World’s Best Performing Supply Chain Solution Providers September2021

Sergio Retamal

Supplychaindemandsareincreasingrapidly, andthecompaniesinthesupplychainindustry havetoalsomatchuptotheincreasing demandsinthisindustry.Tobeasuccessfulsupply chainsolutionprovider,companiesinthesupplychain industryhavetokeeppacewiththetechnological advancementsandinnovationshappeninginthe world.Evolvingtechnologiesareshapingthefutureof thesupplychainindustry.Thecompaniesinthis industryshouldnotremainbehindinleveragingthe latesttechnologiesbutshouldavailedgeoverothers byimplementingthelatesttechnologiesforimproving thesolutionsofferedbythem.

Deliveringsupplychainsolutionsbykeepinginmind thesustainabilityfactorshouldalsobethepriorityof thecompaniesinthesupplychainindustryto minimizedamagetotheenvironment.Artificial Intelligence,Automation,Digitization,theInternetof Things,Cloud-basedsolutions,andfocuson sustainabilityarereshapingthefutureofthesupply chainsolutionproviders.Thosesupplychaincompaniesthatarecleveratutilizingthepotentialofthese latesttechnologieswithafocusonsustainabilitycan maketheirsuccessfulmarkinthemarket.

Automationinthesupplychainindustryfacilitates companiesinstreamliningrepetitivetasks.Artificial Intelligenceassistsincomplexandchallengingtasks. ArtificialIntelligenceandAutomationspeedupthe supplychainprocesseswithmoreaccuracyand precision.Successfulcompaniesinthesupplychain industryareleveragingthesetechnologieseffectively

toavailacompetitiveadvantageoverothers.Supplychain companiesareprioritizingincreasingtheircommitmentto thedirectionofsustainabilitybydevelopingsustainable manufacturingsolutions.

TheCOVID-19pandemichascausedalotofvolatilityin thesupplychainindustryglobally Thecompetitive companiesinthesupplychainindustryhaveensuredthat theycanstandeveninthefaceofthetoughesttimesalsoby adoptingdifferentmeasuresorwaysofoperations.Being preparedtothriveinsuchtoughcircumstancesisessential forsupplychainfirms.Thestrategiesoftheorganization shouldnotberigid.Thesupplychainfirmsshouldhave flexiblestrategiestodealwiththeinevitablechallenges. Strategiesshouldbechangedaccordingtotheneedsofthe moment.

Organizationsshouldhavestrategiestobuildandincrease domesticcapabilities.Theabilitytoredesignsupplychain flowswithinventorystoragecapabilitiesandenhancedlastmiledeliveriescanincreasethecredibilityofthesupply chainorganizationstodealwiththecircumstantialchallengesinunprecedentedtimes.Productionanddelivery delayscanbeminimizedwiththebestplanning,strategies, andcontingencyplans.Preparinglong-termstrategiescan helpcompaniessustainably.Evaluatingrisksandthreats andtakingactionsinthedirectionofeliminatingsuchrisks andthreatscangoalongwayinincreasingthefunctionality ofsupplychaincompanies.

Havingalternativetradingpartnerships,alternativemarkets, broadersuppliers,andalternativetransportfacilitiescan alsobeaveryimportantpartofthestrategyofsupplychain organizations.Investinghighlyinthetechnologiescanlead tohighreturnsandprofitabilityastechnologyimprovesthe

responsivenessofthecompaniestocustomers,processing speedandaccuracyoftheprocessessignificantlyand eliminatetheburdenofmechanicalandrepetitivetasks.

Leveragingdifferentanalyticaltoolsandsoftwarepackages canhelpsupplychaincompaniesinhavinggoodknowledge ofcommoditypricingandcanhelpinunderstandingthe correctpriceofpurchasingcommodities.Quantityand timingofpurchasingarealsoimportantfactorsincommoditypurchasedecisions.Theuseofdigitaltransformation andtechnologycanhelpinmakingtherightandfaster decisions.

Havingworkerswiththerightskillsandabilitiescanhelp supplycompaniesindeliveringthebestservicesinthe supplychainindustryalongwithusingtechnological innovationsefficiently.Tappingthepotentialofphysical resourcesandtechnologicalresourcescanhelpsupplychain companiesinperformingmoreoptimallyandmeetthe needsofthecustomers.

Inthiseditionof“World’sBestPerformingSupplyChain SolutionProviders,”wearepublishingsupplychain companiesthatareprovidingthemostoptimumsupply chainsolutionsintheindustry.

Sharad Chitalkar

Editor-in-Chief Sumita Sarkar

Anish Miller Senior Editor Kelly, David Business Development Executives

Managing Editor Sherin Rodricks Business Development Manager

Abhishaj Sajeev

Assisting Editors Trishika, Sharad

Visualiser David King Co-designer Art & Picture Editor

Art & Design Head Art & Design Assistant Mrunalinee Deshmukh

Rohil Shinganapurkar Paul Belin

Technical Head Jacob Smile Assistant Technical Head

Priyanka Rajage Marketing Manager Joseph D'souza Technical Consultants Pratiksha, Aditya, David

SME-SMO Executives Gemson, Renuka

Circulation Manager Tanaji Research Analyst Eric Smith

sales@insightssuccess.com

September, 2021

Ofce

Featuring Brief CompanyName

Arkieva arkieva.com

AuditComply auditcomply.com

BOLLORÉ

HarpalSingh CEO

KevinDonaghy CEO

Arkievaismorethanasupplychainsoftwaretechnology company.Withover15000usersworldwideusingArkievain250 uniqueapplications,theArkievaSupplyChainPlanningSoftware Suiteoffersarobustsolutionsupportingafullrangeofneedsfor SalesandOperationsPlanning(S&OP).

AuditComplyisanIntegratedRiskManagement(IRM) platform.Acloud-basedSaaSsolutiontransformingtheway organizationsassess,manage&reportonRisk,Compliance& Qualityfunctionsinreal-timeacrossallorganizationalassets.

ClearTrack cleartrack.com

Global4PLSupplyChain global-4pl.com

OlivierBoccara GlobalChief CommercialOfficer HarryAllan CEO SergioRetamal FounderandCEO BiancaSanchez Marketing&Social MediaManager

BolloréLogisticsisagloballeaderininternationaltransport& logistics.BolloréLogisticsiscommittedtodeliveringreliable, flexibleinnovativeandvalue-creatingsolutions.

ClearTrackisaleadingproviderofSupplyChainManagement softwareandinteractiveservices.

Global4PLisaleadingsupplychainsolutionsprovider, headquarteredinMilpitas,CA,thatspecializesinhelpinghitechcompaniespenetratenewregionalmarketsandoptimize theirsupplychaindeliverymodels.

Hirschbachwasfoundedin1935withitscorefocustomove freshandfrozenproteinsinrefrigeratedtrailersfromthe MidwesttoportslocatedintheEast,Southeast,andtheSouth, thenreturningwithimportedfreshproduce.

JettMcCandless

Prologis

FounderandCEO HamidMoghadam ChairmanandCEO JasonReed CEO

project44istheworld’sleadingsupplychainvisibility platform.project44connectsallmodesoftransportacross48+ countries.

Prologis,Inc.isthegloballeaderinlogisticsrealestatewitha focusonhigh-barrier,high-growthmarkets.

ReedTMSLogisticsisafamily-ownedandoperatedassetbasedthird-partylogisticsprovider(3PL)thathasbeenin businessformorethan20years.

AsparuhKoev CEO

Transmetricsoptimizeslogisticsplanningandasset managementbyleveragingthepowerofpredictiveanalytics andartificialintelligence.

Thecurrentmarketconditions ofSupplyChainSolution industryhavebeenturbulent duetoCovid-19andthetradewarsand theirrepercussionsinadditional retaliationoverUSproductsoverseas. Somecountriesthathavebeenquite openinthepasthaveretaliatedwith increasedredtapeinadditiontotariffs.

Theforeseeablemarketconditionswill continuetobeturbulentasthereisa clearneedtomigratesome manufacturingoutofChina,especially thelatestandmostremarkable

technologiesandhi-techproducts.IP theftandforcedtransferof technologiesremainseriousconcerns. Realistically,anytransferof technologytoChinawillnotbe controlled,sothetransfershouldbe discouragedtoprotectthelatestand greatestIP.

“The industry has changed, but we thrive in change,” saystheteamof Global4PL.Global4PL’steamconsists ofsupplychainexpertswhohavedealt withhurricanes,earthquakes,floods, volcanos,SARsI-V,coups,and politicalunrestinmanycountries. “During tough times we thrive, and we demonstrate even more our skills,” the teamaddsfurther

WhenitAllBegan….

Global4PLestablishedin2004,started offasanIOR-EORservicecompanyto helpclientsestablishtheirbusinessand

exporttheirproductstoasmanyas168 countriesworldwide.Thecompany aimedtomakelegalentities,customs brokerage,transportationmanagement services,andtradelawseasierforits clients,sotheycancontinueintheir visiontoexpandtheirbusinessdespite geographicalboundaries.

Astechnologyandtradeexpandand undergoseveralchangesand advancements,thecompanybuiltits foundationonhelpingclients overcometheiroperationaldeficiencies andcatertomillionsofcustomersthat arenotlimitedbygeographical constraints.

Overtime,Global4PLestablisheditself asareliableandeconomicaloption thathasbecomeoneofthemost trustedandefficientpartnersfor Fortune5000manufacturers, importers,andretailerstogrow internationally.Thecompany’sclients

nowhaveaccesstoatrueglobal supplychainnetworktoadvancetheir globalcapabilitiesandfunction worldwidetoasmanyas168 countries.

Ifonehasheardofthe'AmazonEffect', itcanbeassumedthatitwasnotuntil recentlythatbusinessescouldexport theirproductstotheircustomer's doorstepwithoutasingleresellerin between.Astheconceptofresellers slowlydiminishes,companieslikeours aretakingtheirplace.Thecompany assuresitsclientsthattheywillhave theirproductsdelivereddirectlyto theirhouses,nomatterwheretheyare situatedintheworld.

Global4PL’steamknowsthatthe import/exportbusinesshaschangedto eliminatetheresellerinbetween,so theyaremotivatedtobethatmediator andhelpclientscatertotheir customer'sdemandsthroughsafeand reliableexportingandimporting. “We also know that time is money, and

respect our clients' needs to have their products delivered to their customers as quickly and efficiently as possible,” sharestheteamofGlobal4PL.

DynamicsofGlobal4PL

Globaltradeispainfulbynature becauseofthenumberofregulations andredtapethatexistsineachcountry Global4PL’snetworkandservices includelicensedprofessionalsand entitiesinacountrythatallowitto provideaseamlessand,more importantly,headache-freeserviceby removingclients'riskglobally

“We help our customers to grow globally by providing our network, experience, knowledge, and resources worldwide. We make their headaches disappear as we drive and control the process,” sharestheteamof Global4PL.

Whenexportingtoanewcountryor importingfromanewcountry,there

aremanyrulesandregulationsthata businessneedstobevigilantof. Global4PLtakesthisintoaccountand actsastheclient'sin-countrysupport throughunderstandingandworkingin accordancewiththelawsofthe country.

Itsclientsdonothavetoworryabout establishinganunderstandingofthe import/exportlawsofthecountrythey aresendingorbringingtheir equipmentfrom,becausethecompany makessurethatalltherequirementsof business-relatedactivitiesaremetin thecountrytheyareaimingtoexpand theirbusinessinto.

Thecompanyhasbeenintheforefront ofthesupplychaintechnologiesand oneofthefirsttoimplementcomplete SaaSmodelsbydevelopingitsown softwaresolutionsforthesupplychain industryanditscustomersforthelast 15years.

LeadingGlobal4PL

Withthefast-movingchangesinthe industry,alongwithrapid advancements,Global4PLsawthat therewasanopportunityforgrowth. “We knew that customers across the

globe needed equipment and supplies for multiple setups in many different countries,” describesSergioRetamal, FounderandCEOofGlobal4PL. “We wanted to be the company that saw their needs and provided them with a reliable, convenient, and regulated method of getting their supplies to all their locations,” he furtheradds.

Sergiohasextensiveexperienceof morethan25yearsinprocurementand supplychainmanagement.His professionalexperienceincludes managementrolesintheUnitedStates, Asia,Europe,andLatinAmerica. Sergiohasbeenwidelyrecognizedfor hisaccomplishments.Someofthese accoladesincluderecognitionbythe Supply&DemandChainExecutive Magazine'sPros-To-Knowforan unprecedented12thtime.Hewas

recentlyappointedtotheFederal ReserveBankofSanFrancisco EconomicAdvisoryCouncil.

Eventhoughthecompanyservesover 160countries,Sergiothinksthat Global4PLneedstogrowtheintracountrynetworksinthekeycountries wheresomemigrationswillhappenin thenextfewyears. “We aim to expand our reach to as many countries as possible so that clients with growing businesses can increase their reach globally,” saysSergio.Many progressiveandinnovativecompanies areheldbackfromreachinganew, widerrangeofcustomersbecauseof lawsandregulationsinforeign countriesaimingtoselltheirproducts.

Global4PLandSergiohopesto becomemorecognizantofregulations andtradelawsworldwide,toeasethe IOR/EORprocessfortheirclients, regardlessofthekindofbusiness environmenttheyneedtofunctionin.

We’re helping organizations meeting this challenge head-on. Providing a dedicated Risk & Audit Management platform to monitor third-party risk.

Kevin

Donaghy Chief Executive Officer

AuditComply

Your Risk Management in Trusted Hands

Itisanobviousfactthatstartinganewbusinessventure orrunningacorporationcomeswithitsownsetofrisks. Theseriskscomefromavarietyofdifferentsources,be theyinternalorexternal.Itisimportantforanybusinessto identifyandmitigatetheserisksforfurtheringthecompany’s performanceandgoodwill.

AuditComplyisanIntegratedRiskManagement(IRM) platformthatbringscustomizedsolutionstotheserisks uniquetoeverycompany Thecompanyisacloud-based SaaSsolutionchangingthewaycompaniesassess,manage, andreportonRisk,Compliance,andQualityfunctionsin real-timeacrossallorganizationalassets.

InaninterviewwithInsightsSuccess,KevinDonaghy,the ChiefExecutiveOfficerofAuditComplyelaboratesonhow thecompanyisdisruptingthesupplychainsolutionsspace throughitsexcellentpersonalizedservicesforeachclient.

PleasebriefouraudienceaboutAuditComply,itsUSPs, andhowitiscurrentlypositionedasaleadingplayerin thesupplychainsolutionsspace. WearealeadingSaaS-basedRisk&AuditManagement platform,trustedbytheworld’slargestFortune1000 Companies.Theteam,headquarteredinBelfast,Ireland, servicesorganizationsgloballyandisactivelymanagingand maintainingtheirRiskandAuditprogramstoensuretheyare meetingthehigheststandardsfromaGRC(Governance, Risk&Compliance)andinternalpolicyperspective.We provideascalablemanagementsolutionwithanunmatched userexperiencetoencouragegreateradoptionacrossallkey businessareas.

Ourcustomer’senvironmentschangeeveryday,andwe continuetoimprovethesystemtostayaheadofthese demands.Ourgoalistoallowourcustomerstoembrace changewithoutrecordingoradditionalITintervention.We aimtobuildourroadmaparoundwell-qualifiedcustomer requirements,whilstmaintainingastrategicgoaltobea leaderinenterpriseriskmanagementunderpinnedbyworldclassauditing.Ourcustomersarethemeasureofoursuccess together(Shell,UKAS,Weightmans,Sysco,Autoliv,and more).

Todaywe’reoperatinginhighlyregulatedindustrieswhere theeffectsofpoorRiskManagementcanbedetrimental, fromfinesandlitigationtolossoflife.Thisincludes Automotive,Food&Beverage,Oil&Gas,Finance,and Manufacturing,withkeycustomerssituatedthroughoutthe UK,EU,US,MiddleEast,andtheAsiaPacificregions.

Ourdedicatedthird-partyriskmanagementcapabilitieshelp connectthedotsofanoriginallyfragmentedand disconnectedprocess,helpingreducetheuncertaintyand complexityacrossthesupplychain.Bytakingadvantageof ourdedicatedsupplierportals,customizablesupplier assessments,riskhubs,configurableworkflows,andaninhouseadvisoryteam,companiescanexpecttoeffectively manage,monitor,andtrackallthestagesoftheirsupplier relationships.

SupplyChainRiskplatformslikeourselvesensure companiescanhavereal-timevisibilityofcurrentrisks,can predictfuturedisruptions,andidentifyopportunities. Protectingrevenue,reputation,andresilience.

WhatotherservicesdoesAuditComplyoffer,andhow arethesemakinganimpactontheindustryandyour clients?

WehavesuccessfullyintroducedAuditComplyintoallour clientenvironments.Forthemostpart,theyhadaninitial focusaroundoneparticularaspect,beitInternalAuditing, QualityManagement,Risk,SupplyChain,orEH&S amongstothers.

Fromthere,ourclientshaveadaptedthesolutiontoother aspectsoftheirbusinessneeds,quicklyrealizingtheir investmentinmultipleareaswhilsthavingoversightatan executivelevel.Providingthecustomerwithbetter assessmentsoftheirassetsintermsofquality,auditing, compliance,andrisk.

Atanindividuallevel,eachoftheuserpersonashasgained massiveefficienciesintheadministration,conducting, reporting,andanalysisofthedata.Ultimatelyallowingthe auditorstospendmoretimeauditingtoahigherlevelwhilst theadminandreportingareautomated.

Sinceourbirth,AuditComplyhasbeenprovidingasolution tosupplychainchallenges.WeworkcloselywithAutolivto assessthousandsofglobalsuppliers.Wehaveenough experiencetomeetthischallengehead-on.AuditComply understandsfirst-handtheincreasingrelianceonsuppliers.

Organizationsareoutsourcingtheiroperationstodrivecosts downwithoutactuallycompromisingtheirqualityof services/products.Thisstrategyhasincreasedthevalueof thesupplierrolebutasaconsequencehasincreasedthe threatsandthird-partyrisksorganizationsareexposedto, turningglobalsupplychainsintoungovernablenetworks withlimitedvisibility

Justreadtheresearch,onaverage,companiesspendtheUS $2.1millionannuallytovettheirthirdpartiesbutonly51% ofcompaniesemployriskscanningtools.Worse,54%state theseresultsareonlysomewhatvaluableordon’tprovide anyinsightsatall.

Morethan80%oflegalandcomplianceleaderstold Gartnerthatthird-partyriskswereidentifiedaftertheinitial onboardingandduediligence,suggestingtraditionaldue diligencemethodsinriskmanagementpolicyfailtocapture newandevolvingrisks.

Clearly,theabovestatisticsillustratewhythird-partyrisk managementisrapidlybecomingaprioritychallenge alongsideITRiskManagement.

We’rehelpingorganizationsmeetingthischallengeheadon.ProvidingadedicatedRisk&AuditManagement platformtomonitorthird-partyrisk.Rapidlyimproving operatingefficiencies,reducingcostswhilemaking operationsmoreadaptabletochangesintheinternaland externalenvironment.

Thenetworkofthird-partyrelationshipsanorganization harnessisanimportantstrategicadvantagethat’suniqueto theircompanybutonlyifriskandsupplychainleaders havereal-timeoversight.ThekeytoAuditComply’ssuccess hasalwaysbeenthecustomer.Continuouslymeetingthe requirementsoftheirevolvingriskenvironment.

Weneversitstill,we’reinnovators,usingdigital transformationtodriveourcustomersforward.Knowing ourcustomersandbuildingrelationshipswithour customershasalwaysbeenkeytooursuccess.Ourteamis diligent,focusedandmakesthecustomerthecenterof everythingwedo.We’redisciplinedinourapproach.

Wealwayswelcometheopportunitytoworkwithour customerstotailorthesolutiontotheirneeds.More importantly,webuildapartnershiptodevelopbest-of-breed auditingthatwillultimatelyhelptheircustomersandours, ensuringbetteroutcomesforall.We’reproudtosay, AuditComplyhasa98%+customerretentionrate.

Beinganexperiencedleader,sharewithusyouropinion onwhatimpacthavetheadoptionofmodern technologiessuchasAI,bigdata,andmachinelearning hadonthesupplychainniche,andwhatmorecouldbe expectedinthefuture?

Withfasterbroadband,inexpensivehardware,AIanddatadrivenintelligence,thepaceofinnovationisspeedingup. Yetastheworldembracesdigitaltransformation,weare alsotakingonmoreriskthaneverbefore.

AsnewITinfrastructureandtechnologiesareintroduced, includingtheemergenceofAI,Mobile&RPA,Cyber,and Third-PartyRiskhavequicklyjumpedtonumberoneon theagenda.

Thisyearalonewewitnessedtheeffectsofsupplychain disruptionsfromtheshortageinmicrochipstotheblockage intheSuezCanal.Theproblemisn’tthegatheringofdata butwhatwedowithit.Weneedtocontinuouslylearn, chart,plotandanalysewhatthedataistellingus.

WiththelikesofAI,BigData,andMachineLearning,we aremorepreparedthanevertoidentifytrends,predict disruptions,learnfromourmistakes,andmoveforward fasterandmoreefficientlybyusingthisdatatoidentify opportunities.

Takingintoconsiderationthecurrentpandemic,what initialchallengesdidyoufaceandhowdidyoudrive AuditComplytosustainoperationswhileensuringthe safetyofyouremployeesatthesametime?

Internally,asasoftwaredevelopmentcompany,wewere perfectlyplacedtomoveouroperationstoawork-at-home system.Toensureeffectivecommunicationbetween employeesinourcompany,staffmeetingsareconducted twiceaday,whichallowsemployeestoupdateeachother ontheirprogressindifferenttasksandtocoordinatetheir workeffectively

Staffalsohasthechoicetoworkinourofficeiftheywish to,wherewehavethecorrectsafetymeasureputinto places,suchassocialdistancingandtheprovisionofface masksandhandsanitizer

Exhibiting Excellence

• “As a large organization with access to sensitive data and responsibility for hundreds of people, it is crucial that we have systems in place which protect our brand, our employees, and our clients from risk. This partnership with AuditComply reinforces our commitment to becoming a truly tech-enabled law firm – it will not only ensure that we are well equipped to deal with our own exposure to risk quickly and effectively, but that we can take a streamlined approach to assist our customers with their own responsibilities and obligations”– Stuart Whittle, Director of Business Services and Innovation at Weightmans

• “AuditComply is playing a crucial role in changing the quality & compliance culture. A world-class system, a gamechanger in our industry. We required a solution that was mobile, automated our data, and could be accessed in real-time to ensure we are meeting quality standards across the supply chain. AuditComply delivered. Everyone that encounters AuditComply immediately loves it”– Johnny Elgin, Sysco

• “The team is responsive and quick to our needs. There’s an underrated passion for the development of the solution. I would dread to think about what our operations would be like without implementing AuditComply. We’re working to introduce AuditComply into other departments”. – Natalie Elgin, Natalie Regan, Environmental, Health and Safety Manager at McCloskey International

• “AuditComply’s solution has greatly improved our productivity for both internal audits and production checklists. We found the assistance in moving our existing audits to their solution excellent and seamless. For the little support we have required since moving, their response times and resolutions have been exceptional. Their approach and services simply work”– Michael Caughey, IT Support Specialist at Bushmills

Whatwouldbeyouradvicetobuddingentrepreneurs whoaspiretoventureintothesupplychainspace? Youhavenothingtolose.Foryears,we’vetakenlogistics forgrantedandthepandemichasforcedustorethinkit. The21stcenturyisgoingtobeaboutsupplychainsandif you’resolvingaprobleminthisarena,youhavenothingto lose.It’sokaytomakemistakesasanentrepreneur

Takeyouridea,thenreallytest,testitearly,testitagainand talktothecustomer.Everycustomerchallengewillbe uniqueandit’sallaboutsolvingaproblem.Understand whoisgoingtobuyfromyouandwhytheyaregoingto buy.Forgeteverythingelse,ifyou’resolvingatrue industrialproblem,everythingelsewillfallintoplace.Get intothemindsetoflearningfromyourmistakes,bewilling toadapt,andbedisciplinedinyourapproach.

AuditComplyisanincrediblyagileplatformforareason, allowingustoadapttotheevolvingenvironmentsofour customers.It’snosecret,AuditComplywasbuiltbyRisk& Auditexperts-youwillseeitinthedetails,fromthe assessmenttemplatebuildertohowthedataisreportedand analysed.Wewillcontinuetousethefeedbackand informationgleanedfromtheprocesstoshapeourresearch anddevelopmentinitiatives.

HowdoyouenvisionscalingAuditComply’soperations andofferingsin2021?

AuditComplyhasalwayshadagreatvisionofwhatthe futureofRiskandAuditManagementisgoingtolooklike. Third-PartyRiskandESGwillbekeyroadmapdriversand willlikelydictatethemarketswefocusonandwhere operationswillbeexpanded.

AnEminentLeader

CEOofAuditComply,KevinDonaghy,hasledteamsand companiesfromtheearlieststagesofdevelopmentthrough commercializationandhyper-growthphases.Hestartedhis careerwithWPDSinSanDiegoasasoftwareengineer focusedonEquipmentConfigurationManagementsystems forairforcesacrosstheglobe.Hethenwentontorun multipleteamsforSpirentCommunicationsandthen foundedSwanLabs,whichwasthenacquiredbyF5 Networksin2005.

In2007,hefoundedReplify,whichfocusedonmobility optimizationandvirtualization.Kevinhasworkedforweb securityfirmBlueCoatSystemsonmobileoptimization strategyandonmultipleprojects,suchassecurityand onlineGRCPlatforms.

“

THE EV REVOLUTION and its Impact on the TRUCKING INDUSTRY

Inevitable”–thisishow90%ofthetransportation manufacturersaredescribingthefutureofelectronic vehicles(EV)inthecommercialtransportationbusiness. Thefactorsthataredrivingtheadoptionofelectronic vehiclesinthetruckingindustryfallundertwomajor categories–externalfactorsandinternalmotivations.

ZeroEmissions

Thisisthebiggestfactorthatisexternallydrivingthe adoptionofEVsinthetruckingindustry Theswitchfrom gasolinetoelectricpowergeneratedvehiclesarereducing carbonemissions.Thiscouldrootfromacompany’sown initiativetogogreenandcomplywithgovernment regulations.

Thegoodnewsinthisindustry–thatenergyproviders acrossthenationarealreadyfocusedheavilyongenerating electricityfromcleanandrenewableenergysources,and thisisreducingtheirenvironmentalimpactsignificantly.In thetruckingindustry,thefleetequipmentisalreadygoing electric.Fossilfuelshavebeenswappedforelectricity Thereareplaceswherewecanalreadyexperiencepowerful chargingoutputforchargingheavy-dutyelectrictrucks.

Thebiggestinternalmotivationfortruckingindustry electrificationis–

ItisaCost-effectiveSolution

Thetruckingindustryhasalonghistoryofcomingupwith creativeandinnovativesolutions,andsoonwecanexpect theenhancementinthisspacewiththecreativemindsfrom thecleantechandelectrificationsector,andtherewillbea hostofsolutionsfortruckstoembraceastheyaremoving intotheelectricfuture.

Whiletherearemanufacturersthataredemonstratinga growingconsciousnessabouttheirimpactonthe environment,theadoptionofelectricvehiclesinthisspace iseventuallyspeedingup,knowingthatthisswitchcan affecttheirbottomline.Thebeautyofelectric-powered trucksisthatthefleetscandecidetodeploythembasedon bottom-linedollarsandcents.

Thereisastrongeconomicargumentforbattery-electric truckstoday,andtheinitialnumbersarequitepromising. Accordingtotheresearchdataofadigitaltransformation advisoryfirm,electrictrucksarerecordinglowerper-mile energycostsversusthosetraditionaltrucksrunningon gasoline.

Inadditiontothemoneyelectrictrucksaresavingby reducingenergyconsumption,fleetscancutdownon additionalmaintenanceexpenses.Thetruckingindustrycan savetheirexpenseson

• OilandOilfilterchange

• Enginesludge

• Thefuelfilterandfuelinjectorcleaning

• Sparkplugsandignitioncoils

• Thecatalyticconverter,airintakevalvesandfilters, timingbelts,andmuffler

AnotheradvantagetothetruckingindustrybyEVis–EV trucksareexpectedtolastlonger,anditisbecauseoftheir non-complexmachineryandanacutenumberofmoving parts.Forinstance,evenifthebatterywearsout,itiseasier toreplaceit.Furthermore,sincegridoperatorsareusingLiionbatteriestoimprovepowerqualityandbetter-integrated renewables,thelastingpowerofalowercapacityBEV batteryisexpectedtobefarlargerthanthescrapvalueof anentireICEV.

Thetruckingindustryissmoothlygoingaheadandis movingtowardsanelectric-poweredfuture.

Duetopressuresfromthegovernmenttoreducethe transportindustry’scarbonemissionsandsavecosts effectively,aswitchtowardselectricvehiclesisthe inevitablenextstepintheevolutionofthetruckingsector.

Thetruckingindustryisalreadytakingbothexternalfactors andinternalmotivationsintoconsideration.Also,Changes intruckingspacestrategiesarebeingconsidered,aswellas theyarecreatingatransitionplanfortheseelectricvehicles.

TheUrbanFactorsforElectricVehicles

Thetrucksinurbanareasarerunningenoughmilesona dailybasiswithlowerBEVoperatingcosts,butthisnumber isadequatetorequireuneconomicallylargebatteriesfor regularactivities.Trucksusuallyencounterplentyofstopand-gotraffic,andtheyaremakingeffectiveuseof regenerativebrakingandsuperioridlingefficiency

Moreover,trucksrequireaninitialtorque.Previously,diesel andgasolineweregoodoptionstoaddpower;whilegood, electricisbetter,abattery-poweredelectricvehiclecan achieveinitialpeaktorqueatalmostidlingphase.This clearsaperceptionthatelectricvehicleslackpoweror acceleration.Theyarealreadyoutperforminggas-powered vehicles.

Electromobilityandelectrificationannouncementsfrom leadingEVsolutionsandservicesprovidersarefocusedon enhancingandeasingfleetoperations.Thistrendisdriven bycompellingeconomicsandisenhancingtheoperations inthetransportationandtruckingindustry

-AbhishekJoshi.

At the Forefront of the Global Logistics Revolution

Foranycompanytothrive,itisessentialthatit navigateseffortlesslythroughallthechallengesto provideitsproductorservicestotheendcustomer Supplychaincompaniesplayavitalrolewhenitcomesto thewholeprocessthatgoesintomanufacturingaproductto itsfinaldelivery.

BolloréLogisticsisonesuchcompanythatisproviding excellentsupplychainservicesinthetransportandlogistics sector.BasedoutofPuteaux,France,thecompanyisa majorinternationaltransportandlogisticsoperator Withan extensivereach,thecompanyisaleadingsupplychain serviceproviderintheworld.

InaninterviewwithInsightsSuccess,OlivierBoccara,the GlobalChiefCommercialOfficerofBolloréLogistics shareshisinsightsontheback-endactivitiesinvolvedinthe transportationandlogisticssector

Belowarethehighlightsfromtheindustry:

PleasebriefouraudienceaboutBolloré,itsUSPs,and howthecompanyiscurrentlypositionedasaleading playerinthesupplychainsolutionsspace.

Foundedin1822,Bolloréisoneofthe500largest companiesintheworld,withaturnoverof€24,109million in2020.Thankstoadiversificationstrategybasedon innovationandinternationaldevelopment,wenowhold strongpositionsinallouractivitiesaroundthreebusiness lines,TransportationandLogistics,Media& Communication,andElectricityStorage&Solutions.

Weareagloballeaderininternationaltransport&logistics andhaveanetworkof600officesin109countrieswith

morethan19,519employees.Wehavebeenpositionedas theonlyPan-Africantransportandlogisticsservice provider

WehavebeenoperatinginAfricaformorethan50years. Ourperformancestemsfromaworldwidenetworkof expertsandfromvalue-addedintegratedinformation systemsandtools,whichaffordcompletevisibilityonall operationsthroughouttheentiresupplychain.

Inacomplexandvolatileworld,aleanandagilesupply chainisessentialforthecreationofvalue.Theloyaltyand individualcommitmentofouremployeesmakeusdifferent, andinnovationisrootedinthespiritofenterpriseandthe constantquestforimprovement.

Since2017,theCSRpolicyhasbeenoneofthefivepillars ofBolloréLogistics'overallstrategy.Inthethirdquarterof 2018,welaunchedtheCSR‘PoweringSustainable Logistics’program,basedon4leversand11commitments, reflectedinobjectivestobeachievedby2030.

WhatotherservicesdoesBolloréoffer,andhoware thesemakinganimpactontheindustryandyour clients?

BolloréLogistics'rangeofservicesextendsacrossfivecore categories:MultimodalTransport,CustomsandRegulatory Compliance,Logistics,GlobalSupplyChain,andIndustrial Projects.Ourservicesarebackedbyapanelofapproved suppliers(air,ocean,androadfreightcompanies)thathave undergoneourstrictselectionprocessairandocean consolidationplatformsateverymajorinternationalhub.

Wehavebuiltstrongpositionsinmajorindustrysectors:

World's Best Performing Supply Chain Soluon Providers

About the Leader

Like most of the members of the Bolloré Logistics steering committee, Olivier Boccara, Global Chief Commercial Officer, has developed extensive experience in international logistics, including more than 20 years in the Group. He has a sharp vision of market developments, extensive knowledge of the needs of global players in their respective industries as well as global players in the air and maritime transport.

aerospace,automotive,healthcare,perfumes&cosmetics, oilandgas,mining,infrastructure,defence,aid&relief, andsoftcommoditiesmarkets.

Morerecently,wehavebecomeamajorplayerinthe flourishingretailsector WeoperateinternationalecommercelogisticsinAfricawithdoor-to-doorsolutions, includingexpressservice.

Againstthebackdropofvolatilityandthedigitalizationof freightmarkets,wearere-inventingourtransport& logisticssolutions.Indeed,IoTtechnologieswillenhance ourperformancelevelinareassuchasvisibilityand piloting.

Predictiveanalyticstechniques,robotics,andautomation willbealsowidelydeployed.Besides,wehavecreatedthe B.Lab,aninnovationcommunitythataimstocreatenew products,services,andprocesseswiththeclose involvementofourcustomers.

, ,Bolloré Logistics executes agile transport plans based on air charters, multimodal solutions, and regional distribution centres.

Wearemovingfromthetransactioneratotheflow engineeringeratotakeaccountoftheincreasingcomplexityofourcustomers’supplychains.

Tothiseffect,BolloréLogisticsimplementscontroltowers whoseprimaryfunctionsinclude:

• ThecoordinationofallBolloréLogisticsteamsand subcontractorsbyactingasourclients’LLP(Lead LogisticsProvider),

• Themanagementofallcommunicationswithour customerstoensureend-to-endvisibilityoftheentire logisticschain,

• Thedynamictraceabilityofflowsandthemanagementof alertstoallowthemtoswitchtoalternativesolutionsand backupplanswhenevernecessary,

• Theanalysisofperformanceindicatorsandmonitoringof BolloréLogistics'constantimprovementprocess.

Beinganexperiencedleader,sharewithusyouropinion onwhatimpacthavetheadoptionofmodern technologiessuchasAI,bigdata,andmachinelearning hadonthesupplychainniche,andwhatmorecouldbe expectedinthefuture?

Asmentionedabove,B.Lab,BolloréLogistics’innovation booster,acceleratesinnovationinthesupplychainby supportingallinnovationinitiatives,fromideationtogo-tomarketphase.

Ourexperimentalandcollaborativeapproachfocusesonthe needsofourcustomers.

Theseinnovationinitiativesaresupportedbyfour technologies–

• Blockchaintoprovidestructured,distributed, cryptographicallysecured,andforgery-proofprotocol setsfordatatransmission,storage,andusagewithinan entrustedecosystemofpartners.

• ArtificialIntelligencetointerpretandbuildanalysesand predictivemodels.

• Roboticstoautomateshopfloortasks(materialhandling, labelling,kitting,andsoon)anddesktasks(withRobotic ProcessAutomation).

• InternetofThingstorecord/generateaccurate‘onthe field’data.

Takingintoconsiderationthecurrentpandemic,what initialchallengesdidyoufaceandhowdidBolloré sustainoperationswhileensuringthesafetyofits employeesatthesametime?

FromJanuary25,2020,aChinaCoronavirusTaskForce wasformed,andBolloréLogisticsGreaterChinaactivated acontingencyplantoensurestaffsafetyinlocalbranches.

AsEast-Westairfreightandseafreightcapacitydropped double-digitalternativemultimodaltransportsolutionshave beensetup.

Besides,BolloréLogisticswasattheforefrontofproviding countrieswithpersonalprotectiveequipment.InH1,2020, 1billionmaskswereshippedfromChinaandVietnam.

In2021,theglobalbackdrophasstillrelatedtoashortage offreightcapacitiesandhighvolatilityofrates.

BolloréLogisticsexecutesagiletransportplansbasedonair charters,multimodalsolutions,andregionaldistribution centres.Itisalsoboostingitsdigitizationprogramto increaseoperationalreactivity Wearealsoofferingnew low-carbontransportsolutionsasthepandemiccrisishas highlightedtheimportanceofsustainability

Whatwouldbeyouradvicetobuddingentrepreneurs whoaspiretoventureintothesupplychainspace?

Thesupplychainisapeople’sactivitybeforeall.Attracting andretainingtalentsisakeysuccessfactor Technologyisa strongleveraswell.Providingdigitalservicestocustomers willbringbusinessesgreatersimplicity,transparency,and responsivenessinthemanagementoftheirinternational transport.

In2020,theBolloréGrouptookamajoritystakein OVRSEA,astart-upfoundedin2017thatmadethebold moveofdigitalizingthesectorthroughawebinterfacefor transportmanagement,fromquotestoinvoicesviarealtimetracking.

HowdoyouenvisionscalingBollore’soperationsand offeringsin2021?

OurStrategyistobolsterBolloréLogistics’positionamong thegloballeadersbyincreasingitsglobalfootprint, innovatingbyre-inventing,anddigitizingitstransport& logisticssolutionswhilecommittingtoitssocial responsibilityreflectedintheGroup'sEthicsCharterand contributingtotheprotectionoftheenvironmentand fosteringsustainabledevelopment.

Inthefuture,weaimat:

• Offeringourcustomers,afullrangeofexpertisewith highaddedvalue&alternativesolutionsinany circumstances,

• Deliveringcutting-edgeandpragmaticsolutions,

• Supportingourcustomersintheirsustainable developmentwithourCSRprogram,

• EnsuringEthics&CompliancewithourGeneralCodeof BusinessConduct.

Will change the FUTURE FUTURE of the SUPPLY CHAIN SUPPLY CHAIN Industry

ArtificialIntelligence(AI)isoneofthosefactors thatisforcingchangesinalltheindustriesacross theglobe.Technologicaladvancementsinrecent yearshavedrasticallyimprovedthefaceofbusiness activities.Today,thesupplychainindustryisthelinkthat connectsbusinesseswiththeircustomerseffectively.From afarviewpoint,thesupplychainindustryseems untouchableforAI.Ontheotherhand,almosteverysector inthesupplychainindustryisnowequippedwithAI,butit isquitehardtobelievethatthewholeindustryis untouchable.

ThesupplychainindustryisnotuntouchableforAI,butthe embedmentofAIintheindustrymakesitasilentpartner. AccordingtoareportbyMcKinsey,morethan44percent ofthecompaniesthatadoptedAIreportedrevenuegrowth. Amongstthat44percent,mostbusinessesreportedacost reduction.ThisiswhatAIbringstothetableforbusinesses thatareapartofthesupplychainindustry.

RoleofAIforbusinessesinthesupplychainindustry

BeforegettingintodetailsaboutAIchangingthesupply chainindustry,letusunderstandwhereAIcomesintothe pictureinthissupplychain?

So,thedigitalizationofthemarketmadetheinternetawide networldwide,makingitamarketplaceforalmostevery business.Theinternetcollectsdatafromacustomer,which wouldgoaheadwiththetransactionafterprocessing.Itis easyforhumanstoprocessthedataforlimitedusers.Since

thereareprobablymillionsofusersgeneratingdataonthe internet,letalonehumans,eventheinternetwouldrequirea powerfultooltocultivate,categorize,andanalyzedataas earlyaspossible.ThisiswhereAIcomesintohelp businessesinprocessingthedata.Consideringits importance,positioningAIinthesupplychainwouldbe neartothecore.

AIproveditselfincost-cuttingandmadeitpossiblefor businessestoadoptitwhileintegratingitinitscore.Forthe supplychainindustry,transportistheveinforcompanies. Morelossisfacedinthesupplychainindustrybecauseof thedelayanddisturbanceintransportationratherthanin production.AIgaveareal-timesolutiontothiswith applicationslikeUPSandtheORIONsystem.Thisallowed easieron-roadnavigationbyusingdataofthesurroundings toprovideanoptimizedwaytonavigate.

Oneofthemostprominentbusinessesinthesupplychain industryisthelineageindustry.Itpreservesandrefrigerates foodduringitstransportation.Packingandmanagingorders playaverycrucialroleinthesupplychain.AIforthis specificsetofbusinessesdevelopedasystemthatpredicts whentheorderarrivesandwhenitleavesthewarehouse, helpingbusinessesmaintainthefreshnessandappropriate temperaturethroughoutthejourney TheAIsystem decreasedthewastageandsavedmoremoneyforthe supplychainbusinesses.Alongwiththat,morethana20% increaseinbusinessefficiencyhasbeenreportedbyLineage Logistics.

BenefitsofAIinsupplychainindustry

Thesupplychainindustryissavingprobablymillionsof dollarseveryyearwiththeinclusionofAI.Theinclusion ofArtificialIntelligencehasbeenprominentlyboostingthe manufacturingsectorinquality,quantity,maintenance,etc. SinceAIishelpingthecoresegmentsofthesupplychains, let’sseethepossiblebenefitsofAItothewholeindustry.

Safety:Lookingatthecurrentmarketscenario,electricautomatedvehiclesareexpectedtobringapromising future.Theautomateddrivingfeatureswillbringsafetyon theroadalongwithspeedandefficiency

Predictioninsupplyline:Inthecurrentsupplyline paradigm,theindustry,despitebeingareliableone,is highlyvolatile.Variousfactorsliketraffic,rules,and hardnessintravelguidelinesmakeitdifficulttobringa smoothflowintheline.TheinclusionofAIwillbring moreflexibilityinitswork.ApropersystemdrivenbyAI willreducemiscommunicationanddelaysfromthe industry

FreightManagement:Managingheavyandbulkyorders istheneedofthehourforeveryindustrythesedays.The worldisrunningonthenetworkthatthesupplychain industryhascreated.TheAImodelofLineageLogistics canhelpimprovethissystem.AIhastheabilitytooptimize andboosttheefficiencyoffreight.Thebetterthe packagingandmanaging,themorecost-efficientthesupply lineofthefreightwillbe.

EnergyEfficient:Savingtime,enhancingsecurity,and bettermanagementiswhatAIisbringingtotheindustry. Theinclusionofthesemethodswillalsohelptheindustry inoptimumutilizationofresources.

Thecustomerswillalwaysdrivethefutureofthesupply chainindustry,andthenetworkthatithascreatedacross theworldwilladdmorevaluetoit.However,AIwill transformtheindustryineverywaypossible.ThoughAI willnotbecomethefaceoftheindustryasithasdonein theITsector,itwillbeasilentpartnerthatwillbethe changingfactorfortheindustry Apartfromthegrowth,AI willreducethehighlyvolatilenaturethatthesupplychain industrycurrentlypossessestobusinessesworldwide. LookingatthechangingnatureofAI,thesupplychain industrywillnotonlychangebutalsobemoreefficient.AI willopenmanydoorstoopportunitiesandpossibilitiesthat willdriveindustrygrowth.

-AshleshKhadse

Transportationhasevolvedinmultitudessincethe adventofcivilization.Fromcarryingpeople,goods, andlivestockonwoodencartwheelsandanimalsto designingavehiclelikeaspacecraft,thetransportation industryhascomealongway

Withtimethetypeofgoodsthatneedtobetransportedhas alsoevolved,makingthetransportationservicesmore advancedandcomplex.

Hirschbachisaleadingplayerinthetransportation industrythatisprovidingthemosttechnologically advancedfleetsontheroad.Thecompanyprovidesbestin classtransportationservicesandstrivestobeyourcarrierof choicethroughhighlydependable,innovative,secure,and on-timedeliveryservices.

HirschbachisspearheadedbyBradPinchuk,CEO,andDan Wallace,President.TheOvertheRoadandDedicated divisionsareledbyAshleyAlexander,V.P.ofOTR Operations,andJasonWeber,V.P.ofDedicatedOperations. TheSpecializeddivisionisledbyJohnKalb,theSr. OperationsDirector,PaulRuiz,theDirectorofSystems andProcess,andKevinLage,theSr.Directorof BusinessDevelopmentofHirschbach.

Thefollowingextractexploresthevariousbreakthrough transportationservicesthatthecompanyhasbeenproviding toitsclientssince1935.

TheAdvent Hirschbachwasfoundedin1935withitscorefocusto movefreshandfrozenproteinsinrefrigeratedtrailersfrom theMidwesttoportslocatedintheEast,Southeast,andthe South,thenreturningwithimportedfreshproduce.Sinceits inception,theCarrierhasnowgrownto2300powerunits andisnowthesixth-largestrefrigeratedCarrierinthe UnitedStates.

Overthepast7yearsthecompanyhasevolvedintothree divisions:OvertheRoad–OTR(1350trucks),Dedicated Services(800trucks),andtheSpecializedDivision(150 trucks).

ExtendingStandardServices

Hirschbachworkswithitscustomerstodeploythe‘right’ transportationsolutionsfortheirneedswhentheyneed them.Acrossitsthreedivisions,itoffersacombinationof solutionstomeetthecustomer'ssupplychaindemands.

Hirschbach’sOTRDivisionprovidescommittedcontract capacitynationwide.Thefleetstrivestobalancegapsin ProductionShippingSchedulesandavailableDriverHours ofService(HoS)withdroptrailerpoolsatoriginsand deliverydestinations.Thecompany’snetworkofterminals (10intotal)allowsfor1way,Relay,andTeamExpedited Servicestomakesureitscustomer’sfreightisdelivered safelyandontime.

Inthefallof2020,thisdivisionrolledoutitsservicecritical offeringmovinghigh-valuecargowithstrictpick-upand deliverycustomerSOPs.

Thecompany’sDedicatedDivisionfocusesregionallyon repeatabletruckloadshuttlesincludingPlanttoCustomer, PlanttoPlant,PlanttoDC,PlanttoColdStorage,Cold StoragetoPlant,DCtoSpoke,DCtoCustomer&DCto StoreDoorservices.Thedivisionisnimbleinreactingto changingcustomerdemandsanddeployssleepercabs,day cabs,andstraighttrucksspecifiedtomeetthecustomer’s supplychain.

In2019thisDivisionsteppeduptotrainakeydrivergroup &procureCo2tankerservicestofurthersupportkey regionalmanufacturer’sup-timeduringsupply-constrained periods.

TheSpecializedDivisionoperateson-sitesupportingthe customer’slocalsupplychaindemands.Thisdivision focusesfirstonyardmanagementservicesandradiates inwardtoplantoperationsandexternallytolocal bottlenecksthatmayinterruptthecustomer'ssupplychain.

UtilizingSpotbyHirschbach’sSpotLightYMStoolthe companycanconnectLocalPlant&DCOperations, CorporateTransportation,ProductionScheduling,Carrier Partners,PackagingVendors,PalletVendors,andtheYard Servicetodriveefficientyardoperationsthatsupport productionanddistribution.

AssimilatingTechnology

Sharinghisopinionontheimpactoftheadoptionof moderntechnologiessuchasAI,bigdata,andmachine learningonthesupplychainniche,Johnsaid,“Specificto ourSpecializedDivision,AIhasnothadanimpactonthe industry,howeverbigdata&machinelearningisonthe vergeofbecomingmainstream.Customeryardoperations areflushwithkeydatafromthetimeacarrierarrivesatthe productionordistributionlocationwithaninbound shipmentofpackaging,rawmaterials,workinprocess goodsorfinishedgoods.”

“Everyopportunitytostreamlinethesupplychaintoget goodsintherightareaattherighttimecontributestothe customer'ssuccess.Wefullybelievethatwecanusedatato drivebetter,faster,moreefficientdecisionmaking.”

Hefurtheradded,“TheSpotDivisionsisactivelyengaged incapturingdataviaitsYMSapplication,manipulatingin itsbusinessintelligence,andreportingdatabasetodevelop hourlyKPIDashboardstodriveadherencetoengineered standardsandpushtheoperationtofindefficiency.We believethatkeytaskscanbesystematicallytriggeredinthe futuretotaskdriversandeventuallybeabletodeploy autonomousyardvehicles.”

OvercomingAdversities

Talkingabouthowthecompanyovercamethechallenges posedbythepandemicPaulsaid,“Wewereextremely proactiveinpreparingforthepandemic.Aswesawthe numberofcasesrising,webegantestingandimplementing softwarethatwouldallowforourofficeworkforcetobe remote.Whenthetimecame,wewerepreparedtohaveour staffworkingfromhomeandthetransitionwasvirtually seamless.”

“Wehadtaskforcesfocusedontheprocurement,deployment,anduseofPPEandcleaningsuppliesatallofour sites,includingon-sitewithcustomers.”

OutlookthatCounts

Offeringadvicetothebuddingentrepreneurswhoaspireto ventureintothesupplychainspaceKevinsaid,“Everything beginsandendswiththecustomer'ssupplychainneeds.A

successfulcompanytakesthetimetolistenandunderstand what’sbeingservedwellandwherethegapsaretoimprove theefficiencyintheCustomer’sSupplyChain.Individually themostadvancedsoftwarepackage,orthehardest workingsitemanagementteam,orthemosttechnologically advancedequipmentdoesnotitselfmakeacompany successful.”

“Ittakesathoughtfuldeploymentoftechnology,employees,andhardassetsalongwithafundamentalcaretoearn thetrustoftheSupplyChainpartnersthatallowacompany tobesuccessful.”

FutureProspects

TalkingaboutscalingHirschbach’soperationsandofferings inthecomingtimeKevinsaid,“2020wasarollercoasterof arideduringthepandemicwitheachmonthbringinganew challenge,morequestions,andadaptingsupplychains.As theUnitedStateshasadjustedtoournewpandemicnormal in2021,we’veseensupplychainissuesacrosstheU.S.We literallyfoundourselvesin12monthsmovingfroma shortageintoiletpapertoashortageinmicro-chips.”

“AtHirschbachweremainednimblethroughoutandgrew asacompany.Internallywelearnedhowwecanleverage technologytoprovideavirtualplatformforouroffice employeestoworkoff-sitewhilethebulkofourdriver employeescontinuedtoplaytheirrolesintheCustomer’s Supplychains.”

“Asweenter2022,Hirschbachhasgrownitsfleetsizeover 10%sincemid-2020.Weareconfidentintheroleweplay forourcustomers,resilientinthefactthatwecannavigate challengingsupplychainsandfocusedtocontinuetoearn therighttogrow,”concludedKevin.

MeettheLeadershipTeam

JohnKalbJohnKalbisa transportationand logistics professionalwith over40yearsof experienceinthe industry.20years ofthatexperience hasbeenwith HirschbachMotor Lines.Johnhas beeninvolvedin manyareasat Hirschbach includingOverthe RoadOperations, Logistics Brokerage,andfor thepast6years,leadingtheSpotbyHirschbachteamasthe Sr.DirectorofOperations.AgraduateofLorasCollege withadegreeinaccounting,Johnbeganhiscareerasthe TreasurerandCo-OwnerofTri-StateTransportation.John residesinDubuque,IAwithhiswifeof36years,Deb,and enjoysspendingtimewithhis2childrenand3 grandchildren.

PaulRuizPaulRuizisa seasoned(lotsof saltandpepper) veteranofthe transportation industrywithover 35yearsof experience.Paul joinedtheteamat HirschbachMotor Linesin2016as theDirectorof Pricing.Ayear later,thenow Directorof Systemsand Processmadethe transitiontothe SpotbyHirschbachdivisiontofocusonenhancing technologyandanalyticsinYardOperations.Paulwas

responsibleforthelaunchofHirschbach’sSpotLightYMS platformin2019.AnativeofQueens,NY,Paul,andhis familymadethemovetoWisconsininthe80swherehe becameahard-coreGreenBayPackersfan.Heistheproud fatherof4childrenandliveswithhiswifeof37years, Katie,andtheiryellowlab.PaulandKatieareselfprofessedpizzaexpertsandenjoyworkingatperfecting theirhomemadepizzarecipes.

KevinLageKevinLagehasover 25yearsof experiencein transportationand logisticsworkingfor Cargill,AmeriCold Logistics, ChemStationof Kansas,and HirschbachMotor Lines.TheSr. DirectorofBusiness Developmentjoined Hirschbachin2014 withavisionto changetheway spottingoperations arerunbyadding technologyandanalyticstodriveefficiencyandmanage costs.KevinisagraduateofIowaStateUniversitywitha doublemajorinTransportationLogisticsandFinance,and alsoholdsanMBAfromWichitaStateUniversity.He residesinDubuque,IAwiththiswifeand2sons.

Automating the Logistics Journey

Supplychainmanagementand logisticsaregainingpopularity asthespaceforinnovationand productdevelopmentaredrastically expandingintheglobalmarkets.It takesextremecareandaccuracyto carrygoodsfromoneplacetoanother Thereareplentyofthingstoconsider whenitcomestomanagingalogistic businessinaspecificandstructured way Therefore,tomakeitsimple,a perfectmanagementplatformmustbe incorporated.

Asweknowthatsmartmanagement withhighprecisionisanattributeof artificialintelligenceandmachine learning,itisdisruptingthetechnology industryandhelpingusdosmarter tasksthathumanscannot,savingalot oftime.Withthehelpofsuchtechnologies,companiesneednotworryabout laborimplementation,becausethe machinesdoallyourwork.

Manylogisticmanagementsoftware companiesprovidestructuredand plannedservices,whichhelptoreduce thefunctioningofcomplicatedtasks andpromotesasimplifiedworkflow process.Oneprominentnameinthat listisTransmetrics,whichprovidesa smartplatformthatdeliversintegrated multi-variatedemand,supply,and positioningforecasts.

Itsfullycustomizablesystemuses goal-orientedmodulestooptimize crucialaspectsofthebusiness. Empowertheplanningoperations, reducethetediousandmundanedata processes,andprovidetheteamwith

Asparuh Koev CEO

thetimetoworkonwhatmattersmost –deliveringserviceexcellence.

“Wehavedevelopedauniquemethod toimprovedataqualityviathebackend,usingdatathatisextractedfrom thesystemsofourclients.Thisisan AI-drivendataqualityframework, whichgivesreliableresultsata relativelylowcostwithaone-timesetupeffort,”saysAsparuhKoev,CEO ofTransmetrics.

ServicesonDemand

Transmetricshasdevelopedaunique approachforanalyzing,modeling,and predictingtransportflowswithvery highaccuracy.Itstechnologyrequires ararecombinationofknowledgein multipledisciplines,somethingunique toTransmetrics.Theiradvantage comesfromhavingstrongexperience inboththetechnical-BigDataand PredictiveAnalytics-anddomainTransportandLogistics–areas. Transmetricscleansesthedataonthe fly,withoutinanywayaffectingthe

existingprocesseswhilerunningin paralleltotheestablishedoperations.

Asastate-of-the-artAIplatform developedexclusivelyfortheSupply Chain,Transmetricsoptimizes transportplanningandassetpositioningbyleveragingthepowerof predictiveanalyticsandmachine learning.Transmetricscombinesthe strengthsofhumanswiththoseofAI, ensuringthehighestoperational benefits,andbringinglogistics companiesthenextgenerationof BusinessIntelligence–onebuiltonthe synergybetweenhumansandAI.

EmpoweringtheExpertise

Thecompanyisnowoffering4 products–LinehaulPlanning,Asset Positioning,Last-milePlanning,and MaintenancePlanning.Theseproducts havebroughtsignificantbenefitstothe top-tierlogisticscompaniesworldwide thathaveexperiencedanupto25% reductionintransportcostswhile increasingtheirfleetutilizationupto

Chances are that you will be able to make a much bigger impact if you focus on a smaller group of people and their challenges.

14%andmaintaininghighservice levels.Ontopofthat,itsproductshelp logisticscompaniesdecreasetheir negativeenvironmentalimpactby becomingmoreefficient.

EminentLeader

AsparuhKoevisasuccessfulserial entrepreneurwithaprovenrecordof buildingcompaniesandleadingthem tosuccessandcurrentlyheisaCEO andfounderofTransmetrics.With18 yearsofbothtechnicalandbusiness backgroundinthetransportmarketand anextensivenetworkwithincargo transportcompanies,Asparuh’s multifaceteddomainexpertiseand leadership,hasbeenasolidbasisof Transmetricsgrowthinthepast8 years.

BeforestartingTransmetrics,hehad foundedSciantAG,asoftware outsourcingcompanyinSofia, Bulgaria.UnderAsparuh’sguidance, thecompanygrewto350employees and$7millioninrevenueperyearand eventuallywasacquiredbyVMWare andbecameVMWareBulgaria.

Asparuh’ssecondcompanywasa consultancyworkingexclusivelywith cargotransportcompanies.Its

customers,IntelliCoSolutionshave Fortune500clientsdeliveringIT projectsinthe$1million-$20million range.Allofthisaswellasthesupport ofthetalentedanddedicatedteam helpedAsparuhtobringTransmetrics whereitisnow

IntegratingtheTechnology

ArtificialIntelligenceandmachine learninghavechangedBIsolutionsfor thebetter.Now,organizationsunderstandthattheirmostassetisdata,and toproperlyanalyzevastdatasetsand driveactionableinsights,‘Business Intelligence’turnstoAIandML technologies.Forexample,without thesetechnologies,Transmetricswould notbeabletodriveaccurateforecasts andofferoptimizationsuggestionsfor itsclients,sinceitsimplywouldnot haveaccesstothecalculatingand analyzingpowerofAIandML.

However,thenextlogicalstepforthe developmentofthesetechnologiesis notclosingtheminto‘blackboxes.’AI canstillmissthehumanfactororother unprecedentedeventswhenanalyzing thedataandproduceincorrector simplywrongconclusionsthatcanhurt thebusiness.

Asparuhsays,“thisisexactly,whywe believeintransparent,explainable,and accessibleAIatTransmetrics.Onlyby combiningthedomainexpertiseofa humanandthecalculatingpowerof Artificialintelligence,organizations canachievethebiggestbenefits.We callitAugmentedIntelligence.”

JourneyinthePandemic

Duringcovid,thecompanyhadseen anunprecedentedgrowthof eCommerceandlogisticsingeneral, whichalsoboostedthedemandfor Transmetricssolutions.Shipping volumeshaveincreasedacrossthe globalnetworksandwhilealotof logisticsserviceprovidersfaced increasingrevenues,ithasalsofaced increasinginefficienciesintheir operations.Ontopofthat,theenvironmentalprotectionlawsaregetting tougher,andorganizationsneedtofind solutionsthatcandecreaseitsCO2 impact.Transmetricssolutionscan helpwithboth.

Inthepreviousyears,travelingtotheir client’slocationswasacommon practice,andtheywerespendingalot oftimeandresourcestoensurethe qualityoftheface-to-facemeetings. However,thepandemicshortened

One of the most important things in my opinion is to find your niche.

geographicaldistancesbymaking videoconferencingmoresocially acceptableforB2Bcommunication anddecisionmaking,helping Transmetricsenlargeitsreachalmost withouttraveling.

“Wehavealsointroducedamuch friendlierwork-from-homepolicyand investedinWFHsetupsforour employees.Wehavefacedsome challengesforsure,butthepandemic hasbeenmoregenerousintermsof opportunitiesforourbusiness.”says Aspurah.

OutlookthatCounts

WhileinterviewingAsparuhweasked himwhathisadvicewouldbetothe buddingentrepreneurswhoaspireto ventureintotheBIsolutionsmarketto whichhesaid,“Oneofthemost importantthings,inmyopinion,isto findyourniche.Chancesarethatyou willbeabletomakeamuchbigger impactifyoufocusonasmallergroup ofpeopleandtheirchallenges.”

GenericAIplatformsforgettotakethe intricaciesofacertainindustryor professionintoaccount,whichis exactlythereasonwhywefocussolely onlogistics.Therearemanychallenges

totacklesogetoutthere.”Concluded Asparuh.

TheRoadAhead

Sincethecompanywasapproaching thehorizonof2021already,Asparuh explainshowtheymanagedtoscale theoperationsin2021thusfar.“By focusingonourcoreofferingsand cuttingtherestout.2020gaveusthe clarityofmindtotakeahardlookat ourselvesandreconsiderwhowewant tobe.In2021weactedonthat,by puttingresourcestowardsenhancing ourcoreproductsandcuttingothers.It mighthurtintheshortterm,butinthe longrun,wewillbebetteroff.”

Anotherinterestingaspectistheease withwhichthecompanycouldadaptto sellingonline,whichAsparuhthought wouldbeabiggerchallengeinitially Ashementionedbefore,now,itcan pitchandshowcaseitssoftwareonline inanarguablybetterwaythaninreal lifebecauseallparticipantscanhave thesameexperiencewhenlogginginto anonlinemeetingandseetheshared screen.Theylongtomeetpeopleagain andtraveltomeettheirclientsandsee theiroperations,butintermsofday-todayoperations,onlinemeetingswerea realgodsendforthem.

Exhibiting Excellence

“Transmetrics is exible and open to new ideas to which they respond very quickly. A main key differentiator for me is that, unlike other AI/big data companies, they understand the realities of the logistics industry. Transmetrics apply mathematics, statistics, and AI algorithms to create a product that makes sense to logistics experts, and which can be used in daily operations to benet our business.”

– Nicholas Minde, Senior Vice President Overland Germany at Kuehne + Nagel.

“We had been looking for a partner who could help us streamline our empty container ows for a long time. There are different IT solutions on the market, but we chose Transmetrics over other providers because they proved their technical expertise and demonstrated a deep knowledge of the logistics industry and container shipping, which is very difcult to nd.” – Carlo Zaalberg, former Global Director Logistics at NileDutch; Currently COO at CARU Containers.