Shru ka Khedekar
TmostbusiestMaritimeroutes—theSuezCanalin theyear2021,highlightedthecriticalityofthe routeintermsofglobaltrade.Openedin1984,itremains thefastestroutebetweenEuropeandEastAsia,lettingpass severalships,andthusremainsasignificantgeostrategic locationoftheworld.
heEvergreencontainer,whenblockedoneofthe
Butasthetrafficparalyzed,hundredsofshipswerewaiting topassthrough,andthevulnerabilityoftheglobalsupply chainmanagementwasexposedtotheworld.Tryingto understandwhatledthismassivenetworktogetonits knees,analystsacrosstheglobestarteditsinvestigative journey TheybelievedthatEuropehadexperiencedthe strongestimpactofthestanding,withgoodsandservices beinglodgedduetothedelayinreceivingshipments.A studyestimatedthatonesingledayofblockageintheroute woulddecreasetheglobalannualtradebyalmost0.4 percent,andthecostofthiswouldbeequivalenttoUSD $6-10billion.
That drops down the costs to USD $400 million per hour!
It's huge, right?
Well,thisincidentmadetheworldrealizetheimportanceof connectivityevenfarbetterthanintheeraofglobalization, asoneeconomydependsupontheconnectivityofallits
,Logistics has not just bridged the trade and commerce world but has brought an efcient drift and integrated business culture to the prime spotlight.
economicpartners.Theincidentalsocomprehendsmany profoundimplicationsregardinginfrastructurenetworks, alternativestrategies,andmanyothers.
Havingtoplayacrucialroleinbridgingthedemand-supply gapwithstrategicinfrastructureandglobalintegration,the logisticindustryhashelpedinternationaltradeflourishlike neverbefore.
Withtheonsetoftechnologicaladvancements,therehas beenamassiveimpactandscopefortradeonalargerscale. Realizingthis,weat Insights Success,throughourlatest edition, "World'sBestLogisticCompaniesToWatch 2022,"triedtoemphasizetheimpeccablepotentialof logisticscompaniesintheglobaltradearena.It'snobig secretthatthelogisticsindustryiswideandcomplex. Hence,thiseditionencompassedtocoverscrucialnamesin thelogisticsegmentthathaveemergedastopplayers cateringtothisindustry.
Letusunveilseveralinspirationalstoriesandinterviewsof exemplarycompaniesinthisspecialeditionandhelpspread thewordabouttheirinvaluablecontributiontoglobal integrationthroughsupplychainmarvels.Also,while scanningthroughthisedition,ensuretogothroughthe articleswrittenbyourin-houseeditorialteamandexperts.
Haveahappyandinsightfulread!
-ShrutikaKhedekar
CoyoteLogistics coyote.com DBSchenker dbschenker.com
LineageLogistics lineagelogistics.com
CoyoteLogisticsisaleadingglobalthird-partylogisticsprovider thatmatchesmorethan10,000shipmentseveryday
LogiNextMile loginextsolutions.com
DBSchenkerisagloballogisticsproviderthatsupportsindustry andtradeintheglobalexchangeofgoodsthroughlandtransport, worldwideairandoceanfreight,contractlogistics,andsupply chainmanagement.
GregLehmkuhl CEO
LineageLogisticsisaprovideroftemperature-controlled supplychainandlogisticssolutionswithexpertiseinend-toendlogisticalsolutionsandinnovativetechnologyhelpto increasedistributionefficiency,advancesustainability, minimizesupplychainwaste.
DhruvilSanghvi Co-founderandCEO
LogiNextMileisfocusedonrouteplanningandpackage movementoptimizationsoftwarefordeliveryservice companiesinthecourier,parcel,andexpressindustries.
MangoLogisticsGroup mangologisticsgroup.co.uk
DanielLevan-Harris MD NeoviaLogistics neovialogistics.com
ChristopherSynek CEO
MangoLogisticsisasustainablebespokelogisticsprovider(3PL) thatspecializesincourierandwarehousingsolutionsandprovidesa truesustainablelast-miledeliveryforB2BandB2Cclients.
NeoviaLogisticsisathird-partylogistics,operatingthathas combineditsOEMmindsetwithreal-worldinnovationtosolve complexlogisticschallengesforcompaniesintheautomotive, industrial,aerospaceandtechnologysectors.
SeaRates searates.com
SergeyDzhashitov HeadofOperations
Searatesisadigitalplatformforshippinggoodsfromone locationtoanotherandtobookshipsforgoodsshipping.
TechlanticandTradeX tradexport.com
Timereaction timereaction.com
RyanDavidson(CEO) LucianoButera(COO) EricvanEssen (ManagingDirector)
Techlantic,isprovidingitsextensiveexperienceandunwavering integrityintheautomotiveindustry And TRADEXfocusesoncustomerservice,understandingthelocal regulationsofthemarkets,minimizingindustrystress,and providingtransparencyintheglobalautomotivetrade.
AllanDiamond CEO
Timereactionisacloud-basedworkflowmanagementplatform thathelpslinktheprocessesofdesign,production,order processing,anddeliveryofproductsandprojectsacrossa globalsupplychain.
Fordecades,theautomotiveexportindustryhasbeen aboomingpartoftheglobaleconomy.Throughout history,thisindustryhasevolvedininteresting ways,asitreliesoninnovationtoremaincompetitivewith otherindustriesaroundtheworld.
Carmanufacturersacrosstheglobeareproducing exceptionalvehiclesthatareinhighdemand.Fromluxury sedanstosportycoupes,thereisacarforeveryone.And, thankstothegrowthoftheautomotiveexportindustry, consumersnowhavemorechoicesthaneverwhenitcomes topurchasinganewcar
Intoday’senvironment,anautomotiveexporterwitha legacybuiltontrust,innovation,andtransparencyisan indispensableresource.That’swhatyoucanexpect—a trustedandknowledgeablesource—whenyouchooseto partnerwithTechlanticandTRADEX.
Techlanticwasfoundedasafamily-runcompanybackin 1983andhassincegrownintoatrustedbrandwith extensiveexperienceandunwaveringintegrityinthe automotiveindustry
Techlanticwas,andcontinuestobe,anearlymemberofthe EuropeanAssociationofIndependentVehicleTraders (EAIVT)andafoundingmemberoftheNorthAmerican AutomobileTradeAssociation(NAATA).
Asthetrustednameforautomotivelogisticsandtrade finance,Techlantichasastronghistoryofhelpingto regulatetheindustrytoensurethatcompaniesinteractwith highlevelsofintegrityandaccuracy.
ForTRADEX,thisreputationwasakeysellingpointas thecompanysoughttoenhanceitsglobalautomotive tradingecosystembypairingitwithTechlantic’sdecadesof knowledgeandrelationships.
WorkingtogetherwithTechlantic,TRADEXis transformingintotheautomotiveindustry’smosttrusted export-solutionsecosystem,providingamoreefficient cross-borderautomotivetradeprocess,andoffering capital-efficient,global-tradefinancingsolutionsinline withtoday’smoderntradetransaction.
UtilizingTechlantic’sfoundationandcombiningitwith TRADEX’smissiontoaddactionableintelligencetoglobal automotivetrade,TRADEXenvisionscreatingsolutions thatcanbeleveragedbyimportersandexportersallover theworld.
Bothcompanieshaveanextensivenetworkoflogistics partnersforwarehousing,loadingandhomologationof vehiclesand,asthetwocompaniesintegrate,thereisa largebenefittocombiningtheirhubstoprovidea single-pointsolutiontomanageinternationallogisticsand homologationreliably
Integrity,innovation,accuracy,trust,and transparency—thesearethevaluesthatTRADEXand Techlanticshare.Bycontinuingtoadheretothesefounding corevalues,theycontinuetostayrelevanttoclientsand reflectsharedvaluesthroughouttheircompanies.
Byfocusingoncustomerservice,understandingthelocal regulationsofthemarkets,andminimizingindustrystress, TRADEXprovidesunprecedentedtransparencyinglobal automotivetrade.
AnyusertransactingintheTRADEXmarketplacecanbe confidentthevehicleswillarriveontimeviaqualityof internationalshipping.
TheTRADEXecosystemistheonlyproviderofaglobal automotivemarketplaceforcardealers,fleetowners,rental companies,mobilitysolutionproviders,OEMs,importers, andexporters,providingtradefinance,homologation, currencyexchange,sourcing,pricediscoverythroughdata, andenhanceddataanalyticsfunneledtogetherintoatrusted platformservicerootedinautomation.
OutsideoftheTRADEXecosystem,automotivetradeis hyper-fragmentedanddisconnected,butbycreatinga platformforvehicletraders,theprocesscanbesimplified throughoneend-to-endsolution.Thisreducesthemarket frictionandincreasestheefficiencyofeachtrade,providing transparencyandtrustforeachpartyinvolved.
Unlikemanualmethodsforcross-borderinternationaltrade, whichrelyonindustryconnectionsandprocessesthat aren’tfullytrusted,TRADEXlowerstheriskinvolvedand providesconsistencysothateveryoneintheindustryis providedthesamereliabletradingnetworkandan automated,fullytransparentprocess.
TRADEX’ssuccessissupportedbyindustryveteran leadersRyanDavidson,CEO,andLucianoButera, COO.EricvanEssen,ManagingDirectoratTechlantic, willcomplementTradeX’sleadershipteam,byadding expertisethatwillhelpfuelitsgrowthandexpandinto differentmarkets.
EricvanEssenisthesecondgenerationtorunTechlantic andhassuccessfullybuiltonTechlantic’slonghistoryof success.Throughhistechnicalexpertiseandengineering background,Erichasfurtherelevatedthecompany, digitizingmanyofitsprocessestoprovidefurtherefficiency andgrowth.
Likewise,RyanDavidsonwasraisedinafamilywhose historytotheautomotiveindustrygoesasfarbackasthe 1920s.Ryanquicklyrealizedtherewassomethingbeyond buyingandsellingcarslocally,andeventuallychanneled hispassionintoTRADEX.
Usingtechnologyasabasisforhistradingbusiness,Ryan initiatedthecreationofTRADEX’sglobaltradingplatform thatprovidesforamoreefficientglobalecosystemfor cross-bordertrade.
Ademonstratedleaderintheautomotiveindustry,Luciano Buteraoffersmulti-dimensionalexpertisetoTRADEX. Havinggrownupinanautomotivegroupfamily,Luciano becameaskilledprofessionalinthebusiness’soperations andlaterwentontobecomeacorporatelawyer hyper-focusedonautomotiveservicesandsolutions.
Thisallowedhimtoinfuseriskmitigation,creditanalysis, andlegaldisciplineintotheautomotivetradingprocess, generatingpositiveindustrychangesforcompaniessuchas
CoxAutomotive,wherehewasoneoftheprincipal architectsoftheircross-borderfinancingportfolio developmentforitsCanada-U.S.floor-planbusinesses.
TheTRADEXteamspeakseloquentlyabouthowthe adoptionofmoderntechnologieshasimpactedthelogistics industry.Giventhechallengesthatcurrentlyexistwhen tradingvehiclesinternationally,theyhaveconsistently soughttoinfusetrustintothelogisticsandtrade-finance processbyprovidinggreatertransparency.
Fromaconsumerstandpoint,themarketexpectationfor onlineshoppingisthatfullvisibilityshouldbeprovided fromstarttofinish,allowingbuyerstomonitorthetimeline forproductarrivalandmaximizingtheefficiencyofcapital deployment.Withautomotivetradeacrossborders,traders don’ttypicallyhaveaccesstothatinformation,andeven lessso,whendealingwithdistantcountries.
Historically,adealerhasnowaytoaccessthistracking information,whichisincrediblyimportantfora depreciatingasset.AmajordrivingfactorforB2Btraders’
willingnesstotradegloballyisthattheyreceivethesame levelofserviceandvisibility—suchastrackinga shipment—thattheconsumergetswhentheyorder somethingonAmazon.
Thatkindoftransparencyanddata-sharingaddsimpressive valuetotheindustryandisjustnowbeingbuiltintothe supply-chainprocessofcross-borderautomotivetrade.It hasbecomemoreaboutintegratingthemultiple componentsofthesupplychain—thelogistics,thetrade financing,thecurrencyexchange,thepaymentprocessing, theassetverificationthroughconditionreports—allinto onesystemtocreategreaterefficiencyandaccessibility. Thesechangesgarnermoretrustfromusersinthe ecosystem.
Throughoutthepandemicandwiththevariousrestrictions impactingtheirbusinesses,TechlanticandTRADEXhave alignedcloselywithpublichealthofficials.Toensurethe safetyoftheirteammembersvendorsandclients,theteam hassuccessfullyfollowedallsafetyprotocolsand maintainedsafeoperations.
IntheeraofCOVID-19,thebiggestchallengesthey experiencedwerelogisticalinnature,primarilythestartof thepandemic.Likemanybusinesses,operationshadto pausedduetoshutdowns,which,forthem,meantclosureof registeredimport,export,andtitlingoffices.
Duringthistime,however,theyalsoexperiencedapositive changeinhowbusinesswasconducted.Theyhostedmore webmeetings,whichcreatedamoreeffectiveoptionthat allowedforgreatercontactwithclientsandsuppliers barringsafetyortravelissues.Thishelpedtoincreasethe trustbetweenparties,asthewebmeetingswerenodifferent fromface-to-facemeetings,onlyconductedinamore accommodatingway.
Aftertheindustryreopened,themarketstartedtohealand businessesbeganoperatingsomewhatnormally,which createdincreaseddemandforusedcars.Thiswasdueto peoplenolongerfeelingsafeonpublictransportorwith ridesharing.
TheTRADEXteambelievestheindustrywillnormalize soonglobally,andautomotiveproductionwillgetbackon track,buttheindustrywilllikelyretainsomeofthelessons theywereforcedtolearnthroughoutthepandemic.
WhatadvicedoesRyanandLucianohaveforentrepreneurs whowishtoventureintotheautomobiletradeandlogistics industry?
“Webelievethatmovingforward,transparencyisthenew currency,andinvestingintechnologythatprovidesthatwill bewhatmakesservicesmoresuccessful.Technologyis disruptingolderofflinebusinesses,soentrepreneurswill
needtocreatemoreefficientplatformsandintegrated services,withafocusonusingdatatodrivetheseoutdated, legacybusinessesthatarebuiltmoreonofflineservices,” theysaid.
SharingtheirvisionforscalingTRADEX’soperationsand offeringsin2022andbeyond,RyanandLucianosaidthat, withTechlantic,TRADEXwillfocusoncreatingmore optionsforglobaltradefinancingwhilecontinuingtoopen newmarketstoitsproprietaryecosystem.
Theyrecognizehowfortunatethey’vebeentosecurestrong partnershipsandexpanditsglobalpresence.Looking ahead,theyplantocontinuegrowingitsmarketplace presencetohelpvehicletradersworldwideoutofthe currentsupplystrugglesandintoastrong technology-enhanced,tradeefficientenvironment.
“Wearechangingthewaycross-borderautomotivetradeis doneandsolvinganarchaictradeprocessthrough transparency,efficiency,andinfusingtradefinancingto accelerateitsgrowth,”RyanandLucianosaid.Seeingthe autoindustrygrowonlineinaninterconnectedand integratedwayisTRADEX’sultimatevision.
Flands, everything has its limits
romthenever-endingoceanstothewidespread
Similarly,humansarealsolimitedintheirabilitytoperform theirtasks.Thisgavebirthtotheprocessofbeing dependentoneachotherforasharedpurpose.This dependencyhascontinuedsincetheexistenceofhuman history Andapartfromthedependency,humanshavealso beenpronetotravelingforvariouspurposes.These purposeschangeaccordingtotheirneeds.
Theneedsofhumanshaveemergedcuriositywithinthem, andtosatisfythiscuriosity,theystartedcomingupwith ideastosmoothenupthewaystofinishtheirtasks.
Learningfromthisevolutionarysolution,businesseshave alsoadaptedtheseideasforfastergrowth.
Justliketheideaofdependencyinhumans,anideainthe businessworldthathasbeeneffectiveisthesupplychain.
Withtime,therehavebeenprominentchangestothesupply chain.
Managementofthesupplychainisachallengingtaskthat involvesplentyofrisks.Theknowledgeoftherisksandthe operativemeasuresofthesystemisanecessitytorunthe supplychain.Itbecomeseasytocomprehendthesituation andtakecorrectivemeasuresaccordinglywiththe informationofalltherisksinvolved.
Andeachpossibleriskcarriesweightageandcomingup withasolutionbecomesmandatory.Understandingthe riskshelpsindevelopingeffectivesolutionsandpreventing similarscenarioswithinaminimumtime,and simultaneouslyachievingperfectionineverywokflow.
Theperfectionintheprocessofthesupplychainrequiresa perfectresearchanalysistobeconductedbehindit. Thoroughresearchshouldbeconductedbeforeexecuting theprocess.Alongthetrail,withtheuseoftechnology,this researchcanbedonequickly,ensuringfromcommitting mistakesthatcancauseadelayatthetimeofthedelivery
Organizationsmustsetupcontracts,markingallthe possiblerisksandensuringawarenessaboutitamongthe suppliersandempowerigtheimplementingphase.
Thestrategiesoftheexecutionmustbedescriptive,but anotherimportanttaskistocreateasustainableandlongtermappealtotheorganizationtoensurethatthesystem remainsstableandorganizedforalongerduration,despite thebusinessenvironmentandvariousfinancialchanges.
Mostly,supplychainmanagementfallsshortofdelays, interruptions,andinworst-casescenarios,atotalshutdown. Toavoidsuchuncertainty,companiesmuststopfocusingon short-termbenefitsandlookoutforalong-termapproachas itsafeguardstheorganizationagainstunfortunateevents.
Oneofthemostvitalrolesinsupplychainmanagementis playedbythetransportationsystem.Evenasmallmistake
cancauseabigdelayintheexecutionoftheentireprocess. Ithasbecomeaneedforcompaniestorunparallellywith technologicaldevelopmentstoensurehealthycompetition withothercompanies.Thelatestdevelopmentsinvehicles helpinthecompletionofallthetaskswithintime.
Suchdevelopmentoftransportationhasbeeneffectivein everyaspectforcompaniestosatisfycustomerneeds.From thetime—theproductmovesfromthesuppliertoits deliverytothecustomer,theexpectationsofthecustomer mustbeattheheartofthetransportationsystem.Thesurety oftheconditionoftheproductwithoutanydamagefrom thestartingpointuntiltheendiscrucialfortransportation inlogistics.
Advancementinthetechnologysectorhasbeenan immensehelpinthesynchronizationoftransportationwith supplychaintechnology Atransportationmanagement software(TMS),dailymonitorsthetransportation operations.
Theseoperationsincludeplanningtheroute,fuelcosting, cargohandling,supplierrelations,fleetmanagement,and customercommunications.
Theuseoftransportationmanagementsoftwareisimpactful inrestrainingandreducingtransportationcosts.
Accordingtoresearch,thereductionoffreightcostwas8% withtheuseofaTMS.Currently,notallcompaniesare makinguseofTMSbutitisontheriseascompaniesare nowembracingeffectiveandcost-friendlytransportation.
Theconceptofdependencycontinuesinthehumanaswell asthebusinessworld.Justlikehumansaredependenton eachother,businessesareboundtobedependentoneach otherforthecompletionoftasks.Fortheeffortlessand perfectcompletionofthesetasks,logisticshasseena massivetransformationinashortspan.
Somemightconsidertransportasthebackboneofthe supplychain.Tokeeptheserviceintact,companiesmustgo alongwiththeadvancementoftechnologies.Thiscanopen thegatesforcompaniestoenhancetheirstructureandstay onestepaheadoftheircontemporaries!
What are these simple changes that transformed the face of logistics?
Dhruvil Sanghvi Co-founder and CEO LogiNext Mile
Advancedtechnologieshavemadethingsmuch simplerandpossibleforpeopleallaroundthe world.Afewyearsback,inclusionoftechnology inthetraditionallogisticsandsupplychainindustryseemed difficult.Whilebigbrandswerefocusingonthelastmile deliverysystem,severallogisticscompanieswereworking inthebackendtomakeitpossible.
InoursearchoftheWorld'sBestLogisticCompaniesTo Watch2022,wecameacrossLogiNextMile,apremier routeplanningandpackagemovementoptimization softwarefordeliveryservicecompaniesinthecourier, parcel,andexpressindustry
Inthefollowinginterview,DhruvilSanghvi,the Co-founderandCEOgivesusinsightsintothelogistics andsupplychainindustry,thechallengesthattheLogiNext teamfaced,andhisvisionforthecompany'sfuture.
Howdidyourcompanycomeintoexistence?Whatwas theideabehinditsgenesis?
ItallstartedatCarnegieMellonUniversitywhereLogiNext Co-foundersDhruvilSanghviandManishaRaisinghanimet whileresearchingtheimplicationsofdatasciencein logisticsmanagement.
Postthis,theywenttoworkwiththelikesofIBMand DeloittewheretheyhelpedFortune500companiesto automateandoptimizelogisticsoperations.Lookingatthe
gapsinthetransportationandlogisticssystemsfromtheir experience,theideaforLogiNextwasborn.
BriefusabouttheoveralloperationsofLogiNext.
LogiNextisaglobaltechnologycompanythathas LogiNextMileTransportationAutomationPlatformasits flagshipSaaSoffering.Theplatformhelpsanyenterprise whichismovinggoodsandparcelsfromonepartofthe worldtoanotherorwithinthesamecityaswell.BeitB2B fulfilmentorlast-miledeliveries,LogiNextisusedby companiesinthefollowingindustries:
-Courier,ExpressandParcel
-eCommerceandRetail
-Transportationand3PL
-QSR(QuickServiceRestaurants)andFastCasuals
ThecompanyisheadquarteredinNewYorkwithofficesin Mumbai,Delhi,JakartaandDubai.Thetotalteamstrength is200+andthecompanyhasraised$50millioninthree roundsoffundingfromthelikesofTigerGlobal,Steadview Capital,andAlibabaGroupofCompanies.
KindlyelaborateonLogiNext'suniqueproductsor services.
Letmebeginwithanexample,consideraQSRchainlike StarbucksorMcdonald's.Therearethousandsoforders comingineverydayandtherearemultiplestoresinone
city/location.Andtherearedrivers/deliverypartners deliveringtheordersthatcomein.Beforeaproductlike LogiNext,allthiswasmanagedmanually
Now,thisentireprocessfromtakinginordersfromweb, mobile,phonecalls,etc.andbringingitintoasinglesystem andthenusingrouteoptimizationandrouteplanning algorithms,theseordersareassignedtodriversastrip plans,whichcanbechangeddynamicallyinreal-time,in casethereisachangeinorder.
ThereisaLogiNextDashboardforthestoremanagerto automateallofthisandadriversappforthedrivertogo andmakedeliveriesinthemostefficientmanner Thebrand cancontrolitsdeliveryexperienceasthebrandingistheirs. AllofthisismadepossibleviatheLogiNextMilePlatform.
Dhruvil,pleasetalkindetailaboutyourself.Kindly elaborateonhisprofessionalandpersonallife.
Lookingback,ithasbeenanincrediblejourney,rightfrom growingupinAhmedabad,asmallcityinthewesternpart ofIndiatostudyingdatasciencesatCarnegieMellon UniversityandworkingattheexhilaratingTimesSquareto startingupandscalingaglobaltechfirm.Lifehasbeena rollercoasterandI'velovedeverybitofit!
Todivedeeperintothebackstorythatledmetothiscareer path,I'dgobackto2009-10whensomemajordisruptions werehappening-theiPhonewasbecomingmainstream acrosstheglobe,whichmeantmobilitywasbecomingakey partofeverything.
2011iswhenthecloudhadpickedupwithAmazon crossing$1billioninrevenuesandGoogleMapsbroughtin themappingrevolutionbymakingitsuperconsumer friendly WitheCommercepickingupsteamand Uberizationofeverythingjustaroundthecorner,Iwas sittingattheintersectionofallthesetrendsworkingwith thelikesofE&YandDeloittewithlogisticstechasasector focus.
Alltheseincrediblyimportantdevelopmentsintheglobal landscapeledmeandmyco-founder,ManishaRaisinghani (whoImetatCMU)tostartupLogiNexttobringinanew ageSaaSproducttoautomatetheworldoflogistics.We startedfromIndiabutquicklyrealizedthepotentialofthe solutionwewerebuildingandthus,shiftedbasetoNYand we'reextremelyproudtosharethatweworkwith200+ enterpriseclientsinmorethan50countriesnowwitha teamstrengthofcloseto250.
OneoftheUSPsofLogiNextistheeaseofusabilityandits compatibilitywithothertechnologysystems.LogiNext platformcomeswithAPIsandWebhookswhichtalktoalot ofsystemsandmakeiteasyforanyorganizationtogolive inamatterofminutes.Thiswaspossiblebecauseofbeing hostedonthecloudandtheamountofeffortthathas alreadygoneintobuildingtheintegrations.
Earlier,deployingasoftwarelikeLogiNextwouldhaveto bedoneon-premiseanditwouldtakemonthstoexecute, butwithLogiNext'sSaaSoffering,allthisisaccomplished onthegoandatafractionofthecost.
WhatkindofchallengeshasLogiNextfacedinitsinitial daysofestablishmentandwhatarethestrugglesitis goingthroughnow?
Whenwebegan,mostofthelogisticsmanagementsoftware usedtobelegacyon-premisesoftware.Whatthismeansis thatthesoftwarewasveryexpensiveandwouldtake monthstoimplement!
Cloudtechnologychangedallofthis.AndLogiNextisa cloud-basedSaaSplatformthatismuchmorecost-effective thananyon-premisesoftwareandisplug&play.Now,one ofthechallengesearlieronwastoeducatetheenterprises aboutthis.
Fortune500companieshavebeenrunningonlegacy softwarefordecadesandtocommunicatethatthecloud softwareisequallysecure(ifnotmore)wasahuge paradigmshiftthatwastobebroughtabout.
Thishasnowchanged,especiallyinthelastcoupleofyears withSaaSbecominganacceptedmodelandalotof traditionaltechcompaniesalsoadoptingthecloudand movingonfromtheiron-premisemodel.
Kindlydescribethecurrentindustryscenariothat LogiNextiscateringto.
Logisticsandsupplychainisprobablyoneofthelast industriestoundergothetechnologywave.LogiNextisone ofthepioneersinthefieldofrouteoptimization,fleet managementandbuildingthenextgenerationofa transportationmanagementsystem.
Theindustryhasseenbillionsofdollarsbeingpouredinas investmentandthesceneisreallyseeingalotofaction.
Especiallyafterthepandemic,on-demanddeliverieshas madethelastmilehomedeliveryapriorityforeverybrand andthisiswhatwedothebest.
Theentirespacecanberesearchedhere: https://www.cbinsights.com/research/shipping-logisticscompanies-unbundling-package-delivery/
Whatadvicewouldyouliketogivetheyoung entrepreneursandstart-upsthatarewillingtoenterthe logisticsandsupplychainindustrythatyouarecatering to?
Thelogisticsandsupplychainindustryisthebackboneof theglobaleconomy.Itrequiresalotofindustryinsightsand alongtermcommitmenttosucceedinthisindustry.My advicetoanyonewillingtostartupinthedomainwouldbe tospendafewyearsonthegroundgettingtoknowthereal painpointsofthecustomerandwherethegapslie.This timeonthefieldgoesalongwayinanticipatingreal-world problemsandcomingupwithabetterbusinessproposition thatstandsthetestoftime.
WhatdoesthefutureholdforLogiNextintermsof growth?
We'vebeengrowing100%andareworkingtokeepupthe momentum.We'vesignedupwithsomemajorclients (press)andinallworkwith200+enterpriseclientsacross 50+countries.Wearehiringrapidlyacrossgeographiesand wouldprobablydoubleinteamsizein2022.
WehaveaverydiverseteamaswellwithawomanCTO leadingfromthehelm(myco-founderManisha Raisinghani).Wehaveseveralotherwomeninleadership rolesandateamwithdifferentbackgroundsand inclinationswhichallmakesforanopen,growing organization.
fyou'rerunningabusinessandhavebeenfeeling
I frustratedwiththelackofenthusiasmtoreturntothe office,you'renotalone.Sure,youwereflexibleinthe beginning,butnowit'sbecominghardertomotivateyour employees,productivityiswaning,andprofitsarestarting tosuffer.Butwhydoesnoonewanttocomeback?
Wheneveryheadlinetalksaboutthebenefitsofremote working,howcanyougoagainstthegrainandinspirea shiftbacktoanoffice-basedworkenvironment?
I'mgoingtoexplainwhyit'simportanttoreturntothe office,I'llhelpyouunderstandwheretheresistanceyouare experiencingiscomingfrom,andI'llsharepracticaltipsto helpyouguideyourteamback.
Let's start with the why. Whyisitimportanttogetyourteambackintothe office?
It'sallaboutculture.Thereisnodoubtthat,inmost instances,thereisaclearlinkbetweenremoteworkingand lackingcompanyculture.Wedon'tneedtotellyouthat hostingteam-buildingexercisesoverZoomdoesn'tquitehit themarkinthesamewaythatfull-dayin-persontraining would.
Whenyouareclearonyourcompanyvalues,andyouare abletoexpressthesetoyouremployees,yougivethema “NorthStar”toguidethemduringchallengingtimes.The
problemisduringthepandemic,manyorganizationswere forcedtochange,teamsweredispersed,andculturewasput onthebackburner.Nowisthetimetofixthat.
Why?Becausehavingastrongcompanycultureisdirectly linkedtoincreasedprofits.Wealsoknowthatitpositively impactsproductivity.So,ifyouneedtoreturntotheoffice toimproveyourcompanyculture,thisshouldbeyour numberonepriority.
Inthewakeofthepandemic,therehasbeenaworldwide shiftinvaluesaspeoplerealizedthatworkwasnottheonly thingthatmattered.Theforcedshifttoremoteworkgave manypeopleawork/lifebalancethattheyhadnot experiencedbefore,makingthingslikeattending appointmentsanddroppingthekidsoffatschooleasierthan everbefore.
Whilemanypeoplearegaggingtogetbacktoin-person meetings,after-workdrinks,andofficechit-chat,othersare usedtoworkingintheirpajamas,spendingmoretimewith theirchildren,andsleepinginalittlelongereachday.
Thetruthisifpeopleareearningthesameamountof moneyandtheiroutputisthesame,intheirminds,thereis noreasontochangetheircurrentworksituation.
Onethingisclear,forcingpeopletoreturntotheoffice whentheydon'twanttowon'twork.So,whatcanyoudo
Lauren Ryder is the CEO of Leading Edge Global, a consul ng firm based in Sydney, Australia. The Leading Edge team works closely with clients to improve their systems, processes, and culture through a unique humancentered approach. Visit www.leading-edge.global
instead?Insteadofmakingthereturntotheoffice mandatory,youneedtoinspireyourteamtoreturnoftheir ownaccord.
Explaintheplansthatyouhaveforyourbusinessandmake themfeelliketheyareanimportantpartofthoseplans. Whenanemployeecanseethepotentialinabusiness,they aremorelikelytoworkhardastheyknowthatgrowthand careerprogressionarepossible.
Keepinmindthatit'spossiblethatyourcompany'svision, mission,andvalueshaveshiftedoverthepasttwoyears.It maybetimeforarefreshandaprogramtorollthemoutto re-inspireyourteamagain.
Whenpeopleseegrowthandknowthatprofitsarebeingreinvestedintothebusiness,theybecomemoreengaged.This improvesmotivationacrosstheboard,anditalsoimpacts productivityandwellbeing.
Makeitworththeirwhiletotravelintotheoffice.Chances areyourbusinesshaschangedoverthepasttwoyears,and soshouldtheKPIsyousetforyourteam.Thebestwayto understandwhatincentivestheywantistoaskyour employees.RunaPulseSurveytofindoutwhatis importanttothemtogetsomeharddata.
Also,ensureyourmanagersarehaving1:1meetingwithall employeesandaskingquestionsabouttheirmotivationand desiredincentives,andprovideaclearcommunication pathwaytogettheinformationbacksoyoucantakeaction.
Givingyourteamapieceofthepiealignsemployerand employeeincentives,increasesmotivationandloyalty,and fostersgreaterteamwork.Thebenefitsarefar-reachingand ensureyouremployeesareinitforthelongrun.Nomatter whatsizeyourbusinessis,rewardingyouremployeesfor workingtogetherforacommongoalisawin-win.
Leadershiptrainingcoursesandprogramsletyourteam knowthatyoubackthemandtheirfuturewiththe company.Provideaccesstonewskillseachyear,earmark peopleforpromotionsandsupportthemonthejourney
Inreality,you'reunlikelytobeabletoconvincepeopleto returntothenowredundant9-5,MondaytoFriday,fulltimeofficegig.Therefore,Irecommendthatbusinesses formally establish a Hybrid workplace.Ifyou'renotwilling tobealittlebitflexibleontheofficearrangement,yourisk losingyourtoptalenttocompetitorswhopromote flexibility.Offeringareasonableamountofflexibilitywill goalongwaytokeepingpeoplesatisfied,andthekeyisnot tomakeanyonefeelbadaboutusingthatflexibility.
ThereareafewkeyfeaturesforaneffectiveHybrid workforce.Wesuggeststartingbackasapilotandchecking inwitheachemployeeaftertwoweekstoseehowit's going.Thiswillrequireformalcommunicationchannels suchasonlinesurveysor1:1meetingswiththeirmanager, aswellasinformalchannelssuchasphonecallsorcoffee chats,justtocheckhoweveryoneiscoping.
You'llalsoneedtoaddresssomeemployeesonacase-bycasebasis.Someteammembersmayhavemovedawayand cannolongertraveltotheoffice,ortheyhavenew childcarearrangements.Thekeyistolistentotheir individualneeds.Ifyourteammembersfeelheard,then you'llhaveamuchmoremotivatedworkforce.
Andfinally,whetheryoudecidetoenforcetwo,three,or fourdaysintheoffice,thekeyistohaveone“GlueDay”onedayeveryweekwhereeveryoneintheofficecomesin sotheycanengagewiththeentireteam.You'llfindmorale, productivity,andcultureimprovewhentheteamisallin oneplace.
Ifyou'restrugglingwithworkforcemotivationoryou'renot surewheretostart,LeadingEdgeGlobalprovidessolutions fororganizationsthatstruggletomeettheirobjectives.We canworkwithyoutodesigntherightsolutiontocreatethe mosteffectiveworkforce,leadingyourbusinesstohigher revenueandprofit.
wisethinkerhasrightlysaidthat"Informationis
A sttheoilofthe21 century,andanalyticsisthe combustionengine."Thiscenturyisrapidlygoing throughadigitaltransformation.Everysmall,medium,and bigbusinessissuccessfullydigitizingitsbusinesstosmooth runitsoperationsaswellastogivethequickestandthe bestpossibleservicestoitsclients.
Givingamajorboosttothisindustrialdigitizationwaveis SeaRates.Foundedin2005,itisidentifiedastheworld's mosttrusteddigitalplatformforshippinggoodsfromone locationtoanother.
SeaRatesisbestknownforcreatinganonlineplatformto bookashipforgoodsshippingaseasilyasbookingon Booking.com.Inaddition,thecompanyprovidesclient support24hoursaday,sevendaysaweek,365daysayear
InaninterviewwithInsightsSuccess,SergeyDzhashitov, HeadofSeaRatesOperations,spokeaboutthecompany’s journeyinbecomingareliablelogisticssolutionprovider andtheplans.
Wemakebookingashipand shippingyourgoodsas simpleasbuyingtheticketor bookingaccommodationon Booking.com.Wehelpour clientsindigitizingand simplifyingtheirbusinesses byusingourwebtools.
Below are the excerpts from the interview:
Pleasebriefouraudienceaboutyourcompany,itsUSPs, andhowitiscurrentlypositionedasareliablelogistics solutionprovider.
Ourtargetaudienceincludesshippers,exporters,importers, logisticsbusinesses,andforeigntradeplayersthatperform internationaltrade.
SeaRatesisaone-stop-shopforallofyourlogistics requirements.SeaRatesisalogisticsplatformthatprovides businesseswithdigitalsolutionsandlogisticsservices.Itis, inotherwords,adigitalforwarder.
Wemakebookingashipandshippingyourgoodsassimple asbuyingtheticketorbookingaccommodationon Booking.com.Wehelpourclientsindigitizingand simplifyingtheirbusinessesbyusingourwebtools.
Shedsomelightonyourservicesandofferingsandhow theyimpacttheindustryandyourclients.
Earlier,tradecompanieshadalogisticsdepartment;now, theheadofthebusinesscancontrolthesupplychain personally Whatmakesitpossible?Thisismadepossible bySeaRates'digitalsolutions,whichsetthecompany besidesothershippingproviders.
Logisticsprovidersincludefreightforwarders,shipping lines,andanybusinessthatownsorleasesashiporother assetsandcanassistcustomersinmovingcargofrompoint AtopointB.ThisisexactlythetaskthatSeaRatescarries out.ItsimplymovesthecargofrompointAtopointB, regardlessofitscomplexity.
Wecanbeginbystuffingcontainersortrucks,andeven beforethecustomerbeginsplanninghisshippingdates,he canbeginsavingmoneyimmediatelybyutilizingthe SeaRatesLoadCalculator Withthisapplication,hecanfind
SergeyDzhashitovstartedhiscareerasanOdessa-based sailor,progressedtocaptain,andthendecidedto"gohome" foralowersalarytopursuehisdreamofdigitizing logistics.
Itallbeganinaone-roomapartmentinOdessa,where thefirstofficeandtwoprogrammerswerelocated. Thenthefirstapplicationwaslaunched,Requesta Quote.Whenawaveoftransportationrequestsbegan toappearonthisapplication,notjustfromUkraine, butfromallovertheworld,peoplebegantosignup, asitwasthefirstofitskindontheInternetin2004.
Whenawaveofshippingleadsandrequestsbeganto pourin,thesitedevelopeditintoSeaRatesin2005. SeaRatesaddedcontainertracking,aloadcalculator, distanceandtimecalculators.Thewebsitethenbeganto beupdatedwithnewsolutionsyearly,andadatabaseof portswascreated,whichquicklygainedpopularity
Whenateamwasformedthatraisedthecompanyand criticalcompetenciesdeveloped,newpeoplewerehired, includingtheleadershipoftheStefanRogovskyteam,it waspossibletoraisetheprojecttoanewlevel.
DPWorldacquiredSeaRatesin2019.DPWorldisoneof themajorportoperatorsintheworld.Today,SeaRates, aspartofDPWorld,isacompanyofawhole differentclass,withentirelynew volumes.Growthwas700percent in2020,1700percentbytheend of2021,andthecompany continuestogrowrapidlyin 2022.
Aworld-classLegacy Forbes,Google,and otherwell-known mediaoutletshave publishedarticles aboutSeaRates.
Additionally,in2021, itearnedanawardin Ukraineforbeingthe largest job-creating IT business in Odessa.
Worldtheoptimalplanand,withthehelpofsmartalgorithmsand mathematicalmodelsdevelopedusingmachinelearning andanalyzinghundredsofthousandsofpossiblewaysto loadcontainers;thisapplicationimmediatelyassistsin loadingmorecargointoacontainerortruck.Itwillalso assistinloadingothermodesoftransportinthefuture.
WiththeassistanceofShipSchedules,thecustomercan planevenbeforecheckingtherates.Amonthinadvance,he candeterminethedatesofanyshippingline'ssailingstothe desireddestination.
LogisticsExplorerisatoolthatevenavisitorwhoisnotyet aclientofSeaRatesfortransportationservicescanuseit. HundredsofthousandsofvisitorsusetheSeaRateswebsite. TheyarealreadyourclientsbecauseSeaRatesenablesthem toanalyzeamassiveamountofdata,benchmark,compare, andfrequentlyfindacheaperrateonourwebsiteandthen reducetheircostswiththeirexistingfreightforwarder
Followingthat,clientswillnoticeavarietyofrates,asthe computeranalyzeshundredsofthousandsofpossible modesoftransportforthedeliveryofgoods,aswereceive andcollectdatafromhundredsofshippinglines.Working throughSeaRatesisprofitableandconvenientastheclient seesalltransportationconditionsintheirentiretyand understandswhatandhowheinteracts.
TrackingSystem,SeaRatesisnowtheworld'sleading containertrackingsite,trackingmorethan20million containerseachmonth.Noshippingcompany,noteven Maersk,canoffersuchavolumeofcontainers.Thisis feasiblesincewesupportover130shippinglines,makingit themostconvenientcontainertrackingsolutionavailable. Weofferfeaturessuchascontainersortingbyfolders, shipments,date,oranyothercriterion,dailyemail notifications,andtheoptiontoshareaspecificlistof selectedcontainerswithanyoneviaalinkwithoutsending SMSorneedingregistration.
Beinganexperiencedleader,shareyouropiniononhow theadoptionofmoderntechnologieshasimpactedthe logisticsindustryandhowyourcompanyisridingthe technologywave.
Carbonemissions,cloudcomputing,quantumcomputers, artificialintelligence,machinelearning,autonomousfreight delivery,voicecontrol,blockchain,andphenomenasuchas hyperloop-supersoniccargodeliveryareallonthehorizon for2022.SeaRateshasaresearchanddevelopmentteam thatmonitorsanddiscussesallthesetrends.
Additionally,withtheassistanceofourprincipalandahuge teamofexpertswithinDPWorld,weareabletoforecast whatwillhappennext.Oneofthemostcriticalexisting productsinthedevelopmentofSeaRatesistheFreight
Index,whichwillassistinpredictingglobalfreighttrends. Thisproduct,whichisbasedontheabove-said technologies,willprobablybeoneofthemostprogressive andimportanttoolsforshippersandtransportcompanies. Becauseateamofscientistsdevelopsandevaluatesthe GLECmethodologyforcalculatingWTWemissions,we integratedthisresearchintoourLogisticsExplorer This enablescustomerstoestimatetheamountofemissions associatedwitheachshipment.
Consideringthecurrentpandemic,whatinitial challengesdidyouface,andhowdidyoudrivethe companiestosustainoperationswhileensuringthe safetyofyouremployeesatthesametime?
Everyoneshiftedtoremoteworkduringthepandemic. Factories,warehouses,andotherofficesbegantocloseen masse.Someone'stelephoneinfrastructurewascutoff,even corporatecommunicationswerecutoff,andtheywere unabletocommunicateeffectivelywithoneanother.People wereunabletomeet,whichwascriticalinlogisticsbecause criticalsupplyissueswerediscussedinpersonalmeetings whereyouplanandwritedownallthedetails.
SeaRatesandotheronlineindustriessuchasonline shopping,purchasing,andlogisticshaveallshiftedtothe Internet.Andwhenusersexpandedtheirtimespentonline, SeaRateswasintherightlocationattherighttime. SeaRatesisalwaysdrivingthecompanyforwardinorderto sustainoperations.
Whatwouldbeyouradvicetobuddingentrepreneurs whoaspiretoventureintothelogisticsspace?
Today,launchinganonlinelogisticsstart-uporInternet businessfromscratchisnotassimpleasitoncewas.Today, thisisahighlyriskyproposition.Itwasprofitablein2000 whentheInternetwasstillinitsdevelopment.Anonline companytakesasignificantinvestmentofmoney,millions ofdollarsinmarketing,justtocomeneartoandintothetop 500,000companiesonAlexa.
Today,thisisanunbearableburden.Businessowners withoutabudgetshouldnothavetheillusionthattheycan simplybuyeverythingandhaveitwork;youneedtoinvest asignificantamountofmoneyincontentandfunctionality, andtocreatefunctionality,youneedanITteam,whichis expensive.
Simplyput,itisunlikelythatanyonewillbeableto replicateSeaRates’successnow.Companiesthathave
followedthispath,suchasFlexportandFreightos,were abletodosoduetoinvestmentsrangingfrom$300million tooneandahalf-billiondollars.
Weworkwithfreightforwardersandtransportation companiesofvariouslevelsandsizes,andweunderstand howdifficultitisforthem,whichiswhywehavea dedicatedteamthatstrivestohelpandengagethese businessesintheCommunityinthemosteffectivemanner possible.
Customershavegrownaccustomedtotheeaseof engagementinwhichmillionsofdollarshavebeen invested.And,unlikecompetitors,SeaRatesassistsstartupsbyofferingready-madesolutionsandsharingthemwith otherbusinesses.
Howdoyouenvisionscalingyourcompany'soperations andofferingsin2022andbeyond?
Aspreviouslymentioned,wewillprioritizeinnovative developments,andby2022,wewillhaveamobile applicationthatwillincludeallofthefunctionalities accessibleontheSeaRateswebsite.
Wearealsodevelopingouranalyticssolutions,suchasthe FreightIndex,aswellasotherapplicationsthathavethe potentialtomakeahugeimpactonthemarket. Additionally,in2022,theLogisticsMapsapplicationwill enableuserstomonitortransportwarehousesonamapand booktrucksfromanywhereintheworld.
Whilepassingthroughtheevolutionarytimeline ofthehumanspecies,travelinghasbeenan influentialfactor,andtheneedtovisitvarious placesgavebirthtoimmensecuriosityinthehumanmind.
Throughouttheseyears,humanshavedevelopedand createddifferentoutcomesforcompletingtheprocessof travelinginashortspan,withease,andwithminimal effort.Toprovidethiseffortlesscomfort,humansinvented vehicles,andeversincethathappened,theworldhastaken forthitsfootforward.Andtransporthasbeenthebackbone ofthenewbusinessworld,andthebusinessindustry utilizesittoitsfullpotential.
Afterrealizingtransport'spotential,theindustryhascreated alogisticsdepartment!
Logisticstakesresponsibilityofacquirement,storage,and transportationofthegoodstotheirfinaldestination. Logisticsalsoidentifiesdistributorsandsuppliersand determinestheiraccessibility.Alongwiththetransport industry,thetechnologyindustryhasseenarisetoo!With theintroductionofdata,thetechnologysectorhasprovided easetologisticsandmadetheexperienceverysmooth.
Informationhasbeenacrucialsourceforthetechnology sectortoexcelfestivelyandrapidly.Goinghandinhand withlogistics,datavisibilityistheprocessforanenterprise todisplayandmonitorthedatafromdiversifiedsourcesand analyzeittoitsmaximumcapacity Variousdataprovide
TransparentTransit
fruitfulbenefitstoanorganizationtosucceedinanorderly manner Thelackofenoughaccesstodatacanbe disadvantageous,butavarietyofdataeradicatesthe impossibilitiesandisusefulinmakingimportantfuturecentricdecisionsforthehigher-ups. Let'sslideintothebenefitsofdatavisibility.
Thecollectionofdataandinformationthatisprovidedto theorganizationhelpsinbetterunderstandingofthe problemsearlyon,whichinturnhelpsintheeliminationof theproblem.Further,itgrantsenoughtimeforthelogistics departmenttobringforwardasolutionwithintheminimum capacityoftime.Thehasteofcompletingataskgivesbirth tomistakes.Thebarrierofcreatingmistakesisreduced withtheuseofstrongdatavisibilitytogainerror-freeand positiveresults.
Asthenamesuggests,datavisibilitygrantsthepowerto makeeverysinglethingvisible.Thisenablesthedoorfor theorganizationtounderstandtheuseoftheresourcesin themostprominentwayandgivesaccesstooverlookthe currentstatusofthetask.Throughthisunderstanding, organizationsgetthechancetodulynoteallthetimedelays andtoworktowardsabettersolutionfortheforthcoming future.
Customerneedscanchangeatanytimeaccordingtothe situation,theorganizationmustbeabletomoldasperthe demandstoprovidethebestcomfortandsatisfactiontothe customerstomeettheirexpectations.Customersatisfaction isapriority,andifignored,itcanleadotherorganizations totakeitsplace.Visibilityofdatahelpstheorganizationto ensurethattheneedsofthecustomersarefulfilled. Moreover,theorganizationmustensurethattheyattain everyneedrangingfromacceptanceoforderstothe deliveryofit.Withtheauthorizationofdata,these processescanbeconductedwithnohaste.Satisfactionof thecustomerkeepsthesuccessoftheorganizationincheck!
Thetroubleofwatchingtheentireprocesshasbeen eradicatedbydata-supporteddecisionsandtheorganization doesnotneedtospecifyeachstepfromtimetotimeduring theexecution.Asdatavisibilityhasenabledthe organizationtoseetheoutcomesofthesituation,thenext movescanbequicklyplanned,whichincreasesthespeedof theworkdone.Thisagilityhelpstogaintheorganizationan upperhandincomparisonwithitscontemporariestoremain undefeated.
Everyorganizationiscompetingwitheachother.Hence, beingerror-freehasbecomeamandatorynorm.Toensure effectiveoutcomes,organizationsrelyondata-driven results.Thelargeamountofdatathatisprovidedaidstothe potentialerrors.Thisdata,afterprocessing,assistsin makingthedecisionsmorequicklyandcorrectly.These data-backeddecisionsmayestablishagoodplaceforan organizationtogainanadvantageovertheothers.
Logisticsanddatagohandinhand.Thedatahelpsthe organizationtogainthecorrectamountofmassiveboost requiredforgrowth.Datavisibilityhasprovedtobe effectiveineveryaspectoflogisticsasitisusefulfromthe initialtothefinalstageoftheprocess.Withthedaily changesandadvancementsthatoccurinthetechnological pool,thelogisticsindustryisensuredtoexcel exceptionally
Allan Diamond CEO Timereac on
World's Best Logis c Companies To Watch 2022
TimeisMoney,atrueresourcewhich,oncelost, cannotbebroughtbackatanycost.
Anorganizationalsetupdemandseveryoneto communicate,collaborateandshareallthetime.Thebackand-forthexchangeofinputsovertheemail,messages,or usingotherformal/informalmethods,canlayshareddatain anunorganizedmanner.Inaddition,thetimelostcan stagnatetheworktimetotime.
Themanufacturingandlogisticsindustryhasaconstant needtocollaboratewiththeclients,internalandexternal teams,andmanyotherpossiblestakeholders.Thiscan reallyprolongtheprocessoffinishingtheproducton deadlines.Toresolvethishugedrawback,thereisacloudbasedworkflowmanagementplatform–Timereaction.Its webapplicationshelplinktheprocessesofdesign, production,orderprocessing,deliveryofproductsand projectsacrossaglobalsupplychaintosmoothlyrunthe operations.
Timereactioncanessentiallytransformyourmanufacturing companyintoavirtualmanufacturingcompany.The softwaredevelopmentcompanyspecializesinimproving communications,increasingproductivity,enhancing collaboration,andmanagingcontentandinformation. WeinterviewedAllanDiamond,CEOofTimereaction,to getinsightsintothecompany'sjourneyanditsfutureplans. Belowaretheexcerptsfromtheinterview:
Pleasebriefouraudienceaboutyourcompany,itsUSPs, andhowitiscurrentlypositionedasareliablelogistics solutionprovider.
Timereactionisauniquecloud-basedworkflow managementplatformthatenableslocalandvirtualwork teamstocollaborateinreal-timewithsuppliersandclients.
A core focus of Timereaction is to engage the trading partners, both through simple user design and functionality, to actively participate in the real-time exchange of information.
Thewebapplicationallowsuserstooptimallymanagethe processesoflinkingthedesign,production,order processing,anddeliveryofproductsandprojectsacrossa globalsupplychain.Thiscanimproveproductivity, customersatisfaction,revenueandreducecosts.
Shedsomelightonyourservicesandofferingsandhow theyimpacttheindustryandyourclients?
AcorefocusofTimereactionistoengagethetrading partners,boththroughsimpleuserdesignandfunctionality, toactivelyparticipateinreal-timeexchangeofinformation. Thecurrentarchitecturepermitsaglobalecosystemto flourish,wherecustomersandsupplierscanmanagediverse relationshipswithinoneapplication.
Theincorporationofprocessmanagement,social communicationandcontentmanagementintoaworkflowdrivenactivitystreamcreatesinclusiveconversationsthat improvethequalityofcommunication.
Thereisasubstantialdropinthevolumeofemails,the resultingincreaseinproductivity,andatighteningofthe developmenttodeliverycycle.
Beinganexperiencedleader,shareyouropiniononhow theadoptionofmoderntechnologieshaveimpactedthe logisticsindustryandhowisyourcompanyridingthe technologywave?
Incorporatingsocialcapabilitiesintotheinnovationprocess havemadeitsignificantlyeasiertoraisethevisibilityof newideas,regardlessoftheirsource.Managementand employeesmustbepreparedtotakeadvantageofnew ideas,regardlessoftheirsourceoforigin.Thosewhohave themostexperiencewithaproductorservicenowcan shareinsightsandobtainfeedbackfromothers.
Whilecustomersaretheprimaryfocusofmanycompanies, morearestartingtoincorporatesocialapproachesintothe day-to-dayactivitiesoftheirworkforces.Asorganizations expand,informationandinsightsbecomescatteredaround theworld.
Suchknowledgeastohowtosolveproblems,handle exceptionstonormalprocessesandaddresslocalmarket conditionsoftenresideinwidelyseparated,often unconnectedrepositories.Also,customersexpectsuppliers tounderstandpastbusinesstransactionsandtapintothe collectiveexpertiseoftheorganizationtosolveproblems. Theseissuesbecomemagnifiedascompaniescontinueto embedvalue-addedserviceswithintheirtraditional products.
Consideringthecurrentpandemic,whatinitial challengesdidyoufaceandhowdidyoudrivethe companiestosustainoperationswhileensuringthe safetyofyouremployeesatthesametime?
Managementiscurrentlyscramblingtotakeapositionin innovativetechnologies,thankstotheculturalshiftthathas reareditsuglyheadoverthepast24months.Thebeliefof thedisruptioninemployeehiringandretentionsupported bythework-from-homemovementhastakenthefacility awayfromcorporations.
Technologyisn'tanylongera'nicetohave'thing,buta requirement,andtogetherwiththat,thefactthatinnovation initiativesfrequentlyfail,orthe'we'vealwaysdoneitthis way'mentalityhamperstheirperformance.
Whatwouldbeyouradvicetobuddingentrepreneurs whoaspiretoventureintothelogisticsspace?
Asthenatureofbusinessevolves,thecomputing environmentforinformationworkwillchangeprofoundly
Intelligentworkspacesareanewapproachtocreatinga unifiedenvironmentfortoday'scollaborative,informationintensivebusinesses.
Thesetask-centered,process-basedapplicationscombinea singleeasy-to-useworkenvironment,thatisdesignedto streamlineabusinessprocess.Theseapplicationssimplify thelearningcurve,makingiteasierforinformationworkers to'justgettheirworkdone.'Theyinevitablywillimprove coordinationamongcustomers,vendors,andtrading partners.
Howdoyouenvisionscalingyourcompany'soperations andofferingsin2022andbeyond?
Theglobalizationoftheproductlifecyclehasresultedina supplychain,thatspansacrosscontinentsandtimezones involvingmanydiverseandcomplexclient,supplier, factories,distributor,andagentrelationships.
Technologyhasevolvedatwarpspeedduringthe pandemic,pointingout2majoropportunitiesinthe logisticsspace.Thenecessitytoaddresstheevolutionofthe remote/hybridworkforcethroughconnectedworkspaces, andtheexposureofsupplychainweaknesses,needtobe addressed.
As a former manufacturer, Allan Diamond (CEO) is a results-driven executive with over 25 years of experience, including over 10 years in Premium Denim product development and sales. His diverse background includes sales, merchandising, product development and production, working with some of America's leading brands, including Harley-Davidson, Timberland, DKNY, Tommy Hilfiger, Volcom, and Billabong. Strong analytical and organizational skills, team leadership and innovative product development
Timereaction evolved from a web-based tool he developed for his manufacturing company in 2001 to efficiently manage our manufacturing processes. The primary method of communication was email and their associated attachments while using spreadsheets to track Work-In-Process.
Databases were adding new dynamic functionality to the web that he utilized emerging technology to create a tool to allow customers and suppliers the ability to monitor and manage their workflow, in real-time, increasing value chain transparency.
"Timereaction can help create a virtual manufacturing company, using the most talented people from around the globe, collaborating to create and produce the most inspiring collections. A desire to change the way we work, to change the status quo, is an ambitious goal, and with that, requires tools to make that inspiration a reality"
Atif Ahmed, COO- Dreüss Worldwide
"Communication and workflow bundled together, allowing people to spend more time being proactive instead of chasing the issues and being reactive."
David Kadosh, COO - Celebrity Pink
"Streamlined communication enables us to find exactly what we are looking for in one click instead of timeconsuming searches. Deadlines are displayed immediately, and issues are as plain as day!"
Lisa Pedicelli, VP Production - Fred David
"Timereaction considerably reduces the number of e-mails and the time wasted searching for them. All pertinent information is grouped into threads of conversation, in one place and chronological order, simplifying follow-up"
Mary-Ann Zinius, Production Manager - UFO Group
"Timereaction gives me a clear view of our entire production process to ensure on-time delivery Communication about the project is in one convenient thread and not lost in an inappropriate email subject " Sophie Charbonneau, Production Manager – Roadrunner
"Timereaction's scheduling, production, and real-time information are invaluable to us and our partners It's important to know we are all on the same page and have clear concise deadlines. Timereaction gives you structure and clarity in a world of chaos."
Michelle Bonadie, VP Production – Jammers
