2020’s Most Innovative SCM Solution Providers January2020

Graham Parker CEO

EDITOR’S DESK

Digital

Supply Chain:

Transformation From Physical to Cyber

Todate,managingthesupplychainfrombeginning toendhasbeenliketravelingtotwosuperhighways interruptedbyalongstretchofdirtroad.Industries todayaretooslow,oratleastwhencomparedwiththe latesttechnology,theyarelessagilecomparedtowhatthese technologiescanmakethem.Persistingindustrial productionisinflexibleandalsoexpensive.However,thisis goingtochangeanditsthankstoIndustry4.0.Thepaceof changehappeninginindustriesduetothisindustrial revolutionisveryfanatic. Startingwithdigitizationand automation,aidedbytechnologieslikebigdata,AI,ML, roboticsandothertechnologies,noneofthesegmentofthe businessisbeingleftuntouched.

Where or how does supply chain fit into this complex jigsaw of Industry 4.0?

Supplychainmanagementstandstobenefittremendously fromgoingdigital.Wearealreadyinthemiddleofthis industrialrevolution.Thisindustrialrevolutionhasheralded anerawhereinmanufacturingwillbecomesmarterand moreintelligentandthusleadingtoaconnectedsupply chainprocess.

Afewrecentstudiesconductedstatesthataconnectedand digitalsupplychaincanhelpcompaniesreducecostby 30%,reducelostsalesopportunitiesby60percent,andthe inventoryrequirementscanbereducedby70percent.Allof thisisfollowedbymakingcompaniesfaster,moreagile, granular,accurate,andefficient.Letusfurtherdiginand seehowdigitizationmakesthesupplychainmoreefficient.

Ithasalreadybeendiscussedhowsupplychain managementtodaylackstransparencyandaccuracy The worldwidesupplychaininvolvesthousandsofsuppliers operatingwithinthesupplychainecosystemofacompany. Hence,itiscrucialtohaveend-to-endtransparencyand real-timeassettracking.Thisiswheredigitizationcomes handy.Upondigitization,companiescaneasilyandinrealtimetracktheentiresupplychainprocess.

Thebiggestadvantageofanythinggoingonlineis interconnectionandcollaboration.Hence,tospeakabout thewondersofafullyintegrated,digitalsupplychain software-itwillallowinformationtoflowseamlessly betweenmanufacturers,suppliers,andcustomers.Thisnew formedsharedplatformwillbreaksilosandtransform planningintoacontinuousprocess.Asaresult,stakeholders cancarryoutsupplychain-relatedactivitiestogethertonot onlysavecostsbuttosharebestpracticesandlearnfrom eachother

WithIndustry4.0,thesupplychaingetsintegratedinto production,distributionandevenmanaging,whichwillbe thebasisofinterconnectedenterprisesand‘intelligent’ supplychain.Thisfuture,‘thinking’supplychainwill effortlesslylearntorecognizerisksandeliminategaps beforeithappens.Theywillcontinuouslyevolveandlearn

tohandleexceptionswithouttheneedofanyhuman involvement,exceptinanyunforeseenrisks,wherein humaninterventionisrequiredtodeterminethenextcourse ofactionorupgradethesupplychainprocess.

However,onethingiscertainthatthedata-backedsupply chainprocesswillalsoallowenterprisesbigorsmallto reachthesuperlativeleveloperationaleffectivenessand helpinachievingsignificantcostreductions.

Recognizinghowsomeofthesupplychainvendorsare adaptingtonewtechnologiesandthewaveofIndustry4.0 tohelpenterprisesofferseamlessservices,madeus introducethisedition.Herein,The2020’sMost InnovativeSCMSolutionProviders, wehave handpickedfewcompaniesthathasadaptedinnovative techniquestobringagilityinbusiness.

FeaturedonthecoverisGravitySupplyChainSolutions Limited. Itisacloud-based,realtimevisibilityand executionplatformspanningtheentirecriticalpathfrom pre-purchaseorder Theeditionalsofeaturecompanieslike, FreightgateInc,IntelligentAudit,GEP, ,ODYN FLS Transportation DemandSolutions BLGLOGISTICS , , GROUP, ,and KenanAdvantageGroup Elemica

Whileflippingthepages,makeitanotetoreadthearticle pennedbyoureditors.Thearticlewillgiveadetailed insightintotheemergingtrendsinsupplychainandhowit canbebeneficialtocompanies.

Editor-in-Chief Pooja M. Bansal

Anish Miller Senior Editor Managing Editor Crescent Cu Publishing Control Team Rahul, Shruti

Quality Assurance Team Abhishaj, Darshan, Sneha

Contributing Editor Shreevarshita Gupta

Visualiser David King Paul Belin Co-designer

Art & Design Head Amol Kamble Art & Design Assistant

Savita Pandav

Art & Picture Editor

Shweta Ambilwade

Sherin Rodricks Business Development Manager Marketing Manager Mary D'souza

Business Development Executives

Karen, Anna, Sapna

Sales Executives Jenny, Michael, Kelly

Technical Head Jacob Smile Assistant Technical Head Amar Sawant

Technical Consultants Pratiksha, Aditya, David

Digital Marketing Manager Alina Sege Assistant Digital Marketing Manager Prashant Chevale

SME-SMO Executives Gemson, Uma, Manoj

Research Analyst Eric Smith

Circulation Manager Tanaji

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January, 2020

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Graham Parker CEO

Intoday’sageoftechnologicaladvancementsand

cut-throatcompetitioninthebusinessarena, companiesareinneedofefficientserviceproviders, whocaneasecomplicatedprocedures.Thesameisthe caseoftheleadingsupplychainsolutionproviders.They providethebestservicesintermsofhighlyoptimized inventorymanagement,flexibility,andspeedwithorder fulfillment,customization,energysustainability,and compliance.Onesuchrenownednameinthesupply chainarenaisGravitySupplyChainSolutions Limited.

Gravityisacloud-based,realtimevisibilityand executionplatformspanningtheentirecriticalpathfrom pre-purchaseorder,andallthekeymilestonesthroughto distributioncentersanywhereintheworld.Itenables userstoexecutethroughouttheprocessononeplatform.

Gravityconnectsanddigitizesallthepartiesinvolved throughoutthejourney;itacquiresandfillsthedata voidscreatedbylegacysystemsthatarenotconnected, orwheredatadoesn’texist.Gravity'ssuiteofmodular appsisintuitive,agile,andexceptionallyuserfriendly, andprovidesclientswiththerequiredinformationinno morethanthreeclicks.Thecompanystartswiththe usersinmindandthenbuildsbackward,ratherthanthe morecommonapproachofbeginningwithtechandthen buildingforward.

Gravityhasanactiveteamofsupplychainexpertswho haveworkedwithintheindustryforalongtime,eitheras logisticsprovidersand/orshippers.Itrealizesthatusers notonlywanttoseewhat'shappeningbutcan understandandactwithabsolutecertaintywiththe scenariospresentedtothem.

DeliveringAgileServicesandSolutions

Gravityprimarilyfocusesonprovidingthebestsupply chainservicestotheclients.Ourservicescapturedatato visualizeandexecutefromsourcing,manufacturing,

“

We connect and digitize all parties involved in the supply chain

transport,risk,inventoryandlocation,withbigdata analytics&reporting.Itoffersshippersandlogistics companiestheoptiontochoosefromafullsuiteofapps. Customerscanchoosefromastandardshipmenttracker consolidatedviewthroughtofull,end-to-endPurchase OrderManagementsolutionswithorwithoutuseofthe sourcingapp.Avastamountofpredictivetechnology builtintoplatformensuresthatwhenariskbecomes apparent,clientsarenotonlymadeaware,butare assistedinmakingdecisionswithcertaintyinrealtime.

ExceptionalLeadership

Gravityismakingrapidstridestowardsexcellenceunder thevisionaryleadershipofGrahamParker,theCEO. Withoverthreedecadesofworkexperienceinthe supplychainindustry,healsohastheexperienceof workingataglobal3PL,andaleadingUKretailer, managingbothdomesticandinternationalsupplychains acrossmultichannelroutestomarket.Healsospenta considerableperiodwithinbuyingandsourcing

2020'SMOST INNOVATIVE SCM SCM

operationsandfoundthisincrediblyusefulwhen evolvingprocessesandlogisticschangestomeetthe ever-changingconsumerdemands.

EfficientTeamworkforbetterResults

Thecompanybelievesthatpeoplearekeytoany business.Mr.Parkerstates, “the team that builds, markets, sells, and delivers our products are the most important people”.Gravityengagesteamsofpeople withinthevariousdepartmentsandensurestheyarefully accountableandinvolvedinthewayitbuildsand promotestheplatform.Italsoprovidesemployeesthe optionofworkingfromhome,whichkeepsthem motivatedandinvolved.

Mr.Parkerstatesthatitisatoughmarkettobeinas goodtechandproductpeopleareinhighdemand. However,heishappytoseetheemployeeshappyand excitedbythecompany’sapproachanddirection. “The team helps set the rules, so they are fully engaged from the start. I believe this is a critical aspect of any business nowadays,”addsMr.Parker

IndustryPerspective

Thecompanyisoftheopinionthatthemarketis completelyunderserved.Itbelievesthatmanynew digitalplatforms/businessesarecomingontoitsradar,as wellasthemanylegacysystemsstillbeingsoldand used.Theteambelievesthatinordertocreatea compellingplatform,itisessentialtounderstandthe complexitiesinvolvedinsupplychains.Additionally,the clienthastoidentifyandcreatetheperfectsolutionto expandtheirbusinessinthedigitalworld.

StayingaheadoftheCompetition

GravitySupplyChainconductssignificantamountsof researchandmaintainssocialmediaposts,newsletters, andregularclientupdates.Itfocusesondigitization,

traceability,ethics,andsustainability.Itbelievesthatthe processofdigitizingisessentialtoremainrelevant.

“Everyone has their own views within these areas, so we listen, learn, and take note of not only what is in the news and social media, but also what our customers are saying”,statesMrParker Thecompanybelievesin listeningtothecustomers,soalongsideitsroadmap,it asksthemtovoteon ‘what next?’.Thisintelligence enablesittobuildanddeploysolutionsasapriorityand ensuresthatthecustomersaregettingwhatiscritical withinthemarket.

TowardsanExcitingFuture

Marchingforward,thecompanyhasdevelopedasolid andaggressivefive-yearplanandroadmap.Itfully intendstoexpandonitsexistingcorefunctionalityto bringmoredataandconnectivitytothecustomers.The companyisalreadylookingat“PrescriptiveAnalytics” readyforbusinessestobecomeautonomous.

User-Friendly Interface

•Anagile,transparent,andexceptionallyuser-friendly interface

•Clearandorganizedtilestructures

•Customizedboardsgeteasilycreatedwithoursimple draganddropfeature.Deepdiveintotheintricaciesof yoursupplychainwithjustafewclicks.

•Gravity’sactivityfeedallowsforthecleanand organizeddisplayofmission-criticaldatafrom thousandsofsources.

•Realtimealertsfromnotonlyinternalbutalso externalsources,Activityfeednotificationsonboth desktopandmobilemakesurethatyouhaveaccess andvisibilityofyoursupplychainanytime,anywhere.

•Gravity’scommunicationcentermakescollaboration effortlessandstraightforward.

•Anenhancedmessagefeedensuresthatall stakeholdersinthesupplychaincancommunicateand shareinformationseamlessly

•Messagingisnotrestrictedtotheplatform;youcan sendoutboundmessagestonon-Gravityusers.The communicationcenterenablesyoutobrainstormideas, problem-solve,andshareinsightstoachieveatruly cooperativeworkingenvironment.

•Gravity’snewGoodsInTransit(GIT)boardisa zero-clickviewofyourentiresupplychain–allyour goodsinoneplace.

•On-demanddatarefreshingallowsforrealtime visibilityofyourgoodsthroughoutthecriticalpath.

•Advancedplanningcapabilitieshighlightpotential risksandnotifyyouofpossibledelayssothatyoucan actquicklyandswiftly

•GITcapturesyourentiresupplychainnetwork

Key Enablers and Success Drivers

Eric Wilson General Manager

Acompany’ssupplychainisacomplexecosystem involvingmanydifferententitiesthathavetowork togethertoachievethecommongoalofsuccessful, timelydeliveryofanorderorservice.Itcanempower businessesandmakethemthrive.However,becauseofnew technologiesandcapabilities,andchangingcustomer demandsandexpectations,thelandscapeisshifting dramatically,andbusinessesarefindingitnecessaryto reinventtheirsupplychainstokeepup.

Transformingfromatraditionalintoadigitalsupplychainis importantasitempowersbusinessestoexploitthe opportunitiesthatnewtechnologypresents.Thenext-gen supplychainmustbeanagileentitythatdetects,responds andadaptstofast-changingscenariosandvolatilemarkets swiftly–notjusttoavoiddelaysandlosses,butalsoto enhancecustomerexperienceandgainthatcompetitiveedge.

Totransformthesupplychainintoadigitalentity,a fundamentalnecessityisreal-timedatathatisreliable, visibleandaccessibletoallparties.Theagilityandflexibility ofasupplychainwillbedeterminedbyhowefficientlyit usesdata,andthemostsuccessfulsupplychainsofthefuture willbetheonesthataredata-driven.

Everyonehasdata–asupplychainproduceslargeamounts ofitfrommultiplesources,courtesycomputingadvances anddigitaltechnologies–butthat’snoguaranteeofsuccess. Disparateapplicationsandtools,best-in-classthoughthey maybe,cannotprovideaholistic,integratedviewofthis datathatiscriticaltogettingactionableinsights.Tobuilda digital,data-drivensupplychain,enterprisesmustadopta unifiedsupplychainmanagementplatformthatgives“a

INNOVATIVE SCM SCM

SolutionProviders

singleversionofthetruth”–asoftwarethatprovidesend-toendvisibility,standardizesprocesses,consolidatesoperations, seamlesslyinteractswithothersystemsanddeliversreal-time data.Asystemthatconnectsallsupplychainpartnersand stakeholderstothesameplatformandprovideseveryone accesstothesamedatasets.

Adatalakecanaddressthechallengesofstorage,accessand uniformity.Adatalakeisacentralrepositoryonthecloudthat storeshugevolumesofcurrentandhistoricalraw,uncleansed data.Adatalakecanhelpenterprisesharnessthelarge volumesofdatageneratedbythedigitalsupplychain–from ERPsystems,InternetofThings(IoT)devices,third-party systems–aswellasensurethatallinvolvedpartiesareusing thesamedata.

Thesupplychainplatformshouldbeonthecloud,if enterpriseswanttounlockthefullpotentialofdigital technologies.Itisthemosteffectivewaytosharereal-time dataandmakeitaccessibletoallpartners–beittheinternal financeteam,suppliersorlogisticsproviders–from anywhere,anytimeandfromanydevice.Acloud-native platformisalsoamoresecure,cost-effective,scalableand low-maintenancesolution.Enterprisesareincreasingly recognizingthevalueofsuchaninvestment:thecloudsupply chainmanagementmarketsizeisestimatedtogrowfrom $3.26billionin2016to$8.07billionby2021,ataCompound AnnualGrowthRate(CAGR)of19.8%duringthe forecastperiod.

It’seasiertoleveragetheAIcapabilitiesofunifiedsupply chainplatformswhenallthedataisonthecloud.The technologiesthatpowertoday’ssupplychainsoftwarecan exploitlarge,ever-increasingvolumesofdata,extractingits valueandrefiningit.AnAI-powered,cloud-nativeplatform canautomatevariousprocesses,analyzedata–real-timeand historical–rapidlyandoffercriticalinsightsthatfacilitatethe decision-makingprocessanddriveinnovation.

Itscomponents—machinelearning(ML),roboticprocess automation(RPA)andnaturallanguageprocessing(NLP)— canenhancedataqualityandharnessthepowerofintelligent automation,therebyreducingrepetitive,manuallabor, speedingupprocesses,cuttingdownerrorsandimproving efficiency.Gartnerpredictsthatby2023,atleast50%oflarge globalcompanieswillbeusingAI,advancedanalyticsand IoTinsupplychain .TheglobalmarketforAIin operations supplychainisexpectedtoexceed$10billionby2024ata CAGRof40%intheperiodfrom2018-24.

Asthesupplychaingetsmorecomplexandmoreglobal, predictiveanalyticsisbecominganimportanttoolfor supplychainmanagers.Predictiveanalytics,usedonlarge datasets,helpsestablishcrediblepatternsandmakeforecasts withgreaterprecision,avaluabletoolforsupplychain planning,especiallyinvolatilemarketconditions.The numberofsupplychainprofessionalsusingpredictive analyticsisontherise–asurveyintheannualMHIIndustry Reportstatedthat30%saidtheyusepredictiveanalyticsin 2019,comparedwith17%in Ofthe260supplychain 2017. leadersGartnersurveyedinlate2017,96%saidtheyuse predictiveanalytics.

Real-timedata,inconjunctionwithAIandpredictive analytics,canbeutilizedtocreateadigitalsupplychain twin,orapartofit,tosimulatesituationsbasedonwhichthe impactofplans,strategiesanddecisionscanbetested.

Beitpredictiveanalytics,RPA,ordigitaltwin,new technologiesneedlargevolumesofdatatoproducecredible results.Dataisthefuelforthenext-gensupplychain,aswell asitsyield,andenterprisesmustadoptdigitaltechnologiesto generate,storeandanalyzedata.Theultimateaimistouse datatooptimizethesupplychain,whichwilltranslateinto businesssuccessandgrowth.

AboutGEP

GEPhelpsglobalenterprisesoperatemoreefficientlyand effectively,gaincompetitiveadvantage,boost profitability,andmaximizebusinessandshareholdervalue.

Freshthinking,innovativeproducts,unrivaleddomainand subjectexpertise,andsmart,passionatepeople—thisishow GEPcreatesanddeliversunifiedprocurementandsupply chainsolutionsofunprecedentedscale,powerand effectiveness.

Tolearnmoreaboutourcomprehensiverangeofsoftware andservices,pleasevisitwww.gep.com

Accelerating the Supply Chain

Payson Johnston CEO & Co-founder

Crowdz,apioneeringSiliconValleystartup,builds digitized,blockchain-basedsupply-chainnetworks designedtoenhancethespeed,efficiency,and financialperformanceofglobalsupplychains.Inthe process,Crowdzalsofacilitatesthesellingofinvoicesand purchaseorders,allowingsmall&midsizeenterprises (SMEs)—whichaccountformorethan70%ofthe participantsinglobalsupplychains—togetpaidearlier thantheyotherwisewouldinordertokeepthecashflowing atthebestratespossible.

TheSupplyChainChallenge

Fromthestart,Crowdzrecognizedthatglobalsupply chainscurrentlyfacethreemajorchallenges:

• Speed.Morethantwodecadesaftertheemergenceof theInternetandecommerce,77%ofglobal supply-chaintransactionscontinuetobeexecutedvia antiquated,highlymanualmeans,suchaspaper catalogs,paperforms,salesrepresentatives,fax transmissions,email,electronicdatainterchange(EDI), andsoon.Theuseofthesemethodscancausedelaysof days,weeks,orevenmonthsintheprocessingoforders

andthesettlementoffinancialtransfers.

• Efficiency.Theuseofthesesame,highlymanual techniquesimposeshugeinefficienciesonglobal supply-chainoperations.Today,inthenearly$25 trillionglobalB2Bcommercemarket,these inefficienciesresultinatleast$4trillioninlostsalesand addedcosts—eachyear

• Financialperformance.Withsupplychains,SMEs typicallymustselltheirproductsonadelayed-payment basisviainvoicing,whichcanresultindelaysin paymentstoSMEsofupto120daysormore.Without steady,ongoingcashflow,manyoftheseSMEscan’t survive,anduptohalfultimatelyceaseoperating, causingsupply-chaininterruptions,lostsales,and frequentcostlysearchesforalternativesuppliers.

TheRoleofSupplyChainFinancing

Thelastofthesethreechallengesbearsemphasis.Themost commonanswertothefinancialdifficultiesjustdescribedis supply-chainfinancing(SCF).WithSCF,banksorother investorspurchaseSMEs’invoices,givingtheSMEscash fortheirinvoicesalmostimmediately,lessadiscounton. Later,theSMEsreimbursethefundingentitywhentheir customerspay ThepotentialglobalmarketforSCFis immense,estimatedat$9trillion.

Despitethepotential,however,onlyasmallminorityof SMEsnowbenefitfromSCFbecause:

• Onlyafewoftheenterprise-headedsupplychains thatSMEsbelongtoprovideSCFfinancing.

• Banksusuallybuyinvoicesonlyvaluedat$500K+, whichshutsoutmostlower-invoice-valueSMEs.

• WhenSMEsdohaveaccesstoSCF,theratesare punishinglyhigh(~4-6%/month,or45%+annually).

• Newerpeer-to-peernetworksarelimitedbythefact thattheymustbuyinvoicesonaone-offbasisandthen needtoindividuallymatchfunderstoinvoice sellers—practicesthatarenotwell-suitedtoenterprise supplychains,whichdemandmoreconsistencyand predictability

INNOVATIVE SCM SCM Solution

Providers

TheCrowdzSolution

Crowdzsolvesthesupplychain’soperationalandfinancing challengesbycreatingautomated,fullydigitizedsupplychains. TheCrowdzsolutionisuniqueamongcontemporarysupplychainfinancing(SCF)applications,whichconsistlargelyof standalonefinancingvehicles.Crowdz,bycontrast,isanentire supply-chainecosystem,whichbringsproductbuyersand sellersaswellasinvoicebuyersandsellerstogetherontothe mostefficientglobalsupply-chainplatformevercreated,as follows:

• CrowdzfullydigitizestheB2Bbuy/sellprocessvia automatedsupply-chainproductmarketplacesthatuse artificialintelligenceandadvancedsearchtechnologiesto acceleratethebuyingandsellingofproducts,matching buyerstothemostsuitablesellers,whileoriginatingriskratedinvoicesandpurchaseordersthatarepre-configured forinvestorfinancing.

• Crowdzdigitizestheinvoicesandotherpaperworkthat flowfromthisbuy/sellprocess,thenplacesthemonthe Ethereumblockchain,wheretheyareconsolidated, transformedintodigitalsmartcontracts,andinstantly transportedtoandfromalltransactingparties.

• Crowdzthenautomaticallypostsfundableinvoiceson theCrowdzinvoice-auctionexchange,wherebanksand otherinvestorscanbidonrisk-rated(andultimately packaged)invoicesandpurchaseorders,enablingsuppliers toreceiveinstant,discountedcashpaymentsforthevalue oftheirreceivables.

TechstarsandBarclays

Eachyear,Barclays—oneoftheworld’spre-eminentfinancial institutions—workswithanumberofinnovativestartups duringitsLondon-basedAcceleratorprogrampoweredby Techstars.The13-weekjourneythatbeginseachFebruary givessomeoftheworld’smostcutting-edgefinancialtechnology(fintech)firmsaccesstoBarclays’328yearsof financialexpertise.It’sacollaborativeprocessinwhich brilliantideascanbecomeproblem-solvinginnovationswith mass-marketappeal.

ThecompanythatBarclaycardPaymentSolutionssponsored duringitsmostrecentAcceleratorisCrowdz.Firstand foremost,Barclayspointsout,Crowdz’sonlineproduct marketplacesconnectbusinessesseamlesslyand digitally—movingtheentireprocurementprocessonline.The Crowdzsolutionalsomakesitmucheasiertofindsuppliers andtoselltootherbusinesses.And,aspartofthisprocess, documentsaredigitizedandplacedontheEthereum blockchain,meaningthattransactionsthatusedtotakemonths canhappeninmilliseconds—theultimateaccelerationofthe supplychain.

‘‘

Sale more, sale faster, with Crowdz.

THE IDEAL LEADER FOR THIS CHALLENGE

Payson Johnston is the CEO and Co-founder of Crowdz. With 20 years’ senior-level supply-chain management experience, he served most recently as Senior Manager for Global Supplier Management for Cisco, the global networking giant. Among other responsibilities in this position, he developed and drove the commodity strategies for five global supply chains. He also designed one of the first-ever online supply-chain management systems, which is still in use today. More recently, he oversaw the creation of the first-ever blockchain-based supply-chain marketplace for processed raw materials.

Payson worked at the University of San Francisco as an Adjunct Professor and, recently, as an Instructor at the University of California, Berkeley Extension on the topics of sustainability and ethics, supply chains, risk management, and marketing channels. Payson holds an MBA from the University of San Francisco and an MA from the University of Nottingham.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David Cahn is Global VP of Marketing for Elemica, the leading provider of a Digital Supply Network for process manufacturers.

David Cahn Global VP of Marketing Elemica

CHALLENGES CHALLENGES & RISKS IN ADOPTING

DIGITAL DISRUPTION DIGITAL DISRUPTION

Technologicalinnovationishappeningatafaster ratethaneverbefore,causingdigitaldisruptionsfor manybusinesses.Adigitaldisruptionisa transformationthatiscausedbyemergingdigital technologiesandbusinessmodels.Theseinnovativenew technologiesandmodelscanimpactthevalueofexisting productsandservicesofferedintheindustry,actually disruptingthecurrentmarketandcausingbusinessestoreevaluatetheircompetitiveadvantage.

Ignoringdigitaldisruptionscanimpactbusinesses. RememberPolaroid?Thecompanyledthemarketwithits camerasthatcreatedinstantpictures.Yetin2001,the PolaroidCorporationfiledforfederalbankruptcyprotection becausethecompanyfailedtomakethesmoothtransition fromanalogtodigitalcameras.Thecorporationdecidedto betontheirpastinnovationsand,asaresult,lostto companieswhojumpedonthedigitalbandwagon.By keepingabreastofchangesindemand,businessescan followthetrendsandadjusttheirstrategiestoembrace thesechanges,whichwillhelpthemtothriveandgrow profits.

Today’sdigitaldisruptorsarecompanieslikeAmazonand Uber,whousetechnologiestooutmaneuverthe competitionandbuildgrowth.Disruptorscanbestartup companiesorlong-establishedbusinesses.Await-and-see attitudewillnotgiveabusinesssufficienttimetomakea comebackwhenthedisruptorbeginstodominatethe industry.

Companiesmustcontinuouslyreinventtheirbusinessusing digitaldisruptivetechnologyorwatchfromthesidelines whiletheylosemarketshare.Yet,manybusinessesstill strugglewithacceptance,andothersdon'tknowwhereto startthejourney

AcceptingDigitalDisruption

Digitaldisruptionisfueledbynextgenerationtechnology, suchasartificialintelligence,dataanalytics,theInternetof Thingsandsoftware-enabledplatformsthattieallthese technologiestogether.C-levelexecutivesunderstandthat anyindustrycanbeprofoundlyaffectedbydigital disruptionandnoonecanaffordtoignorethethreat.In otherwords,digitaldisruptionrewritestherulesof business.

Digitaldisruptionbeginswithacceptanceofdigital transformationusingdigitaltechnologieswithinoperations andecosystems.Today’stechnologyallowsallbusiness stakeholderstoshareasinglenetwork,connectingand collaboratingonsupplychainoperationsfromoneendof theenterprisetotheother.Eachtradingpartnerhasaccess toinformationgeneratedthroughthenetworkinorderto gainvisibilitytoallaspectsofproduction,procurement, transportationanddistribution.Withtheproperinformation, executivescanmakequalifieddecisionsthatdrive improvementsinthebusiness.

Acceptingdigitaldisruptionswithintheenterprisemeans thebusinessisnolongerworriedbythedisruptionand

insteadleveragesstrategicplanningandtechnologiesto drivethebusiness.Disruptionisacceptedintothecultureof theorganizationsoinnovationisaday-to-dayexperience. Insteadofconcern,thebusinesswillbebetterabletosense andrespondtochangesindemandanddisruptionsto mitigateanyrisk.

Oftenabusinesshastodecidewhethertorespondtothe digitaldisruptionornot.Whileitisnotconducivetoignore thedisruption,businessesmaynotalwayshavetorespond. Instead,thebusinesscancomplementthedisruptionby addingvaluetoit.Anexamplewouldbetocreate technologiesthataugmentthedisruption,suchassoftware (addedvalue)foraniPhone(disruptor).

BeginningaDigitalTransformationJourney

Tostartthejourney,managementneedstodesignastrategy fordigitaltransformationthatinvolvespeople,processes andpartners.Thestrategyshouldbebrokendowninto processstepsthatcontainmaterial,informationandpeople flow.Eachemployeeknowsthattheproductmovesfrom processAtoprocessBinaspecificquantity,ataspecific time,toaspecificlocation.Becauseofdigitaltechnologies, peoplehavevisibilityintowhatishappeningwitheach step,givingthemtheabilitytouncoverbottlenecksthatcan causedelaysorpoorproductquality.

Today’stechnologyallowsallstakeholderstoshareasingle network,connectingandcollaboratingonsupplychain activitiesfromoneendoftheenterprisetotheother.Each tradingpartnerhasaccesstoinformationgeneratedthrough thenetworkinordertogainvisibilitytoallaspectsof production,procurement,transportationanddistribution. Withtheproperinformation,executivescanmakequalified decisionsthatdriveimprovementsinthebusiness.

DigitalSupplyNetworks(DSN)arepartof adigital transformationjourney,providingatechnologyfoundation forimprovinginter-businessprocesses,expandingsupply chainrelationships,increasingrevenuesandreducing operatingcosts.DSNscreategreateropportunitiesby integratingsuppliers,customers,andlogisticsservice providersinvariouswaysdependingonthelevelofinterbusinessprocessesthatareperforming.

OnemethodistoconnectviaERP-to-ERPintegrationswith high-volumesuppliersandcustomerstostreamlineand automatesell-sideandbuy-sidetransactions.Asecond

techniqueisthroughsometypeofportalforordercapture andinvoicingforinter-businessautomation.Finally,some leadingDSNsprovideemailasasimpleonboardingmethod todigitizeaninter-businessprocesswithoutrequiring supplychainpartnerstohaveanyintegrationsoftware.

BenefitsofDigitalDisruptions

Digitaltransformationhelpscustomersknowwheretheir “stuff”isatalltimes,similartotheconveniencesderived frommobileapps,whereataxiisorderedandtheroute visualizedonthephonescreen.Emergingnext-genend-toendvisibilityapplicationsinconcertwithanetworkof interconnectedbuyers,suppliersandlogisticsprovidersare enablingcompaniestolowerworkingcapitalandoperating expenses,mitigateriskandimprovecustomersatisfaction bybreakingdownsiloswithintheorganization.Withdigital transformation,thesupplychainisnowacompletely integratedecosystemaccessiblebyallstakeholders.

Withend-to-endvisibilityasthekeydriverforaneffective supplychainimprovementstrategy,businessesmustrelyon buildingmorecollaborativerelationshipsacrosstheir networkoftradingpartners.Gainingend-to-endvisibility acrosstransportationprocessescandeliver6%ormorein transportationsavings,removetheequivalentof15people fromoperatingcostsbyimprovingproductivity,andreduce theCash-to-Cashcycleby4daysormore.

Digitalsystemsgatherdata,whichcanbeusedfor predictiveanalyticsandmachinelearningtocontinually improvetheorganization.Moreinformeddecisionscanbe madebymanagement.Disruptionsfromdigital technologiescanreshapemarketsandhelpwithlaunching newproductsorservicesforlesscost.

Withadigitaltransformationinthesupplychain,silos dissolveandeverypartoftheecosystemhasfullvisibility towhatishappeningfromend-to-end.Supplyanddemand signalscantravelthroughthenetworkuninhibited,alerting theappropriatepartiestolowlevelsofrawmaterialsor inventory,orseasonalspikesindemand.Becausetrading partnersgetthisinformationinrealtimethroughthedigital supplynetwork,theycanreactaccordingly.Digital disruptionsfromdigitaltransformationswillresultsinto hugegainsincustomersatisfaction,profitsandefficiencies.

2020's Most Innovative SCM Solution Provider

LogisticsCloudhasreliablecomponentsthataredesigned toempowerclientstotakecontroloftheirsupplychain processes.

TheFreightgateLogisticsCloudhelpsImporters,Exporters andLSPswithmulti-modal&multi-factoroptimized routing,quotemanagement,supplychaincollaboration, workflows&visibility,interactiveonlinesailingschedules, regulatorycompliance,automatede-invoiceauditandmore. FreightgateisapartoftheSuiteCloudDeveloperNetwork andhasofficialIntegratedBuiltforNetSuiteapplications. FreightgateisISO9001:2015certifiedandhasreceived manyindustryaccoladesincludingconsistentlybeing namedanInboundLogisticsTop100ITprovider

UnmatchedLeadership

TheDigitalTransformationwaveinbusinesshas turnedtheworldintoonebigmarketplace. Customersinonecorneroftheworldcanviewand purchasegoodsfromtheotherwithouthassle.Whilethe digitalconnectivityhasgrownbyleapsandbounds, ground-levelconnectivityneedstomatchupforthe businessestodelivertheirwarestotheendcustomer. Businessestodayarelookingforintegratedlogistics solutionsthatworkacrossallmodesandfacilitateseasy tracking.

Deliveringdigitaltransformationandexceptionalvalueto Importers,ExportersandLSPsalike,byofferingthemost flexible,highlyconfigurableandmodularcloudplatform,is FreightgateInc.Withanimpressivehistoryandproven trackrecordofinnovation,theFreightgateteamstrivesin creatingsolutionsthathelpitscustomersgenerate exponentialreturns.

AlwaysaPioneer

FromLeadingCarbonEmissioncalculationsthat Freightgateintroducedoveradecadeago,overzero-touch dispatchsolutionsforTMSautomationtothefirstfully verticalintegratedTotalVisibilitySolution,TheFreightgate

FreightgateFounderandCEO,MartinHuberthasmore than30yearsofexperienceinprovidingITsolutionstothe logisticsindustry.Hebeganhiscareerin1994,byfounding acompanythatfocusedonprovidingtrackandtrace capabilityovertheinternetthroughestablishingEDI capabilitieswithcarriers.HethenfoundedFreightgatein 2000withavisiontoimprovetheITenvironmentfor logisticscompaniesandshippers.

Hiscorevalueisthepassionforinnovationandneverendingimprovements.Hestrivestoprovideinnovative logisticssolutions,fosteringglobalcollaborationand productivity,whilebuildingahighlyconfigurableplatform withaglobal-by-designphilosophy.Martinseekstodeploy technologytofindsmarterwaystosolvetoday'sand tomorrow’ssupplychainchallenges.

Technology:TheOpportunitiesandHurdles

Deployingandadaptingtoever-changingtechnologyisa tediousyetnecessarytask.Martinhasnevershiedaway fromutilizingtechnologytoprovidethebestto Freightgate’sclients.Inthecurrentscenario,the opportunitieswithIoTandAIaretoreducetheimpactof delaysinshipmentsbeforetheybecomemajordisruptions andhavesevereeconomicconsequences.AIcanalsobe usedinsupplychainplanning,lookingforwaystoimprove thesupplychainprocessesoverall.Totacklethechallenges

Martin Hubert

Founder and CEO

‘‘

withIoThemadeaninvestmentintoaTrackingManufacture whichnowmakesFreightgatetheonly100%vertically integratedGlobalEnd-toEndVisibilityPlatform.Oneofthe challengeswithAIistheneedforvastdatasets–Freightgate's longhistoryinthehostedsupply-chaintechnologyfield uniquelyaffordsthemwithrichhistoricaldatafarbeyondwhat isavailabletomanycompetitors. Andnaturallytheteamis constantlyseekingoutnewwaystoapplyemergingtechnology todeliverexponentialvaluetoitscustomers. Empoweringthe end-usertoorchestratethevariouspuzzlepiecesflexiblyyet intuitiveisneveraseasyasitsounds.

MovingaheadwithaWorkforcethat'sDiverseand Efficient

Freightgatehiresdiverse,multi-culturalworkforces,with logisticsindustryexperience.Thecompanycultureisthatof freespeechandrespect.Havingaprofessionalteamof“out-ofthe-box”thinkersthathasin-depthexperienceinorchestrating solutionsontopofitsglobal-by-designplatformsetsitapart fromtherest.That,pairedwiththedesiretoleveragethebest expertiseallofitsemployeesandextendedteammembers.The managementencouragesanopen-doorpolicyandensuresthat onecandirectlyaddresstherightpersonifonehasany questions. “Every employee is invited to bring possible improvements and show stoppers to the table. Our customers know that and prefer this solution-oriented thinking,”addsthe team.

Theteamalsosharesthefutureplanas “We envision a bright future helping our customers improve their supply chain and leverage the solutions we have worked so hard for decades to put together.”

“

OUTSTANDING SERVICES DELIGHTED CLIENTS

As partners with Freightgate for over 20 years; Support for product development, systems analysis, problem resolutions and follow up as well as system innovations.

OUTSTANDING! I’m confident we and Freightgate will to remain partners for years to come ”

- Gartner Peer Insights Review

“Implementing the Freightgate TMS has been a seamless integration, from initial configuration to final implementation and production; the team at Freightgate has been consummate professionals and BDP’s customers stand to reap the benefits of this great partnership.”

- BDP International Press Release

“

We view Freightgate as a strategic technology partner…they are an integral part of our GLOBE initiative – a distinction that no other outsourced IT provider shares… net result of a relationship with Freightgate is a competitive advantage in the market place”

- Nestle Waters North America

It gives us distinct pleasure when we can jointly solve supply chain puzzles and help make the world a better place”

Emerging Trends of

Supply Chain 2020

Management, Management

Abusinessgoesthroughvariousoperationsto

manufactureaproductordeliveraservice.

Operationslikecommunication,transportation, manufacturing,etc.arepartofthedailyactivitiesofan organization.Processesliketheseareapartofthesupply chainmanagementorSCM.Alltheprocessesthat transformrawmaterialtofinalproductsandthe managementoftheflowofgoodsandservicesissupply chainmanagement.

Supplychainmanagementcentrallycontrolsorlinks production,shipmentanddistributionofaproduct.

Managingthesupplychainhelpsthecompaniescutexcess costsincurredduringtheproduction.Italsoallowsthe producttobedeliveredtotheconsumersfaster.Toachieve this,atightercontroloverinventories,internalproduction, sales,distribution,etc.iskept.Ithelpsimprovethesupply chainperformance.

Thesupplychaintrendsareaffectedbyvariousexternal factorslike,theeconomy,consumerexpectations, technologicaladvancements,etc.Now,thesefactorsalso arebeingconsideredduringthemanagementofthesupply chain.Atthesametime,next-gendelivery,logistics management,etc.aremakingglobalsupplychainsolutions smarter,fasterandsustainable.Hereareafewtrendsto watchforin2020.

Green Logistics

Environmentsustainabilityhasbecometheneedofthe hour.Thepushforenvironmentalsustainabilityisputting pressureonthesupplychainmanagers.Everylinkofthe supplychainmanagementlikematerialselection,product design,productdelivery,etc.canincludegreensupply chainpractices.Simplepracticeslikeefficientlightingin thewarehouseorplanningdeliveryroutestominimizefuel consumption,canbeconsideredforastart.

Thelogisticscompaniesareintegratingsustainabilityefforts intotheiroverallstrategytokeeptheenvironmentgreen andeliminatepollution.Thistrendisknownas'Green Logistics’.

Cloud Based Technology

Withtheglobalizationofbusinesses,thereisaneedfor cloudbasedtechnology.Thesupplychainsareexpanding acrossbordersforwhichcloudcomputingisrequired. Cloudbasedservicesreduceoperatingcostsandbenefit SMBsastheyneednotinvestinexpensivetechnology infrastructure.Thebestpartofitisthatitisaccessiblefrom anywhereatanytime.Avenuesofcommunicationarekept openonlineasalltheinformationisavailableoverthe internet.Itishelpingbusinessesgrowandcompetewhile cuttingcostsinthesupplychain.

Digitization

Technologicaladvancementskeeptakingplaceeverynow andthen.Implementingtheseinthesupplychainwill alwayscontinuetobeapriorityforcompanies.Thegoalof digitizationistocreatetransparencyandenhance

responsiveness.Itenvisionsawayofcreatingpaperless systems.Ithelpstocopeupwiththedigitalworld.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

ManycompaniesareturningtoArtificialIntelligence(AI) andMachineLearningtosimplifytasksandautomate procedures.AIisalgorithmthatmakescomputerstoactlike humans.MachinelearningtakesAIonestepfurtherand allowsthecomputertoenhancethealgorithmsforbetter results.Thesealgorithmsareusedtoimproveplanningand decisionsupportsystems,manageinventoryandautomate tediouswarehouseprocesses.

ManycorporationshavealreadystartedusingAI.Amazon isonesuchcompanywhichusesAItotracktheproducts thatconsumers’likeorbuy.Basedonthisinformationthe customersaresuggestedsimilarproductstheymightlike. AIhelpsplanandprovideanalysisonlargedatasets.It allowscompaniestostayonestepahead.

Automation and Robotics

Automationisusedtomanageworkflowandfasten processes.Manycompaniesareturningtoroboticsto acceleratelabourintensivework.Taskslikecounting, sorting,carryingproducts,etc.arerepetitiveinawarehouse whichcanbedonebyrobots.Amazonhasintroducedsmall amountsoftheserobotsintofulfillmentcenters.These robotshelptransportinventorypalletsfromoneplaceto anothertocreateefficiencyinthesupplychain.

Companiesarenowusingthesoftwareslike,Enterprise ResourcePlanning(ERP)andWarehouseManagement Systems(WMS)asapartofdigitization.Thesetoolsstill requirelittlemanuallabour,howevernowsoftwareadd-ons willautomateafewtaskstominimizemistakesand increaseproductivity.

Theemergingtrendsofsupplychainfor2020focusonthe newopportunitiesthattechnologyisbringingin.These trendsareopeningupopportunitiesforthesmalland mediumscalebusinessestoo.ThefocusonAI,technology andadvancedanalysisexistedin2019aswell.Atthe moment,thefocusisshiftingtosustainabilityand minimizingwastage.Thesupplychainwillbehelping businessestocutcostsandstaycompetitiveatthesame time.Inordertokeepupwiththeupcomingchangesinthe SCMindustry,corporationswillbenefitbyadoptingSCM softwaresolutions.Byimplementingstrongsystemsnow, thebusinesswillbeabletodealwiththefuturechallenges andshortcomingswithoutdifficulty

- Shreevarshita Gupta

Offering Smart Solutions for Smart Logistics

Paymentproviderisfocusedonreducingtransportation coststhroughautomatedauditandfreightrecovery, businessintelligence,andcontractnegotiationsolutions.

BlendofBusinessIntelligence&SupplyChain

IAisatechnologyleaderinparcelandfreightaudit, businessintelligence,andspendoptimization.Its proprietarytechnology,pairedwithitsteamofstrategic accountmanagers,providesanunrivaledabilitytouncover opportunitiesforcostreductionandprocessimprovement.

IA'scloud-basedsolutionaddresseslogisticspainpoints usingdata-drivenanalyticsandreportingtoanalyze, benchmark,optimize,andhelpshippersgaincritical insightsintotheirglobaltransportationnetworks.Withbestin-classauditandreportingtechnology,clientsseeareable toleveragetheirdatatoreducecosts,enhancereal-time visibility,andimprovetheend-customerexperience.

Anewindustrialerahasdawned,andthe technologieshaveyetagainpavedthewayfor industrialiststoinnovatefurther.Intoday’smarket, notonlyis change happeningquicklybut,itisalsoforcing businessestotransformquickly Thereisnowaconstant flowofinnovation,disruption,thatismovingusahead, evenfasterthanweeverimagined. However,theshiftthat companiesaregoingthroughisnotjustaboutadoptingnew generationtechnologies.Thecustomerexpectationsand marketdynamicshavealsochangedresultingincreatinga competitiveanddisruptivebusinessenvironment.

Hence,tothrive,companiesmusttransformhowthey operate.Anagileorganizationallowsacompanytoincrease thepaceofexecution,betterrespondtocustomerneeds, increaseproductivity,andevenempoweremployees.

Withanintentiontooffereffectivesolutionstopreventany setbacks,tobringagilityinbusinessandachieve superlativeoutcomes,manycompaniesarecomingforward withbest-in-classservicesandsolutions.IntelligentAudit (IA)isonesuchserviceprovider.ThisFreightAuditand

“With more than 2,500 clients representing over $12 billion in annual transportation spend, Intelligent Audit prides itself on providing clients with the tools and insights to help them ship smarter,” says HannahTestani,theCOOof IntelligentAudit.

AutomatedandEfficientSolutions

IA’scontinuedgoalistoprovideclientswithanunrivaled abilitytouncoveropportunitiesforcostreductionand strategiclogisticsandsupplychainimprovements. Someof thesolutionsofferedbyIAinclude:

Freight Audit and Recovery: Conductssystematicaudits acrossallmodesandregionswithmorethan150audit touchpointsandatruecontractualaudit.Itsproprietary technologyautomatesissueidentification,claims submission,andrecovery.

Business Intelligence & Analytics:Actingasanextension totheanalystteam,IAhelpsinachievingreal-time visibilitytoallglobaltransportationactivityinIA’s proprietarycloud-basedreportingportal.Leverage normalizeddatatotrackperformance,identify inefficiencies,andprescribesolutions.

Hannah Testani COO

2020'SMOST INNOVATIVE SCM SCM

SolutionProviders

Spend Optimization:TheexpertsatIAdetermineoptimal carrier/servicemixbasedonbusinessobjectives.Utilize‘big data’tobenchmarkagainstlike-shippers.Theyalsodevelopa roadmapfornetworkoptimizationstrategies,suchaszone skippingorfootprintredistribution.

Financial Reporting: IAmanagescomplexGLcodingand costallocationbygeography,businessunit–evenSKU. Providedetailedaccrualstotrackallunbilledcarrieractivity Themodellandedcostsandcomparethemtobudgetforecasts.

Bank-backed Freight Payment:IAstreamlinescarrier paymentprocessestoremovetheadministrativeburdenof remittancetonumerouscounterpartieswiththesecurityand backingofTriumphBancorp(Nasdaq:TBK),aleaderin carrierpaymenttechnologyandsupplychainfinancing.

Proactive Advisory Services:Dedicatedstrategicaccount advisorsofIA proactivelyanalyzeyourdata,identifyissues, uncoveropportunitiesforsavings,andactasanextensionof yourteamtohelpyouimplementindustrybestpractices.

ReviewonFuture

IthasalreadybeenestablishedthatIAisthepioneerin automatingtheauditandrecoveryprocess.However,though IAiscurrentlyleadingthemarket,thesupplychainmarketwill becomeevenmorecomplex.Hence,itbecomesclearerthat shippersneedaccesstoquickactionabledatathatallowsthem tomakemeaningfuloperationalchangeswithtangiblecosts surroundingthem. Therefore,itisIA’scontinuedgoalto developinnovativeanalyticintelligencetodriveefficiencies andoptimizeitsclient’sglobalsupplychainprocesses.

“We have always viewed ourselves as a technology company that aims to help shippers become smarter We never dreamed we would have grown to the size we are today, where we have multiple Fortune 100 customers and continue growing annually,”saysHannah.

“Our impacts on customers continue to fuel our growth and get us excited about all the opportunities on a global basis. With offices now all over the world, we see ourselves as becoming the dominant player not just in the US, but in the world,”she concludes.

A Business Partner and Unmatched Client Base

“Intelligent Audit has been an exceptional partner in helping us maintain and grow the logistics and operational side of our business. If you are looking for a transportation savings partner, whether for audit, recovery or freight payment, look no further. You will see results, and your business will thank you,”

-Don LaFrance, 1-800 Flowers VP of Logistics and Supply Chain

“Fast and flexible, Intelligent Audit has been an incredibly nimble partner in response to the structural changes in our Supply Chain,”

– Blake M. Whicker

MSC/Microsoft Global Logistics Manager

“Intelligent Audit’s analytics tools were exactly what we needed to not only test our thesis that we needed to expand our store network, but it also helped us understand how to do so in the most efficient and scalable way possible,”

– Christopher Fall. Manager, Omni-Channel Fulfillment PetCo

A Bridge Linking Business to Global Leagues

StellarServices

SurePromise’sfull-stacke-commercesolutionwill aggregatebigdatatoprovideprecisesalesandlogistics informationthatincludesfivemainaspects:

Big Data and Cloud-Based Analytics Solution:Usingbig dataaggregatingmultipletypesofdataobtainedfrom multiplee-commerceplatforms,thesupplierwillbeableto easilyidentifymarkettrendsandcustomerpreferences whethercurrentorfuture.

Angus Chan Founder & CEO

Inacompetitivemarketsuchase-commerce, organizationsaimtodisruptthetraditionalideasof commercebyintroducinginnovativemodels.These modelsconnectsupplierswiththeonlinesellersthrough innovativesupplychainplatform.SurePromiseLimitedis onesuchcompanywhichbringsproductsgloballythrough itsuniquesolutions.

Withovertenyearsofexperience,SurePromise's marketplacespecialistsconnectproductswithsellersin majore-commercesites.SurePromisepowersitsoperations inareal-timedataanalyticsplatform.Itanalyzesand optimizeseveryaspectofitsclientsbusinessfromshipping routestoproductprices,thattoowiththesurgicalprecision.

Thefirm’sflexible omni-channel retailingplatformallows sellingofproductsacrossdifferentmarketplaces.The state-of-the-artsystemofthecompanyensurescustomer fulfilmentandcustomersgettheirshipmentsontimeatthe lowestcost.SurePromise’sextensiveexperiencewitha varietyofproductcategoriesinformsitsdetailedquality controlandpackagingproceduresthatmaximizecustomers’ satisfaction.

Sales and Marketing Tool: Thesuppliersaimtoutilizethis tooltorecruitandmanageaspecializedsalesteamthatis experiencedandabletodesignmultiplesalesstrategiesfor multipleaudiencesinternationally.Thistoolwouldalso allowforthebrandcreation,abletoconnectspecific productswithaspecificaudiencebasedonboth psychographicanddemographicinformationgleanedfrom bigdata.

Electronic Inventory Management System:Thissystem wouldstreamlinetheinventorymanagementprocessand allowincreasedprecisionconcerninggloballyinventory stocking.

Enterprise Performance Management System:EPMSwould alsoincludeafullyintegratedCRMplatformonwhichit willbeabletoconnectwithmultipleonlinesellers worldwide.

Logistics Management System:Thistoolisaimedtohave thecapabilitiesofautomaticallyselectingtheoptimal logisticssolutionsforeachindividualshipmentofthe supplier’products.

SuccessMantra: Building Relationships

Fromthelastdecade,SurePromisehasbeenamassinga solidreputationinthee-commerceindustry.Thekeyto successisthededicationtowardsthebusinessesthatwork withthecompany.Thefirmconsidersthempartners,rather thansimpleclients.Company’sprimaryfocusistobuilda

INNOVATIVE SCM SCM

SolutionProviders

relationship.Thisalliancehasresultedinthedevelopmentofa strongandloyalpartnerbase.Ithasallowedthefirmtoexpand beyonditsoriginalinterestsintraditionalsourcingand retailing.SurePromisenowprovidese-commercesolutions designedtomaximizerevenueandminimizewastageforits partners.Thishasprovidedthecompanywithauniquevantage pointtoreinventitself,bycapitalizingonthenewwaveof businessesentering e-commerce.

KeepingitShortandSimple

SurePromisesimplifiestheoperations,bystating“Whatever your needs are, as a supplier, or as an online seller, SurePromise will be with you every step of the way, aligning your key strengths and existing capabilities with our powerful suite of services”.

Thefirmcutsunnecessarystepsinthesupplychainandkeeps inventorymovingfast.Dailyinsightsandadjustments maximizesaleswhilepreventingoverselling.Consequently, boththesuppliersandsellerscanenjoyitsfirst-rateanalytics regardingtheproductstodevelop.Forcustomerservicesthat preferlocalizedattention,thefirm’smultilingualcustomer servicecentredeliversanup-to-dateandspecializedhelpand adviceinovereightmajorgloballanguagestoevery customer’sdelight.

HarnessingtheDisruption

Thefirmsplendidlydifferentiatesopportunitiesfrom challenges.Itaimstobeadaptivetoallthetechnologicaland operationalchanges.Italsoacknowledgesthechallenges relatedtothelatesttrendsandopportunities.SurePromiseis moreengagedintheindustryinnovationsthatareontherise. Thecorporationisflexibleenoughtomovetoabetterposition duringthehighdemand.Itknowsstoringandprotectingdata willaidinbusinessrunning,eveninever-changing technologicalclimate.

FuturePerspectives

Whileefficiencyhasalwaysbeenakeypriorityofbusinesses, thefirmwillimproveitsusualkeyofsuccess.Itwillbuild relationshipsandwillkeepitsstickinesshighwithuser viscosityofsuppliersandonlinesellers,whichwillreassureits positivecashflow.Inthefuture,asstandards,accuracy,and qualityoutputsareincreasing,thecompanyperceives tremendousscalabilitywithnoinventoryconstraints.

‘‘

THE VISIONARY WITH STYLISH WORK ETHICS

Angus Chan, the Founder and CEO, established SurePromise as one of the first ever e-commerce supply chain platform. He founded the company when he was a college student in 2004. The notion was to ease the relationship between the manufacturer and online sellers

Since then, the firm has grown into a multimillion-dollar venture.

He possesses a keen eye for future trends in business opportunities that have given SurePromise a distinct competitive advantage. Foreseeing the shift towards online shopping and position of China in the global supply chain, he has developed strong partnerships with manufacturers to build a solid B2B2C business model. Angus has led the diverse and international team at Sure Promise for over a decade now, inspiring employees and achieving growth through an open-minded yet results-driven management style

We transform e-commerce through technology to craft a more efficient global marketplace

Top 5Email SecurityThreats

Nearly95percentofallsuccessfulattackson enterprisenetworkstargetedorganization’susers throughemail.Withtheindustryofcybersecurity evolvingsorapidly,hackersareconsistentlychangingtheir tactics,keepingitalmostimpossibletokeepupwith.

Withtoday’sgrowingsecuritylandscape,emailthreatsare oneofthemostcommonstrategiesutilizedbycyber criminals.Whatstartedoffwithspamemailssenttoyour junkfolder,hasevolvedtoamorerobusttactictodeliver destructivecontentstraighttoyourinbox.Herearethetop fiveemailsecuritythreatsthatwe’veseensofarthisyear:

EmotetBankingTrojan

Emotetisanadvanced,modularbankingTrojanthat primarilyfocusesasadownloaderordropperofother bankingTrojansandcontinuestobeamongthemostcostly anddestructivemalwareaffectinggovernments,privateand publicsectors.Emotetcanevademostsignature-based detections,andbecauseitisVirtualMachineaware,it generatesfalseindicatorswhenraninasandbox. Additionally,Emotethasseveralmethodsformaintaining persistence,includingauto-startregistrykeysandservices aswellasDynamicLinkLibrariestocontinuouslyupdate andevolveitscapabilities.

Initialinfectionofthismalwareoccurswhenauseropens orclicksamaliciousdownloadlink,PDF,ormacro-enabled MicrosoftWorddocumentincludedinthemalspam.Once downloaded,Emotetestablishespersistenceandattemptsto propagatelocalnetworksthroughoneofitsincorporated

spreadermodules.Thenegativeconsequencesfroman Emotetinfectioncanbetemporaryorpermanentlossof sensitiveproprietaryinformation,disruptionofregular operations,financiallossesincurredtorestoresystemsand files,andpotentialharmtoanorganizationsreputation.

UrsnifBankingMalware

AnewversionoftheinfamousbankingTrojanUrsnifmade itsappearanceagainearlierthisyearinJune.Thismalware iswellknowninthecybersecuritycommunityandwasthe mostactivemalwarecodeinthefinancialsectorfromthe endof2016intoearly2017.Thismalwareiscapableof stealingusers'credentials,credentialsforlocalwebmail, cloudstorage,cryptocurrencyexchangeplatformsandecommercesites.

OnceUrsnifinfectsanewmachineitwillattempttospread tootherusersintheaddressbookofthecompromisedemail accounts.Ittricksthevictimintoopeningthemalicious emailbecausethemessageispresentedasthereplytoan existingconversationconductedbythevictiminthepast. Forexample,ifyoureceiveanemailthatwasareplaytoa previousconversationfromawhileback,youcanlookat the“To:”fieldintheemailandseeifit'srepliedtoalarge numberofunsuspectingusers.

Anotherfeatureaboutthismalwareisitsabilitytokeep trackofcompanynamesandtitlethemaliciousdocument “VICTIM_COMPANY_.doc”inordertolooklegitimate. Oncethevictimclicksenablemacros,thesecondstepof theinfectionprocessbegins,whichlaunchesamalicious

scriptthatdownloadsandexecutesapayloadfromaserver controlledbytheattackers.Onceinstalled,Ursnifcan operatewithoutbeingnoticedbyboththeuserandthe operatingsystem.

ExtortionCampaign

Extortioncampaignshavebeenaroundforquitesometime buttherewasonethatwasinfullswingacrosstheglobe thatusedaclevertwisttotrickunsuspectingusersinto payingaransom.Theattackerforthisextortioncampaign claimstohaveinstalledmalwareonyoursystemandhas alsousedyourwebcamtorecordyouwatchingporn.The attackerthengoesontothreatenthereleaseofthisvideoto everyoneinyourcontactsunlessyoupaytheBitcoin ransom.

Thebasicpremiseofthistypeofextortionattempthasbeen aroundforquitesometime,buttheadditionofthe Username/Passwordcombinationinthesubjectlinehas unsuspectingusersworried.Whileresearchingthis campaign,Nuspire’sSecurityAnalyticsTeam(SAT)came acrossmultipledifferentcountsofaffectedusersclaiming theUsername/Passwordcombinationwassomethingthey hadusedeightyearsago.Inthiscase,theattackerhas somewhatautomatedtheattacktocreateascriptthatpulls directlyfromusernamesandpasswordsofagivendata breachthathappenedeightyearsago.Therefore,every victimwhohadtheirpasswordcompromisedaspartofthat breach,isnowgettingthissameemailattheaddressthey usedtosignupforthehackedwebsite.

Hopefully,ifyouwereaffectedbythatdatabreachyou updatedyourusername/passwordcombination.Granted,the peoplewhodidn'tbotherchangingthisinformation,this attackdirectlyaffectsthem,butrestassuredthisattacker doesn’thavearecordingofyouthattheyplantosendoutto yourcontacts.Itismerelyscaretacticstomakesomeeasy money,anduponinvestigationofmultipleBitcoin addressesassociatedwiththiscampaign,theattackerwas indeedmakingeasymoney.

Thisattackcouldevolveinthefutureandusemoreupto datedatabreacheswhichinturncouldscaremoreusersinto payingtheransom,sobeonthelookout.

GandCrabRansomware

GandCrabholdsthetopspotinransomware,partlybecause it’susedbytheMagnitudebotnet.AlthoughGandCrabis usuallyspreadviaspamemail,ithasrecentlybeen distributedviacompromisedwebsitesandisnow

Shawn Pope Cyber Security Engineer

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Shawn Pope is the Cyber Security Engineer of Nuspire Networks, a state-of-the-science managed network security provider for some of the largest and most distinctive companies around the world.

appendingthe.KRABextensiontotheencryptedfiles. TowardstheendofApril2018acampaignwiththesubject line“YourOrder#{RandomDigits}”wascirculating.There islimitedcontentinthebodyoftheemailandhasan attachedZIPfilewhichincludesaWorddocumentthat containsmaliciousmacrosthatdownloadandexecute GandCrabransomware.

GandCrabisunderconstantdevelopmentwherenew versionsareconsistentlybeingreleasedatanaggressive pace.Itsbasicfunctionalityiswelldocumentanddoesthe sametypicalthingsransomwaredoes,includingencrypting fileswiththe.KRABextension,changingtheuser’s background,andleveragingTorforcommunications.One oftheinterestingelementsofGandcrabisitsuseof namecoindomainsforCommandandControl(C2) communication.Theseareeasilyidentifiedbythe.bittop leveldomain(TLD).SinceattackersrelyheavilyonTor andnamecoindomainstohelpevadeidentification,itisa nobrainerforthemtouseadecentralizedDNSservicethat doesnotrelyoncentralauthority Thisalsoincreasesthe difficultyofhavingdomainsshutdownandidentifying thosethatarepotentiallybehindthem.

Phishing

BytheendofQ22018Microsofthadtakenoverthetop spotfromFacebookforthenumberonetargetofcorporate phishingattacks.Reasonbeing,it’shighlyprofitablefor hackerstocompromiseanOffice365account.Hackerssee email-basedattacksasaneasyentrypointintodata,files, andcontactsfromotherOffice365apps,including SharePoint,OneDrive,Skype,Excel,andCRM.

WeseealldifferenttypesofPhishingattemptsfromquite possiblytheworstattemptstoexactreplicasofalegitimate Office365loginpage.Unfortunately,Phishingwillalways existandcanslipthroughthegapsinemailfilteringdueto thefactthatnewdomains/URLsarepoppingupeveryday

tohostfakeloginpages.Thisiswhereuserawareness trainingisextremelyimportant.Educateyourusers,rollout trainingexerciseswhereemployeeswithfakePhishing emailsandseewhoclicksonthemandwhodoesn’t. BecausePhishinghasbecomesopopular,educationwill payoffinthelongrun.

Solutions

Asidefromtrainingandeducatingemployeesonmalware, andransomwarethatmightcomeinthroughauser’semail, thereareafewothersolutionstotakeintoconsideration thatcanpreventtheseattacksfromenteringyournetwork.

1. Useantivirusprogramswithbehaviorandheuristic detectioncapabilities,withautomaticupdatesof signaturesandsoftwareonclientsandservers.

2. Implementaspamfiltertofilteroutknownmalspam indicatorssuchasmalicioussubjectlines,andblock suspiciousandblacklistedIps.

3. Markexternalemailswithabannerdenotingitisfrom anexternalsource,thiswillassistusersindetecting spoofedemails.

4. Implementablockpolicyforfileattachmentsthatare commonlyassociatedwithmalwaresuchas.dll,and .exe,andattachmentsthatcannotbescannedby antivirussucha.zipfiles.

5. ImplementDomain-BasedMessageAuthentication, Reporting&Conformance(DMARC),avalidation systemthatminimizesspamemailbydetectingemail spoofingusingDomainNameSystem(DNS)records anddigitalsignatures.

6. Implementasolutionthatcansendthe unknown/suspiciousfilestothesandboxforfurther investigationandanalysis.

7. Andmostimportantlyemployeetrainingonsocial engineeringandphishing.Urgeemployeesnottoopen suspiciousemails,clicklinkscontainedinsuchemails, orpostsensitiveinformationonline.