"World of DaaS" Flexport CEO Ryan Petersen: Global Shipping and Logistics
14 snips
Apr 9, 2024 
Flexport CEO Ryan Petersen, discusses supply chain breakdowns, scaling freight forwarding businesses, deglobalization vs international trade. Also, explores challenges in logistics integration, global shipping dynamics, contrarian approach to AI, and management challenges in business operations.
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Freight Forwarding Is A Data Problem
- Freight forwarding is the coordinating layer that moves goods door-to-door across many vendors and regulations.
- The core problem is a communication and data integration challenge, making it highly susceptible to software solutions.
Build Missing Supply-Side Software
- Many supply-side providers lacked usable software, so Flexport built WMS and TMS for niche needs like port trucking.
- That allowed Flexport to get accurate operational data and give customers visibility and control.
COVID Surge Caused Port Cascades
- During COVID a 20% surge in container demand caused chassis shortages and appointment breaks, creating multi-day truck queues.
- Small physical capacity changes cascaded into massive port congestion and operational breakdowns.