyond.
[30.49] The ideal customer for FourKites’ Dynamic Yard solution.
[31.59] A case study, detailing how the FourKites platform brought efficiencies to a key customer, and paid for itself within three short months.
[33.41] The future for FourKites.
Head over to FourKite’s website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too.
You can also connect with FourKites and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube, or you can connect with Chris on LinkedIn or Courtland on LinkedIn.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
In today’s episode of Women In Supply Chain, I’m joined by Anne Robinson: Chief Strategy Officer; proven leader in analytics, supply chain, and digital transformation; and the 19th president of INFORMS.
Anne is a supply chain strategy expert who, over the course of her career, has worked at major names like Cisco and Verizon. As well as currently serving as the chief strategy officer at Kinaxis, Anne is also a mentor at Creative Destruction Lab, a non-profit organization that delivers an objectives-based program for scalable, seed-stage, science- and technology-based companies.
Today Anne will be talking to us about her career so far; her passion for supply chain; the power of mentors; and she’ll be sharing her experiences as a woman in the industry, and her words of advice for all of the 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.
[06.46] Anne’s eclectic educational background, and how fate led her to mathematics, operations research and ultimately a career in supply chain.
“If I learned one thing as a child, it was the importance of transferrable skills – so whatever you learned, you could put that into the industry that was hot at the moment.”
[11.11] How Anne’s experience working for big IT brands Cisco and Verizon allowed her to explore a range of different supply chain disciplines and led to a passion for strategy.
“It’s great to have data, but you need to be able to understand the measurements. And you can only define the measurements, if you know the strategy. And that was my evolution to supply chain strategy.”
[17.06] Anne’s role as Chief Strategy Officer at Kinaxis, and her reflections on empowering supply chain professionals through combining people and technology.
“When you introduce human behavior, along with the best analytics possible, that combination allows you to react and respond to the world around you, to make the best decisions for your supply chain.”
[22.29] How becoming a member of INFORMS as a student inspired Anne, her role as president of the organization and why being a part of an industry body during the course of your career is a must.
[28.52] Anne’s role as a mentor at Creative Destruction Lab, why mentors are so important, why you should have multiple mentors throughout your career, and what makes a good mentor/mentee relationship.
“A mentor of mine, pretty early on, said: ‘It’s important for you to be a chameleon, always be relevant to the conversation.’ ”
[34.20] Anne’s experience of balancing motherhood and a successful career, and why we need to talk about it.
“A lot of people forget that you’re not in the same circumstances that you were before, so it was challenging going back to work – and we don’t talk about that enough.”
[37.35] What the future holds for Anne.
[38.52] Anne’s words of advice to all of the women following in her footsteps.
You can connect with Anne over on LinkedIn.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.