Today I’m joined by Orderful, a forward-thinking EDI software provider, that is on a mission to modernize contemporary supply chains.
Orderful is a complete cloud EDI platform for manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and technology companies. With an API that enables companies to connect once and trade EDI data with their supply chain, Orderful customers are able to consolidate their EDI software integration complexity and quickly enable trading partners as self-service to reduce costs.
Today Erik Kiser, founder and CEO at Orderful, joins me to chat all about the company: what they do; why it’s so important to help the small guys get to market; why existing EDI software infrastructures can’t keep up; and Orderful’s mission to create a world where data trading is not a barrier.
[06.41] Erik’s founder story, and the journey that led him to “experience the tension between small suppliers and giant buyers” first hand, and establish Orderful.
“I saw what the larger enterprise integration environment looked like for manufacturers, and I started to recognize that the problems still existed at a larger scale. And the problem didn’t only exist for the brand, it also existed for their trading partners.”
[11.37] A closer look at the challenges businesses face as they trade data, why most EDI software providers on the market don’t adequately address these challenges, and why offering custom software isn’t enough.
“The biggest problem isn’t the technology itself – it’s getting two companies to collaborate to get the job done.”
[14.23] An overview of Orderful – what they do, and how they help their customers.
[17.52] From real-time feedback to quickly resolving problems and validating data, a closer look at all the ways Orderful can help businesses save time.
“We save 90% on what a traditional EDI software onboarding would look like. We consolidate all the requirements so that when a company hits their API, they get real-time feedback on what data is or is not going to be accepted by a trading partner.”
[22.21] How the pandemic has changed the way businesses think about data, how they relate to it and move it around their networks.
[24.08] How Orderful’s EDI software works for logistics.
“Traditionally in logistics, providers offer a managed service for onboarding, but their trading partners also have a managed service, so you’re working with two different consulting firms to get the job done. With Orderful, we’re representing shippers and they’re inviting carriers to trade with them, through our platform.”
[26.52] The onboarding process with Orderful, and what they mean by the phrase ‘self-service.’
"What was taking about eight weeks, is now taking around five days or less.”
[29.26] How Orderful can help to better support supplier diversity.
“It really levels the playing field. Only about 20% of the market has an EDI software provider or solution… We’re focused on: ‘How do we service that other 80% of the market that doesn’t have the same opportunities that the top 20% have?’”
[31.10] The ideal client for Orderful.
[32.32] A case study showing how Orderful helped Coke Industries to define its onboarding process, through automation, reduction of back and forth and the creation of a more efficient team – ultimately helping them to reduce a typical eight week onboarding to five days.
[37.56] The future for Orderful, after securing an extra $19 million in series B funding in 2021.
Head over to Orderful’s website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Orderful and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, Twitter or YouTube, or you can connect with Erik on LinkedIn.
If you enjoyed this episode, why not check out episode 1 of LogTech Live with Eric Johnson, where he talks everything logistics and technology, or episode 5 of No Bullshipping with Hope White, where she talks all about putting diverse suppliers in front of big corporations.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
In today’s episode of Women In Supply Chain, I’m joined by Margo Waldie: an amazing woman helping businesses increase their profitability using her expertise in the cargo, sales and warehousing worlds.
Margo is currently the director of sales at NFI, a fully integrated North American supply chain solutions provider.
A champion of sales who has made over 50 thousand sales calls, Margo Waldie joins us to talk all about her powerful supply chain career so far; her passion for sales; and her show Cargo Margo, where she helps folks understand what it truly takes to create the life and business of their dreams.
This Women in Supply Chain feature was made possible by our sponsor, XXX.
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[05.52] Margo’s early career, how her father helped to inspire her love for sales, and how an exciting business development program led to her start in the industry.
[07.31] From moving around the industry, gaining exposure across multiple disciplines, to embracing a non-linear career path, how Margo’s journey surprised and shaped her.
“This journey has been educational, inspirational – and not what I initially thought that it would be!”
[12.20] Margo’s experience as a woman in a traditionally male-dominated industry.
“I didn’t notice it until recently. But the more I’m becoming involved in marketing, social media; the more travelling I do; the more events that I’m at – I’m realising that I’m looking around the table, and I’m the only woman.”
[18.33] The people who inspire Margo, both in and out of the industry.
[19.24] How working with a coach, to tackle self-limiting beliefs, during the pandemic helped Margo find her voice.
[23.31] What Margo has learned about herself along the course of her journey so far, and what the future holds.
“My favourite thing is building relationships and inspiring others to get into supply chain.”
[25.17] What Margo has enjoyed the most across the different areas of her career, from sales to entrepreneurship, and the things that inspire her on a daily basis.
“I’m a risk-taker. I love to think about how we can innovate and collaborate and make the world a better place – and streamline supply chain!”
[28.29] Margo’s advice for business leaders.
You can connect with Margo Waldie aka Cargo Margo over on LinkedIn.
If you enjoyed this episode of Women In Supply Chain, why not check out episode 223, featuring Tara St James: fashion designer, sustainable design strategist and responsible supply chain consultant all rolled into one, or episode 250, in which Mary McNelly, Senior Director of Global Logistics & Supply Chain Network Design at Crocs, shares her unique journey.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
Today I’m joined by Unilog, the customer-focused experts in the design and management of global supply chains.
Unilog specializes in global fulfilment and mission-critical logistics services. Their flexible, customized supply chain solutions, based on best practices and expertise, work seamlessly with internal client operations to ensure time-definite delivery wherever and whenever necessary.
With offices around the world, Unilog support their clients’ needs anywhere, anytime, by utilizing advanced technology coupled with the best team, leading 3PLs & service providers.
Today Osi Tagger, CEO at Unilog, joins me to chat all about the company: what they do; the importance of creating achievable solutions; embracing a culture of diversity; and how a focus on logistic capabilities can achieve a competitive advantage.
[08.01] An overview of Unilog – what they do, their 5PL structure and how they help their customers – and why they can’t be put into a box.
“We are a multi enterprise supply chain business network.”
[12.07] A closer look at Unilog’s Supply Chain as a Service offering and how it can facilitate global fulfilment for customers, to help them scale quickly and easily and meet their SLA's.
“If you ask our clients, ‘where is your warehouse?’ they have no idea – they don’t care, because that’s not what they’re buying. In order to grow their business, they want to deliver their promise to their market and we support them – this is global fulfilment for us. This is why they buy supply chain as a service.”
[15.52] Unilog’s service parts supply chain, the evolving challenges around inventory and distribution, and why it’s so important to put a focus on helping businesses to fulfil their promises to their end consumers.
[19.16] The five cornerstones on which Unilog was founded, and how they translate to digitization, visibility and real-time supply chain control tower capabilities.
“Visibility for the sake of visibility is just another pile of data. What are you going to do with that? That’s what we solve in many ways.”
[26.18] The importance of flexible and customizable solutions when it comes to creating agile supply chains, and why Excel continues to stick around.
[29.56] Why Unilog focus on creating feasible and achievable supply chain solutions for businesses.
[32.42] Why companies who place an emphasis on logistics capabilities can achieve a competitive advantage.
“We ask our clients, ‘what’s the plan – new products, new markets, new services?’ Once we understand what our customers want, we design what they need.”
[34.32] Osi’s ethos and passion for women’s empowerment and creating a diverse team; how it helps Unilog to thrive and drive strategic partnerships; and why more companies should be embracing this way of working.
“What is dynamic integration? It’s not just IT. It’s people!”
[38.37] The ideal client for Unilog.
[40.26] A case study, showing how Unilog’s Supply Chain as a Service solution helped one key customer to grow over 170% and scale globally at speed.
[42.53] The future for Unilog.
Head over to Unilog’s website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Unilog and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, or you can connect with Osi on LinkedIn.
If you enjoyed this episode, why not check out episode 275 featuring Amani Radman, another woman who's passionate about bringing diversity and logistics together. Or, read our profile on supply chain and procurement executive and thought leader Carine Toure Yemitia, where she talks all about women building confidence and visibility across the global supply chain community.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
It’s episode 22 of Blended: I’m joined by another fantastic panel of guests and, today, we’re tackling another tricky issue – tokenism. Tokenism is a relatively new idea – the term was only coined in the late 70’s – but we are hearing it more and more as the conversations around diversity and inclusion grow. And, when issues like this arise, that can potentially derail the really good DEI work that so many people are doing, we have a responsibility to address it and get it out in the open – which is one of our favorite things to do on Blended!
Today, our guests will be exploring exactly what tokenism means; sharing their personal experiences; and discussing how we can start to tackle tokenism in the workplace.
[00.54] Introductions to our Blended panelists.
[06.20] The group discusses tokenism: what it means to them, and how it fits into diversity, equity and inclusion.
“Tokenism is being included but not being included – it’s about being included in spaces, only because someone wants to tick a box.” Clarecia
[27.37] The group share their personal experiences of tokenism, and the impact those experiences had on both themselves and their communities.
“It’s hard to break down those walls of, not only people using tokenism on me, but me not wanting to feel like I’m projecting tokenism onto somebody else.” Gennifer
[51.03] The panel summarizes their ideas on how organizations can successfully avoid tokenism, and they sum up their thoughts from today’s discussion.
“I would love to see more accountability, more showcasing year round; understanding that everyone, whether it’s for pride or black history month, it’s not a box that everyone fits into… you need to be thinking about everyone as an individual and as unique.” Breanne
You can connect with Gennifer and Clarecia on Instagram. For Breanne, you can shoot her an email at: breanne@letstalksupplychain.com.
If you found this episode interesting, you might enjoy Episode 21, Boost Your Bottom Line: Why You Should Be Retaining Diverse Talent or Episode 9, Handling Diversity in Business: Is there a right or wrong answer?
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
Today I’m joined by Jonathan Kempe, CEO and founder of Verifai and host of Let’s Talk Supply Chain AsiaPac, to talk all about the landscape of supply chain and the current disruptions; digital media industry trends; the labor gap between companies and workers; and the role of technology within the industry. We also share a very exciting announcement!
[08.01] From inflation to changing consumer behavior, Jonathan and Sarah discuss the state of the industry and the new – and ongoing – disruptions.
“We’ve had a continual period of disruption, and all of the people involved in making supply chains function have barely been able to take a breath.”
[15.58] Jonathan and Sarah take a closer look at evolving media trends and the increasing importance of digital content.
“We’ve been able to see how a digital transformation can really make a difference in the life of a company.”
[20.42] Jonathan reflects on the experience of franchising Let’s Talk Supply Chain, and what LTSC AsiaPac means to him.
[26.20] Jonathan shares his thoughts on the growing importance of technology in supply chain, and how it touches everything from innovation to recruitment.
“Technology infused into a skillset for an industry professional is an important aspect.”
“With increasing scale, we’re going to have to think of smarter ways to do this better – and technology gives us those options.
[31.33] Sarah and Jonathan share their big announcement!
Find out more about Shipz or connect with Jonathan on LinkedIn.
If you enjoyed this episode, why not check out episode 206, where we announced the AsiaPac franchise, or join the conversation for even more industry trends over on LTSC AsiaPac.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
Today I’m joined by NYSHEX, a leading shipping technology company that is creating reliable ocean shipping through effective digital contracts.
NYSHEX was built to restore trust and reliability in global trade. As the leader in two-way committed contracts, their neutral exchange unites shippers and carriers with a predictable, efficient, and accountable system for global commerce.
Today Gordon Downes, co-founder and CEO at NYSHEX, joins me to chat all about the company: what they do; the current challenges faced by the shipping industry; the importance of collaborative relationships; and how improving supply chain reliability will revolutionize the industry.
[06.22] Gordon’s journey, from working across the world for Maersk to co-founding NYSHEX, and what he learned along the way.
“I started to question – ‘why is the ship full, why do we have to roll these customers?’ And you start to realize, quite quickly, that in our industry - even though contracts get signed and agreements are made - the practice is not to take them as seriously.”
[12.08] A closer look at the landscape of the shipping industry, how it’s changed since NYSHEX was founded, and the current challenges.
“People were telling me ‘this will never work – people are too stuck in their ways! It’s such an old, legacy industry’… but through the pandemic, and even prior, the mindset of the industry was starting to change.”
[16.42] An overview of NYSHEX – what they do, and how they help their customers – and exactly how NYSHEX benefits ocean shippers.
“The average contract fulfilment rate – and this is data from pre-pandemic, it’s got worse during the pandemic – is about 65%. We’re seeing fulfilment rates through our application of around 98%.”
[23.45] The impact of NYSHEX’s benefits on shippers, and on the industry.
[27.11] A look at the integration and onboarding process for shippers.
[31.18] How NYSHEX works for carriers and the benefits the product brings.
[38.19] The ideal client for NYSHEX.
“Collaboration and trust is paramount… so, for us, it’s the shippers and carriers who really have the intention to make good on the terms of their agreements with their customers, because not everyone is like that.”
[41.12] A case study, showing how NYSHEX helped one key customer ‘save Halloween.’
[44.56] The future for NYSHEX, and for the ocean shipping and industry at-large.
“Coming out of the pandemic, as bumpy and disruptive as it’s been, it’s going to result in a much more robust, more resilient shipping and logistics industry, coupled with the supply chain that runs on top.”
Head over to NYSHEX’s website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with NYSHEX and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, or you can connect with Gordon on LinkedIn.
If you enjoyed this episode, why not listen to 185: Chart a Course for Shipping Success, featuring Alison Cusack of Cusack and Co, or check out our live show, No Bullshipping with Hope White.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
In today’s episode of Women In Supply Chain, I’m joined Amani Radman: an amazing woman on two very special missions. To provide reliable, cost-effective transportation services through her own logistics brand; and, to champion the power of diversity in supply chain.
Born in Somalia, Amani moved to the US and achieved a degree in supply logistics, management and leadership from Portland State University before going on to establish a successful corporate career. Having gained extensive experience across supplier management, business process and operations, Amani went on to found her own business, Malao Logistics, Minnesota’s premier logistics company specializing in freight brokerage and transportation services.
Today Amani will be talking to us about her career so far; moving out of the corporate world to found her own business; taking a family approach to logistics; and the importance of diversity in industry. 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 made possible by our sponsor, Emerge. As a company focused on empowering and growing meaningful supply chain relationships, Emerge is proud to sponsor Women in Supply Chain. Through its freight procurement platform, Emerge offers solutions that enhance the spot and contract procurement process, enabling shippers and carriers to make more strategic decisions.
[08.37] Amani’s background growing up in Somalia, and her brave decision to move to the USA to start a new life at age 18.
[10.32] How Amani found supply chain, and why she’s so passionate about it.
“Coming from Somalia, I want to be able to connect the dots… and what is the best way to do that? With logistics, because there’s always transport.”
[13.25] Amani’s experience at global outdoor brand Columbia Sportswear Company, and how the woman-led business inspired her.
“Coming from a male-dominated company, all the leadership… everybody was a woman!... It really showed me what it is to be a woman in supply chain, and how to take it to the next level.”
[15.47] Amani’s previous role at Boeing, the importance of supplier diversity and how businesses should approach it.
“Think of it like a mentorship program… the more you mentor us, the more we get bigger and the more we can support you – you can literally customize us the way you want to!”
[20.35] The differences between corporate and small business, and why Amani made the decision to start her own company, Malao Logistics.
“In corporate, things move so slow… and the supply chain doesn’t wait!”
[23.09] A closer look at Malao, what they do, and how they help their customers.
[25.21] Some of the challenges Amani has faced whilst establishing Malao Logistics.
“The hardest part is being accepted in the community… I know the journey is hard, but I have to do this for all the women… I want to be the woman they look up to and say ‘well she did it, why can’t I?’”
[27.22] Amani’s experiences at large industry events, particularly as a woman who wears a head scarf.
[32.56] How Amani found, and embraced, her voice, and her advice for others.
“Don’t give up on your dreams, because if you give up on yourself, don’t expect anyone else to believe in you.”
[36.47] The future for Amani, and for Malao Logistics.
[38.42] Amani’s final words of wisdom for the women following in her footsteps.
You can connect with Amani over on LinkedIn.
If you'd like to hear more from Amani, check out Episode 20 of Blended – DEI in the Workplace – Not Just The Smart Thing To Do, But The Right Thing To Do. And if you want to find out more about another incredible woman building her own logistics firm, check out Episode 205, where Kristy Knichel reflects on her journey and the numerous benefits of working with a certified woman-owned and operated business.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
Today I’m joined by Argo AI, a forward-thinking transport technology business who are on a mission to make the world’s streets and roadways safe, accessible and useful for all, through the power of self-driving technology.
With a team of self-driven engineers, strategists, product managers, and more – from over 50 countries – Argo are utilizing self-driving products and services to transform the movement of people and goods, benefiting communities around the world, and empowering both people and businesses to be more successful.
Today Lehren MacKay, Head of Business Development at Argo AI, joins me to chat all about the company: what they do; the landscape of autonomous technology; embracing a culture of safety; and why self-driving technology has profound potential to transform the way we live and move.
[06.23] The current landscape when it comes to autonomous vehicles, and why it's a growing focus for many businesses.
“It’s really exciting times – we are seeing a lot of investment in the autonomous vehicles space and a focus on a lot of diverse applications of the technology, ranging from delivery to ride share to trucking.”
[08.29] An overview of Argo – what they do, and how they help their customers.
“We have had a really collaborative process with our customers, creating relationships that drive mutual benefits and ultimately thinking about how we can future proof their businesses.”
[11.59] Mapping, sensing, planning and acting – the four key steps in how Argo's autonomous technology works.
[14.18] The relationship between AI and people, and why it’s important to harness the power that comes from both working seamlessly together.
"We often think about ‘how are we designing products, with people and customers in mind?’ And so for us, our key purpose is ‘how do we think about reimagining the human journey?’
[16.26] A closer look at Argo’s Autonomous Delivery service, and the value it’s bringing to both the middle and last mile for customers.
“We’re seeing a re-emergence of the urban middle mile… and as part of this change, we’re seeing new delivery middle mile use cases.”
[19.04] From tackling efficiency issues to addressing sustainability goals, the positive impact autonomous vehicles can have on the industry.
“There are a lot of driver shortages impacting delivery schedules, and we think autonomous vehicles can actually become that reliable driver supply to meet increasing volume and demands.”
[21.53] Why safety is a core value at Argo, and why autonomous vehicles have the potential to revolutionize the safety of our roads.
“We are ultimately designing a driver that never gets tired, never gets distracted – and never drinks too much!”
[25.07] Argo’s ethos of benefiting communities, and empowering both people and businesses.
[27.11] The ideal client for Argo.
[29.09] A case study, showing how Argo supported a key client with store-to-store rebalancing, in order to help them meet changing customer demands.
[32.56] The future for Argo, and for autonomous vehicles.
Head over to Argo AI’s website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Argo and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram, or you can connect with Lehren on LinkedIn.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
Today I’m joined by Pando, a global logistics software brand and the world's first open-market freight management platform, which brings together an economic network of delivery stakeholders.
Pando is a market leader in supply chain technology, building the world’s fastest, and highest ROI driven networked‑Transport Management System. Pando is the TMS of choice for Fortune 500 manufacturers, retailers, and logistics companies globally, with a presence across Southeast Asia, the Middle East and North America. Pando’s network‑powered SaaS platform for supply chain execution helps enterprises digitalize, automate, and scale their logistics operations across all modes and legs of movement.
Today Nitin Jayakrishnan, co-founder and CEO at Pando, joins me to chat all about the company: what they do; the key challenges in global logistics; the power of collaborative optimization; and why businesses need to look beyond cost saving, towards improved accuracy, responsiveness and predictability
[06.57] Nitin’s founder story, and the journey that led him to establish Pando.
“We set out to build a marketplace for domestic freight – Uber for freight!... Along the way something interesting started happening: our customers... started asking us if we could expand our tech into other freight and warehousing providers.”
[11.20] An overview of Pando – what they do, and how they help their customers.
“Most management solutions were built before the year 2000… The tech that sustains global supply chains is completely archaic!”
[15.57] A look at some of the key challenges Pando’s customers are facing right now, and Pando’s approach to solving them.
"These are brands that we love and live with… these brands ultimately serve you and me, so the mission for Pando, of course is to solve supply chain issues and logistics inefficiencies, but really is to serve the brand we love to help those brands serve us better!”
[23.21] The importance of good data, and Pando’s game-changing control tower capabilities.
"You don’t put the control tower at the top, you put it at the bottom – it’s the foundational layer of data that feeds into these systems… the input is controlled, so you’re not only able to solve the data problem, but you’re able to predict and prevent the challenges."
[27.00] A closer look at Pando’s TMS solution, and how it can revolutionize dispatch planning and decision-making.
[30.25] Integration, and how Pando work with their network of partners.
“Companies are now realizing that what was once called back end operations is now coming front and center of their global strategies.”
[36.22] Sustainability, how Pando facilitates a reduction in carbon footprint for their customers, and why clients increasingly expect their suppliers to be an active part of helping them achieve their own ESG goals.
[40.25] The onboarding process with Pando, and their mission to deliver fast and effective integration.
“With Pando, the time to value is 90 days – and that’s a gamechanger. It’s a gold standard when it comes to enterprise technology.”
[43.43] The ideal client for Pando.
[45.21] Two key case studies, illustrating how Pando helped one customer reduce supply chain costs and achieve end-to-end visibility, and another solve shipping efficiency issues in order to realize an additional $2.5 million in revenue.
[48.39] The future for Pando.
Head over to Pando’s website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Pando and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, or you can connect with Nitin on LinkedIn.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
It’s episode 21 of Blended! I’m joined by another incredible panel of guests and we’re talking about diverse talent in the workplace, and how to keep it. From labor shortages to issues around retention, I’m having more and more conversations about talent on Let’s Talk Supply Chain, and it really was time to bring that conversation over to Blended. Ensuring you have diverse talent in your business could be the difference between surviving and thriving, so it’s something everyone should be taking seriously.
Today, our guests will be discussing the current landscape in supply chain when it comes to talent; sharing their own personal experiences; tackling how to successfully hire and retain talent; and discussing exactly how we navigate bias to improve company culture.
[00.45] Introductions to our Blended panelists.
“The landscape is transforming like never before.” Sugathri
[03.50] The group dives into the current landscape in supply chain when it comes to talent, and reflects on the truth behind the headlines around ‘talent shortages’ and the ‘great resignation.’
“Ensuring that you have the right wages and the right benefits have become really important – if you’re not hitting the mark on that, and if your culture is not right, people aren’t going to come and work for you. Or they’ll come, and then they’ll leave.” Meredith
[21.56] The panel reflects on the step before retention – hiring the right talent.
“It’s a candidate driven, employee market, and its absolutely essential that organisations are pitching themselves right.” Heidi
[40.47] The group shares their personal experiences and dive deeper into unconscious bias: what it means, the impact on retaining talent and how we successfully navigate through it in the workplace to help retention.
“Anybody who has been ‘othered’ is always asking themselves those questions – do I have an unconscious bias? And it’s terrifying when you have to come face to face with yourself and admit it.” Bryant
[1.13.14] The panel summarizes their thoughts on how organizations can successfully retain talent.
[01.27.23] The group sums up their thoughts from today’s discussion.
You can connect with Bryant, Heidi, Meredith and Sugathri over on LinkedIn.
If you found this episode interesting, you might enjoy Episode 20, DEI in the Workplace – Not Just The Smart Thing To Do, But The Right Thing To Do or Episode 18, Hiding in Plain Sight: The Reality of Workplace Discrimination.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
Today I’m joined by Klaus Imping – best-selling author, entrepreneur, innovator, thought leader and CEO all rolled into one.
With an education in Business Administration, Klaus worked for almost a decade in various organizational, IT and process re-engineering roles before making the move to consulting, where he has worked with numerous clients and projects for almost three decades. As an author, entrepreneur and the CEO of mSE PointOut Group, Klaus operates in the magic triangle of information technology, processes, and strategy, with a focus on supply chain management in a global context.
Today Klaus joins me to chat all about his impressive career so far; his new book; his passion for making business process digitalization effective; and why tribal workflows are undermining digital transformation.
[06.54] Klaus shares his background and career journey, from his early employed roles to where he is today.
“This was the first time that I got the idea that the strength and resilience of processes is a result of three factors and the technical enablement is only one – the process design and the process adherence are equally important.”
[10.03] How his father’s workplace experiences helped to shape Klaus’ mindset and approach to his own career.
“You always find enough reasons to declare yourself a victim of circumstance, that’s easy. The hard way is to raise your hand, take influence and bring things to the right direction.”
[13.18] Klaus’ position in ‘the magic triangle of information technology, processes, and strategy’ – what he means by that, and why it’s the ideal place to be.
[16.27] An overview of Klaus’ upcoming book ‘Tribal F*cks Up Digital.’
“I truly think that digitalization and digital transformation is the next industrial revolution – it’s not a nice to have… it’s a do it or die type of thing.”
[20.52] Why Klaus wrote the book, the process of writing it and his passion for transforming the way we think about digitalization.
[23.18] A closer look at digital transformation, and why technology isn’t the answer.
“It might work technically – but the process, the people, the workflow just doesn’t adopt it… and it’s the famous Excel spreadsheet that survives!”
[28.20] Tribal workflows, and how they neutralize digitalization.
[32.31] The importance of effective adoption, and how it’s different to traditional change management.
“Digital transformation is not limited by technology. Digital transformation is limited by adoption.”
[35.54] Klaus’ reflections on what the next couple of years are going to bring for the industry.
[39.03] A look at Klaus’ organization, mSE PointOut Group, recently named a 2022 GARTNER Cool Vendor in Supply Chain Technology.
[41.29] What the future holds for Klaus.
Head over to Klaus’ website now to find out more, pre-order his book and to discover how he could help you too. You can also connect with Klaus on LinkedIn.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
In today’s episode of Women In Supply Chain, I’m joined by the supply chain program manager at Amazon, Sneha Kumari.
A Six Sigma Green Belt certified professional, who boats over a decade of experience leading quality supply chain and operational programs at several companies, Sneha is recognized as Operations Women Leaders by McKinsey and Co. Which doesn't happen often! She pours her passion into making the circular economy happen.
Today Sneha will be talking to us about her career so far, how she went from engineering to supply chain, her experience growing up in India, and why it's so important to highlight diverse voices. Plus, she’ll be sharing her experiences as a woman in the industry, as well as her words of advice for all of the women following in her footsteps.
This Women in Supply Chain feature was made possible by our sponsor, Emerge. As a company focused on empowering and growing meaningful supply chain relationships, Emerge is proud to sponsor Women in Supply Chain. Through its freight procurement platform, Emerge offers solutions that enhance the spot and contract procurement process, enabling shippers and carriers to make more strategic decisions.
[01.27 ] Sneha's background, her childhood in India, and how she came to the U.S.
[05.18] How Sneha went from technology to a successful career in supply chain and her experience in both male-dominated industries.
“Even though I was putting in more hours, I still wasn't seen... As women, we feel the urge to put in more hours because [our] confidence is already shattered."
[10.34] Sneha's journey in sales and marketing.
[14.48] How Crane Fluid Handling helped Sneha fall in love with supply chain and what others can learn.
I have to give to [them] for believing in me, supporting me, and letting me lead multiple facets of supply chain.
[16.45] Sneha's Six Sigma Greenbelt; what it is, why she went for it, and how it's impacted her career.
“If you think from a quality lens, I think it's worth it! It helped me. It's a method to give an organziation the tools to improve their capabilities."
[19.45] What Sneha is up to now and what she's doing for the next generation of supply chain.
"I'm super deep into circular supply chains."
[23.23] Sneha's recent passion project.
[26.33] Sneha's perspective on the importance of elevating diverse voices.
“I still don't see a lot of companies walking this talk. Great—we're talking about [diversity] more now, but I think it needs to be a part of business views. Otherwise, it's going to be very hard."
[31.31] How mentorship and women played a role in Sneha's journey.
[34.10] What the future holds for Sneha.
[35.19] Sneha’s words of advice for all of the women following in her footsteps.
You can connect with Sneha over on LinkedIn.
If you enjoyed finding out more about female leaders in supply chain, why not check out our other WISC episodes where I'm joined by powerful women who work at powerful companies like, Crocs and Starbucks. And if you're interested in hearing about diversity and inclusion - and why we need to talk about it - there's a whole podcast on that, too.
We’re continuing to put the spotlight on our incredible family of Let’s Talk Supply Chain live shows, bringing you special guests and exclusive content that you don’t want to miss.
Last week, we featured First Things First, with Mercado in episode 262 and Coming In Hot, with Abby Baird in episode 264. And now it’s Sarah’s turn with Thoughts and Coffee.
Known as "The Best 30-Minutes on a Tuesday", this weekly show brings you the hottest supply chain topics currently brewing in the industry, every Tuesday at 10am EST.
In this episode, Sarah is joined by special guest Brad Blomstrom, Chief Financial Officer at Emerge, to talk about increasing corporate social responsibility through procurement, 2022 supply chain predictions – and to share the best-kept secret for better vendor relationships.
[08.27] Sarah recaps on recent episodes, and shares what’s new with Let’s Talk Supply Chain, Blended and the LTSC family of live shows.
[11.43] An introduction to special guest Brad Blomstrom and his role at Emerge.
[13.59] Sarah and Brad chat about the poll of the week: do you drink coffee?
[17.48] Sarah reveals the topic of her Monthly Hustle newsletter, podcast tips and tricks.
“Smile, have fun, speak to what you know... and it’s usually a pretty good conversation.”
[20.08] Sarah and Brad discuss the first of three trending supply chain articles: supply chain predictions for 2022, and the growing investment in delivery technology.
“To procure capacity inside your network and get goods shipped on time, shippers need a solution like Emerge to be able to manage those capacity relationships in real time.”
[27.38] Sarah and Brad chat about the white paper released by Emerge and Reuters all about enhancing relationships in logistics through data and collaboration.
“You need to get use out of your data… previously, there’s been a lot of unstructured, single-purpose data that sits in a silo - and people lose a lot of the value that comes out of monitoring and utilizing the insights that come from their normal behavior.”
[32.01] Sarah and Brad reflect on the third and final article of the episode, focusing on the importance of procurement to CSR initiatives.
You can connect with Brad over on LinkedIn.
If you want to find out more about Emerge, why not check out episode 243, where George Abernathy chats all about the company: what they do; bringing accountability to logistics; and why it’s so important to bring all the industry players together in order to build positive and mutually beneficial networks.
You can find previous episodes of Thoughts and Coffee over on the live show page, or you can check out other Let’s Talk Supply Chain podcasts HERE.
This is the fourth and final episode of our mini-series in partnership with Quickbase.
Last week in Episode 3, “Connect,” I was joined by Jacob MacIntrye to explore the complex world of construction; the challenges of keeping projects on time and budget, amidst supply chain and labor disruption; the importance of building stakeholder trust; and exactly how Quickbase can equip your team with real-time information to streamline processes, ensure compliance and improve communication.
Today in Episode 4, “Level Up,” I’m joined for the second time this series by Peter Rifken. We’ll be discussing the ins and outs of complex project management; explaining how you can level up information to leadership, so you can make the best decisions for your operations; and exactly how Quickbase can help.
[01.54] The landscape of project management in a post-COVID environment: how companies are working, and how a focus on this area can help businesses to thrive in this period of recovery.
“You’re seeing a lot of new technology in the project management space… but a lot of the themes are still the same. You’re still going to find people working in silos, with whatever tool they’re working in – and, a lot of the times, in tools that aren’t customized for their workflows.”
[03.58] The increasing complexity in project management, and some of the main challenges involved in trying to keep quickly moving parts on track.
“A lot of the challenges with project management is bringing all of those pieces together, and making sure that all your business partners can collaborate around that same information.”
[05.52] Supplier diversity – why you need to make it a project in itself, and how to manage complexity and adjust processes to set yourself up for success.
[11.13] Why visibility means different things to different people, and how businesses can make that visibility meaningful and actionable.
“Visibility always starts with a conversation of ‘who are my stakeholders?’ and that visibility will be different depending on where in the business you’re having that conversation.”
[13.33] A closer look at Quickbase’s Project Management Software, what it does and how it helps to address key industry challenges.
[16.40] The importance of customizable solutions in helping to level up a business’s project management success.
“When you don’t customize, it means you’re now conforming to a process that was defined for you, with some assumptions... Any time you make somebody change how they work to match how your tool works, you’re adding an inefficiency.”
[22.04] Leadership priorities, and how visibility and integration within project management can help them make better strategic decisions.
[25.08] The challenges of labor allocation during project planning, and how Quickbases’s solution can help businesses to address the wider staffing challenges happening in the industry.
“I can’t tell you the amount of people I’ve spoken with that actually quit jobs because their leadership didn’t invest in modern technology – especially with younger generations coming out of school, it’s just an expectation.”
[28.35] The growing importance of material management.
[30.52] A look at how Quickbase works with construction brands to help build trusted connections and systems to bring all stakeholders successfully together.
[34.39] What the future holds for project management, and for Quickbase.
[36.25] Peter’s key takeaways from today’s discussion.
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, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
If you missed them, why not check out episode 1, featuring Peter Rifken, and episode 2, featuring Alex Pederson, of our Quickbase mini-series.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
Today I’m joined by Mark Raffan, serial entrepreneur, procurement veteran and expert in negotiation, influence, and persuasion.
He’s the founder of Negotiations Ninja – designed to improve performance with training and improve results with coaching, the company develops and delivers engaging negotiation training to world-class procurement and sales teams.
Mark is also the founder and host of the Negotiations Ninja Podcast, the number one negotiations podcast in the world, in which he interviews negotiation, sales, and procurement thought leaders and shares the tools, strategies and tactics you need to succeed.
Today Mark joins me to chat all about Negotiations Ninja: what they do; the importance of negotiation in supply chain; procurement and supply chain collaboration; and his top tips for navigating a post-pandemic work environment.
[06.48] The landscape of negotiation, why it’s so important and how it fits into supply chain.
“We’re living in such a strange time when it comes to supply chain shortages, blockages, inflationary environments… and without good negotiation skills, it’s really hard for us to get deals that make sense for our organization.”
[11.29] Collaboration, and who needs to come together to achieve negotiation success.
“Get people from supply chain and procurement together, we already have a really great relationship… and we need to rely on each other a little bit more.”
[13.59] An overview of Negotiations Ninja – what they do, and how they help their customers.
“The objective for our negotiations is ‘get a good deal’ – but most of us don’t even know what a good deal actually means, because we haven’t defined it.”
[17.39] Mark’s background, and the career journey that led him to negotiation.
[19.32] Navigating a post-pandemic work environment, how things have changed and Mark’s top tips for managing digital negotiations.
[27.13] The benefits of working with Negotiations Ninja, and a closer look at their services.
[30.12] An example of how Negotiations Ninja typically works with a customer, and how quickly that business can see significant ROI.
“You’re going to see a massive risk reduction, you’re going to start seeing cost management… but more than that, it starts to teach people how to think strategically about their relationships.”
[32.50] The ideal client for Negotiations Ninja.
[33.56] A snapshot of Mark’s Procurement Fundamentals program.
[35.36] The future for Negotiations Ninja.
[36.44] Mark’s one key takeaway from today’s discussion.
Head over to Negotiations Ninja’s website now to listen to the podcast, find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Negotiations Ninja and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, or you can connect with Mark on LinkedIn or Twitter.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
This is the third episode of our mini-series in partnership with Quickbase.
Last week in Episode 2, “Control,” I was joined by Alex Pederson to talk all about the solar industry. We discussed the increasing importance of generating renewable energy sources; the challenges of ensuring efficiency and connectivity, whilst meeting high demand; the power of low-code development in complex industries; and exactly how Quickbase can centralize scattered workflows to help scale your operations quickly, safely and securely.
Today in Episode 3, “Connect,” I’m joined by Jacob MacIntrye to explore the complex world of construction; the challenges of keeping projects on time and budget, amidst supply chain and labor disruption; the importance of building stakeholder trust; and exactly how Quickbase can equip your team with real-time information to streamline processes, ensure compliance and improve communication.
[02.05] An introduction to Jacob, his background and experience in the construction industry.
“With that job comes a lot of software… whether you like it or not – and a lot of folks don’t like it!”
[03.24] How Jacob discovered Quickbase, why he decided to join them, and his passion for combining his industry experience with Quickbase technology to help others.
“Difficulties in the supply chain come down to difficulties in the communication – when you want to track pipe, what you’re really wanting to do is track the information and communication between the parties.”
[08.56] From supply of materials to rising costs, a closer look at the challenges the construction industry is facing right now.
[12.20] The impact of fines and compliance violations, and Jacob’s thoughts on how the industry could start to better predict project delays.
“The planners need better tools: a lot of times you’ll find them just tracking things in spreadsheets. They’ve got their major systems but the only other thing they have are spreadsheets, so there’s nothing in the middle to give that robust connection.”
[16.10] A closer look at Quickbase’s Construction Management Software, what it does and how it helps to address key industry challenges.
[19.47] The types of customer that Quickbase works with.
“We’ve been around a long time, so we have owner-operators that have 10 employees, and we work with half of the fortune 100 - we have a huge range of customers that need that flexible middle.”
[21.41] The complexity of documentation and data management, and how Quickbase achieves the balance of being flexible, but also robust enough to house and manage complex, ever-changing data in a secure and easy to use way.
“When people get nervous about where their data goes, I always remind them ‘well, it’s all going into Excel right now!’ … People are taking data out of their ERP, dumping it into Excel and sharing it with people – that’s not secure or governed in any way, but people seem to overlook that!”
[25.11] Quickbase’s approach to trust and collaboration, and the importance of building long-term relationships.
[27.41] A customer case study detailing how Quickbase software was able to connect multiple stakeholders to achieve project success.
[30.46] The next steps for working with Quickbase, or giving their software a try.
[31.57] Jacob’s thoughts on where he sees the most challenge and opportunity in the future, as the construction industry continues to grow.
“The planning and sourcing of materials is only going to get more difficult – the pandemic gave us a window into how interconnected our world is and the big challenges there aren’t over.”
[35.30] Jacob’s key takeaway when it comes to the importance of connecting people, workflows and materials when it comes to project success.
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, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
If you missed it, check out episode 1 of our Quickbase mini-series, in which Peter Rifkin takes a closer look at people: the workers on the front line of the industry right now; the challenges; the opportunities; and exactly how Quickbase can optimize and automate to connect people and workflow together.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
It’s episode 20 of Blended: I’m joined by another fantastic panel of guests and we’re talking about the business benefits of DEI. Previously on the show, we’ve talked to underrepresented groups and specific communities – whether it be women, people of color, trans folks – and, as part of our discussions, we’ve heard them passionately share their stories and illustrate why, of course, they’re such an integral part of successful teams. So we thought it was time to really put a focus on that and dedicate a whole show to the importance of embracing DEI in your business.
Today, our guests will be exploring what DEI means to them; sharing their own personal experiences; reflecting on issues such as creating safe spaces, ongoing education and authenticity; and discussing the importance of supplier diversity.
[00.49] Introductions to our Blended panelists.
“DEI encompasses the relationship, philosophy and culture of acknowledging, embracing, supporting and accepting those of all racial, sexual, gender, religious and socio-economic backgrounds (among other differentiators).” Gennifer
[06.41] The group discusses DEI: what it means; why it’s important; the challenges; and real-life examples of who’s doing it right and who’s doing it wrong.
“Companies that adapt their strategies and their policies around the different groups of people they have working in their organization and don’t treat it just like a blanket initiative, and really get down into the details of who their people are and what challenges they face... that’s when you can really look at whether your environment is inclusive or not.” Shay
“It’s not about just the [awareness] month – because I’m going to be black every single day, not just in February!” Asheley
[01.10.21] The panel takes a closer look at both the obstacles and benefits of supplier diversity.
[01.20.19] The group sum-up their learnings from today’s discussion.
“It’s a way of living, it’s a collective thing. If I want people to know my culture, I also need to show my culture… if I know my team isn’t super aware, it’s also my job to educate.” Amani
You can connect with Shay, Asheley, Gennifer and Amani over on LinkedIn.
If you found this episode interesting, you might enjoy Episode 1,What’s In A Word or Episode 7, Equality vs Diversity: What’s The Difference?.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
We are absolutely loving showcasing our incredible range of live shows! Last month, in episode 257, we put the spotlight on Action Items with Dyci Sfregola. Last week in episode 262, it was Mercado’s turn with their show, First Things First. And, today, we’re bringing you Coming In Hot, with Abby Baird.
The industry is always changing, so what’s in store for the next generation of supply chain professionals? Supply chain management student, Abby, brings her passion and enthusiasm for the future of supply chain every fourth Thursday at 12.30pm EST.
In this episode, Abby is joined by special guest Lydia O'Neal, supply chain and logistics reporter at The Wall Street Journal, to talk all about the memefication of supply chain; how supply chain management is being shared; and the popularization of the industry.
[07.43] An introduction to special guest Lydia O'Neal, her background and how she transitioned to reporting on supply chain.
[10.20] How Lydia came to write Sorry, the Global Supply Chain Ate My Homework, and her thoughts on the memefication of supply chain.
“I’ve heard, anecdotally, that professors are seeing more interest from younger students, even in high school!”
[13.23] How the memeifcation of supply chain, and the increase in supply chain content on social media, has impacted people and businesses.
“Another effect of this has been the visibility of all the people, the workers in the warehouses, the truckers and on cargo ships, because it’s previously been this invisible magic of your stuff getting to your door.”
[15.36] Lydia’s reflections on whether the newfound popularity of supply chain in social media is actually helping to teach people what supply chain really is.
[18.09] The value to be found in greater supply chain exposure and increased knowledge.
“It’s great to bring in a more diverse workforce, in management especially – I hear over and over again that this is the domain of old white guys… so to go on TikTok and find young women explaining it… it’s great!”
[20.12] How fresh supply chain content is moving away from jargon and a business-heavy approach towards making the topic fun and engaging.
“The over-arching goal was to make it fun!”
[22.29] How new supply chain content is reaching such a broad audience.
“It’s exploded and people have appropriated it into their own jokes.”
[25.42] The opportunity for businesses to use the memefication of supply chain to their advantage, particularly when it comes to customer expectation and experience.
[29.41] Lydia’s thoughts on whether increased memeification impacts supply chain professionals in their day-to-day roles.
[31.39] What Lydia has learned, what excites her about supply chain and her future.
You can connect with Abby or Lydia over on LinkedIn, or check out Lydia's article, Sorry, the Global Supply Chain Ate My Homework.
You can find previous episodes of Coming In Hot with Abby Baird over on YouTube, on our live show page, or you can check out other Let’s Talk Supply Chain podcasts HERE.
This is the second episode of our mini-series in partnership with Quickbase.
Last week in Episode 1, I was joined by Peter Rifken to take a closer look at people. We talked about the workers on the front line of the industry right now, the challenges, the opportunities, and exactly how Quickbase can optimize and automate to connect people and workflow together.
Today, I’m joined by Alex Pederson to talk all about the solar industry. We’ll be discussing the increasing importance of generating renewable energy sources, the challenges of ensuring efficiency and connectivity, while meeting high demand, the power of low-code development in complex industries, and exactly how Quickbase can centralize scattered workflows to help scale your operations quickly, safely and securely.
[01.46] An introduction to Alex, his background and role at Quickbase.
“I ran into Quickbase… and it blew my mind – how customizable it was, how flexible the platform was and what you could do with it.”
[03.05] A snapshot of the main challenges facing the solar industry right now.
[05.23] The huge range of stakeholders involved in solar projects, how they have typically been connecting and the positive impact of collaboration and bridging those gaps.
“Most of the time, customers are emailing an Excel doc back and forth, or even shooting text messages.”
[07.24] The popularity of Excel, and how we get people out of spreadsheets.
“If you’re using Excel, you’re going to absolutely love using Quickbase – it’s a very easy transition over and… you now have that ability to customize roles and permissions, governance, dashboards… everything that’s important for you and your role.”
[11.03] A closer look at Quickbase’s Solar Management Software, how the solution can benefit solar brands, and address their key challenges.
“Wherever there are gaps in your current process, that’s where Quickbase can fit in and be that agility layer.”
[14.09] Keeping on top of the moving parts in complex solar projects.
“It really comes down to making sure you have the correct data... then you’re able to start to see trends and make predictions.”
[17.00] How to better predict project delays, amidst industry-wide disruption, and improve communication.
[18.05] The importance of control and custom solutions when it comes to efficiency and scaling at speed.
“If you think about needing a software that fits for your project, or fitting your projects in to a software, there’s a difference between the two.”
[19.00] How Quickbase software has helped customers save weeks on their installation times, and what we can learn from other countries, like Africa, that are running successful solar programs.
[21.15] The sustainability trends to look out for, and the future of solar technology.
[22.42] Alex’s key takeaway around the importance of control when it comes to efficiency, productivity and simplifying complex processes.
Head over to Quickbase’s website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Alex and Quickbase in order to keep up to date with the latest. Head to LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook or YouTube.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
Today we’re featuring one of our amazing live shows on Let's Talk Supply Chain. Last month in episode 257, we put the spotlight on Action Items with Dyci Sfregola and now it’s the turn of First Things First with Mercado!
We live in a consumer driven world. $2.5T worth of products are imported annually, representing 15% of U.S. GDP. It’s time companies become fully connected to the people who make and move our products, and look for ways to improve the way we plan, buy, and move them around the world. Join Mercado CEO Rob Garrison and special guests every second Tuesday of the month at 12pm ET as they explore the future of the supply chain in 2022 and beyond.
And this episode is all about the first, and last, mile.
Rob is joined by special guest Edward Hertzman, Executive Vice President at Fairchild Media and Founder and President of Sourcing Journal, to talk all about ensuring you have a first mile strategy; the growing importance of traceability; building more equal supplier relationships; and the evolution of the modern first mile industry.
[06.16] The “fastest five” – from carrier profits to a furniture brand building its own vessel, Rob takes a look at five standout industry headlines.
[11.59] An introduction to special guest Edward Hertzman, his background and how he came to found Sourcing Journal.
[14.57] Rob and Edward discuss how, and why, the final mile has evolved so quickly, whilst the first mile has remained arguably static; Amazon’s role in these changes; the importance of an integrated strategy; and the impact of COVID .
“When you talk about the last mile, Amazon has completely changed the game… they made that part of the shopping experience.”
“We can no longer take our upstream, first mile relationships for granted and we need a strategy – it’s not one or the other, it’s the first mile, middle mile and last mile.”
[22.33] A closer look at sourcing, tier two and three suppliers and the importance of traceability.
“We have a regulatory responsibility to make sure we know where our products are being made.”
[26.37] Edward’s thoughts on whether the first mile is an opportunity for businesses to do some good, and better tackle their commitments to people and planet.
“We need to think about how we can share risk – it can’t just be that the retailers win and the factories lose.”
[31.57] Rob’s reflections on the ‘modern first mile industry.’
“We’re due for the next evolution of this industry.”
Head over to Mercado’s website now to find out more and discover how they could help you. You can also connect with Mercado and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, or you can connect with Rob.
Discover trending industry news over on Sourcing Journal’s website, or connect with Edward over on LinkedIn.
You can find previous episodes of First Things First with Mercado over on the live show page, or you can check out other Let’s Talk Supply Chain podcasts HERE.
This is the first episode in our brand new four-part mini-series in partnership with Quickbase.
Quickbase helps customers see, connect and control complex projects that reshape our world. Whether it’s raising a skyscraper or coordinating vaccine rollouts, the no-code software platform allows business users to custom-fit solutions to the way they work – using information from across the systems they already have.
Today in Episode 1, See, we’ll be taking a closer look at people: the workers on the front line of the industry right now; the challenges; the opportunities; and exactly how Quickbase can optimize and automate to connect people and workflow together.
[02.01] A reminder of who Quickbase are and what they do; and an update on what’s changed since they were last on the show.
[04.01] From labor shortages to staff retention, the main challenges that businesses are facing when it comes to front-line workers, and how those challenges have changed from just a couple of years ago.
“Frontline workers are having challenges, and the folks that are trying to hire, retain, train and continuously upskill those workers are also having a huge challenge… COVID has put a huge spotlight on the need to improve some of the processes that are touching turnover.”
[06.51] Compliance, how job site safety has changed dramatically since COVID, and the key priorities in the area right now.
“COVID has thrown a shocker at all of us and said ‘hey, you need to be able to adapt to rules, regulations and requirements that never existed’ – and you may not have a tool to track these 10 new requirements, or capture the information you didn’t capture before.”
[10.14] Connectivity, and why it’s so important to change the way we think about data in order to get our teams out of Excel.
“People will always gravitate towards the path of least resistance to solve their problems.”
[13.50] A closer look at the Quickbase software, and how it’s designed with front-line workers in mind.
"The challenge we see most often is that no team is exactly like the last one… they really need a combination of technology that is safe, secure and robust, but can then be moulded like Play Doh for the front line environment, that allows for both starting fast, and then scaling.”
[17.45] Peter’s reflections around automation, how to get the most out of it, and how that works with Quickbase.
“It’s dangerous to want to jump full steam ahead into automation… it needs to be coupled with strategy.”
[23.31] Process improvement, and how you can achieve a healthy full circle model built around Quickbase.
“Momentum is what starts to change culture.”
[29.22] The impact on your business and bottom line when you successfully pull the threads of good data, transparency, collaboration and process improvement together.
[32.44] A case study looking at how Quickbase helped a key customer to bridge systems and achieve connectivity and visibility, without impacting legacy systems.
[36.17] What businesses need to consider and prioritize when it comes to people, and the changes we can expect to see from Quickbase in the future.
“As a business, are you stepping back to reassess how work can be done in a post COVID time?”
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, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
If you want to dive deeper into what Quickbase is all about, why not listen to episode 224, where Peter Rifken, Principal Solutions Consultant at Quickbase, chats 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. You can also read Peter's blog, where he talks about how to eliminate disconnected teams and increase supply chain visibility.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
In today’s episode of Women In Supply Chain, I’m joined by experienced and strategic logistics operations professional, Maggie Petrovic.
A business and communications graduate, Maggie honed her skills at global third-party logistics provider Coyote Logistics, gaining deep knowledge and experience across operations, sales, strategy and customer experience. As a leader at Emerge, she’s helping to save shippers time and money by operationalizing game-changing products.
Today Maggie will be talking to us about her career so far; her talent for operations strategy; the excitement of start-up culture; and Mom guilt. Plus, she’ll be sharing her experiences as a woman in the industry, as well as her words of advice for all of the women following in her footsteps.
This Women in Supply Chain feature was made possible by our sponsor, Emerge. As a company focused on empowering and growing meaningful supply chain relationships, Emerge is proud to sponsor Women in Supply Chain. Through its freight procurement platform, Emerge offers solutions that enhance the spot and contract procurement process, enabling shippers and carriers to make more strategic decisions.
[06.24] Maggie’s background, her field hockey college scholarship, and her reflections on how a sporting mindset correlates so well with business, and supply chain.
[14.02] How Maggie went from a Business and Communications degree to a successful career in supply chain.
“It sounded interesting… it was an industry that was growing after the recession and not shrinking… I got an offer from Coyote Logistics, and never looked back!”
[16.32] Maggie’s time at Coyote Logistics, learning on the job, and the experience she gained from having a ‘just say yes’ mentality.
“When I think about the roles and opportunities that stick out, it was really just me saying yes to anything and everything that was going to give me an opportunity to learn more and put me out of my comfort zone.”
[18.28] Maggie’s experience of living and working in Europe, and what she learned.
[21.15] Maggie’s role as Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at Emerge.
“I truly believe that what we’re doing at Emerge is game changing – we’re building products that the industry really needs”
[22.12] The impact of COVID on procurement, and the resulting trends and learnings.
[24.02] Maggie’s experience of Mom guilt, and how she balances work and motherhood.
“I certainly had Mom guilt going back to work after maternity leave. I thought: ‘my baby is so small, how can I leave her all day’? and that was so hard.”
[26.39] Why Maggie loves the culture and benefits that come from working in a start-up, and her experiences, as a woman, of working in those environments.
“Start-ups can be extremely lucrative and awesome opportunities for everyone. At a start-up, you have better access to having a seat at the table, having your voice heard and ideas implemented.”
[29.30] How saying yes and trying something new in business helped Maggie to find her voice and grow in confidence.
[31.35] Maggie’s work ethic, the difference between advocates and mentors and why it’s important to have both.
[34.16] What the future holds for Maggie, and for Emerge.
[34.53] Maggie’s words of advice for all of the women following in her footsteps.
You can connect with Maggie over on LinkedIn.
If you enjoyed finding out more about female leaders at Emerge, why not check out episode 255, where I'm joined by Mardi Tegmeyer, Customer Success Manager at Emerge. And if you're interested in hearing more about balancing motherhood with a successful career - and why we need to talk about it - head over to episode 234 to hear what Anne Robinson has to say.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
Today I’m joined by Prompt, a customer-focused logistics software business who are on a mission to unlock your digitization and automation potential – to drive cost savings and revenue improvements – without changing your underlying software platforms.
Prompt helps supply chain companies to easily expand the functionality of their Transportation Management Systems without changing or replacing any of their existing software. As the only logistics technology company with all the major global data privacy and security certifications, Prompt work with more than a third of the top 25 freight forwarders, providing visibility, automation, and payment processing solutions that all safely and seamlessly connect back to their system, or systems, of choice.
Today Kai Timmermann, Chief Operating Officer at Prompt, joins me to chat all about the company: what they do; the biggest challenges in logistics today; putting customers at the core of their solutions; and the importance of visibility and data integration to the future of logistics.
[07.06] Prompt’s origin story, and how Rob and Kai’s background with Lading and CargoWise led them to develop this new software-based brand.
“We’re about orienting for real outcomes – we’re not excited by jargon… we just want to get the job done.”
[10.38] An overview of Prompt – what they do, and how they help their customers.
“For users, we’re about moving time and attention… and from a management perspective, they benefit from that users time and attention, but now they also have process consistency.”
[12.12] From managing talent to process inefficiency, a look at some of the key challenges Prompt’s customers are facing right now.
“To win the talent war – which is a big deal these days – you want to get people out of that menial work.”
[15.49] A closer look at Prompt’s Automation solution: what it does, how can it help, the benefits – and Kai’s thoughts on the rising importance of automation within supply chain technology.
[19.09] What visibility means to Prompt, and how their business intelligence solutions can help to address core inefficiencies.
“There are a million people doing it, and visibility can be used to describe a huge span of things… when we talk about our Prompt visibility tool, it’s about better data and access to the information inside a company’s ERP.”
[22.02] Prompt’s two-sided integration, how it helps to facilitate improved visibility, and how they work to expand a company’s TMS without impacting their existing software.
[25.54] A closer look at Prompt’s evolving Payments solution.
[26.46] Kai’s reflections on why we should be paying so much attention to issues like visibility and data integration; the difference it’s going to make, both on a business and on an industry level; and Kai’s predictions for when global logistics is finally going to return to normal.
“Logistics technology has gotten so fragmented… our customers have invested heavily in freight management systems and they’ve got a strategic imperative to close the gap with digital freight forwarders – so we’re trying to provide the capabilities to close that gap.”
[29.44] Why successful implementation is on an equal footing to the technology itself, and why customers are so important to Prompt.
[32.01] The ideal client for Prompt.
[32.53] Two key case studies, illustrating how Prompt Automate helped one customer to reduce a proposed integration time of five months down to three to four weeks, and another customer benefit from financial savings of around 40%, on average.
[35.41] The future for Prompt.
Head over to Prompt's website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Prompt and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, or you can connect with Kai on LinkedIn.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
It’s episode 19 of Blended: I’m joined by another amazing panel of guests and we’re talking about sexual harassment. It’s another tough subject because the reality is, so many people, particularly women, have a story. And we need to tell those stories if we’re going to expose just how prevalent this problem is.
Today, our guests will be discussing exactly what sexual harassment means and where and when it happens; sharing their own personal experiences; reflecting on the differences between harassment and assault; and the panel will be sharing their advice for tackling the issue and creating safer workplaces.
[01.37] Introductions to our Blended panellists.
“Young adults and children need to learn about boundaries: what they mean, how to uphold them and how to resolve a conflict around them.” Christina
“There’s been a clash of generational understanding and generational behaviour.” Charlene
[06.15] The group discuss the basics around sexual harassment: what it means, where and how it can happen, the behaviors it can include and the difference between sexual harassment and sexual assault.
“It’s not about sexual desire… it’s the power that's yielded through that harassment.” Carl
“When you think about what predated ideas about what sexual harassment would be defined as, it also came with these predisposed character traits. “ Nathalie
[55.14] The panel share their own personal experiences of sexual harassment, and the impact of those experiences.
“It’s the translation from that Mad Men era where everything was pictured as acceptable to now where everything is accessible… now the attitude has met the opportunity.” Carl
“As soon as my relationship status changed, I became a target for that sense of entitlement.” Christina
[01.29.54] The group share their suggestions for solutions and sum-up their learnings from today’s discussion.
“Know your company’s policy in the workplace, and don’t be afraid to speak.” Kristy
You can connect with Kristy, Carl, Christina, Charlene and Nathalie over on LinkedIn.
If you found this epsiode interetsing, you might enjoy Episode 3, The Gender Equation or Episode 18, The Reality of Workplace Discrimination.
Check out our Let's Talk Supply Chain podcasts HERE.
Today we’re shaking things up and, instead of our usual guest interview, we’re featuring one of our fantastic new live shows on Let’s Talk Supply Chain – Action Items with Dyci Sfregola.
Each month Dyci, CEO of New Gen Architects, is joined by a special guest to discuss key issues in the post-COVID supply chain; actionable steps businesses can take to prepare for scalability; and how to leverage supply chain technology and process redesign to upskill or reskill teams to provide meaningful, purposeful work for their employees while improving the bottom line.
And this episode is all about stability and supply chain – two words that we don't see together very often! But Dyci has a few key action items up her sleeve to do just that – to ensure supply stability to support demand plan. Dyci is joined by special guest Atia Yarbrough, Director of Demand and Supply Planning at Mason Dixie Foods, to talk all about sales and operations planning, the importance of dual sourcing, how to reduce uncertainty, start-up funding, customer relationships and more.
[08.21] Atia’s journey to Mason Dixie Foods.
[10.41] Atia’s experience of S&OP’s in large enterprises, and how that compares to Dyci's experience of small businesses.
“We have a very cross functional process where we have supply chain, planning, sales and finance engaged and we’re working monthly… if you’re looking at it from a yearly standpoint, you’re a little too late.”
[14.20] How Mason Dixie established a robust S&OP process as a small business, and Atia’s advice on how others can get started.
“First you have to have people on board – change is hard, process change is extremely hard.”
[18.07] An idea of the time and allocation of resources required when fulfilling a successful S&OP process.
[21.21] Some of the key technologies used in sales and operations planning.
[23.46] The importance of dual sourcing.
“Customers want what they want, when they want it.. so dual sourcing is an integral part of the S&OP process."
[26.51] Audience question: any tips on how to measure ESG impacts in the S&OP process?
[28.58] Finding the right partners.
[33.25] Translating your sales and operations planning into weekly or daily S&OE’s, and determining the key KPI’s to measure that execution.
“You can have that S&OP process, but you really have to have that actionable plan to show a result every day – whether it’s a good result, or a bad one.”
[37.10] How external partners are a part of the S&OP process, and how to extract and utilize their data.
“Really organizing the data, and everybody owning their part to bring the model together, I think that’s key – because you don’t want death by Excel!
[41.53] Accountability, leadership and culture.
[45.20] This month’s Action Item – questions to ask yourself to understand if you’re running a true S&OP process.
You can find previous episodes of Action Items with Dyci Sfregola over on the live show page, or you can check out other Let’s Talk Supply Chain podcasts HERE.
You can find out more about Atia over on LinkedIn.