supplychaintech

We are finding that a lot of supply chain software takes a lot of time for on boarding and our guest today is here to tell us about their solution that can be implemented in days! Thats right Chris from Right Sized inventory is here to tell us all about how they make that happen and what they are doing for warehouses everywhere,

Chris is the Vice President of Right Sized Inventory, an optimization software that helps companies eliminate inventory imbalances through real life simulations. By gathering the correct data all in one place, RSI helps companies get started with predictive analytics and supply chain optimization.

With safety stock being questioned these days because of Covid and organizations are looking at different solutions to help diversify their inventory such as just in case instead of just in time, Chris tells us how his clients are using the data RSI provides them with differently, and they are seeing requests they have never seen before.

The unique selling point with RSI is that they help companies manage their inventory more efficiently at an affordable price. How? They use their own patented technology that gathers and synthesizes data in a couple of hours. By using their software, clients are able to manage their inventory surplus and excess, helping them save them millions of dollars as well as improve customer service levels.

Since RSI is affordable and based on tech, they are able to work with companies of all sizes. Using one real life example, Chris explains how they decreased a client’s inventory levels by 20% and helped them save over 6 million dollars. With the Covid-19 pandemic, they are still able to help businesses prepare for when demand increases and any other what-if scenarios. For the future, RSI is focusing on growing their organic approach, partnering up with consulting firms and embedding their patented technology into their systems.

In this episode we discuss:

• [0.40] The story behind RSI
• [5.30] Data and real life simulation
• [14.53 manage your inventory
• [19.12] decrease inventory levels by 20%
• [24.20] The future is collaboration

Resources and links mentioned:

• Right Sized Inventory

Today I’m really excited to be joined by ProGlove, an innovative German engineering company who are bringing award-winning wearable technology to industry. Combining precision engineering and big data analytics with a focus on the human worker, their technology is reducing costs, redefining efficiency and improving health and safety.

ProGlove takes a truly human-centric approach to innovation, shaping the future of smart wearables for industry 4.0. From picking and inventory management through to packing and track and trace, ProGlove technology allows your business to ensure accuracy, speed and safety at every point of a products journey. And, gives you the visibility and data you need to accelerate your supply chain, lower costs and improve customer satisfaction.

Today Ilhan Kolko, Chief Product Officer at ProGlove, joins me to chat all about ProGlove, what they do, their refreshing person-led approach and the future of IoT technology.

 

IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:

[06.40] How and why ProGlove was founded, and the fascinating journey to where it is now.

[08.28] A closer look at ProGlove, what it does and how it helps its customers.

[10.29] Wearable vs traditional technology, and the benefit of ProGlove solutions.

“We anonymise the data as soon as it leaves the worker, so it’s now about the process, not about the worker.”

[13.36] What the ProGlove device looks like, how it’s tested and a brief history of wearable technologies.

“We balance the user delight, the technical side and the ruggedness and durability of the product.”

[18.34] ProGlove’s integrated technology and how it brings connectivity, visibility and analytics together to improve workflow.

“The promise of making this a human-centered, user-friendly product led us to the path of building connectivity software around it.”

[23.42] The process of integrating ProGlove technology into your business, and the commitment that comes along with it.

[25.01] ProGlove’s unique approach to combining people and technology.

“It’s not a competition – it’s a collaboration.”

[28.08] How ProGlove’s human-centric approach translates to their own workforce.

[30.46] A closer look at ProGlove’s ideal customer.

[32.12] A real-life example of how ProGlove’s technology helps its customers.

“With a handheld scanner, it takes at least 6 seconds to scan an item; now imagine you’re scanning a thousand parts per shift.”

[36.58] What the future might hold for wearable technology, and for ProGlove.

 

RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED:

Head over to ProGlove’s website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with ProGlove and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, or you can connect with Ilhan.

Check out our other podcasts HERE.

Today I’m honored to be joined by Bid Ops, a cutting edge company with supplier diversity and sourcing collaboration at their heart, who deliver strategic sourcing software powered by AI.

Using intelligent price recommendations and dynamic benchmarks, Bid Ops AI helps procurement teams overcome complexity to secure optimal commercial terms with top suppliers. Combining strategic sourcing and collaboration with supplier management and diversity, and even automated negotiations, the Bid Ops platform helps you to skip the back and forth and choose the right supplier, at the best price, quicker and smarter.

Today Edmund Zagorin, founder and CEO at Bid Ops Inc., joins me to chat all about his journey in strategic sourcing, how he came to found Bid Ops, exactly what the company does to help its customers and the role of AI in the future of technology.

 

IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:

[05.38] Edmund’s background and his journey from a degree in Philosophy, International Affairs & Public Policy to a career as a procurement entrepreneur.

“Once I began to see how procurement was transforming digitally, and the speed of that transformation, that was where the experience I had as an undergrad studying social movements really clicked.”

[09.49] A closer look at Bid Ops, what it does and how it helps its customers.

“When you use recommended pricing… you actually get, not just faster process velocity, but there’s more clarity, trust and collaboration in the process, and that corresponds with cost savings.”

[13.49] Bid Ops automated negotiations, and Edmund's reflections on digital transformation and the evolution of procurement.

[19.55] The recent drive in supplier diversity, and how the Bid Ops platform makes it quick and easy for businesses to build their own supplier diversity program, track it and report it.

[26.27] Bid Ops commitment to integration and the changing technology behind it.

[30.01] The ideal customer for Bid Ops.

“Our ideal client is a procurement team that has more work than it has people!”

[31.49] A real life case study of how the Bid Ops platform saved a key customer significant time and money, resulting in board-level recognition.

[34.39] Edmund’s advice for supply chain entrepreneurs and start-ups.

“There’s never been a better time to innovate in supply chain and procurement than right now.”

[36.30] The future for Bid Ops.

 

RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED:

Head over to Bid Ops website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Bid Ops and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn.

Check out our other podcasts HERE.

Welcome to a very special episode of Let’s Talk Supply Chain! Today’s host is Jonathan Kempe, the CEO & Founder of Verifai, an Australian company with a global presence, that uses technology to increase supply chain security, visibility and transparency. And his esteemed guest is: Sarah Barnes-Humphrey!

Sarah is not only the founder and host of Let’s Talk Supply Chain. She is also the co-founder and CEO of new technology start-up, Shipz Inc. Shipz is an award-wining freight marketplace that is working to simplify the complexity often found in logistics; the platform closes the gap between shippers and forwarders, creating an accessible, affordable and hassle-free logistics solution for all.

Today Sarah tells Jonathan all about her background, how she came to found Shipz, all the positives the platform is bringing to the market and what the future might bring for international shipping.

 

IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:

[05.29] An introduction to Sarah and what she loves about international shipping.

[07.08] Sarah’s journey in supply chain and how she came to found Shipz.

[12.42] A closer look at exactly what Shipz does, and the problems it solves for both mid-market shippers and freight providers.

“For a shipper, it takes 101 hours, 40 emails and 20 phone calls just to get a shipment quoted and booked.”

[19.19] How collaboration, visibility, sustainability and data form part of the long-term Shipz roadmap.

“Collaboration is the future of business – and it’s at the forefront of everything I do. Winning together is my philosophy.”

[21.42] Sarah’s reflections on launching Shipz against the backdrop of the pandemic.

“You have to try, you have to test, you have to see what’s going to stick with the customer – from marketing messages to product.”

[26.21] The role that platforms like Shipz can play in minimizing disruption and bringing efficiencies to day-to-day business.

“In some tech, we’re actually getting ahead of our customers: we’ve got to meet them where they are. We’ve got to take what they’re doing and make it easier for them.”

[30.10] A profile of Shipz’ ideal customer.

[31.30] How the Shipz features are laser-targeted to customer needs, and the positive feedback Sarah has seen so far.

[37.06] Sarah’s reflections on what the next few years will hold for supply chain and international shipping.

[41.15] Why Shipz is a signatory of the Neptune Declaration, and the importance of paying attention to industry welfare issues.

[44.16] The future for Shipz.

“We’re going to continue to listen to our customers, and build features based on their feedback.”

 

RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED:

Head over to Shipz’ website to find out more and sign up for a FREE trial now.

There are lots of ways you can connect with Shipz, to find out what the team are up to: follow Shipz on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Check out our other podcasts HERE.

Today I’m delighted to be joined by E2open, a company who believes that the level of agility required to capture growth opportunities – plus the resiliency to manage today’s risks – demands a new way of thinking. Their range of intelligent applications allow supply chain leaders to make the best business decisions using real-time information from across their entire internal and external ecosystems.

From channel shaping and demand sensing, to business planning and global trade management, E2open offers a full suite of intelligent applications for every stage of your businesses supply chain journey. They aim to unlock your potential with their expertise, delivering you end-to-end visibility, planning and execution, all in real time.

I’m joined by Michael Farlekas, President and Chief Executive Officer at E2open, to talk about why the company is a market-leader, the impact of issues like COVID and Brexit on supply chain and why they chose 2021 to take E2open public.

 

IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:

[07.07] A closer look at what E2open does, and their recent big announcement.

“We help our customers to connect what is really a disconnected world.”

[09.39] Why E2open chose 2021 to take their business public.

[11.31] How E2open was founded and why it led to a continuing culture of collaboration.

“Collaboration is the foundation of our business.”

[14.23] Michael’s advice for businesses considering the route of mergers or acquisitions.

“How you technically integrate is the foundation, but it goes much deeper than that – you also need to consider go to market, cultural and back office integration.”

[18.14] Why visibility is a growing supply chain trend, and how you create it.

“Visibility is what you get when you have a well-constructed supply chain architecture.”

[22.28] How customer demand drives business, and how E2open’s software can deliver connectivity to help create a seamless and proactive supply chain, from sales predictions to inventory management.

[25.03] E2open’s COVID experience, how they helped their customers and Michael’s reflections on how the pandemic has impacted the future of the industry.

[28.14] A customer success case study.

[29.54] From an increase in ocean shopping to more manufacturing, Michael’s trends and predictions for 2021 and beyond.

[35.21] The future for E2open.

 

RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED:

Head over to E2open’s website to find out more and discover how they could help you too.

Check out our other podcasts HERE.

Development of the Omnae Platform began fairly recently, in 2016, with a small team and a big vision. Harnessing over 30 years of deep industry experience, Omnae’s mission was to build a network and service that was bigger than just manufacturing; to create a technology that was both industry and country agnostic, with the goal of connecting every facet of global production.

Omnae’s founders saw the potential – and necessity – for a global supply web, and knew they had the know-how to build it. And it’s safe to say Omnae has gone from strength to strength, proving that their mission, and unique approach, is spot on.

Today I’m joined by CEO Dan Lionello to talk more about the global supply web, the need for improved transparency, resilience and communication in supply chain and how Omnae’s platform has the potential to transform supply chain for everyone.

Back in 2001, Optessa Founder Srinivas (Vasu) Netrakanti identified an important but poorly served niche: to provide high quality planning and scheduling solutions that truly addressed industry needs. And as a management graduate and highly successful serial entrepreneur, he had the knowledge, experience and courage to deliver it.

Vasu partnered with Founder and CEO Ashok Erramilli, who brought his own incredible skills – including an Electrical Engineering Ph.D. from Yale, years of experience as a consultant to engineering and networking corporations, and from his role as Research Manager at Bellcore (now Telcordia) – to the mix.

The ambitious and highly skilled duo built Optessa with the vision of helping complex manufacturers optimize their production plans and schedules, utilizing intelligent solutions. Their Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) software creates complete, optimal, even quality solutions, and their software can model any manufacturing requirement, with speedy deployment.

In today’s episode Ashok discusses current industry challenges in light of COVID-19, the importance of evaluating supply chains by criteria other than simply cost, achieving balance and stability in supply chain and the power of data-driven analytics.

IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:

[06.30] The story behind Optessa, and how they continue to deliver and evolve.
[10.50] How Optessa uses data optimization to allow customers to match supply with demand and stay efficient.

“We help manufacturers answer these three basic questions: what do I make, where do I make it and when do I make it?”

[13.15] How COVID-19 has hung a question mark over the industry, the challenge of trying to be prepared for everything, and how the crisis has highlighted a need for more robust supply chains.
[16.20] From risk to stability, flexibility to responsiveness, the need to evaluate supply chains by criteria other than simply cost.
[19.05] How the current crisis highlighted supply chain vulnerabilities companies didn’t even know they had, and the importance of readily available good data, to allow companies to use predictive analytics to be proactive rather than reactive.

“You can have the most efficient supply chain, but when you have a disruption like this one, that could be the end of your business.”

[21.01] The art of trade-offs – how you can use optimization to reconcile contradictory elements and achieve the best balance for your business.

“Given your comfort level, your priorities – it will tell you the best trade-off.”

[23.57] The story behind the name Optessa.
[25.11] What effect the USMCA might have on manufacturing.
[28.02] Customer case study: how Optessa reduced the number of change points from 1200 to 300 for one client, saving them enough money to pay for a whole new software suite, by interpreting, anticipating and so minimizing change.

“In the real world, as soon as you make a plan – things change!”

[33.20] Optessa’s ideal client, and the questions they need to ask themselves before getting in touch.
[36.45] Why if a company has two out of three V’s – volume, variety and value – Optessa can help.
[37.54] What the future holds for Optessa.

Head over to Optessa’s website now to find out more, meet the team and discover how they could help you too.

Check out our other podcasts HERE.

Ram is the founder of SKUteam, a company that provides globalized supply chain with localized supervision. They help companies working in the apparel, furnishing and fashion accessories industries take control of their supply chain and cut out unnecessary middlemen.

Ram explains that when it comes to production, 70% of processes happen in a factory. But brands have no idea what happens in the factories: they can’t tell if workers are paid fair wages, if working conditions are at the right standard or whether the product is manufactured according to the specific requirements. SKUteam help brands track every section of the supply chain works by offering a whole range of services including accounting and finance, inspections, audits and inventory planning.

With trends such as globalization and events such as Covid-19, brands want to move away from China and manufacture products elsewhere - but they aren’t sure where to go next. SKUteam helps brands find the appropriate factories and sample inventory. They then manage the audits, inspections and factory management. As Ram says, the future of supply chain is about removing human involvement. With SKUteam’s product, brands can be at the forefront of their industry simply by reducing costs and sourcing effectively.

In this episode we discuss:

• [6.48] What influenced Ram to create SKUteam
• [11.51] What SKUteam does
• [17.48] How SKUteam helps customers throughout Covid
• [31.29] What their ideal client looks like
• [37.57] The future for SKUteam

Resources and links mentioned:

• SKUteam
• Promo: refer Lets Talk supply Chain when you reach out to SKUTEAM!! First two Purchase orders, free!

Robert and Lee are the founders of Mercado, a platform that aims to bring together every section of the supply chain from sourcing, to legal, to sales and much more. Supply chain still needs to be properly disrupted, and Mercado believes a marketplace is the key forward. 

Why is supply chain not disrupted yet? Rob explains that the complexity of supply chain is daunting and the combination of various processes makes it difficult to innovate as a whole. Many companies that claim to resolve an issue using tech only solve one specific piece of the puzzle. With Mercado, Rob and Lee want to fix the problem by transferring the entire “puzzle” online.

Rob believes that the best place to fix an issue is at the beginning: the purchase order. The first mile is what needs digitizing first - and it’s often the most inefficient part of the process. Imagine if every time you ordered a burger at McDonald’s the workers had to go back and forth between you and the kitchen to get your order right? This is what is currently happening in the supply chain world. In 5 to 10 years, Rob hopes we’ll look back on this period like we currently look back on taxis (thanks Uber). 

In this episode we discuss:

• [19.25] Where they got the idea of Mercado
• [26.05] The journey to launch
• [37.23] Why supply chain is not yet disrupted
• [43.20] Why digitizing the first mile changes everything
• [51.50] The future for Mercado

Resources and links mentioned:

• Mercado
• EP 58 - Shining light in the dark corners of supply chain

Stay Connected with the Podcast:

• Find us at Let’s Talk Supply Chain

Jason is the CEO of MacGregor Partners, a supply chain solutions provider that uses IT and software to help companies work faster, smarter and more efficiently. What does their process look like? They ask a lot of questions, build a bespoke solution and then train every stakeholder that’s part of the operation. They live and breathe digital and are revolutionizing the relationship between drivers, paper and staff.

According to Jason, the top three challenges in supply chain are data, systems and analytics. As a supply chain solutions company, MacGregor Partners knows how hard it actually is to implement data correctly, and how to build systems that don’t end up siloed. For this reason, they focus on Warehouse Management System (WMS) combined with analytics and visibility. MacGregor Partners’ typical clients are companies that are interested in technology and are looking for ways to implement software to optimize their distribution center.

At MacGregor Partners, Jason and his team are “dethinkers”: they don’t overthink data and focus on the journey. Their design process is very hands-on, with the team only moving onto the next functional area once the previous one has been completed and confirmed by the customer - this allows them to be much more agile and adaptable to unexpected shocks, such as Covid-19. In the future, MacGregor Partners will be focused on delivering better products, more experiments and an even more cost-efficient methodology. 

In this episode we discuss:

• [0.35] MacGregor Partners, where it all began
• [12.15] The nitty-gritty of what they do
• [17.55] Top 3 challenges in supply chain
• [23.15] How does the customer benefit?
• [33.25] The future of the company

Resources and links mentioned:

• MacGregor Partners

Today Sarah chats with Scott and Greg from Supply Chain Now about the last in their super trend series: Start up Mentality. The Covid crisis has brought a pivotal moment on Earth for everyone, and therefore an opportunity to accelerate important trends.

As Greg says, necessity is the mother of innovation; with the crisis, supply chain is on everyone’s mind and companies are now serious about changing. As Scott declares, now is the time to seize the moment. Organizations are now more willing to challenge norms and be disruptive. As Scott and Greg explain, companies need to embrace the startup spirit: taking action, being disruptive (instead of disrupted) and giving authority to the people on the front line. The old way of working is slowly dying out, and those that resist change will die out with it. 

Greg believes that what’s most important is being humble enough to learn something new every day and being patient. Scott says that it’s important to remember that passion is not enough, that what entrepreneurs really need is obsession. In order to make a company work, you need to be willing to risk it all. Finally, Sarah reiterates that in order for effective collaboration to take place, large companies need to bring down barriers and make it easy for startups to work with them. And of course, at the end of the day, the most important is understanding what it is that a customer wants from you. 

In this episode we discuss:

• [4.01] How to stay innovative
• [13.10] Embracing the startup spirit
• [21.40] How to really rebrand
• [38.37] The importance of failing
• [54.52] Main takeaways

Resources and links mentioned:

• Supply Chain Now
• Upcoming Twitter Chat Follow #SCSuperTrends from 2pm to 3pm EST @LetsTalkSChain
• Super Trend #1
• Super Trend #2
• Super Trend #3

We are finding that a lot of supply chain software takes a lot of time for on boarding and our guest today is here to tell us about their solution that can be implemented in days! Thats right Chris from Right Sized inventory is here to tell us all about how they make that happen and what they are doing for warehouses everywhere,

Chris is the Vice President of Right Sized Inventory, an optimization software that helps companies eliminate inventory imbalances through real life simulations. By gathering the correct data all in one place, RSI helps companies get started with predictive analytics and supply chain optimization.

With safety stock being questioned these days because of Covid and organizations are looking at different solutions to help diversify their inventory such as just in case instead of just in time, Chris tells us how his clients are using the data RSI provides them with differently, and they are seeing requests they have never seen before.

The unique selling point with RSI is that they help companies manage their inventory more efficiently at an affordable price. How? They use their own patented technology that gathers and synthesizes data in a couple of hours. By using their software, clients are able to manage their inventory surplus and excess, helping them save them millions of dollars as well as improve customer service levels.

Since RSI is affordable and based on tech, they are able to work with companies of all sizes. Using one real life example, Chris explains how they decreased a client’s inventory levels by 20% and helped them save over 6 million dollars. With the Covid-19 pandemic, they are still able to help businesses prepare for when demand increases and any other what-if scenarios. For the future, RSI is focusing on growing their organic approach, partnering up with consulting firms and embedding their patented technology into their systems.

In this episode we discuss:

• [0.40] The story behind RSI
• [5.30] Data and real life simulation
• [14.53 manage your inventory
• [19.12] decrease inventory levels by 20%
• [24.20] The future is collaboration

Resources and links mentioned:

• Right Sized Inventory

Anju is the product manager at Coupa Software, an all-in-one business spend management platform. In today’s Women in Supply Chain series, Anju tells us how she got into supply chain, the valuable lessons she learnt from failure and why it’s important to put a focus on diversity.

Anju moved from working in the corporate world at Oracle to a fast paced beauty startup. She was passionate about understanding the various pieces, solving business problems and growing both as a person and in her career. She says it’s important to be flexible, say yes to opportunities and be willing to take a leap into the unknown; this is what got her to where she is now.

Our world has never been so diverse and inclusive, and yet there is still a lot of work to do. Anju explains why it’s important to have role models to look up to, and that in order to move the needle of diversity we need to encourage more discussions, be aware of our biases and lead with empathy. Her advice to other women in supply chain: think about what you want out of your career and be willing to pursue your dream. Women are sometimes afraid to verbalize who they want to be - Anju urges them to take risks and not be afraid to change.

In this episode we discuss:

• [0.38] Anju’s journey
• [7.32] The importance of being courageous
• [11.50] Valuable lessons from failure
• [19.33] How to move the needle of diversity
• [22.23] Advice to other women in supply chain

Sponsored by: COUPA and GWPP

Global Women Procurement Professionals (GWPP), is proud to have Coupa as a Platinum Sponsor for our community. GWPP's focus is to promote women in the procurement and supply chain industry and to have them grow. Coupa is an amazing example of how to be a thought leader within procurement and supply chain - we are grateful to have a community partnership together.

Resources and links mentioned:

• Coupa
• GWPP
• Women in Supply Chain

How does replenishment work in your warehouse? It is probably very manual, lots of paperwork and different stakeholders involved making it impossible to be be agile and efficient. Because of that I thought it was important to introduce you to a company that is revolutionizing this. Andrew is the CEO of ShelfAware, a company that helps suppliers see in real-time what is on their customers’ shelves through hardware tracking RFID technology. This technology allows companies to see the exact moment a customer takes an item off the shelf, how many items they take and how much is needed to replenish stock.

Using RFID technology together with real-time software means that suppliers can easily replenish stock without worrying about waste, workers don’t have to waste time counting items and companies can gather data on their customer habits. From a cost effective standpoint, everyone wins. ShelfAware works as a 3rd party SaaS (Software as a service), so they don’t need to touch the product at any point in the supply chain. The software connects with a tracking code that can easily be printed by the supplier and is put on the product itself.

Who is ShelfAware’s ideal client? As Andrew says, he keeps discovering new industries this system could be useful for. They started with industrial suppliers and manufacturers, but anyone from a dentist to a large scale conglomerate can make use of their product and software. Andrew has helped businesses drastically lower inventory without losing the rate at which they replenish items. Once again, this is proof that collaborating with other companies can make them stronger together.

Lastly we get a sneak peek into Andrew's new show on The SC Supply Chain TV on Youtube called From the Frontlines where he brings us into the frontlines of business, entrepreneurship and supply chain!

In this episode we discuss:

• [0.37] The story behind ShelfAware
• [6.50] Why RFID is so under-utilized
• [17.10] Who should consider RFID
• [21.17] Does it actually work in real life scenarios?
• [30.20] From the Frontlines

Resources and links mentioned:

• ShelfAware

Alloy was founded 4 years ago when Joel and his co-founders realized there was a huge lag between supply chain and the retail industry. From the very beginning, the company focused on customer centricity and invested most of its resources into R&D. Now, Alloy helps everything from small companies to Fortune 500s optimize their supply chain by connecting their data to customer demand. Focusing on customer experience for not only their customers but their customers, customer has been their key to success in this very competitive landscape of supply chain technology.

The main challenge when it comes to retail supply chain is the huge shift in consumer habits, partly due to e-commerce. Nowadays, consumers expect a seamless customer experience, an infinite amount of stock and personalized offers. However, realizing that that there is a direct mis match between customer demands and retail distribution, Alloy were really able to dive deep into this challenge and come up with solutions that are not seen on the market yet, that is why they have a growing base of some of the biggest names in retail. Alloy really wants to make sure that their clients supply chains are giving them a competitive advantage and they do that by helping retailers coordinate all the different moving parts of their supply chain.

The landscape and technology is constantly evolving, so how does a startup like Alloy adapt? You guessed it: collaboration. Right from the beginning Alloy was partnering with companies and made sure to be grounded to real world problems. As the number of partners and clients increased, the more they were able to take a holistic approach to resolving their clients’ pain points. Alloy’s future involves more effort on the data side through R&D, and more specialization of every element of the supply chain.

In this episode we discuss:

• [0.29] Who is Alloy?
• [9.45] Consumer Habits driving supply chain
• [18.09] A customer success story
• [25.18] Data and Collaboration
• [30.10] The future for Alloy

Resources and links mentioned:

• Alloy

What does your digital future look like? That is the question on everybody's mind as tech changes on a daily basis, In Sweetbridge's episode in 2019 Scott said the knowledge base is changing every 1.5 years.

Diane is the Vice President of Omnichain, a company that offers end to end supply chain solutions to companies looking to optimize workflow, manage different channels and orchestrate correct supply strategies. They are the partner for the future.

Currently, many team members of companies need to manually add data into systems, losing information, accuracy and time.  This is because the supply chain industry is still very fragmented, with organisations struggling to connect and collaborate. Omnichain’s platform describes itself as a digital supply chain fit for the future, thanks to its better forecasting, operations system and proactive push model. Omnichain’s solution is what distinguishes it from its competitors; no need to download or integrate anything, everything can be done directly within the platform!

Omnichain prides itself on using blockchain, a kind of distributed ledger and database that allows you to maintain and record all devices and transactions across a supply chain. Most people co-relate blockchain to crypto currency but that is not always the case. This technology allows you to hold information quickly and securely, which allows Omnichain to keep the entire supply chain management securely under a blockchain key. Omnichain’s ideal client is someone who faces the challenge of a fragmented operation and is looking for a better day to day workflow. Its solution encourages companies to go from a reactive management situation to proactive, allowing them to deliver real value from their data.

In this episode we discuss:

• [0.30] A Different approach to blockchain
• [9.39] What is a digital supply chain fit for the future
• [15.17] No integration needed!
• [19.40] blockchain is perfect for supply chain management
• [25.05] The future is bright

Akshay is the co-founder of Terminal 49, an online platform that helps importers, trucking companies and brokers track all their container movements. In the container world, things are still being done as they were 10 years ago. Terminal 49 aims to simplify global trade with much more efficient workflows.

Visibility is a big challenge in supply chain: truckers, shipping companies and freight forwarders don’t communicate effectively and lack collaboration. Everyone’s solving a different problem, there’s a lack of education and cooperation is non-existent. This disconnect is what Terminal 49 aims to resolve.

Akshay provides us with two excellent examples of a shipper and a broker. Before using Terminal 49’s dashboard, this shipper had several spreadsheets used for forecasting reports, ETAs and container management. When an incident happened, all information had to go through several different people in the chain. Now, with an all-in-one dashboard, the shipper can easily track every container and keep on top of demand. Oh, and all they need to do is import their spreadsheets onto the dashboard - no need to copy and paste thousands of numbers. Although the logistics world is a competitive space, Akshay says there’s a lot of room to innovate and create value, and that really, it’s still early days!

In this episode we discuss:

• [1.00] Terminal 49’s story
• [15.25] Why visibility is a challenge in supply chain
• [20.10] Successful examples of using Terminal 49’s dashboard
• [31.34] Advice for people who want to get into supply chain tech
• [33.59] The future of Terminal 49

Resources and links mentioned:

• Terminal 49

Meet Catapult, an intuitive digital platform that helps businesses make decisions based on freight rates. The founders were tired of the manual process of keeping track of rates through word documents, excel spreadsheets and decided to build a solution to help manage all the different rates from different carriers.

What does all this technology mean for your business? Virgil Ferreira, the CEO of Catapult joins us to talk about how their platform helps businesses see rates from different carriers including ocean, air and ground, giving logistics providers more visibility into their rates so they can increase their margins. A Challenge that logistics providers face is that they don't have access to industry data but Catapult changes that as providers can also compare their own data with industry data and see it all in a standard, easy-to-use view. The biggest challenge logistics providers face is understanding how to get the best market rate. With Catapult, businesses can use the tool to see the gaps in their system and focus on improving profit, which all providers are looking to do!

Their typical clients are mid to global sized forwarders with a large number of vendors and a large customer base. These are clients looking for technology enabled solutions and need help getting their rate management house in order. By using a rate management platform, logistics providers can apply margins where they want, map different features into an internal format and use this across different modes. As Virgil says, the main things companies should be focusing on in 2020 is understanding what the customer is expecting and encouraging interoperability across different structures.

In this episode we discuss:

• [1.47] Who is Catapult?
• [4.02] Freight Management is critical to success
• [8.12] The main challenges for logistics providers
• [15.08] Get your Freight Management house in order!
• [23.47] What you should focus on in 2020

Resources and links mentioned:

• Catapult

BEHIND THE SEAMS - Suuchi Ramesh is a software engineer with a background in supply chain, she is also the founder and CEO of a tech company that is bringing supply chain and fashion together called, Suuchi. Suuchi is the next generation technology platform for fashion, managing everything from design through distribution.

The main challenge the fashion industry faces is that the entire supply chain needs to be unbelievably fast, diversified and efficient. Suuchi helps companies get to the next level by taking care of the back end, and letting companies focus on what they do best: scaling the brand. Suuchi helps companies diversify the supply chain by digitizing the entire process, because all brands must start thinking of supply chain as a strategic competitive advantage

What sets them apart? Transparency. They’re able to track and trace every process in the supply chain, which allows them to provide their customers with truly data driven solutions. Suuchi has the flexibility to work with all size of companies and their customers use their software in a few different ways: some use their software just for supply chain, others use the software from the design of products all the way to the distribution of their products to their end consumer. Suuchi is also very passionate about helping their customers and brands become more sustainable and reduce overall waste in their businesses. When creating Suuchi, they were mindful to include in-depth data and analytics that helps to optimization sustainability and the reduction of waste strategies. Suuchi is now going into series B and expanding their reach in supply chain, all while providing smart, sustainable solutions.

In this episode we discuss:

• [2.45] Fashion and Supply Chain
• [6.32] Supply Chain is becoming the back bone of Fashion
• [10.37] Scale Your Brand
• [15.03] Transparency is key
• [19.55] Reduce waste and become sustainable

Resources and links mentioned:

• SUUCHI
• Suuchi Ramesh

Claudia is our Women in Supply Chain Feature for February and is someone who enjoys life to the fullest. Her attitude is: family first, career second and community third. She graduated in engineering, joined IBM, ran an entire supply chain, worked in GE Healthcare and is now working in supply chain for Google. Her career has been a huge adventure, and today she shares some of the nuggets of wisdom she’s learned over the years.

She’s had many challenges in her career as a female on a supply chain team, but it’s her positive attitude and openness to taking care of others that helped her get to where she is now. She’s really had to push for opportunities, and has seen the industry evolve over the 36 years that she’s been working in supply chain. Things are getting better, with now 25% of leadership positions held by women. Claudia works hard to educate leaders and encourage the right conversations about diversity and openness.

What about supply chain? Claudia explains that companies aren’t using data as they should be. She says that it’s important to get the basics first, make sure to have the right KPIs in place and then analyze the big picture. Her advice to fellow supply chain leaders is to meet with customers on a regular basis. Understand the voice of the customer and don’t always think of optimizing a function but instead, the end to end journey. Her plans for the future are to keep on learning and growing, never wasting a day and keep pushing for diversity.

In this episode we discuss:

• [4.14] Claudia says, Live life to the fullest
• [13.14] What is Supply chain at Google
• [18.42] Claudia's advice for younger self
• [26.55] Supply chain leaders, meet with customers!
• [30.34] Pushing for Diversity

Resources and links mentioned:

• Claudia on LinkedIn