It’stheglorifyingageoftechnologyanddigital disruptions;redefiningandrejuvenatingevery sphereofourlives.Withthehelpof technology,newpathstowardsasuccessfuland easierlifehavebeenopenedup.Andalmostevery businesshasadoptedthesedisruptions,exceptfora few.
Thelogisticsindustryhasbeengoingthrough massiveandrapidevolutionwithlatest technologicalinnovationslately.Likeallother fields,theadoptionofdigitaldisruptionhasbecome inevitableforthelogisticsindustryalso.Inrecent years,theindustryhasstartedtodigitizeand redefineitsentirebusinessmodel.Thisismainly becauseofthecustomer’sincreasingdemand.
AccordingtotheWorldEconomicForum,between 2019and2015thereare$1.5trillionworthinvalue forlogisticsoperatorsandanadditional$2.4trillion inbenefitsforthecompanyfollowingthe digital transformationoftheindustry.
It’sobviousthatthelogisticssectorhasintroduced digitalinnovationsataslowerpacethanother industrieswhichmayentailenormousrisks,which, ifignored,couldpotentiallybecatastrophiceven forthelargestplayersinthesector.
ArecentsurveybytheWorldEconomicForumhas pointedoutthetopfivearenasthatwouldbeatthe centreofthedigitaltransformationforthelogistics
industry.Theyare:(1)theuseofBigData;(2)thecreationofdigitalplatformsthatallowdailydeliveriestoeverypart oftheworld;(3)newdeliverycapabilitiesthroughtechnologiessuchasdigitalized,self-drivingtrucksanddrones;(4) theadoptionofcirculareconomicmethodsreducingconsumptionandemissions;and(5)Sharingoflogistics infrastructures.
Thesmartimplementationofsuchtrendsmustprovidethelogisticsindustryanewheightofgrowth.We’veapproached afewsuchcompanieswhichareworkingtowardsdigitizingtheentireindustry
OntheCoverofthisissue,we’vedepictedthesuccessfuljourneyofMacGregorPartners.Foundedin2012, MacGregorsoughttoprovidetheJDA/RedPrairiecommunitywithadifferentbreedofimplementationpartner–a partnerwillingtodowhateverittooktoensuresuccessfuldeploymentsofwarehousemanagementsystems(WMS)and warehouselabormanagementsystems(WLM),andwhowasalsofocusedonthelong-termsuccessandsustainability oftheclient’ssolution.
FollowingtheCoverStory,we’vetheCompanyoftheMonth,GlobalTranzwhichwasfoundedin2003withavision todeliverinnovativetechnologytotheLess-Than-Truckload(LTL)spacethatwouldallowshippersunprecedented visibility,options,flexibilityandcontrolovertheirLTLtransportation.GlobalTranzcombinedground-breaking technologywithexceptionalLTLratesandarapidly-growingnetworkoffreightagents.
WeinterviewedSAFRRemovalswhoisofferingefficientfreightsolutions.BradleyMooreistheFounderandCEO ofSAFRRemovals,oneofthemorewell-knownlogisticscompanyinSouthAfrica.
ThelistcontinueswithFreightgatewhostartedwithinternet-basedTrack&Traceandexpandedtheofferingsfrom TariffsintoafullyfunctionalglobalLogisticsCloudPlatform.
Foundedin2011,UbimaxistheglobalmarketleaderforEnterpriseWearableComputingandAugmentedReality Solutions.Asaone-stop-shop,Ubimaxprovidesanall-in-onesolution--AugmentedRealitysoftware,Wearable Computingdevices,configurationanddeploymentservices,aswellassupport.
Whileflippingthrough,don’tforgettohavealookatTech-Trend: 5 Key Logistics Trends in 2019. Hopethiseditionwillhelpyoutogetsomepreciousinformationabouttheindustry
HappyReading!
Editor-in-Chief Pooja M. Bansal Anish Miller Senior Editor
Upama Goswami
Contributing Editors
Art & Design Head Amol Kamble
Managing Editor Suhel, Ryan Jennifer Winget Business Development Manager
Visualiser David King Paul Belin Co-designer Art & Picture Editor Asha Bange Marketing Manager Mary D’souza
Art & Design Assistant Priyanka Rajage
Business Development Executives
Sherin, Jayashree
Sales Executives Alice, Dan, Misty
Technical Head Jacob Smile Assistant Technical Head Pratiksha Patil
Technical Consultants Amar, David, Robert
Digital Marketing Manager Alina Sege Assistant Digital Marketing Manager Prashant Chevale
SME-SMO Executives Gemson, Uma
Circulation Manager Tanaji Research Analyst Eric Smith
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August, 2019
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We are a logistics technology partner that enables our client base to execute more efficiently and differentiate within their sales cycle.
Wheredidthename‘MacGregor’come from?”isaquestionthatJasonZiegler, PresidentandowneratMacGregor Partners,lovestoanswer.Themonikercomesfroma drafthouseinCary,NorthCarolinawhereownership metastheyformedthecompany.
Zieglerelaborateswithasmile, “We looked for a name that was unique and new but didn’t feel pretentious – the way we wanted our company to operate. After several meetings where we failed to agree on the right name for our new venture, we decided to adopt the name of the draft house we met at ‘MacGregor’and tack on ‘Partners’to reinforce our desire to focus on longstanding partnerships with our clients.”
AccordingtoZiegler,thisfocuson“partnership”isthe corereasonwhyMacGregorPartnerscameinto existenceinthefirstplace, “We didn’t want to be just another vendor to our clients, we wanted to become partners with our clients.” Whilethecompanytodayis knownmoreinformallyasMacGregor,thefocuson partnershipisstillasimportanttodayasitwasin2012.
Foundedin2012,MacGregorsoughttoprovidethe
JDA/RedPrairiecommunitywithadifferentbreedof implementationpartner–apartnerwillingtodo whateverittooktoensuresuccessfuldeploymentsof warehousemanagementsystems(WMS)andwarehouse labormanagementsystems(WLM),andwhowasalso focusedonthelong-termsuccessandsustainabilityof theclient’ssolution.
UsingthismodelMacGregorquicklyprovedthemselves tobeoneofthepreeminentJDAintegratorsinthe industry.
Since2012,MacGregorhasgrownfromaJDA integratortoamuchlargerorganizationwithafocuson solvingthesupplychaintechnologyneedsofitsclients, furtherdistinguishingitselffromitscompetitors.
Zieglerattributesthisdistinctiontothediversegroupof morethan80employeeswhohavejoinedMacGregor since2012.
“Many of our employees have worked inside 3PLs like DHL, Genco, DSC, APL, and XPO, and they bring experience in supply chain technology like WMS, MRP, WCS, WES, integration, analytics, transportation, and
automation. With that robust experience pool, we’re able to bring insight and expertise to every facet of a problem. We’re able to address the problem from every angle which leads to quick and efficient solutions for our clients, which typically has not been done within the supply chain industry,” contendsZiegler.
Thismethodologycoupledwiththecontinuedsuccessof itsJDAconsultancyhaslandedMacGregorontheInc. Magazine’s“Inc.5000”listoffastest-growingprivate organizationsinAmericathelastthreeyears.For MacGregor,successallcomesbacktothevalue-addedto theirlogisticsand3PLclients.
“We’ve expanded our services to better serve a wider range of clients and pride ourselves on being the technology partners for both established and growing 3PL’s. We’re driving the competitive edge and success in the execution and sales cycles of our 3PL partners, ” saysZiegler.
MacGregorcontinuestoevolveandhasexpandedits supplychainsoftwareconsultancytosupportmultiple WMS,WLM,andTMSpackageswhileproviding “24x7x365”onshoresupporttoeveryapplication, integration,andpieceofhardwaretheydeploy.
Throughdeeppartnershipswithsomeofthebest automationandautonomousmobilerobot(AMR) vendors,MacGregorcanbringadditionaltechnology resourcestotheirclients.
Their‘IntelligentWarehouseServices’(IWS)offering
focusesonthemarriagebetweentechnology, automation,andtheoperation.IWSworkstoeliminate whatfolksatMacGregorrefertoas“ROIDrift”.
“ROI drift is the all too common practice of vendors overpromising within the sales cycle and underdelivering against those promises during implementation. The vision of our IWS practice is to eliminate ROI Drift from the supply chain industry and our client base. We want every big capital investment our clients make to be a ‘safe’bet,” statesZiegler.
ThisexpansioninofferingscomesfromMacGregor’s dedicationtoactivelylistentotheirlogisticsand3PL clients,heartheday-to-daychallengesandmajorpain points,andthendevelopsolutionstohelptheirclients solvethoseproblems.
“Our client base brings the challenges and we bring the technical expertise necessary to find operations-centric solutions to those challenges,” statesZiegler.
AsMacGregorbegantoaddressspecificneedsforits clients,itinvestedinanR&Dteamresponsiblefor buildingSaaSsolutionstosolvetheproblemstheykept seeingpop-upacrosstheirclientbase.
MacGregor’shighlysuccessfulSaaSproductsfocuson twomainproblemareas–Supplychainanalyticsandthe digitaltransformationofsupplychainpaper-based workflows.
Mostinthesupplychainand3PLcompaniesrecognize thefutureoftheindustryliesinthepowerofanalytics, butmanyofMacGregor’sclientsweredissatisfiedwith thedeploymentandresultstheyweregettingfromtheir analyticsplatforms.Whywasitsohardtoimplement analyticssuccessfully?
TheMacGregorteamrealizedthatmostanalytics systemsrelyheavilyontheaestheticappealoftheir dashboardvisualizations,buttherealmagicandsuccess ofananalyticsdeploymentisintheharmonizationof dataacrossmultiplesystemscombinedwiththedomain expertisenecessarytoweavethatdataintoaclearoutput thatdrivesprecisebehavioracrossanorganization.
MacGregordevelopedToolbox,aturnkeyanalytics platformbuiltforthesupplychain,tosolvethose problems.
“Our 3PL client base used a multitude of systems within their distribution network to record, process and analyze disparate data. Each system could offer one small window into the productivity and profitability of our clients’businesses, but they did not provide a holistic view of what was going on inside those businesses dayto-day. Without that holistic view, our clients could not easily or quickly adapt and adjust their operations. We built Toolbox to provide that vital holistic view for one of the largest and most sophisticated 3PLs, so we know how effective this tool can be. Our Toolbox clients can see across their networks and make changes that have a material impact on their cost to serve and profitability,” Zieglerstatedconfidently.
MacGregor’sToolboxdeploymentsfocusonpredictive alertsandsignalsthatdrivebehaviorchangeacrossa multitudeofpainpointsincluding,laborplanningwith anaimtoreduceovertimespend;drawingcausation betweenfacilitylayout,facilitycapacity,process,and productivity;inventorymix,facilitydesign,ordermix andcube;and,therelationshipbetweenthecontractand spotmarkettoreducetransportationspend.
“The beauty of Toolbox is its turnkey package that can be deployed across a complex multi-system network with ease and speed while providing the flexibility of selfservice to iterate and grow as the business needs change and evolve. Toolbox revolutionizes the way the supply chain and 3PLs access and harness their data to improve their business,” statesZiegler.
NotonlyisToolboxapowerfultoolinsidea3PL,butit hasevolvedintoapowerfulsalestoolfor3PLstowin morebusiness.
“Toolbox provides 3PLs with a unique mobile visibility offering that can be leveraged to win competitive deals. The ability to share data with clients and provide realtime visibility offers a unique level of comfort to a client and helps showcase a 3PLs focus on technology and data-driven decision making. 3PLs using Toolbox can demonstrate to their potential customers the value of network-wide visibility and predictive alerts about macro market conditions and allow them to make adjustments and avoid negative impacts to their business,” states Ziegler.
FortheirsecondflagshipSaaSproduct,MacGregor turnedtosolveanotherindustry-wideheadacheinspired byvisitingclientwarehouses.
Ineveryclientwarehousetheteamvisited,theywould inevitablycomeacrossanaislemeantforsaleable productthatwasbeingwastedonpaperstorage. Wouldn’titbebetterfortheirclients,iftheycould reclaimthataisleanduseittostoreproductinsteadof non-revenuegeneratingpaper?Thatgottheteamat MacGregorthinking.
Notonlyisstoringpaperwastefulintermsofspaceand riskytostorevitaldocumentsinaphysicallocation,but therealimpactoncost-to-servecomesfromthelabor associatedwithmanaging,moving,andtouchingthat paper.MacGregordevelopedFoliototacklethe immensevolumeofpapergenerated,managed,and storedby3PLsandsupplychainorganizations.
Theteamwantedtotryandquantifythetruecostofthe paperstatusquoandasidefromtheobviouscostsof printingandstorage,therewassignificanthiddenlabor associatedwithphysicallymanagingthepaperworkflow. Folioreducesoreliminatesthepaperhandlinglabor spendbyautomatingtheworkflowsandmovementof paper.
• Folio’sflexibleworkflowautomationplatformallows gateagentstoclearthegatefasterwithdigital signaturecapture,anddocumentswithcomplex workflowslikeQAbecomeincrediblyefficientand safeasnosignature,document,approval,orprocess isevermissed.
• LikeToolbox,Foliobecomesavalue-addfor3PLs withintheirsalescycle.ShowcasingFolio’sabilityto streamlinepaper-basedworkflowsandprovideclients withreal-timeinstantaccesstodocumentsisunique withintheindustryandprovidesapowerfulsales differentiator.
Folioeasilycapturesdocumentsandautomatically groupsandstoresthem,cuttingoutthemanualfiling process.Fromthere,Folioautomateseachadditional workflow,fromsignaturecapturetofinalapproval,to streamlinetheprocessandprovideinstantvisibility.
“Our clients have materially reduced the labor and risk associated with manual paper management while improving enterprise visibility to documents across their business and with their customers,” statesZiegler.
Foliohasseveraluniqueusecasesfor3PLsandtheir clients:
• Folioprovidesa3PL’scustomerswithanintuitive mobileframeworktosearchfortheirdocuments themselves,improvingtheproductivityofmultiple departmentsacrossa3PLandtheoverallcustomer experience.
• Folioallowsoperatorstocaptureimagesreal-time andlinkthemtotherestofthedocumentsforthat specificaction.Forexample,picturesofaloaded trailercannowbecapturedandlinkedtoallthe shippingdocumentssothatintheeventofdamageor aclaimsdispute,afacilityhasthedocumentation necessarytoprovetheyarenotliable.
“With how competitive and thin margins are in the 3PL space, we view the use of Toolbox and Folio in the sales cycle as a mechanism to move the negotiation closer to a sale based on value, not just margin,” statesZiegler.
MacGregor’sEmployee&KnowledgeFocus MacGregor’sleadershipteamrecognizesthattocontinue tosolvethechallengestheirclientsface,thecompany muststayabreastoftechnologytrendsandmacro conditionswhileworkingtoattractandretainthebest employees.TheMacGregorleadershipteamissteadfast intheirbeliefthattheiremployeesarethebestresource toprotectthecurrentmarketpositionofthecompany andenablefuturegrowth.
Tofosterthisinquisitive,client-firstculture,MacGregor promotescontinuededucationintheformofsupply chaincouncils,tradeshows,technologyevents,speaking engagements,andinternalpresentationsmanyofwhich theyhostintheirMilwaukeeoffice.
Theseeventsandopportunitieshelpemployeesgrowand learnmoreabouttechnologytrends,supplychain fundamentals,andtheareasofgrowththeindustryis
excitedabout.Theselearnings,lessons,andideasthen makeitbacktothewholeMacGregorteam,benefiting boththeorganizationanditsclients.
“With regards to the logistics industry, we pride ourselves on being true technology experts in our field. Whether this means providing AI and machine learning use cases, knowing how blockchain fits into today’s supply chain, or figuring out how best to weave together distribution and transportation data to materially lower transport costs, we have real-world experience that we love to share and turn into something useful for our clients to move their businesses forward,” notesZiegler.
MacGregorcontinuestoexperienceroughly50%growth yearoveryear,whichspeakstotheuniquevaluethey providetheirclients.Inlookingtothefuture,MacGregor willcontinuetofocusonR&Dandinvestmentinthe transportationtechnologyspaceastheirclientsbattle transportationcostvolatility.MacGregoralsohopesto
workwithclientsinterestedinfocusingonemerging technologytoshapethefutureoftheindustry.
“To remain competitive in today’s business world, organizations need to stay in front of the fast-changing landscape of their supply chain partners, vendors, and customer needs. They need a committed technology partner to ensure they don’t get lost or left behind, and that’s what we want to be for our clients. MacGregor is committed to being a logistics technology partner focused on moving the industry forward for tomorrow, while enabling the sales and operational successes of our clients today,” affirmsZiegler.
GlobalTranzwasfoundedin2003withavisionto deliverinnovativetechnologytotheLess-ThanTruckload(LTL)spacethatwouldallowshippers unprecedentedvisibility,options,flexibilityandcontrol overtheirLTLtransportation.GlobalTranzcombined ground-breakingtechnologywithexceptionalLTLratesand arapidly-growingnetworkoffreightagents.Since2003, GlobalTranzhasrapidlyexpandedintoaleadinglogistics technologycompanyandaward-winningproviderof multimodaltransportationservicesandsolutions.
Thecombinationoftransformativetechnology, exceptionallylowrates,arobustagentnetwork,andgreat serviceledtorapidgrowthwhichcontinuestothepresent. Today,GlobalTranzisa$1.4Borganization,with11offices throughoutNorthAmerica,includingaregionalofficein TM Monterrey,Mexico.ThecompanyoffersGTZconnect,the award-winningnext-generationTransportation ManagementSystem(TMS)thatconnectsshipperswith carriers,logisticsserviceproviders(LSPs)and GlobalTranz’ssuiteoflogisticsservices.GlobalTranz’s logistisplatformleveragesthepowerofpredictiveanalytics andmatchesshipperdemandandcarriercapacityso shippersandLSPscanmakebetterbusinessdecisions acrossthesimplesttothemostcomplexsupplychains.The companyprovidescompletemultimodalservices,from smallparceltoprojectlogisticsandeverythinginbetween, includingLTL,truckload,expedite,intermodal,crossbordertransportationandinternationalairandocean shipping.
Additionally,GlobalTranzprovidesconsultativeManaged TransportationServices(MTS)thatallowitsclientsto focusongrowingtheirbusinesswhileutilizingtheirteam ofexpertstomanagetheirfreight.Whetherashipperwants tooutsourcealloftheirlogisticsoperationsorjustaspecific segmentoftheirtransportationneeds,theGlobalTranzteam worksasanextensionoftheclient’steamtodesignthe rightsolutiontofittheirorganization’sneedsandgoals.
ThedynamicGlobalTranzteamalsoworksasapartnerto providesupplychainplanning,day-to-dayexecutionand strategicrecommendationstoreducetheirfreightcosts,
improveoperationalprocessesanddeliveracompetitive advantage.
AsChiefExecutiveOfficerofGlobalTranz,ReneeKrug bringstremendousleadershipskills,domainknowledgeand 30+yearsofmulti-disciplineexperiencethatdrivethe overallstrategyanddirectionofthecompany.Sheisan action-orientedexecutivewhodrivesmeaningfulinitiatives thatcreatesuccess.Priortobecomingthecompany’sCEO, sheservedasthecompany’sCFOfrom2014-2018,where shehelpeddriveGlobalTranz’srecordgrowthandposition asamarketleadingtransportationmanagementsolutions andtechnologycompany.BeforejoiningGlobalTranz, ReneewasCFOofClearChannelOutdoorandVPof financeatSwiftTransportation.Earlierinhercareer,she heldavarietyofleadershiprolesatHoneywellin technology,operations,salesandSixSigmaprocess improvement.
“In today’s logistics technology landscape, it’s not enough to simply offer a robust Transportation Management System that captures shipment-level data. That is table stakes. The real differentiator is the ability to provide a control tower view of a shipper’s entire transportation network, and to leverage data, machine learning, and AI to provide predictive analytics which create true business intelligence, drives real-time business decision-making, and provides shippers with a competitive and operative advantage,” remarkedRenee.
GlobalTranzhasinvestedheavilyinitstalentedpeopleand technology,currentlyemployingmorethan140full-time developersfocusedsolelyonbuildinginnovativenew productstoservetheneedsofshippers,carriersandLSPs. TM InadditiontoGTZconnect,itsaward-winningTMS TM platform,GlobalTranzhasdevelopedGTZamp (automatedmovementplanning)whichcombinesavariety ofpredictiveanalyticscapabilitiestodelivernext generationDigitalFreightMatching(DFM)servicesthat differentiateGlobalTranzfromitscompetitorswhilealso providingshipperswithinsightstheycantranslateinto action:
Our sustained organic growth, strategic acquisitions, and the continued release of new technology products will allow us to continue to outpace many of our competitors in customer expansion, financial growth and advanced technology leadership in 2019. These are exciting times for GlobalTranz.
“ “
-Renee Krug CEO
Load Affinity analysisidentifiesshipmentsthatarewellsuitedtobecombinedintoamulti-movementroute.
Carrier Match functionalityalgorithmicallymatchesloads withthebestcarriersbasedonahostoffactors,including volumecovered,on-timeperformance,cost,bounceand rollpercentages,andseasonality.
Cost Prediction Model predictslanelevelcostsbasedona widevarietyoffeatures,includinghistoricalcostsand currentmarketconditions,inordertoensurethat GlobalTranzmaximizessavingsforcustomersbysecuring thelowestpossiblerate.
Load To Truck Forecasting isapredictiveanalyticstool thatleveragesleadingindicatorstopredictcapacity availabilityinordertomaximizeservicewhileminimizing cost.
Thinkinggloballyisn’tjustlipservicefor GlobalTranz—it’sintheorganization’snameitself.The GlobalTranzteamcaresdeeplyaboutmakingtheworlda betterplace.That’swhythey’vecreatedCORE,agroup dedicatedtoorganizingwaysforGlobalTranz’semployees togiveback.COREiscomprisedofthreeteams:
GreenTeam–TheGreenTeamfocusesonthe environmentalimpactofthecompany’sdaytodaybusiness andcommunitysupporttolessenitscarbonfootprintonthe environment.
TruBluTeam–TheTruBluTeamfocusesoncorporate cultureandvalues,aswellashealth,education,and engagementforallGlobalTranzemployees.
Red Team –TheRedTeamfocusesonserviceand citizenship.TheRedteamorganizesphilanthropicand charitableeventstohelpGlobalTranz’steammembersgive backtothecommunity.
GlobalTranzoffersafullspectrumofTMStechnology, multimodaltransportationservices,Managed TransportationServices,andvalue-addedsupplychain solutionsincluding:
• Whiteglovein-store/in-homedelivery
• Finalmiledelivery
• Retailcomplianceprograms
• Droptrailerprograms
• HighValue/HighRiskCargosolutions
• Warehousing/cross-dockingamore nd
ThisholisticapproachallowsGlobalTranztoprovide technology,services,andsolutionsthatgrowwiththe clientsastheirbusinessgrows.
FortheshipperswhomGlobalTranzserves,eachdaybrings anewhurdletoovercome.That’swhyitsteamofdedicated logisticsexpertsworkssohardtodevelopthetechnology, multimodalservicesandsolutionsshippersneedtosucceed. Inthepasttwoyears,theteamhasgreatlyexpandedthe technologyoffering,particularlywiththereleaseofthenew TM GTZcommand,aswellasenhancedbusinessintelligence andpredictiveanalyticscapabilities.Inaddition,through acquisitionandstrategicpartnerships,thecompanynow offersmoremodalcapabilitiesandsolutionsthanever before.
Thelogisticsindustryisinthemidstoftremendous technologicalchange,andGlobalTranzisleadingtheway withcutting-edgesolutions.Technologiessuchasthe InternetofThings,autonomousvehicles,electricvehicles, AI,machinelearning,blockchain,etc.arepoisedtomake significantimpactsonourday-to-daylives,thelogistics industryandtheeconomyoverall.Attheirroot,manyof theseinnovationsboildowntohowtobetterleveragedata tocreatebusinessintelligence.Thereisahugeopportunity forthoseorganizationsthatembracethesenewtechnologies inordertoprovidetheircustomerswithabetter,more TM seamlessexperience.GlobalTranzdevelopedGTZconnect toservetheneedsofshippersofallsizes,andcontinuesto enhancetheplatformwithnewfeatures,includingAIand machinelearning.Leveragingthesetechnologiesallows GlobalTranztodeliverpredictiveanalyticsthatempower shipperstomakemoreinformed,real-timebusiness decisions.
“2019 has been the “Year of Technology” at GlobalTranz, and we continue to develop and release cutting-edge technology that shippers, brokers, freight agents and carriers use to manage and optimize their transportation and logistics. In addition, we are aggressively pursuing acquisitions that will benefit our customer base by allowing us to offer additional modal solutions and services,” said Renee.
“The transportation and logistics space has always been an arena for innovation and entrepreneurship- that’s how GlobalTranz started. My advice for entrepreneurs looking to enter the industry is to be very clear on focusing on a specific problem they are looking to solve, and then to develop the absolute best solutions they can. ”
BradleyMooreistheFounderandCEOofSAFRRemovals,oneofthemorewell-knownlogisticscompanyin SouthAfrica.InaninterviewwithInsightsSuccess,BradleysharedsomevaluableviewpointsabouttheLogistics Industry.Healsohasalsoelucidatedonhowhiscompanyisexperimentingandinnovatingdifferentideasthatare transformingtheindustry.
• WhatisthepresentscenarioofLogisticsTechSolutionindustryfromyourpointofview? WestillhavemuchtodotoenhanceefficiencieswithinLogisticsTechSolutionspace.Thelogisticstechnologyistherebut
theknowledge,trainingandcoordinativefunctionsforthis technologyaren’tmaximizingthesolutionsthatare available.Thelogisticalplayinggroundhastoomany playersthatareallpreoccupiedwiththeirownlimitedfocus andsurvivalsinsteadofcombiningtheirresources,clients’ needsandtruckspacemanagementformoreefficiency,and thereforecostsavings.Amoresimplisticbusiness infrastructurecanbeinitiatedwiththeLogisticsTech solutions.However,itneedsahumanelementtointegrate andcoordinateallviableplatformswiththelogistics players.Webelievethehumanelementisnecessaryfor manipulatingtheTechfunctionalityintothelogisticsarena.
• Wouldyouliketoenlightenusaboutyourmission, vision,philosophiesyoufollow,andthefuturegoals?
AstheFounder&CEOofJHBRemovals,Iamsetabout testingabusinessphilosophyandincreasingefficiencyby implementingIoTandimprovingthecoordinationwith co-playerswithinthetransportindustry.
Thephilosophywastocollectandcoordinatewith co-industryplayerswhoshareapassiontodeliverquality customerserviceanduseourcollectivemarketintelligence toeffectivelyrepresentlocalremovalandstorageservice needs.Thismarketintelligencewouldnotonlyenhanceall roleplayerstosourcenewbusinessopportunities,butit wouldalsoprovidelogisticalefficiencywherebyeachteam canconcentrateonspecificregionswithintheprovinces. Thiswouldeliminatedieselwastage,travellingtimeand grapplingwithunnecessarytrafficwhichcontributesso muchinefficiencytologisticalservicedelivery.
TheSAFRGroup(PTY)Ltdmanagementphilosophyis basedoncarefullyselectedstaffandteamsthatareselfdrivenandhaveanaturalinstincttoprovidethebest possiblecommunicationandservicedeliverytoourclients. Eachteamandpersonaretheirownauthoritywithoutbeing policedandmotivated.Therewardsarereflectedinthe resultsoftheirownwork.
• Briefusaboutyourcompanyanditsinceptionstory. Cape Removals (https://www.caperemovals.co.za/) CapeRemovalswasinceptedinOctober2012, CapeTown, WesternProvince,SouthAfrica.
Theregionallyfocusedfurnitureremoval&storage businesswasfoundedwiththeobjectiveofprovidinga collectivebrandthatwouldrepresent4to6independent removalteamswhichallhadthesameservicedelivery commitmentsbutlackedtechnologyintegrationand regionalbrandidentity.
Thebusinessmodelwasextremelywellreceivedbythe localizedremovalteamsinTheWesternCape.We coordinatedandprovidedaplatformtolaunchThe1stleg ofournationalstrategyin2012andlaunchedCape Removalsbusinessin2012.
ThesuccessofCapeRemovalsanditsformulawas duplicatedinotherkeyregionswithinSouthAfricawhich includedJohannesburg,Pretoria,andDurbaninthe Gauteng&KwaZulu-Natalregionsrespectively.
JHB Removals (https://www.jhbremovals.co.za/) JohannesburgandPretoria,asregions,areessentiallythe financialzoneswhichdriveSouthAfrica’seconomyand ourlocalizedbusinessJHBRemovalswasbornwiththe samebusinessmodelandformula,hopingtoreapthesame resultsthatCapeRemovalshad.JHBRemovals’localized formulawasextremelywellreceivedandtheprogressionto KwaZulu-Natalfollowednaturallyandeasily.
DBN Moving Company (https://www.dbnmovingcompany.co.za/)
DBNMovingCompanywaslaunchedinDurban, KwaZulu-Natalin2017,toconnectthelogisticaldotsfora startingnationalinfrastructureandtoexpandourselection ofserviceswhichnowfacilitatesanationalfurniture removalservice.
We are bringing together localized teams and services from all corners of South Africa.
“ “
SAFR GROUP (PTY) Ltd
(https://www.furnitureremovalssa.co.za/)
SAFRGROUP(PTY)Ltdwasbornin2019withthe purposeofprovidingacoordinativehubforusandour partnerswiththeobjectiveofmaximizinglogistical efficiency,Increasingourreachandoptimizingcustomer serviceatgroundlevel.SAFRGrouphasfoundapurpose inbringingtogetherlocalizedteamsandservicesfromall cornersofSouthAfrica.
SAFRGroup(PTY)LTDwillconsolidateitsposition beforereachingoutinternationally.
• Whatkindof‘out-of-the-box’strategiesdoesyour companyfollowtodifferfromyourcompetitors?
SAFR’sout-of-the-boxstrategyistocoordinateourselves andlocalizedroleplayersintoanefficientmachine.This startswithleadershipmanaging,communicatingand re-emphasizingourcommongoalsinprovidingthebest possibleserviceatthebestpossibleprice.Workingtowards serviceexcellenceandprofessionalismarekeyaspirations forus.
• Howdoesyourorganizationcontributetothe CompanySocialResponsibilitycause?
Weareayoungcompanywithourresourcesbeing reinvestedintoourbusinesstoensureweallhavejob securityfirstandforemost.Wearenowexpandingonthis andweareensuringthatourownstaffandtheirchildren’s dignityandsocialstatusareenhancedandupliftedto healthylevels.Besideslookingafterourown,weprovide financialsupporttocommunitysportsinitiativesfor childrenaswellasanimalrescueandrehabilitation.
• Howdoyoudiversifyyourofferingssoastobenefit yourcustomers?
RemovalCosting,personalgoodssecurityandprotection aretheprimaryfocusesforusandourclients.Thetraining andselectionofourstaffareobviousattentionareasforus butwestillcontinuallysearchforstrategicdedicated employees,shareloadtransportation,technologyoptionsas wellassupportingserviceslikepacking,crating,protective wrappingandpackagingmaterial.Personalgoodsandtheir safetyareemotionallyandsentimentallyattachedtoour clientsandthereforewestrivetoprovideinnovative protectiveoptionsforourclients.
• Fromthebeginningtilltoday,listoutthetoughest difficultiesyou’vefacedandlessonsyou’velearnedfrom them?WhatistheeffectofthecurrentDieselphase-out plansproposedbymanycountriesonyourcompany? Ourdifficultyisprimarilycoordinatinganefficientshare loadspaceutilizationwithclientsandourownschedulesto minimizetheemptyspacesbeingwasted.Weareaspiringto
ultimatelyreducetrucksandtimeontheroadbutstill facilitatelogisticalcollectinganddeliveringofallfurniture toourclients’depots,offices,andhouses.
Weareprodieselphaseoutandwemaintainourobjective ofdieselefficiencybyusinglessdieselandultimatelyno dieselatall.WeaimtobetheleaderinElectricadaption st andthe1 inSouthAfricaandAustraliatodoso.
• Withthemassiveadvancementsintechnologysuchas IoT,AutonomousVehicles,AI,ElectricVehicles,and morewhataretheopportunitiesandchallengesevolving withit?
OpportunitiesforAI,IoT,andElectrictruckingismassively excitingforus.Theintelligenceandanalyticsderivedwill enhanceourabilitytoeliminateinefficiencies,reduce humanerror,enablemanagement&clientstobeproactive andbemoredirectlyinvolved.
ThisisanareathatSAFRGroupisaspiringtoprepareand inceptasquicklyaspossible.
Ourchallengeswillbetodeveloptheexpertiseto implementandmanageallAIandtheIoT.
• Whatcanbeexpectedfromyourcompanyinthenear future?
Toprovideandpopulateaninteractiveserviceforour clientsandselectedcontractorstocommunicatedirectlyon anefficientlogisticaltransportingplatformperregion,per district,nationallyandinternationally.
• Anyadviceforthebuddingentrepreneursinthe industry?
Opportunityandentryintoourindustryhaveneverbeen easiernormoreexciting.TheLogisticsofferssomanyareas ofexpertisewhichcanandshouldbeindependentwitha verylittlecapitalcostofentry.TheLogisticsindustrywasa verycapitalintensiveindustrywiththeneedtohavetrucks andsupportinginfrastructuretoprovideacompleteservice totheirclients.
Theplayingfieldhaschangeddrasticallyandit’sbecoming increasinglyeasierforanentrepreneurtoenterthelogistics marketfromalargevarietyofexpertisechannels.
Today,companiesaresearchingformorefully integratedlogisticssolutions.Theydemandfull trackingoftheirshipmentsfromthefactorytothe finaldestinationusingoneplatform.Theyalsowanttobe abletoarrangetheshipmentsacrossallmodesandtobe notifiedofdelaysassoonasitbecomesapparentthata delayisinevitable.Thisallowsthecompanytomake alternativearrangementstore-routeshipmentsifnecessary, whilefullyweighingthecostsofdoingso.
Freightgatestartedwithinternet-basedTrack&Traceand expandedtheofferingsfromTariffsintoafullyfunctional globalLogisticsCloudPlatform.Now,theFreightgate LogisticsCloudplatform spans:MultimodalTransportation Management,Rates,Schedules,GlobalVisibility,PO Management,Compliance,AnalyticsandWork-Flows.The companyhasalivelyecosystemacrosspartners,carriers andmodes.Freightgatestrivestoprovideinnovative logisticssolutions,fosteringglobalcollaborationand productivity.
MartinHubertistheCEOofFreightgate.Hehasmore than30yearsofexperienceprovidingITsolutionstothe logisticsindustry.Hebeganhiscareerin1994,byfounding acompanythatfocusedonprovidingtrackandtrace capabilityovertheinternetthroughestablishingEDI capabilitieswithcarriers.MartinthenfoundedFreightgate in2000,withavisiontoimprovetheITenvironmentfor logisticscompaniesandshippers.
Martin’scorevalueisthepassionforinnovationandneverendingimprovements.Hestrivestoprovideinnovative logisticssolutions,fosteringglobalcollaborationand productivity,whilebuildingahighlyconfigurableplatform withaglobal-by-designphilosophy.Martinwillcontinueto
deploytechnologytofindsmarterwaystosolvetoday’sand tomorrow’ssupplychainchallenges.
Freightgatehasaprofessionalteamof“out-of-the-box” thinkerswithin-depthexperience.Theyorchestrate solutionstocustomerneedsusingtheglobal-by-design platform.Freightgatesetsitselfapartfromtherestby pairingtheirtechnologyplatformwithdeepindustry experience.
“Every process is under investigation and if we can do something better, we’ll discuss it and act accordingly. This is where the customers have the biggest advantage. They present their ‘current state’and sometimes ‘ideal state’ processes Freightgate comes up with multiple ways to get there. It is this challenge that is born out of the dialogue and collaboration with our customer that fuels the creative thought process and leads to mutual success,” asserts Martin.
Freightgatestartedasacentrallyhostedcollaboration platformtoshareshipmentinformationbyusingthethennascentinternetasabackbone.Gettingpeopletosharethis visionearlyonhashaditschallenges,butgritand perseverancepaidoff.Addingfunctionalitydrivenbya fusionofFreightgate’svisionandcustomerdemandhas beenafunridethatthecompanyhopestocontinue.
TheteambelievesthatopportunitieswithIoTandAIareto reducetheimpactofdelaysinshipmentsbeforethey becomemajordisruptionsandhavesevereeconomic
consequences.AIcanalsobeusedinsupplychain planning,lookingforwaystoimprovethesupplychain processesoverall.ThechallengeswithIoTdevicesareto findsignalstosendthedata.WithAI,it’shavingthe resourcestodevelopyourAIcapabilitiesandthedatawith whichtowork.Youtypicallyneedverylargedatasets,you havetoobservethedecision-makingprocess,andhaveto createalgorithmsthatcanincorporatethatdecision-making processplusallthevariablesandmakebetterdecisions.
TeamFreightgatethinksthatwithAutonomousVehicles, theopportunityistoimproveoperationalefficiencyand routingandlowercosts.Thechallengescomefromthe regulatoryandliabilityperspectives.WithElectricVehicles, theopportunityistolowercarbonemissionsandperhaps evenfleetmaintenancecosts.Thechallengeswillbethe rangeofsuchvehicles.Canyoucreatebatteriesthatoffer enoughrangetokeepadriverontheroadduringhis permissiblehours? Howoftenwillthebatterieshavetobe replaced? Whatarethecostsofchargingandmaintaining batteriesversusfuellingandmaintainingengines?
Freightgateisexploringstrategicpartnershipsandworking withitscustomersonnewproductdevelopmentinitiatives. Freightgatewilltakecontinuedprideinsharingits
knowledgeandeverexpanding/growingservicestobetter assisttheneedsofitscustomersinthelogisticindustry.
“The Cloud TMS market is very volatile and needs constant innovation, so listen to what the market is telling you.”
Martin Hubert, CEO
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We strive for excellence and continuously improve our services based on customer requirements and recommendations. “
Foundedin2011,Ubimaxistheglobalmarket leaderforEnterpriseWearableComputingand AugmentedRealitySolutions.Asaone-stopshop,Ubimaxprovidesanall-in-onesolution-AugmentedRealitysoftware,WearableComputing devices,configurationanddeploymentservices,aswell assupport.Thecompanyhasbuiltupaverystrong partnerecosystemwithmorethan250enterprisesaround theglobeandoperatesfromofficesinGermany,theUS andMexico.
WeapproachedtherenownedCEO,Dr.HendrikWitt foraninterviewaboutthegloriousandsuccessful journeyofUbimaxthroughout:
Q:Briefusaboutyourcompany,itsinception,and journey.
A:Ourcompanystartedoutlikeafairnumberofstartups:Abunchofpeoplehavingspentsomeyearsin strategyandmanagementconsultingwithajointvision workingontheirbusinessideainasmallroomalmost aroundtheclock.Butweknowwhatwewereworking onwasworthit:Improvingindustrialprocesseswiththe helpofwearablesandaugmentedreality,enhancing desklessworkers,sotheycanreachtheirfullpotential.
Q:TellusabouttheFounder/CEOofyourcompany, hisambitions,andphilosophy.
A:BeforeUbimax,Iwasworkinginthefieldof wearablecomputingalready.Mybackgroundofnow morethan15yearsinwearabletechnologyfor enterprises,doesnotonlyconsistofPhDfromthe UniversityofBremenandGeorgiaTech,whereIwas workingwiththewearablespioneerThadStarner,but alsofrombeingtheCo-HeadintheEU-fundedresearch
project‘wearITatwork’.Fromthenonitwasthegoal tomaturethetechnologytobeabletomeetthemarket’s needsandmakeitprofitable.Ubimax’srootslieina strongteamofthethreefoundersPercyStocker,Jan JunkerandDr.HendrikWitt.Wemetduringourstrategy andmanagementconsultingtimeandrealizedtheyhad funworkingtogetherandpursuingthesameideals. Shortlyafterthefounding,Ubimaxbecametheglobal marketleaderforindustrialaugmentedreality-based wearablecomputingsolutionscreatingdigitaltoolsfor realworldproblems.WhilePercyhastakenoveras PresidentofUbimaxInc.intheUS,Janisleadingthe commercialactivitiesasCCOandIhavetakenoverthe roleofCEO.
Q:WhatisthepresentscenarioofLogisticsTech Solutionindustryfromyourpointofview?
A:Rightnow,thefearofautomationerasingjobsin logisticsisomnipresent.Weareheretoshiftthatfear intoopportunity.Yes,digitizedworkingenvironments optimizeprocessesinwarehousesbutthehumanfactor cannotbeunderestimated.Aspectslikeintuitionand flexibilityareboundtopeople.Globally,80%ofthis humanworkforcearedesklessworkers.Indigitization overthelastdecade,thismajorityofworkershasbeen forgotten.Theyareoftenstillworkingwithpaperlistsor cumbersomestationarycomputers.Andifsoftware solutionsareprovided,theyfrequentlyhavecomplex requirementsorarejustnotuser-friendly. Forus,itisall aboutempoweringthesefrontlineworkerswiththetools theyneedtomaximizetheirabilities.Thisalsomeans thatcompaniesimplementingtheinnovative technologiesarewaymorelikelytoachievetheir efficiencyandqualityimprovementgoalsinaneven shorteramountoftime.
Wehelpfrontline workersfocuson whattheyarereally goodat:real-world physicaltasks,not complexandtimeconsuming computerprompts.
HendrikWitt CEO
Q:Whatkindof‘out-of-the-box’strategiesyour companyisfollowingtodifferfromthe competitors?
A:WithUbimaxFrontline,wehavecreatedtheworld’s firstfullyintegratedend-to-endenterpriseplatformfor wearablecomputing.Designedaroundthefouraward winningARsolutionsxPickforintralogistics,xMakefor manufacturingandqualityassurance,xInspectforfield serviceandxAssistforremoteservice,weareableto supportdesklessworkersintheirdailytasksalongside theentirevaluechain.Oursoftwareworksintuitively withoutcomplexrequirements.So,workersarenot distractedfromtheiractualtasksandcanworkmore productivelywhileitincreasestheirworkplacesafety andergonomicsatthesametime.WithUbimaxFrontline wecreateaninnovativeanddigitizedworking environmentforhands-onworkers.ItislikeMicrosoft office–onlyfortheblue-collarworker.Thegoalisthat companies,processesandtheworkerscanbenefitfrom oursolutionslikewise.
A:Socialresponsibilityforusisallaboutpeople.After all,connectingpeoplewithandthroughtechnology-this iswhatUbimaxstandsfor.Thatiswhywenotonly supportdesklessworkersallaroundtheglobebutwe alsoputthehumanbeingwithallhisqualitiesand experiencesintheforegroundinourowncompany.We seeinternationalityandculturaldiversityas opportunities.Ourteamconsistsof17differentnations with15differentlanguages.Withoutourdiverseteam,it wouldnothavebeenpossibletobecometheworld marketleaderinsuchashorttime.Ourclientsarelarge corporationsoperatingonaninternationalscale.Only withourdiverseteam,inwhichinterculturalexchangeis agiven,weareanattractivepartnerfortheinternational market.Diversitythusprovidesuswithareal competitiveadvantageanddrivesusforward.
Q:Howdoesyourorganizationcontributetothe Company
Q:Howdoyoudiversifyyourofferingssoasto benefityourcustomers?
A:Weareacompanythatlistens.Wefound,themore wearereadytolearnfromtheproductiveuseofour platform,thebetteroursolutionsbecome.Alotofthe featuresfoundwithinoursoftwareareeitherbasedon concretecustomerwishesorderivedfromchallenges beingsolvedinproductiveusage.Wedonotthinkthat creatingnewtechnologyonlybecauseitisfeasiblebutit doesnothaveaproductivevalueisadvantageousfor anyone.Witheverynewfeaturewewanttomeetreal industrychallenges.Sofar,wecanrelyon250customer projects.Theexperiencegainedfromtheseisavaluable sourcefornewideasonhowtoadaptoursoftwareeven morepreciselytoourcustomers’needs.Thisway,we growasacompanywitheverynewchallenge,with everynewprojectwitheverynewcustomer.
Q:Fromthebeginningtilltoday,listouttoughest difficultiesyoufacedandlessonsyouhavelearned fromthem?WhatistheeffectofthecurrentDiesel phase-outplansproposedbymanycountriesonyour company?
A:TheDieselphaseoutplansandotherenvironmental challengesareactuallyabigopportunityforus.Our maingoalisoptimizingindustrialandlogistical processesalongtheentirevaluechain.Thatreducesnot onlygenerallycostsbutalsospecificallytheneedfor resourcesofanykind.Throughoptimizinglogistics,we aredrivingleanprocessesforwardwhichhelpstoreduce transportationandstoringefforts.Withourremote assistancesolutionstravelingforproblemsolving becomesobsoleteinalotofcases–againagreatchance intimesofenvironmentalchallenges.Also,oursolutions supporttheconstructofapaperlessfactorybyproviding allneededinformationdigitallyrightinfrontofthe worker’seye.
Q:Withthemassiveadvancementsintechnology suchasIoT,AutonomousVehicles,AI,Electric Vehicles,andmorewhataretheopportunitiesand challengesevolvingwithit?
A:AtUbimaxwehaverecognizedtheseopportunities longago.FeatureslikeIoTcomponentsareintegrated intoourplatformaswellasAIfeatureslikeimage recognitionforrecognizingpickeditemsforexample. Withthehelpofwearables,datacollectionhasbecome easierthaneverbefore.Theanalysisofthataccumulated
dataoffersaprecisebaseforprofounddecisions. Throughthemobiledevicestheconnectivityis maximized,too.Thatway,apowerfulcollaboration betweenhumansandmachines–theso-calledInternetof Humans-isachieved.Withoursolutionsweare augmentingtheworkforce’sintelligence.Onechallenge thatwearefacingistheacceptanceofthetechnology amongworkers.Allprovidedadvantagescansometimes nottrumpethicalconcernslikedatasecurityor surveillanceattheworkplace.WeatUbimaxhave implementedfeatureslikearecordingsymbolwhenthe cameraisstartedremotely.Theworkeristheninformed thathissupervisoriswatching.Thesestepsseemsmall buttheyarepowerfultoolsforincreasingworkers’ autonomy.
Q:Whatcanbeexpectedfromyourcompanyinthe nearfuture?
A:Forus,thefutureisanaugmentedworkforce.We wanttoachievethisnotonlythroughwearable computingandaugmentedrealitybutthroughthis combinationenhancedthroughartificialintelligence. Thatiswhatwecallaugmentedintelligence.Driving industryandlogisticsforwardwithnext-level technologiesandprovidingrealaddedvaluewithdigital processes.Whileartificialintelligenceoffersanarrayof advantagesonthebusinesssideitalsoempowers frontlineworkersbysupportinghealthyworking environmentsandmakinginformationevenmoreeasily accessible.Thatwaywecreateawin-winsituationfor allinvolvedstakeholders.
Q:Anyadviceforthebuddingentrepreneursinthe industry?
A:Webelievethataftermobileandsmartphoneerathe nextcomputingdecadebelongstowearabledevices.In thelastyears,themarkethasdevelopedrapidlyand continuestogrowuptoanestimatedmarketvalueof35 billionby2023.Thus,thefieldisofferingplentyof opportunityfornewcompanieswithgoodideas.The mostimportantaspectforusisnottolosethefocuson theworkforce.Afterall,theyaretheonestousethe technologyonadailybasis.Withthatinmind,weare lookingforwardtonewfacesenteringthemarketdriving theindustryforwardtogether.
