eCom Logistics Podcast

Dan Coll and Ninaad Acharya welcome Mike Simpson, Vice President of E-Commerce at NFI, joined for this episode of the eCom Logistics Podcast. They discussed Mike's impressive career, which began with him serving in the Army and went on to include him becoming President of Retail and E-Commerce for Jenko, which was later acquired by FedEx and is now known as FedEx Supply Chain. Mike is now the executive sponsor for NFI Veterans Committee and is leading FedEx's expansion in the E-Commerce fulfillment space.The three start off their conversation about the peak season, which had just ended. Mike shared his insights on the importance of automation and scalability in this new era of eCommerce, and why it's important to find the right balance between labor and technology. He also discussed the need to invest in people and facilities to ensure success in a market that is growing rapidly and becoming increasingly competitive. Learn more from Mike in this latest episode of the eCom Logistics Podcast. ABOUT MIKEMichael Simpson is the Vice President of eCommerce at NFI. He graduated from the University of Connecticut and was an Officer in the US Army stationed in Louisiana prior to moving to Texas to start his supply chain career. Has spent over 20 years in supply chain leadership roles, mostly in the Retail and eCommerce industry. Vast experience in eCommerce, forward, reverse, repair, inventory management, value-added services, quality control, customer service, team development, and many other areas to support growing businesses. Exec sponsor for Veterans committee at NFI. Supports attracting veterans to NFI, and then supporting, retaining, and developing Veterans that join NFI, as well as supporting the local Veterans community. HIGHLIGHTS03:02 Key takeaways from peak season09:30 How the housing crisis will impact the industry in 202015:21 How to attract and retain employees21:38 The biggest return for the company26:56 The fundamental basis of automation is no longer efficiency29:09 What is the progression of automation in retail34:38 Understanding Scalability44:31 NFI’s strategy for expanding into major markets QUOTES39:51 Deeper understanding of scalability’s definition - DAN: "Scalability isn't just I went from 100 orders a day to 5000 orders a day Scalability means I might have gotten into different sales channels. And maybe I was digital, native, and all direct to consumer. Now I'm heavily involved in marketplace and Amazon, I'm also doing some retail distribution and drop shipping."43:46 Use niche tools to prevent supplier misses - MIKE: "What we've done is we've taken that time to really listen to the customer, the voice of the customer piece that you had mentioned, Dan, a big component of that was making sure we knew what the market wanted and needed, and how do we modify and enhance our offerings and NFI." Find out more about Mike in the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-simpson-mba/Website: https://www.nfiindustries.com/ Subscribe and Keep Learning!If you’re a logistics leader looking to scale sustainably, don’t miss out! Subscribe for more expert strategies on tackling modern supply chain challenges.Be sure to follow and tag the eCom Logistics Podcast on LinkedIn and YouTube

For this episode of the eCom Logistics Podcast, we welcome Sarah Scudder, Chief Marketing Officer of SourceDay and host of the What the Duck podcast. Today, Sarah digs into building partnerships between suppliers and procurement organizations.She discusses how the sheer volume of orders makes first-mile critical in the operations of manufacturers and the role of technology in automating manual processes. Sarah also gives actionable tips on how to build partnerships, from hiring the right talent to making it easy for suppliers to work with procurement to reevaluating payment terms to become more attractive as a partner.Sarah also talks about how midmarket companies and suppliers can utilize a tech stack to reduce risk. By utilizing niche software, the back and forth that happens with line item changes can be tracked to avoid supplier misses. Finally, Sarah gives advice to brands with seasonal products and how they can plan for 2023 and beyond. ABOUT SARAHSarah Scudder is a self-proclaimed manufacturing supply chain nerd. She is a sustainability nut and loves all things Bradley Cooper. In fact, she has been trying to get a dinner date with him for over two years. The struggle is real. She is good at loading the dishwasher but can’t keep potted plants alive. Green is her favorite color.Sarah hosts the direct materials podcast What the Duck?! and a monthly Voice of Supply Chain show that features people in supply chain doing extraordinary things. She also hosts monthly Manufacturing Woes and Women In ERP shows and enjoys speaking about marketing and supply chain-related topics.Follow her hashtags #ManufacturingMaven and #WomenInERP to get daily manufacturing and direct materials supply chain news. HIGHLIGHTS02:48 Sarah’s journey from student leader to CMO 10:04 Midmarket companies: Avoid costly mistakes by automating manual processes of first-mile delivery19:52 Become a partner and build collaborative working relationships27:36 A single solution will not address every PO problem; use niche tools36:29 Brands must assess their supplier base in 2023 QUOTES26:31 Price should no longer be a top consideration in selecting suppliers - Sarah: "The days of trying to save a penny here and then on price are, just in my opinion, gone. And if I were running a procurement organization, I don't even think costs would be in my top three focus areas. Now, of course, do you need to make sure that what you're buying is market competitive? Absolutely. But I think there are many more priorities than looking at price. And one of the main ones is supply. And if you can't get supply, no matter how much it costs, it does you no good because you're not gonna have anything to manufacture."30:54 Use niche tools to prevent supplier misses - Sarah: "When a company is issuing a purchase order, 52% of the time, our research has shown from the usage of our platform that line items change. So if I'm issuing a purchase order with a hundred line items, we're saying that on average, 52 of those hundred line items are going to have have changes, and that means then, significant back and forth via email and spreadsheet with your supplier, and then we go back to that risk."37:55 Brands with seasonal products must assess their supplier base - Sarah: "One of the most important things you can do to prepare is one, do a full assessment of your supplier base. Who are your suppliers? What is their availability? What sort of relationship do you have with those suppliers? Anything that's questionable or a red flag, I would go immediately start sourcing alternative suppliers to make sure you can have supply." Find out more about Sarah in the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manufacturingmaven/Website: https://sourceday.com/Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/what-the-duck/id1606314974 Subscribe and Keep Learning!If you’re a logistics leader looking to scale sustainably, don’t miss out! Subscribe for more expert strategies on tackling modern supply chain challenges.Be sure to follow and tag the eCom Logistics Podcast on LinkedIn and YouTube

For this episode of the eCom Logistics Podcast, we welcome Dusty Holcomb, CEO of Red Stag Fulfillment. Today, Dusty drills into everything about increasing client value. He talks about how he quickly found a common mission with Red Stag in being people-focused, client-centric, and having a get-stuff-done mindset.Dusty discusses how being people-first is also a strategy for a business's longevity and becoming a 3PL partner that people want to work with. He then focuses on creating a customer experience by doubling down on areas of expertise and gives technical and financial considerations if you are planning on going big and bulky. ABOUT DUSTYDusty Holcomb, an exemplary executive with a 20+ year senior leadership career, is passionate about building innovative and high-performance leadership teams. He is known for solving complex competitive challenges and being able to “connect the dots” between what currently exists and what can and should exist in the future. He has leveraged these skills to reimagine products, services, and systems utilizing his extensive expertise in leadership, technology, and logistics. Dusty is known for his deep belief in the value of creating a differentiated customer experience as the primary driver of predictable recurring revenue growth.As the CEO of Red Stag Fulfillment, a rapidly growing third-party ecommerce fulfillment and logistics services provider, Dusty has a breadth of experience in logistics, strategic governance, and the navigation of dynamic and fast-moving industries. Throughout his extensive career, Dusty held numerous roles at AAA, a multi-billion-dollar organization, including VP Operations, CMO, President, Head of Innovation, and more.Dusty is Board experienced, currently serving as an Independent Director and compensation committee member for HeroWear Exo, an innovative wearable technologies company. Additionally, he has given back to six different non-profit organizations during his career. He enjoys educating CEOs and leaders on the value of building exceptional and intentional customer experiences as a speaker. He is available for select private or public company engagements.Dusty earned a BBA in Business Administration from Columbus State University, and later completed the MBA program at Auburn University. He also completed the Advanced Management program at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University. Dusty is an active member of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD). He resides with his family in Knoxville, TN, is an avid sportsman, triathlete, and 5-time Ironman Finisher. HIGHLIGHTS03:45 Joining Red Stag due to a desire to create client value09:51 Be forward-thinking and see through a client-centric lens14:25 What makes a good 3PL partner19:11 A culture that people come first28:39 Do big and bulky if inventory load balance is your expertise QUOTES15:18 Create client value by removing the logistical hassle from customers - Dusty: "I think it really comes down to a mutual alignment of what value creation is. And so what I mean by that is I think a brand has to understand what their core competencies are, and they have to understand the value that they are creating for their customer. And what is debiting that value? So our mission statement as an organization is to do the heavy lifting of e-commerce so our clients can focus on what they do best."26:10 Your core values will enable technical competencies - Dusty: "There are certain core values that are absolute buzz saws. And if you run into that one, it's a buzz saw. You're not gonna make it here if you just don't believe that. So looking for people that are core-value-focused, are people-focused, they understand that what we do is done through the hard work of people, who have a get-stuff-done bias or just GSD, it was get it done, and are client-centric. So it was kind of four big buckets of things that I'm looking for that transcends or enables technical competency." Find out more about Dusty in the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustyholcomb/Website: https://redstagfulfillment.com/ Subscribe and Keep Learning!If you’re a logistics leader looking to scale sustainably, don’t miss out! Subscribe for more expert strategies on tackling modern supply chain challenges.Be sure to follow and tag the eCom Logistics Podcast on LinkedIn and YouTube

For this episode of the eCom Logistics Podcast, we welcome Maia Benson, Partner and Managing Director at Forum Ventures. Today, she shares her journey as an entrepreneur and the different levels of investment Forum offers to founders.She discusses her insights on how Shopify became the catalyst for reaching new markets in fast-growing segments, as well as the prospect of new tech helping create a new and affordable delivery promise that drives conversion. Maia also digs into the unit economics of parcels and the challenges of bringing them down.Maia then discusses Amazon's unique DNA, the obstacles that software-only solutions encounter today, and how focusing on creating a great product should be every SaaS company's first principle, especially with the recent double-digit layoffs in the tech world. ABOUT MAIAMaia Benson is a Partner and Managing Director at Forum Ventures where she invests in and works with early-stage B2B SaaS founders from inception to scale. She has spent over 20 years founding, building, and scaling award-winning SaaS products and platforms for entrepreneurs and SMBs at places like LexisNexis, Pitney Bowes (SendPro platform/apps) and most recently at Shopify.For over 5 years, she helped found, launch, and scale their shipping and fulfillment products from inception to 60%+ merchant adoption and $Bs of transportation spend. In addition to her venture work at Forum Ventures, Maia continues to angel invest and advise next-gen ecommerce and logistics tech founders. HIGHLIGHTS04:01 Starting entrepreneurship in SEO and eventually joining Forum Ventures08:46 Providing a spectrum of funding options and partnering with friends for success17:11 Shopify drove demand for tools that integrate legacy pieces in an evolving market22:25 Tech innovations challenge the idea that owned infrastructure is better31:49 With recent layoffs, companies should focus on building great product for and with customers QUOTES15:30 Asking for help and partnering are especially important in the logistics space - Maia: "I think founders with a DNA of asking for help are naturally outsize winners, period hard stop. And the advisors they can attract to support them in the journey and to unlock opportunities faster for them is really a reflection of them fundamentally understanding that DNA."24:40 Today's environment is characterized by innovation and creating optionality - Maia: "We are in a state of innovation and fragmentation right now that is making the what, so the what strategy of I need a great, affordable delivery promise, that's what I need, I need a delivery promise that drives conversion that I can afford at a unit economic level, period hard stop." "Does that mean it's a space race to 1 or 2 day for everyone? No, that's not what it means. But that is the end state and there has been so much exciting innovation and then the birth of so many different companies to empower that, that we're now looking at a how that has optionality." Find out more about Maia in the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maiabenson/Website: https://www.forumvc.com/ Subscribe and Keep Learning!If you’re a logistics leader looking to scale sustainably, don’t miss out! Subscribe for more expert strategies on tackling modern supply chain challenges.Be sure to follow and tag the eCom Logistics Podcast on LinkedIn and YouTube

For this episode of the eCom Logistics Podcast, we welcome Steven Ciemcioch, President of Warehouse Anywhere. He discusses how they created a preferred partner network of other mid-sized to large independent storage operators. This network allowed them to source storage for their customers from 12,000 different locations. In order to make this process more efficient, they also developed RFID technology to help manage the process and provide real-time updates on inventory.Steven, along with Dan and Ninaad, also discusses the Amazon Effect, how consumer expectations have changed due to this, what brands and logistics companies must do to keep up, and the various factors that influence if and when they should match this speed of fulfillment. ABOUT STEVENSteven Ciemcioch was named President of Warehouse Anywhere, a Life Storage Company, in 2018 and previously served as Corporate Alliance Manager in which he developed and headed the corporate sales division at Life Storage. He has extensive experience in building and scaling businesses in a high-growth environment. He has leadership experience across a diverse set of disciplines including sales and marketing, customer service, operations, supply chain, real estate, and finance. HIGHLIGHTS01:35 Growing Life Storage and creating a national self-storage aggregating network through Warehouse Anywhere13:42 Executing same-day delivery by deploying top 5% SKUs in MFCs21:26 The Amazon effect and when customers are willing to wait for their purchases35:19 Last mile for retail and utilizing the gig economy for fulfillment QUOTES30:54 The Amazon Effect is most apparent in general merchandise - Ninaad: "If you're a general merchandise and that stuff exists on walmart.com, amazon.com, and you have these sites and marketplaces that are giving you the next-day, 2-day delivery experiences, consumers will pay couple of extra dollars and get it with that options."31:48 MFCs maintain a boutique feel that is lost in Amazon Effect - Steven: "One thing I like about the MFC model, and you guys can appreciate this is, in our smaller centers, it allows a little bit of a more boutique-y feel and right now we're handling a lot of various products in the MFCs from our large fulfillment center. A lot of apparel like Ninaad talked about but I see the MFCs evolving more into that health and beauty, that craft beer space, especially we talk about dense marketplace. People sitting around in a large city, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, big demand weeknights and weekends where they just want something and they just want it quick." Find out more about Steven in the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-ciemcioch-38278773/Website: https://www.warehouseanywhere.com/ Subscribe and Keep Learning!If you’re a logistics leader looking to scale sustainably, don’t miss out! Subscribe for more expert strategies on tackling modern supply chain challenges.Be sure to follow and tag the eCom Logistics Podcast on LinkedIn and YouTube

For this episode of the eCom Logistics Podcast, we welcome George Wojciechowski, the CEO of Manifest, an e-commerce fulfillment provider. He is on a mission to tackle the sustainability problems of e-commerce logistics while simultaneously providing brands and merchants with a better fulfillment experience.George talks about his professional journey starting in finance and then starting ShipBob to cater to a new segment of online merchants. In 2021, George founded Manifest which is committed to finding sustainable alternatives to fulfillment. He shares their green initiatives and how they are disrupting fulfillment with the end goal of protecting the environment that we collectively share. ABOUT GEORGEPrior to launching Manifest, George cofounded ShipBob, a predominant name in the global e-commerce fulfillment space. Before ShipBob, George worked as a trader at Goldman Sachs. George attended DePaul University. HIGHLIGHTS02:00 Catering to the emerging market of online merchants27:45 Manifest was started to tackle the environmental issue of fulfillment32:34 Sustainable fulfillment is a need that must be addressed today41:25 Finding alternatives to unsustainable packaging QUOTES47:50 Sustainable packaging is actually not more expensive to manufacture - George: "A lot of the packaging companies told me that it's actually not more money to produce the sustainable packaging but because everyone just asks for the same things that they've always asked for, the manufacturing is more expensive. It's cheaper for the traditional goods because it's just manufactured in much higher volume."52:56 Common sense and innovation will create the disruption needed for sustainable fulfillment - George: "We can talk about sustainability, we can talk about environmentally friendly, we can talk about regenerative, but nothing beats common sense and figuring out ways how to keep up with mass fulfillment, high-velocity fulfillment, but also do it in a way that is packaging efficiency is going to move mountains in terms of how sustainable we are as an industry." Find out more about George in the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-wojciechowski-870b814/Twitter: https://twitter.com/wojskigWebsite: https://manifest.eco/Email: [email protected] Subscribe and Keep Learning!If you’re a logistics leader looking to scale sustainably, don’t miss out! Subscribe for more expert strategies on tackling modern supply chain challenges.Be sure to follow and tag the eCom Logistics Podcast on LinkedIn and YouTube

For this episode of the eCom Logistics Podcast, we welcome Alok Ahuja, CEO and Co-Founder of Trexity. Being the true last mile partner where orders are delivered the same day they pick it up has been the goal of Alok's company. They wanted to be hyperlocal and empower local SMBs to be able to compete with the Amazons of the world. Alok digs into why different last-mile solutions exist to address the needs of different types of buyers. He also explains that, given their low barrier for entry, that local shops can be given a low risk alternative to see how they can offer a comparable solution to Amazon and grow their business. ABOUT ALOKAlok has over 15 years in software, technology and e-commerce. Along with his co-founders, Alok has created a platform, in Trexity, that makes it possible for any small business to deliver quickly and locally. Alok is a serial entrepreneur who encourages and supports like-minded individuals to succeed in their business.Alok began imagining a platform that could make it possible for any small business to deliver local and fast, and one that is fair and takes advantage of neither merchants nor couriers. He believes that filling this need will help disrupt our over-reliance on faraway e-commerce giants and help small businesses stay in business. HIGHLIGHTS01:20 Alok's early exposure to business and his passion for technology06:01 Perfecting last-mile, hyperlocal delivery for SMBs12:38 The future of last-mile delivery: Owned Infrastructure vs. the Gig Economy QUOTES07:50 Perfecting hyperlocal delivery opened up national markets for Trexity - Alok: "We started out empowering your favorite store on your favorite street of your favorite neighborhood. The local mom and pop. And on of the things that was really important to us when we started out, we said, let's be the true last mile partner. The same day we pick it up, it's the same day we're going to drop it off, as fast as our merchants are willing to fulfill it, it's as fast as we will deliver it. And let this be the one thing that we do so perfectly well that no one else can touch us on it." 13:25 Owned-infrastructure and gig economy have their own pros and cons - Alok: "It's not one or the other. Both of those FedEx models exist for a reason because there's an addressable market for both of them. And I don't think it has to be warehousing or direct from merchant. It doesn't have to be one or the other. And what I do love about some of the bigger brands that we work with, some of our national brands is they do a combination of both and it's because they're catering to different personas of customers and users." Find out more about Alok in the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alokahuja/Website: https://trexity.com/ Subscribe and Keep Learning!If you’re a logistics leader looking to scale sustainably, don’t miss out! Subscribe for more expert strategies on tackling modern supply chain challenges.Be sure to follow and tag the eCom Logistics Podcast on LinkedIn and YouTube

For this episode of the eCom Logistics Podcast, we welcome Brittain Ladd, Strategy Advisor Shatranj Capital Partners. Brittain's no-holds-barred insights on management and logistics have not only captured people's attention, but they have also even proven to be accurate given how many of his predictions have come true. He discusses some of the biggest companies in the world like Amazon, Twitter, and TikTok, and gives hot takes on what they are doing wrong and how they can make it right. He comments on the recent layoffs at Amazon and how he believes it is only the beginning and a symptom of a much larger shift that will affect entire industries worldwide.Brittain then digs into how partnerships can change e-commerce by providing social commerce platforms the established fulfillment infrastructure they need to deliver goods to the consumer. He also discusses in great detail the flaws of the quick commerce model and how fulfillment should be a question of accurate delivery versus quick delivery. ABOUT BRITTAINBrittain has 20 years of experience in supply chain management and logistics. He has lived and worked in China, India, Africa, Saudi Arabia, Europe, and the United States. Brittain is a global strategy and supply chain consultant and a writer for Forbes and his own website, brittainladd.com. Brittain is also recognized as being one of the most accurate analysts in business. He successfully predicted multiple major acquisitions more than a year in advance of them occurring, including Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods, Microsoft and Walmart partnering to bid on TikTok, and most recently, Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Brittain is frequently quoted in the press and often appears on major news networks like CNN, Fox Business, and the BBC. HIGHLIGHTS- 01:37 Posting thought-provoking ideas and predictions on social media- 08:52 Amazon's mistake and getting down to its optimal fighting weight - 18:47 Twitter can change e-commerce with shoppable videos- 25:43 Instead of creating their own fulfillment, TiktTok should partner with Amazon/Walmart/Target/Shopify - 35:42 Quick commerce is a failure: Fast delivery vs accurate delivery QUOTES23:51 Shoppable videos can save Twitter - Brittain: "I believe the way that Elon Musk saves Twitter and makes Twitter completely different is through shoppable videos and, I think, absolutely, that what Elon Musk should be doing is we need short-form videos, shoppable videos, and for every shoppable video we put on Twitter, we take 12% of all sales, and I think the goal should be for every shoppable video that Elon Musk puts on Twitter, that it generates 100 to 250 million in sales."25:50 TikTok should acquire Shopify for its fulfillment infrastructure - Brittain: "I think, number one, TikTok needs to do something above and beyond than just opening up their own fulfillment centers. I think what TikTok needs to do is, again, change how commerce is done on the platform. So I think what would be very interesting is if TikTok acquires Shopify, so where now I have Shopify, I have a Shopify storefront on TikTok, and so then what happens is I immediately see a video come across but it's a video from a storefront, and without having to go to a website, I see it, I buy it. And that's how I refer to what I think is the next big thing in commerce. I say see, buy. I see it, I buy it. I'm not going to websites." Find out more about Brittain in the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittainladd/Website: https://brittainladd.com/Email: [email protected] Subscribe and Keep Learning!If you’re a logistics leader looking to scale sustainably, don’t miss out! Subscribe for more expert strategies on tackling modern supply chain challenges.Be sure to follow and tag the eCom Logistics Podcast on LinkedIn and YouTube

For this episode of the eCom Logistics Podcast, we welcome Brian Glick, Founder and CEO of Chain.io. He digs into the complexity of global B2B market logistics and how it can be difficult for new players to enter due to EDI and compliance issues.Brian also dives into the differences between fulfilling an order in the US and fulfilling orders in Southeast Asia where more than 100 parties are involved—and these parties change with every transaction. He gives advice on how midmarket brands are best matched with midmarket service providers, as well as how to peel apart the different services to optimize payment terms or routing, an uncomfortable yet necessary process as the company grows. ABOUT BRIANAs founder and CEO of Chain.io, Brian Glick has made a career of simplifying complex supply chain and trade compliance IT challenges. Whether analyzing complex coding issues or rationalizing the compliance impacts of a vendor direct drop ship program, Brian brings a rare combination of executive perspective and deep technical knowledge to today’s supply chain challenges.From the early days of web-based visibility platforms and into today’s connected ecosystem, Brian has been an active leader in each phase of the connected supply chain evolution. With a focus on retail and apparel supply chains, Brian has brought his expertise to bear as an IT leader both within logistics service providers and through independent software companies. HIGHLIGHTS 06:08 The complexity of global B2B logistics and tiers of fulfillment11:19 Defining First Mile, Middle Mile, Last Mile Logistics13:36 The challenge of setting standards and pushing for innovation in 3PLs24:34 Choose the right investors for your supply chain tech company QUOTES10:21 Midmarket companies are best served by midmarket service providers - Brian: "The companies that are more midmarket that you have to do some research and find often will give you an account manager. You'll be a big enough account to them that they will treat you well and help you, when all of this chaos is going on, help you understand, take the time with you that the biggest guys can't."25:58 Supply chain companies must establish trust with brands - Brian: "Supply chain is a very trust-based industry, whether if you're a service provider or software that supports a service provider, people are putting their brand in your hands. It's not a consumer app that if you screw up... If you screw up Twitter tomorrow, just stop using Twitter. If you screw up the thing that delivers my product to Macy's, I got a problem. So you need investors who understand that." Find out more about Brian in the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briansglick/Twitter: https://twitter.com/bglickWebsite: https://chain.io/ Subscribe and Keep Learning!If you’re a logistics leader looking to scale sustainably, don’t miss out! Subscribe for more expert strategies on tackling modern supply chain challenges.Be sure to follow and tag the eCom Logistics Podcast on LinkedIn and YouTube

For this episode of the eCom Logistics Podcast, we welcome Steve Bozicevic, Sr. Director of New Product Development and GM of Flow Direct, Flexport. Cross-border shipping has evolved in the years since COVID began. From prioritizing speed and reliability, ecommerce brands now focus instead on managing costs and cashflow.Steven discusses how they serve the SMB market and help them grow by keeping customers happy. He also digs into managing inflation during times of uncertainty and what the future holds for the logistics industry, and in Toronto in particular where Ninaad and Steve are currently based. ABOUT STEVESteve Bozicevic has been in the cross-border ecommerce and logistics technology industry since 2000. Mr. Bozicevic started his career at Borderfree.com as a software developer, then moved on to product management until 2010 when he joined Pitney Bowes and formed the Global Ecommerce division, where as Vice President of Product Management, he developed products and technology that launched and powered Ebay's Global Shipping Program.In 2016, Steve joined Amazon as the first member of the Amazon Global Logistics organization where he spent nearly six years building global trade-related technology, products and operations to facilitate B2C exports and B2B imports for Retail and FBA. In 2021, Mr. Bozicevic joined Flexport as Sr. Director of New Product Development. In this role, Steve is also General Manager of Flexport Flow Direct, an ocean freight shipping product for ecommerce SMBs; and is responsible for ecommerce platform and marketplace integrations, including the partnership with Shopify. HIGHLIGHTS03:20 Steve's journey in cross-border shipping and building technologies08:50 Flow Direct offers speed and reliability in international shipping for SMBs14:48 Tips to manage cash flow and costs in Q425:23 A growing talent pool for supply chain in Toronto QUOTES12:24 COVID transformed business' priorities to speed and reliability - Steve: "Speed was important, but reliability was more important. Knowing when it's going to get there allows the customer to plan ahead on their supply chain and say, If I know it's going to be 20 days or 40 days or 60 days, it's reliable, I can manage my POs, I can manage my cash flow according to reliability."15:51 Manage cash flow with just-in-time fulfillment - Steven: "Cash is important and how do you best manage your cash flow? In my opinion, similarly to how manufacturing supply chains moved to just-in-time production, I think just-in-time fulfillment is a similar kind of approach. Ordering smaller quantities more frequently, being more reactive to demand trends, making sure that you always got something in transit." Find out more about Steve in the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sbozicevic/Website: https://www.flexport.com/ Subscribe and Keep Learning!If you’re a logistics leader looking to scale sustainably, don’t miss out! Subscribe for more expert strategies on tackling modern supply chain challenges.Be sure to follow and tag the eCom Logistics Podcast on LinkedIn and YouTube

For this episode of the eCom Logistics Podcast, we welcome Edward Hertzman, Executive Vice President of Fairchild Media and Founder and President of Sourcing Journal. Edward shares the trends in supply chain he is observing today post-COVID and beyond. From the way Amazon changed logistics forever and its effects in consumer expectations as a result, to the importance of remaining agile and how to do it, Edward takes a deep dive into how global supply chains will look like in the near future and how to maintain inventory to scale. ABOUT EDWARDEdward Hertzman received a degree in economics from NYU and spent more than a decade working as a top executive for major sourcing companies all over the world, including Synergies Worldwide and Pearl Global. Hertzman sits on the Board for Delivering Good, a charitable organization that channels the resources of the fashion industry to those in need.In 2009, in response to a need in the industry, he founded Sourcing Journal Online. With more than 75,000 subscribers, Sourcing Journal Online is the largest trade journal devoted to the sourcing apparel and textile industry supply chain in the world. In August 2020, he was promoted to executive vice president of Fairchild Media, tasked with growing the businesses of all Fairchild Media titles in his new position, while continuing to lead the day-to-day operations at Sourcing Journal. He will also oversee the growth of Fairchild Media’s strategic content studio, bolstering the creation of engaging, interactive content to help industry partners stand out in an increasingly competitive landscape. HIGHLIGHTS07:07 DTC is dying and mergers are set to happen13:08 Surviving devaluation and managing inventory for what's to come20:23 Keeping sourcing lean and agile in fashion25:23 Nearshoring and diversifying manufacturing and sourcing capabilities30:22 Regulations and sharing the responsibility of sustainability in supply chain management QUOTES14:27 On pushing back on the growth-at-all-costs mindset, Edward says, "Just don't acquire customers saying, Oh, the lifetime value is X and never really realize that. Don't buy inventory without testing the product. Find retail partners that are gonna support you, not just be transactional."31:09 As regulations will push for tangible sustainability measures from retail, Edward says, "I think there's only two ways to incentivize people or two ways to get people to change. One is through incentive and one is through repercussions. And what I mean by that is either you're gonna pay me more to do something or you're gonna punish me for not doing it."39:48 To survive the recession, Edward suggests, "I think that if people don't think short term, the same way I say don't buy a million T-shirts when you really only need five. Don't just start laying off to make the quarter. It's very hard to find talent in this space. Don't stop investing in technology to make the quarter because you're gonna need that technology." Find out more about Edward and Sourcing Journal in the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-hertzman-2401b38/Twitter: https://twitter.com/EdwardHertzmanInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/edwardhertzman/Website: https://sourcingjournal.com/ Subscribe and Keep Learning!If you’re a logistics leader looking to scale sustainably, don’t miss out! Subscribe for more expert strategies on tackling modern supply chain challenges.Be sure to follow and tag the eCom Logistics Podcast on LinkedIn and YouTube

For this episode of the eCom Logistics Podcast, we welcome James Malley, the "Cartonization Magnate" and Founder and CEO of Paccurate. Reducing the amount of air in packages is not just good for profits, it’s critical for the environment too.James discusses the complex but critical question of how to reduce air in packages with cartonization. He digs into the low-hanging fruit that companies can initiate to begin cartonization, as well as raises awareness of the gravity of the waste issue worldwide. HIGHLIGHTS02:58 Cartonization: Packing mistakes and the factors that drive them14:59 Amazon packing practices are practical but waste is a major issue18:59 Cartonizing realizes hidden savings per square foot28:47 Lead the shift because the waste problem needs to be resolved QUOTES19:36 Bad cartonization is still better than no cartonization - James: "The good news is there's a ton of low-hanging fruit, so if you don't have any cartonization, use bad cartonization. It'll get you at least some of the way there to get you started and help you keep your margins intact."27:04 The data proves that the waste problem is much more significant - James: "My team is very motivated by this idea that we could put a dent in some of the waste in supply chain. And I think it's kind of a rude awakening, a little bit, when you start digging into the data of how bad things actually are. From a packaging standpoint, we're like oh, we'll do paper fill and cardboard's better than plastic, and truth is it is but not by as much as we would hope." Find out more about James in the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmalley/Website: https://paccurate.io/ Subscribe and Keep Learning!If you’re a logistics leader looking to scale sustainably, don’t miss out! Subscribe for more expert strategies on tackling modern supply chain challenges.Be sure to follow and tag the eCom Logistics Podcast on LinkedIn and YouTube

For this episode of the eCom Logistics Podcast, we welcome Erhan Musaoglu, Founder and CEO of Logiwa. Seeing a need, Erhan developed their own high-volume online order fulfillment execution system that functions much more holistically than just a WMS.Any e-commerce business needs even the barest fulfillment execution system to realize greater productivity in its warehouses and be able to ship orders quickly and efficiently. Erhan also discusses market trends like product returns and the current climate with tight delivery windows. HIGHLIGHTS05:24 the day you landed - Moving to the US and building a leading WMS09:27 i used to implement - Differences between WMS and order fulfillment solution16:07 first of all - Warehousing and WMS are crucial for an e-commerce business's success21:20 you don't need - Facilitate quicker UPH with an inexpensive fulfillment execution system28:28 we constantly - Trends in the market: Adapting to unique workflows, package optimization, and labor34:12 how do you - Multi SKU management in a warehouse QUOTES05:50 On moving to the US and focusing on online order fulfillment - Erhan: “You cannot do everything perfect. You have to select one vertical, you have to select one solution, and you have to stick with it. And you have to make it better than anyone else."14:46 Implement a good warehousing and fulfillment system - Ninaad: "Just because you have a warehouse management system does not translate into it being a good fulfillment system. They are 2 different universes. I would go to say that a fulfillment system is just as far apart from a traditional warehousing system as a store operations system is from a distribution center."18:04 Warehousing is the top consideration of e-commerce businesses - Erhan: “Warehouse is the most crucial element for an online business. Otherwise, you are going to fail. If you cannot pick, if you cannot pack, and if you cannot ship faster, you're going to fail." Find out more about Erhan in the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erhanmusaoglu/ Website: https://www.logiwa.com/ Subscribe and Keep Learning!If you’re a logistics leader looking to scale sustainably, don’t miss out! Subscribe for more expert strategies on tackling modern supply chain challenges.Be sure to follow and tag the eCom Logistics Podcast on LinkedIn and YouTube

For this episode of the eCom Logistics Podcast, we welcome Chad Rubin, Founder and CEO of Profasee. As one of the pioneering Amazon sellers, Chad has kept up with the updates over the years and now offers a dynamic pricing platform to enable Amazon brands to predict the perfect price at each precise moment.Chad dives into how data science is the competitive advantage brands need to profit on Amazon. He highlights that brands should embrace Amazon as it simply is the best place to meet buyers where they are buying. Finally, Chad discusses how Shopify and Amazon can coexist and how AWD is changing the 3PL game. HIGHLIGHTS04:08 Solving problems: Find friction first then refine the solution10:40 Selling on Amazon is profitable with data science as a competitive advantage22:07 Brands should meet buyers where they buy, which is Amazon28:16 Fix the pricing of AWD and it will dominate the market38:10 Shopify and Amazon can coexist in the same space QUOTES19:35 Data science is the competitive advantage for selling on Amazon - Chad: “The strong will survive and one of the ways of being strong is actually getting an edge. And that edge right now, the only edge that they're gonna be able to get, because if Thrasio has 20,000 SKUs to manage, they need data science.”26:53 Offer Amazon exclusives for social proof - Chad: “People go on Amazon, a lot of times they never leave Amazon. So perhaps it's important you have your exclusives, let's just say your Caraway and you're selling pots and pans in Shopify.”“And you have some really beautiful, elegant product. Well, put your hero SKU or your economy SKU on Amazon because then you get social proof and you have your other color variations maybe off Amazon.”45:20 Shopify and Amazon can coexist to address different segments of the market - Chad: "I believe that you can coexist in the world and be on Amazon and have your own storefront simultaneously and add different value. And, certainly, you can do a lot more experimentation with your own Shopify site. But I don't think that they're mutually exclusive anymore." Find out more about Chad in the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itschadrubin/Website: https://profasee.com/Email: [email protected] Subscribe and Keep Learning!If you’re a logistics leader looking to scale sustainably, don’t miss out! Subscribe for more expert strategies on tackling modern supply chain challenges.Be sure to follow and tag the eCom Logistics Podcast on LinkedIn and YouTube

For this episode of the eCom Logistics Podcast, we welcome Ben Gordon, Managing Partner and CEO of Cambridge Capital. A rich history in the logistics industry made way for Ben to start his private equity firm that invests in the supply chain sector.He shares the many nuggets of wisdom he has learned over the years, first as a founder, and second as an investor. Ben also discusses the soft skills founders need to be successful, including humility, a genuine desire to listen, and the ability to listen to their market. HIGHLIGHTS02:29 Learning about logistics and starting an advisory business09:09 The top 3 advice for founders 24:54 Pivoting: The micro fulfillment space & robotic automation investment34:30 Investing in cold storage and reverse logistics39:12 As an entrepreneur and investor: Be on point and have a genuine desire to listen QUOTES11:18 Listen to the market and learn to pivot - Ben: "The number one key for a successful entrepreneur, not just to raise money but to build a business, is put yourself in the shoes of the market. And the market could be different. It could be what does the customer think, what does the investor think, what does the strategic partner think?"40:13 Sell with story and substance - Ben: "If you're an entrepreneur looking to raise money, I think number one, gotta have a clear pitch, gotta be able to tell the story elevator-style, 30 seconds, a lot of entrepreneurs, the story takes too long and you lose the audience's attention. You've got to be able to have the hook in 30 seconds. And that's one.” "Two, it's not just the story. There's also the substance which is a proof-point of success. I've got a lot of decks and, generally speaking, the ones that I'm the most interested in are ones where the deck shows a simple statement of what's the problem, what's their solution, customer case study, and clear results." Find out more about Ben in the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bengordon18/Website: https://cambridgecapital.com/Email: [email protected]: https://twitter.com/benjaminhgordon Subscribe and Keep Learning!If you’re a logistics leader looking to scale sustainably, don’t miss out! Subscribe for more expert strategies on tackling modern supply chain challenges.Be sure to follow and tag the eCom Logistics Podcast on LinkedIn and YouTube

For this episode of the eCom Logistics Podcast, we welcome Radu Palamariu, Managing Director of Europe and Asia Pacific at Alcott Global Founder. He is also the host of the Leaders in Supply Chain and Logistics podcast. Radu shares many valuable insights into logistics and shaping leadership within a company's supply chain talent. He discusses the characteristics that attribute to quality logistics leadership, how to leverage this, and understanding the impact of diversity in this environment as well. HIGHLIGHTS07:06 Why Chief Supply Chain Officers (CSCOs) make great CEOs21:45 Key characteristics to look for in quality logistics leadership talent31:00 Diversity in supply chain leadership QUOTES09:12 Why those with supply chain backgrounds make it to CEO positions - Radu: "The density of people that come from an operations and supply chain background that will make it to CEO is going to be higher. Because now they are making it to the board conversations and, of course, the board makes the decision of who is the next CEO it's just a normal transition"12:14 Amazon's growth through supply chain - Radu: "Ultimately, Amazon built a logistics machine. They win on logistics, they win on supply chain. Of course, they are an e-commerce market place ultimately that's where they win."26:51 Insights on finding value when hiring somebody - Radu: Look for the mindset, look for the attitude, and also place bets on people. I think drive, motivation, and willingness to make it work are much more important than actual expertise on a lot of things." Find out more about Radu and check out his book in the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/radupalamariu/Book: https://sourcetosold.com/Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leaders-in-supply-chain-and-logistics/id1263842780 Subscribe and Keep Learning!If you’re a logistics leader looking to scale sustainably, don’t miss out! Subscribe for more expert strategies on tackling modern supply chain challenges.Be sure to follow and tag the eCom Logistics Podcast on LinkedIn and YouTube

For this episode of the eCom Logistics Podcast, we welcome Rick Watson, Founder and CEO of RMW Commerce Consulting, as well as the host of his own podcast called The Watson Weekly. Rick gives an insider's look into CommerceHub's acquisition of ChannelAdvisor and shares rich insights on Amazon's new service called Amazon Warehousing and Distribution (AWD). He digs into its ripple effect on 3PL and how this service challenges competitors like Shopify and their own sellers' entire supply chains. HIGHLIGHTS04:00 CommerceHub acquires ChannelAdvisor 09:09 AWD: Taking on 3PL and revitalizing Buy with Prime 21:02 Shopify: Prioritizing brand experience and building long-term logistical infrastructure QUOTES12:24 Reducing friction in FBA - Rick: "Amazon thinks in terms of kaizen, like continuous improvement, and if there's any little friction between those things, Amazon is going to try to eliminate it as long as it has the eventual goal of making sure that this item is in stock just 5% more than their competition, then Amazon wins because Amazon is caring about that 5% that they're losing through the replenishment process." 17:17 Amazon enters markets with Prime as their leverage - Rick: "Do we want to fight UPS and Fedex at their strength? Does that make any sense? Let's go where we have some leverage. What is the biggest leverage of Amazon? Prime." 32:19 Shopify creates a brand experience unlike Amazon - Rick: To Amazon, a brand is a vendor. The customer is the customer. And so that is really the single point of differentiation that Shopify can hang their hat on, which I think works for a large percentage of the market, especially for the big guys. Find out more about Rick Watson in the links below: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickwatsonecommerce/Website: https://www.rmwcommerce.com/Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-watson-weekly-your-essential-ecommerce-digest/id1577388393 Subscribe and Keep Learning!If you’re a logistics leader looking to scale sustainably, don’t miss out! Subscribe for more expert strategies on tackling modern supply chain challenges.Be sure to follow and tag the eCom Logistics Podcast on LinkedIn and YouTube

In this episode, Andrew, Ninaad, and Dan look closely at the importance of creating a win-win situation in Client-3PL relationships. Fulfillment is a complicated series of actions that eCommerce companies take to deliver orders on time. As Andrew explains, merchants will face complications and challenges such as weather, technology, and labor challenges, especially when warehouses have multiple clients. And when fulfillment providers cannot keep up with brand growth, it can significantly affect customer experience, NPS scores, returns, and refund rates, to name a few. This is why merchants need to focus on building relationships instead of just working with their service providers. As Ninaad, Dan and Andrew discuss, building confidence on both sides includes having accurate invoicing and forecasting, thorough node strategy planning, and even in-person visits. Why is this important? Because the fulfillment side is where you make or break the customer experience and when they're not happy, be ready to face some angry customers… On this week's episode of the eCom Logistics podcast, find out: · Seasonal brands and customer expectations· Delivery expectation · Outsourcing fulfillment and the relationship · Node Strategy depends on your business · 3PL invoicing · SLAs Mentioned in this episode:Dr. Squatch Tipsy ElvesFulfillment IQShipHawkProShip Subscribe and Keep Learning!If you’re a logistics leader looking to scale sustainably, don’t miss out! Subscribe for more expert strategies on tackling modern supply chain challenges.Be sure to follow and tag the eCom Logistics Podcast on LinkedIn and YouTube

Diversifying your carrier network is key to competing in today's market. The pandemic has shifted many things in the eCommerce space, including how parcel management is executed. In the show, we explore how the postal service and top three carriers experienced significant challenges through 2020 and the actions they took to hold onto their position in the market. Through a more innovative and entrepreneurial push, Nate explains that greater emphasis can be seen from carriers on orchestrating resources towards the first, middle and final mile so that the network can become more flexible concerning volume, dynamic lanes, and managed capacity with partners. Why is this important? Brands can customize and design solutions specific to their network needs instead of conforming to the national provider network, which can be less flexible. What else you can expect on today's eCom Logistics Podcast episode: · How the big three carriers have positioned themselves and how they differ (4:05)· How are emerging tech-enabled providers growing in the market and continue to provide value within that segmentation? (12:14)· Relationships with carriers (18:45)· Enhancing customer experience by personalizing on-time delivery (31:38)· Peak 2022 season, how will it play out? (37:10) Subscribe and Keep Learning!If you’re a logistics leader looking to scale sustainably, don’t miss out! Subscribe for more expert strategies on tackling modern supply chain challenges.Be sure to follow and tag the eCom Logistics Podcast on LinkedIn and YouTube

Supply chain isn't your competitive advantage. In today's episode, Shekar, Ninaad, and Dan dive deep into the revolutionary idea of transforming the next generation of the supply chain. For years, the modes of operations have become wasteful and make it harder to compete with giants with hyper-scale abilities. Shekar explains how the supply chain isn't your competitive advantage. But before we can dive into the solutions proposed by Shekar, we must reflect on the problem. As Shekar explains, the current state of the supply chain isn't built to help the mid-level brands scale. As they simply can't leverage the same level of assets and resources, hypergiants like Walmart and Amazon can. Why is this important? Because when Walmart moves 50 million units per day versus AEO's 225 million, it's hard to compete, thereby demolishing the mid-level market. The added complexity is when these hypergiants struggle to tackle problems, like the last mile, what odds smaller firms will be. Shekar explains that through a consolidated network, brands can offset market risk, increase revenue, and enhance customer experiences while contributing to a sustainable future. On this first episode of the eCom Logistics podcast, find out: Why isn't the supply chain's current state built to help mid-level eCommerce brands scale? How can brands gain an advantage in delivery? How can brands leverage the sharing network and turn their cost centers into profit centers? Mentioned on this episode:Quiet 3PF LinkedIn & WebsiteOur Links:LinkedIn - NinaadLinkedIn - DanLinkedIn - Fulfillment IQFulfillment IQ3PL IQ Subscribe and Keep Learning!If you’re a logistics leader looking to scale sustainably, don’t miss out! Subscribe for more expert strategies on tackling modern supply chain challenges.Be sure to follow and tag the eCom Logistics Podcast on LinkedIn and YouTube

Launching soon! Learn how to level up your eCommerce logistics operations from expert guests who know what it takes to win in today's competitive market. Subscribe and Keep Learning!If you’re a logistics leader looking to scale sustainably, don’t miss out! Subscribe for more expert strategies on tackling modern supply chain challenges.Be sure to follow and tag the eCom Logistics Podcast on LinkedIn and YouTube