The Logistics of Logistics FreightTech for Fortune 500 Shippers with Brad Forester and Mike Mulqueen
Brad Forester, Mike Mulqueen, and Joe Lynch discuss FreightTech for Fortune 500 Shippers. Brad, Mike, and their team at JBF Consulting advise Fortune 500 companies on the assessment, selection, and implementation of supply chain software.
About Brad ForesterBrad Forester is the Founder and Managing Partner of JBF Consulting. Brad is a highly recognized senior supply chain leader with over 23 years of managing, designing, and implementing freight transport technology. He has a unique mix of carrier, shipper, software, and consulting experiences that benefit clients. With functional expertise in Global TMS Programs, Change Management, Organizational Design, and Systems Integration, he has been leveraging these skills to benefit clients since he founded JBF in 2003. Brad has a BA in Logistics Management from Michigan State University.
About Mike MulqueenMike Mulqueen is a Partner and Strategy Practice Lead at JBF Consulting. Mike is a leading expert in logistics technology solutions with over 30 years of managing, designing, and implementing freight transport systems. His functional expertise is in Multi-modal Transportation Management, Supply Chain Visibility, and Transportation Modeling. Mike earned a Master of Engineering degree from MIT and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business/Marketing from the University of Maryland.
About JBF ConsultingJBF Consulting is a supply chain execution strategy and systems integrator for logistics-intensive companies of every size and any industry. JBF's background and deep experience in the field of commercial logistics technology implementation position them as industry leaders whose craftsmanship exceeds client expectations. JBF expedites the transformation of supply chains through logistics & technology strategy, commercial & bespoke software implementation, and analytics & optimization.
Key Takeaways: FreightTech for Fortune 500 Shippers- In the podcast, Brad and Mike explain the process they use for helping Fortune 500 shippers select and implement FreightTech.
- The process begins with a needs assessment, which is a systematic process for determining and addressing needs, or gaps between current conditions and desired conditions or wants.
- As part of the needs assessment, the following factors must be considered:
- Strategic plan for the company to ensure that the technology selected works even if there are acquisitions or rapid growth in locations.
- Users and their geographic locations.
- Supply chain resiliency to mitigate potential supply chain disruptions, like COVID.
- Transportation services required including inbound, outbound, TL, LTL, small parcel, etc.
- Supply chain visibility.
- Payment, auditing, and freight claims.
- Understanding the vision and technology roadmap for potential technology providers to ensure alignment with the shipper.
- From the needs assessment, a technology vendor is selected and the implementation begins.
- Implementing freight technology is potentially a high-risk project so a robust implementation framework is required.
- Custom integrations are typically required to connect systems.
- Experience and expertise in freight technology integration is a big plus.
- The return on investment (ROI) only happens only after the "go live" so Brad and Mike emphasize the importance of the stewardship phase. During the stewardship phase, the team focuses on user adoption, improvement, and maintenance.
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