It’s episode 26 of Blended: I’m joined by another fantastic panel of guests and, today, we’re talking about veterans. This is a discussion I like to have every year on Blended around this time. Veterans Day provides a unique opportunity to reflect on the role that veterans have played in our country. As we honor the brave people that have served, it’s important to also hear their stories.
Today, our guests will be sharing their life experiences, both professionally and personally; debating the well-known phrases ‘thank you for your service’ and ‘call of duty’; discussing transitioning from military to civilian life; and sharing advice on how we can both support veterans, and help businesses to become more veteran friendly.
[00.52] Introductions to our Blended panellists.
“It was an interesting period of time in the early 2000’s, where we looking at what culture used to look like, what used to be acceptable and what isn’t now. There was a lot of cross-functional abuse.” Sylena
[07.27] The group discuss why they chose to join the military, their experiences and how they found supply chain.
“Joining the military was something brand new to our family, I was the first generation to join the military, so I had no insight, no clue… everything that I knew of the military was from movies.” Jerry
“I joined the military to see the world!” Kris
[25.46] The panel explore the phrases 'going above and beyond the call of duty' and 'thank you for your service', and some of the mental impacts around them.
“I like to leave it for the folks that paid the ultimate sacrifice.” Jerry
[42.54] The group discuss the transition from military service to civilian life and share thier advice to both businesses and veterans.
“I did supply chain in the marine corps so my transition out was a little bit easier.” Jerry
“Have confidence in yourself, you’ve been trained and you have skills.” Kris
“Hire veterans! Remove the barriers to your hiring processes, give them their own hiring path, take away the need for a degree and have conversations – they will bring things to your organization that no one else will.” Sylena
[1.05.25] The group sum-up their thoughts from today’s discussion with what surprises them about veterans.
“I’m always surprised by how immensely talented, capable and qualified folks are!” Sylena
You can connect with Sylena, Jerry and Kris over on LinkedIn.
If you enjoyed this episode, why not listen to episode 231: Blended – Veterans and Civil life: Winning the Battle of Workplace Discrimination, where our guests shared their personal experiences of the military and transitioning to civilian life; inclusion and supplier diversity; employment struggles and entrepreneurship; and their advice and tips for both veterans, and businesses looking to support them.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
Today I’m joined by Ideal Warehouse Innovations, a product innovator that is asking all logistics, transportation and warehousing brands one big question – when it comes to your workplace, how safe is safe enough?
With more than 1100 warehouse and loading dock safety products in their arsenal, Ideal Warehouse’s products help saves lives, prevent injury and minimize damage and downtime. Founded in 1982, they’ve long been passionate about providing products and equipment to warehouse and manufacturing facilities that make them safer places to work, protecting people as well as enhancing productivity, profitability and timely delivery.
Today Dirk Seis, Director of Marketing at Ideal Warehouse, joins me to chat all about the company and what they do; their “thousand-product safety story”; the importance of strategic prevention; and their passion for helping to ensure that the world’s supply chain never breaks a link.
[06.54] Dirk’s career journey, how the industry has changed, and what he loves so much about helping businesses tackle their safety challenges.
“Back then, it seemed to me that the industry was very siloed… and, over the years, what’s happened is that everybody’s understood that this is now a vital link in the supply chain. If the goods aren’t coming in the door, they’re not going out the door – loading docks are very important!”
[08.50] An overview of Ideal Warehouse – what they do, how they help their customers and Dirk’s key role.
[09.55] A closer look at Ideal Warehouse's forklift safety accessories and guarding line.
“One of the simple ways we help is to provide guarding systems to help delineate people from things that move, in other words, dangers.”
[11.27] A closer look at how Ideal Warehouse works collaboratively with their customers to develop innovative solutions to emerging challenges.
“I call them our mad scientists! We have an engineering group and an R&D group that basically takes a customer’s inquiry or unmet need, and says lets develop something that’s a little bit more unique and creative to help solve that problem.”
[14.31] Collaboration and planning: two key approaches to tackling common industry challenges.
“The most important move is planning… and involving all of the key players in the decision making process… when the whole group comes together and builds the solution together, chances are that solution is much better.”
[15.49] In an ever-evolving industry, why cleaner air is a key focus for many customers in a post-pandemic environment.
"The White House commissioned a study and they found that 30% less illness happens when the workplaces air has been cleaned.”
[18.29] What onboarding looks like with Ideal Warehouse.
[19.34] The ideal client for Ideal Warehouse, and some of the questions a potential client should ask themselves before reaching out.
“The people that appreciate our solutions the most are the ones that have a deep safety culture.”
[21.36] A case study showing how Ideal Warehouse developed a new solution to a dangerous dock trailer stand issue for an automotive client, helping to keep people out of harms way, as well as delivering time and cost savings.
“It’s our 'no boots on the ground' solution.”
[26.56] The future for Ideal Warehouse Innovations.
Head over to Ideal Warehouse Innovations’ website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Ideal Warehouse and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, or you can connect with Dirk on LinkedIn.
This episode was filmed at Home Delivery world. If you enjoyed it, and want to explore some of the other great content filmed at the event, why not check out episodes 306: Create Long-Standing Opportunities and Reduce Costs, With DM Delivers; 304: Discover Success at the Intersection of Logistics and Technology, with Flexe, 299: Modernize Your Ecommerce Supply Chain, with Shipium, 297: Make Smarter Packing Decisions, with Paccurate, 296: Take Control of Managing Your Demand Chain, with SEKO, 294: Optimize Warehouse Productivity, with Locus Robotics or 289: Achieve Control, Capacity and Care, with Estes Forwarding Worldwide.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
It’s the fourth and final episode of our Driving Your Parcel Performance mini-series, in collaboration with Sifted!
Last week in episode three, I was joined by Elle Brown for an episode called “Check Engine Light!” We talked all about measuring your contract health; contract compliance; strengthening carrier relationships; and the growing trend in ensuring customer success.
And today in episode four, the final episode in the series, we’ll be jumping into Sifted’s virtual sandbox! I’m joined by Cameron Clark, Product and Logistics Engineer at Sifted, to talk all about contract modeling; its role in providing internal visibility, as well as external carrier management; and empowering businesses to negotiate with confidence in a very challenging environment.
[01.32] How Sifted’s virtual sandbox complements the other tools within the carrier management suite, to help support shippers in their contract negotiations, aid understanding and simplify the process.
[03.05] The relationship between shippers and carriers, and the challenges in the current environment from a negotiation standpoint.
“It’s an interesting dynamic out there right now… you’ve got to really understand where you’re coming from, what kind of shipping profile you have and be able to maximise that for what the carrier’s are doing… it’s no longer an us versus them, it’s really become a partnership.”
[05.02] How simulation and modeling can give customers a leg up when it comes to difficult contract negotiations in a carriers market.
“Modelling is the first step. It’s going to show you, in a simplified way: 'here’s where your spend is, here’s where you can make the biggest impact, here’s where you can make improvements' – and really give you that roadmap.”
[06.50] How data can help shippers to understand the carriers perspective, make themselves more desirable as a client, have more successful conversations and ultimately give them the confidence to make better decisions.
[10.40] As both a logistics and product engineer, how Cameron uses his passion and expertise to work with clients to help them engineer and execute strategies.
“I get to take all of that information and all of the requests I get and say ‘we need a software solution for this.’”
[12.13] The many negotiable parts within any one contract, and how Sifted can help shippers model changes.
“We have an entire engine built to say… ‘you have this discount today, but we really think you should be aiming for this discount’ and to help guide you through that process.”
[15.35] A closer look at how the virtual sandbox works.
“It’s geared towards doing everything in bitesize chunks, rather than being thrown 150 different variables all at once… you can see those dollar amounts change service by service until you’ve completed your entire contract."
[16.48] How Sifted’s virtual sandbox can support the challenges of dual sourcing, and how that functionality will expand, based on customer feedback.
[17.53] How the virtual sandbox can help with internal buy-in, stakeholder management and team development.
“One of the first bits of feedback we got when we started to show this tool was ‘this is the best thing I’ve ever seen to be able to teach my own teams how a contract works!’”
[21.16 ] The ideal client for Sifted’s virtual sandbox.
[22.00] How shippers have been using Sifted’s tools to better understand how contract negotiation works, and shine a light on carrier relationships.
[25.42] Cameron’s final thoughts for the future of the industry.
“The market today is more volatile than ever… and if you’re still working from Excel spreadsheets and sticky notes, there’s a better way! There are tools out there to make your life easier and help you get more effective results.”
Head over to Sifted’s website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Sifted and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, or you can connect with Cameron on LinkedIn.
If you enjoyed the show, why not catch up with the rest of our Driving Your Parcel Performance series: episode 301, Contract Monitoring , episode 303, Better Performance and episode 305 Check Engine Light.
Don’t forget that you can also listen to our Tomorrow’s Insights Delivered Today mini-series in collaboration with Sifted. In episode 286, Ami Bensman took a closer look at the Sifted Score; in episode 288, Kevin Miller talked all about simulation and modelling; in episode 290, Caleb Nelson took us on a deep dive into Sifted’s Parcel Audit solution for shippers; and in episode 293, Adam Moulding introduced us to Sifted’s Contract Management Suite.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
Today I’m joined by DM Delivers, a long-standing logistics service provider that is passionate about providing logistics services that deliver time and cost savings across your entire organization.
DM manages the inbound, outbound and drop shipment logistics needs for their clients. As well as leveraging DM’s services to reduce costs, clients of all sizes can also benefit from utilizing DM's cost-free services including claims management, freight bill auditing, general ledger coding, consolidated invoicing and vendor compliance. And, customers can manage it all with EasyFreight™, DM’s proprietary cloud-based Transportation Management System.
Today Nicholas Isasi, Executive Vice President at DM Delivers, joins me to chat all about the company and what they do; acting as an extension of your business; finding the balance between reducing cost and enhancing service; and bringing visibility and control to your supply chain.
[06.44] Nicholas’s career journey and how he came to fall in love with supply chain.
“I think that, for most people, that are in supply chain and logistics, they don’t get into it on purpose! And my story is pretty much the same… I was going to school to become a recording engineer, all my classes got cancelled, I looked in the paper and got a job driving a forklift!”
[07.56] How, and why, DM Delivers was founded, and how it evolved over the years.
“We evolved and, as our catalogue guys became e-comm guys, we started having more forward logistics problems, and so we had to come up with a lot of reverse logistics type solutions.”
[08.31] An overview of DM Delivers – what they do, how they help their customers and their key focus areas.
“We consider ourselves a full service company, but the majority of our focus is on ecommerce deliveries and reverse logistics.”
[10.08] The challenges in reverse logistics, and why DM’s unique solutions are so important in helping companies tackle them.
“We soon discovered that there were a lot better things we could be doing for the environment, and socially… we’ve developed a hyper local solution… and we’re able to report back to our clients the true ESG’s.”
[12.01] Why DM Delivers is so intentional about sustainability.
“We saw a lot of good product, that could’ve been used to help people, being disposed of. And it didn’t sit right with any of us at DM. We kept looking at each other and thinking ‘there’s got to be a better way.’”
[15.32] A closer look at EasyFreight™, the proprietary technology that powers DM’s solutions.
[16.51] What onboarding and implementation looks like with DM Delivers.
“We’re able to accommodate whatever our clients want because, for us, it’s all about keeping it simple.”
[17.36] The ideal client for DM.
“We’re looking for somebody that has non-conveyable freight… something that UPS or FedEx will over max you for... Anything that’s big and bulky. You have a kayak? Were all about it!”
[18.42] A case study showing how DM helped a fitness equipment client to manage their returns, allowing them to reduce time in home and re-commmerce items locally, resulting in big transportation cost savings and ESG goals being met.
[20.11] The future for DM.
“We’ll continue to find new ways to make returns and reverse logistics easy – and to just do more good in the world.”
Head over to DM Delivers’ website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with DM and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, or you can connect with Nichloas on LinkedIn.
This episode was filmed at Home Delivery world. If you enjoyed it, and want to explore some of the other great content filmed at the event, why not check out episodes 304: Discover Success at the Intersection of Logistics and Technology, with Flexe, 299: Modernize Your Ecommerce Supply Chain, with Shipium, 297: Make Smarter Packing Decisions, with Paccurate, 296: Take Control of Managing Your Demand Chain, with SEKO, 294: Optimize Warehouse Productivity, with Locus Robotics or 289: Achieve Control, Capacity and Care, with Estes Forwarding Worldwide.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
It’s episode three of our Driving Your Parcel Performance mini-series, in collaboration with Sifted!
Last week, we put the spotlight on the complex area of contract performance. I was joined by Caleb Nelson, Chief Growth Officer and friend of the show, to dive deeper into Sifted’s carrier management suite – we talked all about some of the big challenges happening in the industry right now and where carrier relationships fit in; analyzing and scoring contract performance; and how you can tackle the complexities of your agreements, to drive performance-enhancing outcomes, with Sifted.
And today in episode three, I’m joined by Elle Brown, Senior Client Success Manager at Sifted, to chat all about measuring your contract health; contract compliance; strengthening carrier relationships; and the growing trend in ensuring customer success.
[01.45] The different ‘check engine’ lights within Sifted’s carrier management suite, and how they help clients to understand when they have a problem.
“The great thing about the suite is that there are different kinds of check engine lights – we have different tools to determine all the different types of problems a shipper may, or may not, have.”
[04.37] How Sifted works with their customers to look under the hood and determine what’s gone wrong, once a problem is identified.
“The problems that we’re helping shippers solve – they may be similar to other shippers, they may be similar to the market, but each shipper is unique.”
[07.26] Contract health: what it means, and a closer look at what a healthy contract is vs an unhealthy one.
“When a contract isn’t in optimal health, it’s one that isn’t optimized with rates, discounts, minimums, terms, in a way that we know is possible for the types of clients we’re working with. Or, it doesn’t take into account the specs of that unique shipper in a way that benefits the shipper – and their relationship with the carrier.”
[10.36] What it means to make your contract health measurable and scalable, and why it’s so important.
“Measurable contract health allows you to have constant conversations, internally and with your carriers.”
[15.10] How compliance works within Sifted’s carrier management suite, and exactly why compliance is so important.
“It allows you to evaluate whether perceived situations are true or not… I’ve had clients feel some distrust with their rep or carrier…we’ve been able to audit agreements and see that ‘yes the carrier is in compliance’ and that this perceived issue is from an unintended situation… so they have that peace of mind.”
[18.35] From cost savings to improved relationships, the positive impacts of ensuring, and understanding, compliance and achieving optimal contract health.
“Having the data you need really does help to strengthen those relationships with your carrier… so that, through collaboration, all parties are benefiting.”
[22.31] The rise of client success, and the shift in focus towards a ‘my customer’s success is my success’ mindset.
[25.31] Why the growing trend in client success is going to continue to grow, and the wider implications for the industry when we start to think more collaboratively about creating environments that breed success for everyone.
" 'Let's really make sure we understand your organization, let's understand what success looks like to you, and let's do everything we can to create success for you.' If you’re collaborating with someone like that, it's hard to want to stop!"
[27.56] Examples around how utilizing the tools within Sifted’s carrier management suite has helped customers make data-powered decisions, form better strategies and optimize their operations.
Head over to Sifted’s website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Sifted and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, or you can connect with Elle on LinkedIn.
If you enjoyed the show, why not catch up with episodes one and two in our Driving Your Parcel Performance series, episode 301, Contract Monitoring and episode 303, Better Performance [LINK WHEN LIVE].
You can also listen to our first mini-series in collaboration with Sifted. In episode 286, Ami Bensman took a closer look at the Sifted Score; in episode 288, Kevin Miller talked all about simulation and modelling; in episode 290, Caleb Nelson took us on a deep dive into Sifted’s Parcel Audit solution for shippers; and in episode 293, Adam Moulding introduced us to Sifted’s Contract Management Suite.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
Today I’m joined by Flexe, an exciting and forward-thinking disruptor in the logistics and supply chain industry, that is on a mission to create an open logistics network that optimizes the global delivery of your goods.
Flexe solves the hardest omnichannel logistics problems for the world’s largest retailers and brands. Integrating technology, open logistics networks, and elastic economic models allows Flexe customers to move fast, at scale, and with precision. Founded in 2013, Flexe brings deep logistics expertise and enterprise-grade technology to deliver innovative eCommerce fulfilment, retail distribution, same-day delivery, and network capacity programs to the Fortune 500.
Today Jordan Lawrence, Director of Logistics Strategy at Flexe and Head of the Flexe Institute, joins me to chat all about the company: what they do; solving logistics problems with technology; helping customers to compete with Amazon; and why the future is fixed AND flexible.
[06.52] The trends and challenges the industry is facing right now, and what Flexe are seeing with their enterprise clients.
“There’s a damned if you do, dammed if you don’t, type strategy that’s a real challenge. Most shippers have two choices – and there’s serious trade-offs on both sides.”
[08.38] How Flexe was founded, and the challenges it was built to solve.
“How warehouse capacity works – essentially you have to build the church for Easter Sunday… so during periods of non-peak, you have periods of wild underutilization… And so the supply-demand matching functions in warehousing are wildly inefficient.”
[10.02] An overview of Flexe – what they do and how they help their customers.
“We serve as a single point of integration that represents this holistic bucket of capacity. And then we match their need with the right operator, that has the right skillset.”
[12.07] Flexe’s strategically placed warehouses, and their approach to evolving consumer behavior and new fulfilment strategies.
“As there become more dispersed inventory strategies to service this direct-to-consumer channel, secondary, tertiary and non-traditional warehouse markets become more and more important – and that’s exactly where you’re going to have a challenge finding the right type of operator.”
[15.34] All about capacity – the challenges, the impact of the pandemic, and how Flexe can help.
“The real challenge with capacity in the traditional model is that you need to make 2, 3, 5, 7 year capacity decisions… people need optionality… the strategy that we work with shippers to employ is this option to wait and see. ”
[20.18] What onboarding and implementation looks like with Flexe.
[22.02] The ideal client for Flexe.
[23.26] Two case studies, showing how Flexe work with their clients as a trusted fulfilment partner to help them react quickly, pivot where necessary, meet demand and resolve unexpected issues.
“Everyone uses this word flexibility, and it’s kind of nebulous… to me, flexibility – especially in warehousing – is one thing, and that’s speed.”
[25.55] The future for Flexe.
Head over to Flexe’s website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Flexe and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter, or you can connect with Jordan on LinkedIn.
This episode was filmed at Home Delivery world. If you enjoyed it, and want to explore some of the other great content filmed at the event, why not check out episodes 299: Modernize Your Ecommerce Supply Chain, with Shipium, 297: Make Smarter Packing Decisions, with Paccurate, 296: Take Control of Managing Your Demand Chain, with SEKO, 294: Optimize Warehouse Productivity, with Locus Robotics or 289: Achieve Control, Capacity and Care, with Estes Forwarding Worldwide.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could predict the future? Well, with Sifted, you kinda can…
We wrapped up our first mini-series with Sifted a few months ago, released the first episode of our second mini-series last week and you all still want more–so of course, we delivered.
So, over the course of our new “Driving Your Parcel Performance” series, we’re going to dive even deeper. This time, we’ll be putting the spotlight on their Carrier Management Suite and taking a closer look at how it can help you to take a proactive approach to contract management, from ensuring compliance and negotiating rates, to controlling spend and improving relationships.
Today in Episode 2, Better Performance, I’m joined by Caleb Nelson, Chief Growth Officer at Sifted, to talk all about some of the big challenges happening in the industry right now and where carrier relationships fit in; analyzing and scoring contract performance; and how you can tackle the complexities of your agreements, to drive performance-enhancing outcomes
[01.15] An introduction to Caleb Nelson and Sifted’s brand new product, their carrier management suite.
“It’s not just a brand new product for us, but it’s brand new for the industry – it’s really never been done before!”
[01.53] A discussion about what contract performance means
[05.48] A conversation about renegotiating contracts, when you should review, what you should be paying attention to, and what the rate increases mean.
“If you do implement the Sifted technology to be able to take a look at everything, you might actually be winner after doing that, regardless of the general rate increase” -Sarah
[10.14] Challenges in the industry right now.
[14.43] Sarah and Caleb discuss carrier performance within the Sifted Carrier Management Suite.
“Clean, simple. easy conversations for you to be able to take a data-driven approach to make a good impact on your business.” -Caleb
[18.55] A deeper dive into the process of obtaining the data needed for conversations with the carrier rep, the ease of getting the data, the meaning of “30 Seconds Easy” and the use of dashboards within the platform, as well as scoring and transparency.
“I think it is really important to make data consumable and make it so that it’s very easy to understand.” -Caleb
[25.00] Who will benefit from using the contract management suite
[26.14] Examples of helping someone with Sifted’s technology.
[29.28] Predictions for 2023.
[31.50] Caleb’s final words.
Head over to Sifted’s website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Sifted and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, or you can connect with Caleb on LinkedIn.
If you enjoyed the show, why not check out our first mini-series in collaboration with Sifted where we really predicted the future.
It was called “Tomorrow’s Insights Delivered Today“. In episode 286, Ami Bensman took a closer look at the Sifted Score; in episode 288, Kevin Miller talked all about simulation and modeling; in episode 290, Caleb Nelson took us on a deep dive into Sifted’s Parcel Audit solution for shippers; and in episode 293, Adam Moulding introduced us to Sifted’s Contract Management Suite.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
In today’s episode of Women In Supply Chain, I’m joined by Charlie Saffro – entrepreneur, industry expert, master networker and mindful leader.
Charlie began her career as a marketing account manager, working on big name accounts like Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo and Gatorade. But, as a connector by heart, Charlie found her true calling when she embraced a career in supply chain recruitment. Charlie founded her own firm, CS Recruiting in back in 2010 and has gone from strength to strength, growing the business from a team of one to 40 and boasting an impressive client list, whilst earning some top industry accolades along the way.
Today Charlie will be talking to us about her career so far; tackling supply chain labor shortages; creating a culture of connectivity; and why recruitment is both a science, and an art. Plus, she’ll be sharing her experiences as a woman in supply chain, as well as her words of advice for all of the women following in her footsteps.
This Women in Supply Chain feature was sponsored by Sifted.
As a business dedicated to empowering confidence within the shipping industry, we’re proud to support women in supply chain. Sifted is the leading logistics intelligence software, that combines insights with expertise to empower bigger, smarter shipping decisions. As growth and disruptions present ongoing challenges for supply chain leaders, thousands rely on Sifted to set their businesses up for success. Learn more about Sifted here.
[07.12] Charlie’s early career in marketing, and her experience of working on big name brands like Proctor and Gamble and PepsiCo.
“It feels like it was a different lifetime!... But when I reflect back, it actually makes so much sense that I landed where I am today with those roots.”
[08.59] How, and why, Charlie pivoted in her career, away from B2C marketing to logistics HR and recruitment.
“Starting very scrappy is what got me, not only interested, but it got me very well-rounded exposure to the industry.”
[13.02] Charlie’s experience of being entirely self-taught, and the general move, in recruitment, away from a focus simply on education.
“We are seeing more and more employers now really emphasizing: ‘We want the right person. We want the personality, we want someone who aligns with our values, who’s going to fit in with our culture.”
[18.59] Charlie’s experience of founding CS Recruiting, whilst raising a family.
“Looking back, it was so crazy that I never stopped, but that’s what gave me that head start. It was almost like I was competing with myself to take advantage of every spare moment I had to either learn or network or put myself out there.”
[24.25] Charlie’s perspective on the current recruitment landscape, and how she is tackling key industry challenges within her business.
“The market is very confusing right now! We’re talking about this recession, we’re hearing about layoffs, but yet what we’re seeing is that the demand for people is way greater than the supply. There are more jobs than there are qualified, available, interested people.”
[28.11] Why Charlie calls herself a master networker, and her top tips for networking success.
“Being passive is a big part of networking, finding what you have in common with someone before just trying to sell them something… LinkedIn makes it easy to network, but it also makes it very hard to sift through the garbage to find out who’s legit.”
[33.55] Charlie’s role as the very first Blended Pledge grant recipient, how she used the grant, and the potential impact the Blended program could have on the industry.
“There’s so much talent out there… and I want to see more females in the industry.”
[40.15] From her parents to a young author, Charlie shares her inspirations.
[42.15] Charlie’s advice for all of the girls and women looking to follow in her footsteps.
You can connect with Charlie over on LinkedIn.
If you enjoyed the show, why not check out episode 21 of Blended - Boost Your Bottom Line: Why You Should Be Retaining Diverse Talent, in which an expert panel discuss the current landscape in supply chain when it comes to talent; how to successfully hire and retain talent; and how we navigate bias to improve company culture.
And if you want to hear more from our next Blended Pledge grant recipient, Dr Gennifer – Founder/Executive Director at TransNewYork – check out episode 20 of Blended: DEI in the Workplace – Not Just The Smart Thing To Do, But The Right Thing To Do or episode 22 of Blended: Tokenism: The Wrong Route to Diversity.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
You asked, and we are delivering – with another brand new mini-series, featuring the logistics expert, tech innovator and firm Let’s Talk Supply Chain favorite… Sifted!
We wrapped up our “Tomorrow’s Insights Delivered Today” mini-series with Sifted back in September and it was a real success. I got to talk to some new faces, and old friends, and start to really get under the skin of who Sifted is and what they do.
So, over the course of our new “Driving Your Parcel Performance” series, we’re going to dive even deeper. This time, we’ll be putting the spotlight on their Carrier Management Suite and taking a closer look at how it can help you to take a proactive approach to contract management, from ensuring compliance and negotiating rates, to controlling spend and improving relationships.
Today in Episode 1, Contract Monitoring, I’m joined by Jeremy Lee, VP of Business Solutions, at Sifted, to take a closer look at Sifted’s contract monitoring solution: how it works; avoiding surprise costs; switching from a reactive to a proactive approach; and exactly how Sifted are helping to drive success for shippers.
[01.42] An introduction to Sifted’s brand new product, their carrier management suite.
“It’s not just a brand new product for us, but it’s brand new for the industry – it’s really never been done before!”
[03.28] A closer look at the development of the suite – why it was a product Sifted was keen to build, what it's designed to do and the feedback from customers so far.
“What we really wanted to do, was to take all of the power we have at Sifted, and put it into the hands of the clients.”
[05.00] An overview of Sifted’s contract monitoring solution, part of the carrier management suite.
“Shippers move between those tiers quite often and our customers kept asking us where they were in their tiers, what happens if they fall, what happens if they climb?”
[07.02] Some of the key challenges when it comes to contract monitoring, what Sifted have seen with their clients, and the impacts of those challenges industry-wide.
“We’re in unprecedented times – everybody just wants precedented times for Christmas!”
[09.06] Exactly how the contract monitoring functionality, within the Sifted carrier management suite, helps to tackle those specific challenges.
“You can’t control what you can’t see, and what you can’t measure.”
[11.24] A deeper dive into exactly what customers can do with Sifted’s contract monitoring tool, including alerts before tier or price changes and modeling spend.
“Often, when you’re negotiating a pricing agreement, reps will use promotional rates or teaser incentives that are set for maybe 12 months, and then they rapidly decrease over time. And as those are decreasing, their general rate increases are going up. It has a compounding impact, so you absolutely have to keep in front of those.”
[14.19] The positive business impact of shifting your mindset from reactive to proactive, with the help of a tool like Sifted’s carrier management suite.
“We all want to sell more product and when you have those orders coming in and your carrier says “sorry, we can’t take them” – that’s a problem.”
[17.50] The top and bottom line benefits, to shippers, carriers and industry-wide, that come about when businesses start to optimize their contract monitoring, take a proactive approach and feel empowered to make data-driven decisions.
“The wider effects to the industry will be streamlining antiquated, or even non-existent processes; eliminating some excess waste… and empowering shippers to do more – and I think, now more than ever, we’re all trying to do more with less.”
[20.40] A taste of how the different solutions within Sifted’s Carrier Management Suite work together to create a holistic, bigger picture and ultimately set clients up for success.
“This is the first true cradle to grave technology solution for parcel expense management."
[21.56] The ideal client for Sifted’s contract monitoring solution.
“I don’t think anybody is too large or too small to benefit from this. If you have a carrier contract with agreed pricing, customized to your business, then monitoring is going to be valuable.”
[23.26] A case study showing how Sifted’s contract monitoring solution helped a parent company to identify an issue with a sub-brand that was not using preferred shipping rules, ultimately saving the business money, providing transparency and allowing the client to optimize their operations.
[26.07] Jeremy’s final words.
Head over to Sifted’s website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Sifted and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, or you can connect with Jeremy on LinkedIn.
If you enjoyed the show, why not check out our first mini-series in collaboration with Sifted. In episode 286, Ami Bensman took a closer look at the Sifted Score; in episode 288, Kevin Miller talked all about simulation and modeling; in episode 290, Caleb Nelson took us on a deep dive into Sifted’s Parcel Audit solution for shippers; and in episode 293, Adam Moulding introduced us to Sifted’s Contract Management Suite.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.