The Logistics of Logistics

Bill Vitti and Joe Lynch discuss the connected ecosystem, which is one of the best ways to describe Transflo. Bill is the President and CRO of Transflo, the trusted industry leader in mobile, telematics, and business process automation solutions to the transportation industry. About Bill Vitti Bill Vitti joined Transflo as President in early 2022, with more than 25 years' experience in the transportation industry. Most notably, he served as Chief Commercial Officer for Truckstop.com, where he helped drive the company to unicorn status with a valuation of over $1 billion. Bill was also President of Swift Logistics, a leading brokerage and 3PL provider, and head of marketing and strategy for Swift Transportation. Bill has experience working on the carrier, shipper, and broker side, as well as in 3PL and freight software, giving him 360-degrees of visibility of the marketplace. Bill received his MBA from the Graziadio School of Business at Pepperdine University and his BBA from Saginaw Valley State University. About Transflo Transflo®, a Pegasus TransTech company, is a trusted industry leader in mobile, telematics, and business process automation solutions to the transportation industry in North America. Transflo's customer-focused mobile and cloud-based technologies deliver real-time communications to fleets, brokers, factors, shippers, and commercial vehicle drivers, and digitize 800 million shipping documents a year, representing approximately $115 billion in freight bills and 3.2 million downloads of the Mobile+ app. Organizations throughout Transflo's neutral ecosystem use the end-to-end solution suite and digital platform to increase efficiency, improve cash flow, and reduce costs. Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, USA, Transflo has set the pace for innovation in transportation software for over 30 years. For more information, visit www.transflo.com. Key Takeaways: The Connected Ecosystem Bill Vitti is the President and CRO of Transflo, a freight tech company that has developed an ecosystem that connects carriers, brokers, shippers, and factoring companies – and that ecosystem streamlines the freight procurement and payment processes. In the podcast interview, Bill and Joe discuss the connected ecosystem, which is how Transflo describes the connected supply chain that they enable with their technology and marketplace. Transflo links the entire supply chain together in one digital ecosystem, creating visibility, security, and customization for every freight professional. Transflo offer a suite of mobile, telematics, data, scanning, and document management all in one integrated experience. Transflo delivers real-time communications to thousands of fleets, brokers, and commercial vehicle drivers who represent over $100 billion in freight bills each year. The Transflo Mobile+ app has been built from the ground up to simplify the business of trucking. Mobile+ is an end-to-end, cloud-based platform designed around removing friction from the supply chain. Transflo technologies like Mobile+ capture and process over 800 million transportation documents every year, helping drivers get their jobs done — and get loads delivered — faster than ever. Learn More About The Connected Ecosystem Bill on LinkedIn Transflo on LinkedIn Transflo Transflo's Intelligent Automation Transflo Mobile+ Transflo Synergize The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: Google, Apple, Castbox, Spotify, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Tunein, Podbean, Owltail, Libsyn, Overcast Check out The Logistics of Logistics on Youtube

Daniel Kao and Joe Lynch discuss the TruckSmarter story. Daniel Kao is the co-Founder & CEO of TruckSmarter, a driver-first marketplace for the trucking industry, that improves the lives of truck drivers, and empowers them to get better quality loads and get paid faster. About Daniel Kao Daniel Kao is the co-Founder & CEO of TruckSmarter. After attending NYU's School of Business, he went on to hold leadership roles early on at Uber Freight and DoorDash. He previously co-founded Sharespace, a venture-backed company acquired by Stripe. About TruckSmarter TruckSmarter has built the driver-first marketplace for the trucking industry, improving the lives of truck drivers, and empowering them to run their own businesses on their terms. The marketplace serves as a one-stop-shop for drivers to access the information they need to find work, book work, and manage their businesses. Key Takeaways: The TruckSmarter Story Daniel Kao is the Co-founder and CEO of TruckSmarter, the driver-first marketplace that empowers truck drivers to run their own businesses on their terms. In the podcast interview, Daniel and Joe discuss Daniel's entrepreneurial journey and the founding of TruckSmarter, a driver-first marketplace for the trucking industry. With the mission of creating a one-stop solution for drivers, TruckSmarter delivers the following: Load Board – completely free, 100K+ high quality loads per day, In-app booking, built-in business management tools, and a one stop shop to find loads. Fuel Discounts – Zero fees, save an average of 50¢/gal, drivers lock in low rates on their route, pay automatically in the app, and an IFTA-ready receipt. Factoring – 1.5%, Same day payments, month-to-month contracts, no hidden fees, and no minimums. TruckSmarter provides drivers with a no-fee electronic load board, with loads from hundreds of brokers displayed in a simple mobile interface allowing drivers to quickly find the optimal load. Drivers who have signed up with TruckSmarter book most of their loads through the platform and for the brokers whose loads are being displayed, they get access to a larger pool of drivers. Access to more loads and better loads improve the quality of life of drivers by allowing them to manage their travel and optimize the amount they are getting paid. Learn More About The TruckSmarter Story Daniel on LinkedIn TruckSmarter on LinkedIn TruckSmarter TruckSmarter Blog TruckSmarter Named 2022 Top Tech Startup The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: Google, Apple, Castbox, Spotify, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Tunein, Podbean, Owltail, Libsyn, Overcast Check out The Logistics of Logistics on Youtube

Jeff Dangelo and Joe Lynch discuss creating the future of logistics. Jeff is the Chief Revenue Officer and Chief Impact Officer of Fura, a technology company that is building the future of logistics. About Jeff Dangelo Jeff Dangelo is the Chief Revenue Officer and Chief Impact Officer of Fura, a technology company that is building the future of logistics. Prior to joining Fura, Jeff co-founded Turvo, the world's only collaborative logistics software platform. Earlier in his career Jeff was the VP of sales and first employee at MegaCorp Logistics, a billion-dollar freight brokerage. Prior to MegaCorp, Jeff was the 25th employee and served a variety of sales leadership roles at TQL, the second largest freight brokerage in the US. Jeff also advises for and invests in startups in the supply chain/logistics technology sector. Jeff is a graduate of Miami University (Oxford, OH), with a degree in Marketing and Operations. About Fura Backed by next-generation technology and a dedicated team of industry experts, Fura is not just another logistics company. It's a platform and service that empowers shippers and carriers of all sizes to take control of their freight and deliver on their goals. Fura is a logistics service provider that implements a fundamentally new vision of how freight is moved – empowered with digital technology. The Fura believe in creating seamless, flexible, and transparent supply chains as a result of combining technology, expertise, and a collaborative infrastructure. Key Takeaways: Creating the Future of Logistics Jeff Dangelo is the Chief Revenue Officer and Chief Impact Officer of Fura, a technology company that is building the future of logistics. In the podcast interview Joe and Jeff discuss how Fura is creating the future of logistics by creating seamless, flexible, and transparent supply chains powered by technology, operational expertise, and a tech-centric perspective. Fura is seeking freight brokerage businesses that want to transform, scale faster, and go digital. Once acquired, growth is achieved by: Carrier consolidation Technology Superior processes Better service Fura is a team of talented and energetic professionals who are experts in data analytics, supply chain, software engineering, and finance. The Fura team has built leading players in the freight brokerage space and worked with top global companies like Amazon, Google, Uber, Ernst and Young, TQL, Turvo and Deloitte. They are well equipped to acquire and scale freight brokerage businesses. When sellers approach Fura, they mention various reasons for selling their business now. Some are looking to make a change in their life after spending so much time in freight, e.g. vacation, new venture, retirement. Other sellers exit because of limited growth potential of the current business – need to scale working capital, train new employees, or face increased competition. Some are looking to take advantage of the current high demand for acquisitions. Interest in freight brokerage M&A from Private Equity will not last forever as the economy is entering a new cycle. Carriers love working with Fura because they have upfront pricing, instant booking, fast payments, and concierge level support. In short, Fura helps them scale their business. Fura delivers next generation value to shippers using technology and expertise to provide full visibility, collaboration, transparent pricing, actionable insights, and optimization strategies. Learn More About Creating the Future Jeff on LinkedIn Fura on LinkedIn Fura Launching a Successful 3PL in the Age of Tech with Nicholas Reasoner and Jeff Dangelo The Supply Chain is Broken – How to Fix it with Jeff Dangelo The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: Google, Apple, Castbox, Spotify, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Tunein, Podbean, Owltail, Libsyn, Overcast Check out The Logistics of Logistics on Youtube

Sam Lurye and Joe Lynch discuss the Kargo story. Sam is the Founder and CEO of Kargo, a San Francisco tech firm that is on a mission to make factory operations as intuitive and responsive as reading Google Maps. About Sam Lurye Sam Lurye is Founder and CEO at Kargo, a logistics technology startup founded in 2019 and headquartered in San Francisco. Lurye founded Kargo to create a connective layer between the physical realities and digital expectations of logistics. Kargo's machine-vision system captures, verifies, and updates freight data automatically for more accurate, efficient shipping and receiving across supply chains.Prior to Kargo, Lurye worked as a researcher at the Neural Prosthetic Systems Lab at Stanford University, where he contributed to the development of brain-computer interfaces. About Kargo Kargo connects the physical and digital worlds of logistics for network effects across supply chains. Founded in 2019, Kargo uses computer vision technology to turn freight into real-time data. Kargo is headquartered in San Francisco and has raised more than $30M in funding for its integrated approach to solving the global challenges of supply chain infrastructure. For more, visit mykargo.com or email info@mykargo.com. Key Takeaways: The Kargo Story Sam Lurye is the Founder and CEO of Kargo, a San Francisco tech firm that is on a mission to make factory operations as intuitive and responsive as reading Google Maps. In the podcast interview, Joe and Sam discuss some of the problems inherent on the shipping dock and the founding of Kargo. As shipments pass through the dock door, Kargo Towers use computer vision to capture data on freight and facility operations. The Kargo Towers "see" all sides of the pallet and gather data on freight - pallet labels, condition, and dimensions. As freight is loaded and unloaded, Kargo Towers capture the action, translating any label or mark into data you can use on the Kargo Platform and your own ERP, WMS, TMS, and YMS. With Kargo's machine vision system, companies can optimize shipping and receiving at every loading dock for network effects across supply chains. Kargo sees and validates multiple freight attributes as forklifts load and unload trucks. Integrations let you connect shipping and receiving end to end. As Kargo Towers capture data across facilities, companies gain new insights into supply chain operations and partnerships. The Kargo system uses computer vision to bridge the physical world of freight with digital tools. Learn More About The Kargo Story Sam on LinkedIn Kargo on LinkedIn Kargo The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: Google, Apple, Castbox, Spotify, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Tunein, Podbean, Owltail, Libsyn, Overcast Check out The Logistics of Logistics on Youtube

Dr. Erez Agmoni and Joe Lynch discuss Maersk innovation. Dr. Erez Agmoni is the Senior VP of Innovation & Strategic Growth for Maersk, the largest shipping company in the world. About Erez Agmoni Dr. Erez Agmoni is the Senior VP of Innovation & Strategic Growth for Maersk in North America. After many years working in Israel, Asia, and Latin America, Erez is now based in New Jersey, USA. In his current role, Erez is managing few departments including industrial real-estate, product development, engineering design, maintenance, and the Maersk Innovation Center. The Innovation Center has 4 pillars: R&D, Digital Transformation, Product Innovation, and Data Science. Erez's broad industry experience of more than 25 years in supply chain management, freight forwarding, logistics, engineering, and digital innovation which he utilizes to develop to improve end to end supply chains. Erez earned a computer engineering bachelor's degree, telecommunication science master's degree and a PhD in organization development. Erez is married with three children and enjoy travelling, hiking and mountain biking in his spare time. Erez enjoy meeting and learning new cultures and can speak Hebrew (native), English & Thai fluently and he is at a beginner level in Japanese. About A.P. Moller – Maersk A.P. Moller - Maersk is an integrated logistics company working to connect and simplify its customers' supply chains. As a global leader in shipping services, the company operates in more than 130 countries and employs over 100,000 people worldwide. Maersk is aiming to reach net zero emissions by 2040 across the entire business with new technologies, new vessels, and green fuels. Key Takeaways: Maersk Innovation Erez Agmoni is the Senior VP of Innovation & Strategic Growth for Maersk in North America. In the podcast interview, Joe and Erez discussed Maersk innovation - Maersk is on a mission to drive innovation across the logistics industry. Since Maersk is a huge company, they decided to create the Maersk Innovation Center to speed the creation and adoption of innovative new supply chain solutions. The Maersk Innovation Center is made up of 4 important functions: R&D – Maersk is combining their groundbreaking research & development initiatives – and forming strategic partnerships with key stakeholders across the Maersk ecosystem. Maersk's collaboration with leading institutions, established companies, and early-stage startups to experiment with new approaches that will deliver better innovation and better supply chain solutions. Digital Transformation - A truly digital logistics industry means integrating sophisticated digital technologies into existing infrastructures, automating processes, and streamlining operations. Product Innovation – Maersk is developing future-focused products that can be easily integrated into as many different order fulfillment operations as possible. Education/Training – Maersk is investing in their people to ensure they stay on top of the latest developments and respond proactively to new challenges. Maersk has also made strategic acquisitions that enable the company to offer a true end-to-end supply chain solution to their customers. Learn More About Maersk Innovation Erez on LinkedIn Maersk on LinkedIn Maersk The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: Google, Apple, Castbox, Spotify, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Tunein, Podbean, Owltail, Libsyn, Overcast Check out The Logistics of Logistics on Youtube

Thad Price and Joe Lynch discuss the Talroo story. Thad is CEO at Austin-based Talroo, a data-driven job and hiring event advertising platform that helps businesses reach the candidates they need to build their essential workforce. About Thad Price Thad Price is CEO at Austin-based Talroo, the data-driven job and hiring event advertising platform that helps businesses reach the candidates they need to build their essential workforce. He provides leadership, strategy, and guidance to all departments. With more than 17 years of experience in online recruitment and the job search vertical, Thad is a recognized thought leader in the HR/TA space. He genuinely believes that there is no industry that plays a more integral role in the economy. Thad uses his cross-functional experience to turn client feedback into innovative products that help companies hire better. Under Thad's leadership, Talroo continues its mission of disruption in the industry. Prior to joining Talroo, he was a VP of Business Development at Job.com. Connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/thad-price-2368b/ About Talroo Talroo is a data-driven job and hiring event advertising platform that helps businesses reach the candidates they need to build their essential workforce. Through AI, unique talent audiences, and a pay-for-performance model, Talroo enables companies to find their ideal candidates and reduce cost-per-hire. Talroo has earned a spot on the Inc. 500/5000 list of fastest-growing companies, as well as the Austin Business Journal's Fast 50 list, for six consecutive years. Visit https://www.talroo.com/ to learn more. Key Takeaways: The Talroo Story Thad Price is CEO at Austin-based Talroo, the data-driven job and hiring event advertising platform that helps businesses reach the candidates they need to build their essential workforce. In the podcast interview, Joe and Thad discuss Thad's career path to CEO of Talroo along with the founding of Talroo. Talroo is a data-driven job advertising platform that reaches the candidates you need to build your essential workforce. Talroo specializes in the transportation and logistics sector and works with some of the industry leaders like UPS, FedEx, and McLane Trucking. Talroo uses a pay-for-performance job advertising Talroo is a data-driven job advertising solution that reaches the candidates businesses need to make hires. Unlike destination job sites, Talroo uses a consumer marketing approach to deliver job opportunities to candidates where they are already spending time online - like what Google and Facebook ad networks do for their advertisers, Talroo uncovers candidates that companies most want to hire. Learn More About The Talroo Story Thad on LinkedIn Talroo on LinkedIn Talroo on Facebook Talroo website The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: Google, Apple, Castbox, Spotify, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Tunein, Podbean, Owltail, Libsyn, Overcast Check out The Logistics of Logistics on Youtube

Brad Wheeler and Joe Lynch discuss the FreightTech dilemma. Brad serves as the Senior Director of Customer Strategy at Emerge, the leading freight procurement platform. About Brad Wheeler Brad Wheeler, one of the company's "starting lineup," has been with Emerge since its inception in 2017. In his current role as the Senior Director of Customer Strategy, Brad leads a team focusing on Solutions Architecture and Implementation Strategy whose mission is to work directly with shippers to bring efficiency to the capacity procurement process through technology. Through thousands of shipper and carrier interactions revolving around successful freight tech implementation, Brad brings an incredibly valuable perspective to any shipper looking to introduce technology into their supply chain. With additional experience as the Manager of Sales and later the Director of Business Operations, Brad has been a key contributor to successfully scaling Emerge from a workforce of 30 to over 300 employees. Brad brings it all to the table from characterizing Emerge's brand and culture, presenting Emerge's value proposition to the industry, and determining pivotal insights to enhance customer experience. Brad's higher education includes a B.S. in Exercise & Wellness from Arizona State University and M.S. in Sports & Business Leadership from the University of Kentucky About Emerge Transforming the $800 billion freight industry, Emerge empowers meaningful logistics relationships through its award-winning Freight Procurement Platform. Built by freight professionals for freight professionals, Emerge is reinventing the procurement process by offering solutions that enable shippers and carriers to make more empowered, strategic decisions. In addition to the platform, shippers can connect to the Emerge Marketplace which opens access to 35,000 asset based carriers in order to create meaningful freight connections. The world's largest shippers and capacity providers use the Emerge Freight Procurement Platform daily, showing immediate ROI for procurement and saving valuable time in the process. Founded in 2017, and located in Scottsdale, Arizona, Emerge is one of the fastest-growing technology startups in the U.S. Key Takeaways: The FreightTech Dilemma Brad Wheeler is the Senior Director of Customer Strategy at Emerge, the leading freight procurement technology platform. In the podcast interview, Joe and Brad discussed the FreightTech dilemma that many shippers face when considering new technology. Most shippers recognize that FreightTech is one of the best ways to streamline their shipping function and potentially save money – however, the dilemma arises because FreightTech has traditionally come with some challenges. Some of the challenges that cause shippers to hesitate when it comes to freight technology are: Freight technology is daunting, difficult to understand, and there are so many choices – big project to take on Freight technology has often required a sizeable investment and the ROI is not guaranteed An organization is going to need specialized knowledge, which may include new hiring or paying for additional resources Freight technology implementations are time consuming and may disrupt and distract the team from their jobs During the interview, Brad explains that the newest generation of freight technologies are much easier on the budget, and implementations are much less time consuming. Emerge's RFP technology platform is part of the new generation of freight technologies and Brad points out that shippers can use the system for free – and creating an RFP event takes hours, not weeks or months. Shippers using Emerge's Freight Procurement Platform can spend less time on carrier RFPs and more time developing relationships with current and prospective carriers. The goal is to let the technology automate the process, while humans are building relationships with their fellow humans. Emerge is reinventing freight procurement by providing access to benchmarked rates and thousands of trusted partners to maximize cost-savings. Emerge is custom built for freight RFP events and as a result the process is streamlined, easy, and saves shippers time and money. The Emerge platform provides carriers access to more shippers and more opportunities. Carriers gain access and bid directly on exclusive contract and spot lanes that they may have never had access to before. Emerge's network connects carriers with shippers of all sizes, providing them more opportunities in the lanes that work for your company. Emerge uses a network model, which becomes increasingly valuable to users (carriers and shippers) as it scales. Learn More About The FreightTech Dilemma Brad on LinkedIn Emerge on LinkedIn LinkedIn Emerge Awarded Podcast Awarded Podcast on Apple Awarded Podcast on Spotify Awarded Podcast on YouTube Modern RFP Processes Offer Multitude of Shipper Benefits Emerge launches Benchmarking Related The LoL episodes: The Emerge Story with Andrew Leto Building a Freight Juggernaut Again with Michael Leto The Freight RFP Process is Broken – Let's Fix It with Maggie Petrovic Emerge Levels Up with Michael Leto It's Not the Market, It's Your Procurement with Andrew Haverkampf The Freight Marketplace with Dave Maddox Is Your TMS Enough with Derek Doddridge The Secret Sauce with Mark McEntire Smart Freight Sourcing with Andy Semisch The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. 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Bill Catania and Joe Lynch discuss the OneRail story. Bill is the Founder & CEO of OneRail, a final mile delivery orchestration platform providing real-time visibility, actionable data, and data-driven optimization capabilities for its enterprise clients. About Bill Catania Bill Catania is the Founder and CEO of OneRail, a top-tier delivery fulfillment platform with an integrated coast-to-coast courier network of 9 million drivers. Prior to OneRail, Catania was named CEO of CoinFlip Solutions, Inc., a cloud-based payment platform delivering real-time electronic payment solutions for health benefits, points, and promotional offers. Catania was also the founder and CEO of digital coupon pioneer M-Dot Network, the first-of-its-kind retail POS-to-cloud transaction engine, powering the real-time redemption of digital coupons at grocery checkouts throughout North America. After M-Dot was acquired in 2011 by retail transaction processing giant Inmar, Inc., Catania stayed on as VP of Digital Solutions, leading Inmar to a best-in-class position, with its installation network of over 20,000 retail locations across North America. A graduate of Cornell University, Catania studied Applied Economics and Political Science, and was a Cornell Tradition Fellow. While a student, he founded the motorsports/E-Commerce business RaceFan, Inc., which rapidly grew to become one of the nation's premier online motorsports informational sites. An avid racing fan, Catania has owned and driven stock cars since he was 17, and raced at Daytona International Speedway in the ARCA Racing Series. He can still be found competing today throughout the southeast. At RaceFan, Bill negotiated the purchase of several major dot-com properties, scaling network traffic to over 20 million page views per month, while syndicating its racing news and results to media giants such as Fox Sports, PRIMEDIA and NASCAR.com. About OneRail Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, OneRail was founded in 2018 by Bill Catania, a serial entrepreneur from the FinTech world, and his wife, Lisa Catania. OneRail is a final mile delivery orchestration platform providing real-time visibility, actionable data, and data-driven optimization capabilities for its enterprise clients. OneRail's cloud-based "delivery switch" simplifies same-day and on-demand delivery execution by connecting the demand signal (POS, eCommerce, ERP) with an ecosystem of delivery networks and internal fleets, in real-time. The result of OneRail's centralized view of disparate final mile data enables data-driven optimization, positively impacting the dependability, speed, and cost of final mile fulfillment. Key Takeaways: The OneRail Story Bill Catania is the Founder and CEO of OneRail, a final mile delivery fulfillment platform with an integrated coast-to-coast courier network of 9 million drivers. In the podcast interview, Bill described how his difficulty getting his new refrigerator from the big box store to his home led to him found OneRail, a last mile delivery logistics solution built to remove the friction in fulfillment. OneRail's comprehensive 4-in-1 delivery fulfillment solution combines leading technology with a coast-to-coast courier network, a skilled 24/7 Exceptions team and a micro fulfillment labor force to solve last mile logistics more comprehensively than any other solution in the space. OneRail provides 100% visibility into the delivery flow, but it's way more than a visibility platform. With the right mix of leading technology, dependable couriers, and a vigilant customer experience (CX) team, customers get the ability to change delivery outcomes in real time. OneRail has the largest integrated courier network in the last mile space - a managed marketplace with instant access to 9 million drivers, 292 courier entities and more than 65 logistics companies across 220 major U.S. cities. Learn More About The OneRail Story Bill's LinkedIn OneRail LinkedIn OneRail The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: Google, Apple, Castbox, Spotify, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Tunein, Podbean, Owltail, Libsyn, Overcast Check out The Logistics of Logistics on Youtube

Channa Ranatunga and Joe Lynch discuss what Channna learned from working at 6 fulfillment companies in 3 months. Channa's company, Rabot provides tools that enable improved worker efficiency in fulfillment warehouses, so he wanted to gain firsthand experience working in fulfillment. About Channa Ranatunga Channa Ranatunga is the Co-founder and CEO of Rabot, a technology company dedicated to building smart tools that reduce repetitive work and improve worker efficiency in warehouses. Channa is an experienced entrepreneur in the logistics and supply chain space. He enjoys learning about new technologies and current challenges faced within the warehousing and fulfillment space and is always looking to connect with logistics professionals. Prior to starting Rabot, Channa was a Senior Applications Specialist at a machine vision company. Earlier in his career, Channa owned a pack and ship store and also founded a wireless device company focused on smart farms. About Rabot Rabot builds smart tools to reduce repetitive work and improve worker efficiency in warehouses. Due to the growth of e-commerce in the global economy, e-commerce fulfillment and logistics companies are struggling to maintain profit margins as their customers expect shorter and error-free fulfillment cycles. This is prompting the need for smarter technology solutions to help with the rapid growth. At Rabot, we are building smart tools to reduce inefficient, inaccurate, and repetitive manual work and improve warehouse operations' traceability. Rabot is based in Arlington, Texas. Key Takeaways: What I Learned from Working at 6 Fulfillment Companies in 3 Months Channa learned the following from working at 6 fulfillment companies in 3 months: People The workers are generally very hard working. Diverse workforces, usually a family environment. Many workers are fearful of robotics because they see it as a potential threat to their jobs. Many workers are struggling financially, some sad stories, people living in cars. High turnover, repetitive work, demanding physically, no sick days. Workers often work in the gig economy, very interested in Uber, Lyft, etc. as alternative sources of income. Management was typically very kind, treated people well. Everybody, management, and workers are trying to do the right things. Process The work is repetitive, sometimes difficult to stay focused, which leads to quality issues. Some processes work well, easy to manage, and do a good job, other processes are very hard because there is no technology or the tech is mismatched or inadequate In general, too many manual processes, writing out barcode numbers on to paper, etc. Management often don't have visibility into the process – only the output Management's lack of visibility into the process, means there are errors, bad orders Process variability based on the operator (experience, effort, training, size/strength) Technology Many fulfillment companies are not using technology properly. Some warehousing and fulfillment company not utilizing any technology at all. WMS not used in two of the six fulfillment companies – manual processes, no scan guns. Learn More About What I Learned from Working at 6 Fulfillment Companies in 3 Months Channa Ranatunga Rabot Other Podcasts about Fulfillment Rethinking Fulfillment with Guy Courtin The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: Google, Apple, Castbox, Spotify, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Tunein, Podbean, Owltail, Libsyn, Overcast Check out The Logistics of Logistics on Youtube

Ann Holm and Joe Lynch discuss the way to understanding how your customer thinks. Ann is a Professional Certified Coach specializing in executive, leadership, and personal development. [00:20] Opening / Introduction [02:50] What is the one thing your clients get that they did not expect? Understanding how your customer thinks. Knowing the varying temperaments will assist in understanding the differences between how people think. It's easy to remember, and the tips are immediately helpful. All customers think differently; however, temperament is being able to take a calibrated guess on how they will feel. [05:20] How many different temperaments do you get to teach us about today? There are four; just like the directions on a compass. The Greeks came up with temperament; the modern-day version has its roots in the Myers-Briggs personality assessment. From the 16 personalities, you can group them into four temperament categories. [07:30] Tell us about the four types of temperaments. Traditionalist/Guardian: they make up forty percent of the population. Risk-averse and tend to like much structure. Experiencer/Artisans: they make up thirty percent of the population. They are looking for something efficient and straightforward. Theorist/Conceptualizer: they make up fifteen percent of the population. Silicon Valley mindset, often thinking of technological innovation. Idealist: they make up fifteen percent of the population. They are interested in personal development and may get jobs in human resources. [11:45] Take us through each one of these groups and how to identify them. [12:50] 1. Traditionalist: Someone like Warren Buffett, they tend to be very detailed and step-by-step. They look at the facts and past performances and are very time conscious. For instance, if a traditionalist says they have fifteen minutes to talk with you, that does not mean twenty minutes. Others may think of them as rigid because they are so time conscious. Generally, traditionalists are not about small talk; they want you to get to the point. Corporate America is absolutely a traditionalist structure; getting from one job to another is based on past performance. [16:40] 2. Experiencer: They are calibrated toward making things simple and efficient with a tangible payoff. For example, Richard Branson, the English business magnate behind the Virgin Group is an experiencer. Some adjectives to describe this group are fun and playful; Richard Branson seems like a fun person to work for. They are much more relaxed than the traditionalist, less time efficient, and more playful. Perhaps they go out for a couple of beers or go golfing to talk business. [20:50] 3. Theorist: These people tend to be long-term and strategic in their thinking. They are often looking at cutting-edge things; not something that has worked before, but something that will be the thing five years from now. For example, Flexport is a company with a theorist mindset. They are giving solutions that will take time to implement now, but long-term will work. Elon Musk is another example of a theorist. There is a lean toward wanting to debate, they will argue with many of your ideas in a meeting, but later could decide they want to implement those ideas. [25:40] 4. Idealist: Individuals are often in sales and tend to be authentic, collaborative, and are constantly learning. They are also relationship oriented and truly believe in the products they are selling. [28:30] Give us four quotes, and we will decide which temperament said it. "Complexity is your enemy." -Experiencer (Richard Branson) "If the future doesn't include being out there among the stars and being a multi-planet species, it's incredibly depressing." -Theorist (Elon Musk) "So why do I talk about the benefits of failure? Simply because failure meant a stripping away of the inessential. I stopped pretending to myself that I was anything other than what I was." -Idealist (J.K. Rowling) "I don't look to jump over 7-foot bars: I look around for 1-foot bars that I can step over." -Traditionalist (Warren Buffett) [32:15] How to recognize and best engage each temperament as it relates to our customers. Traditionalist: Time efficient and low-risk. Engage this customer by making sure you have facts about past performance. Experiencer: Playful but straightforward and efficient. Engage this customer by keeping it brief, but prove that you know the details. Theorist: Long-term thinkers and strategic. Keep it high-level and talk about the big picture, add as few details as possible; they want to connect the dots themselves. Idealist: They want to be collaborative and make sure everyone is on the same page. Engage this customer by speaking about future goals, the big picture, and try being more personable. 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