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Itâstheglorifyingageoftechnologyanddigital disruptions;redeï¬ningandrejuvenatingevery sphereofourlives.Withthehelpof technology,newpathstowardsasuccessfuland easierlifehavebeenopenedup.Andalmostevery businesshasadoptedthesedisruptions,exceptfora few.
Thelogisticsindustryhasbeengoingthrough massiveandrapidevolutionwithlatest technologicalinnovationslately.Likeallother ï¬elds,theadoptionofdigitaldisruptionhasbecome inevitableforthelogisticsindustryalso.Inrecent years,theindustryhasstartedtodigitizeand redeï¬neitsentirebusinessmodel.Thisismainly becauseofthecustomerâsincreasingdemand.
AccordingtotheWorldEconomicForum,between 2019and2015thereare$1.5trillionworthinvalue forlogisticsoperatorsandanadditional$2.4trillion inbeneï¬tsforthecompanyfollowingthe digital transformationoftheindustry.
Itâsobviousthatthelogisticssectorhasintroduced digitalinnovationsataslowerpacethanother industrieswhichmayentailenormousrisks,which, ifignored,couldpotentiallybecatastrophiceven forthelargestplayersinthesector.
ArecentsurveybytheWorldEconomicForumhas pointedoutthetopï¬vearenasthatwouldbeatthe centreofthedigitaltransformationforthelogistics
industry.Theyare:(1)theuseofBigData;(2)thecreationofdigitalplatformsthatallowdailydeliveriestoeverypart oftheworld;(3)newdeliverycapabilitiesthroughtechnologiessuchasdigitalized,self-drivingtrucksanddrones;(4) theadoptionofcirculareconomicmethodsreducingconsumptionandemissions;and(5)Sharingoflogistics infrastructures.
Thesmartimplementationofsuchtrendsmustprovidethelogisticsindustryanewheightofgrowth.Weâveapproached afewsuchcompanieswhichareworkingtowardsdigitizingtheentireindustry
OntheCoverofthisissue,weâvedepictedthesuccessfuljourneyofMacGregorPartners.Foundedin2012, MacGregorsoughttoprovidetheJDA/RedPrairiecommunitywithadiï¬erentbreedofimplementationpartnerâa partnerwillingtodowhateverittooktoensuresuccessfuldeploymentsofwarehousemanagementsystems(WMS)and warehouselabormanagementsystems(WLM),andwhowasalsofocusedonthelong-termsuccessandsustainability oftheclientâssolution.
FollowingtheCoverStory,weâvetheCompanyoftheMonth,GlobalTranzwhichwasfoundedin2003withavision todeliverinnovativetechnologytotheLess-Than-Truckload(LTL)spacethatwouldallowshippersunprecedented visibility,options,ï¬exibilityandcontrolovertheirLTLtransportation.GlobalTranzcombinedground-breaking technologywithexceptionalLTLratesandarapidly-growingnetworkoffreightagents.
WeinterviewedSAFRRemovalswhoisoï¬eringeï¬cientfreightsolutions.BradleyMooreistheFounderandCEO ofSAFRRemovals,oneofthemorewell-knownlogisticscompanyinSouthAfrica.
ThelistcontinueswithFreightgatewhostartedwithinternet-basedTrack&Traceandexpandedtheoï¬eringsfrom Tariï¬sintoafullyfunctionalglobalLogisticsCloudPlatform.
Foundedin2011,UbimaxistheglobalmarketleaderforEnterpriseWearableComputingandAugmentedReality Solutions.Asaone-stop-shop,Ubimaxprovidesanall-in-onesolution--AugmentedRealitysoftware,Wearable Computingdevices,conï¬gurationanddeploymentservices,aswellassupport.
Whileï¬ippingthrough,donâtforgettohavealookatTech-Trend: 5 Key Logistics Trends in 2019. Hopethiseditionwillhelpyoutogetsomepreciousinformationabouttheindustry
HappyReading!
Editor-in-Chief Pooja M. Bansal Anish Miller Senior Editor
Upama Goswami
Contributing Editors
Art & Design Head Amol Kamble
Managing Editor Suhel, Ryan Jennifer Winget Business Development Manager
Visualiser David King Paul Belin Co-designer Art & Picture Editor Asha Bange Marketing Manager Mary Dâsouza
Art & Design Assistant Priyanka Rajage
Business Development Executives
Sherin, Jayashree
Sales Executives Alice, Dan, Misty
Technical Head Jacob Smile Assistant Technical Head Pratiksha Patil
Technical Consultants Amar, David, Robert
Digital Marketing Manager Alina Sege Assistant Digital Marketing Manager Prashant Chevale
SME-SMO Executives Gemson, Uma
Circulation Manager Tanaji Research Analyst Eric Smith
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August, 2019
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We are a logistics technology partner that enables our client base to execute more efï¬ciently and differentiate within their sales cycle.
WheredidthenameâMacGregorâcome from?âisaquestionthatJasonZiegler, PresidentandowneratMacGregor Partners,lovestoanswer.Themonikercomesfroma drafthouseinCary,NorthCarolinawhereownership metastheyformedthecompany.
Zieglerelaborateswithasmile, âWe looked for a name that was unique and new but didnât feel pretentious â the way we wanted our company to operate. After several meetings where we failed to agree on the right name for our new venture, we decided to adopt the name of the draft house we met at âMacGregorâand tack on âPartnersâto reinforce our desire to focus on longstanding partnerships with our clients.â
AccordingtoZiegler,thisfocusonâpartnershipâisthe corereasonwhyMacGregorPartnerscameinto existenceintheï¬rstplace, âWe didnât want to be just another vendor to our clients, we wanted to become partners with our clients.â Whilethecompanytodayis knownmoreinformallyasMacGregor,thefocuson partnershipisstillasimportanttodayasitwasin2012.
Foundedin2012,MacGregorsoughttoprovidethe
JDA/RedPrairiecommunitywithadiï¬erentbreedof implementationpartnerâapartnerwillingtodo whateverittooktoensuresuccessfuldeploymentsof warehousemanagementsystems(WMS)andwarehouse labormanagementsystems(WLM),andwhowasalso focusedonthelong-termsuccessandsustainabilityof theclientâssolution.
UsingthismodelMacGregorquicklyprovedthemselves tobeoneofthepreeminentJDAintegratorsinthe industry.
Since2012,MacGregorhasgrownfromaJDA integratortoamuchlargerorganizationwithafocuson solvingthesupplychaintechnologyneedsofitsclients, furtherdistinguishingitselffromitscompetitors.
Zieglerattributesthisdistinctiontothediversegroupof morethan80employeeswhohavejoinedMacGregor since2012.
âMany of our employees have worked inside 3PLs like DHL, Genco, DSC, APL, and XPO, and they bring experience in supply chain technology like WMS, MRP, WCS, WES, integration, analytics, transportation, and
automation. With that robust experience pool, weâre able to bring insight and expertise to every facet of a problem. Weâre able to address the problem from every angle which leads to quick and eï¬cient solutions for our clients, which typically has not been done within the supply chain industry,â contendsZiegler.
Thismethodologycoupledwiththecontinuedsuccessof itsJDAconsultancyhaslandedMacGregorontheInc. MagazineâsâInc.5000âlistoffastest-growingprivate organizationsinAmericathelastthreeyears.For MacGregor,successallcomesbacktothevalue-addedto theirlogisticsand3PLclients.
âWeâve expanded our services to better serve a wider range of clients and pride ourselves on being the technology partners for both established and growing 3PLâs. Weâre driving the competitive edge and success in the execution and sales cycles of our 3PL partners, â saysZiegler.
MacGregorcontinuestoevolveandhasexpandedits supplychainsoftwareconsultancytosupportmultiple WMS,WLM,andTMSpackageswhileproviding â24x7x365âonshoresupporttoeveryapplication, integration,andpieceofhardwaretheydeploy.
Throughdeeppartnershipswithsomeofthebest automationandautonomousmobilerobot(AMR) vendors,MacGregorcanbringadditionaltechnology resourcestotheirclients.
TheirâIntelligentWarehouseServicesâ(IWS)oï¬ering
focusesonthemarriagebetweentechnology, automation,andtheoperation.IWSworkstoeliminate whatfolksatMacGregorrefertoasâROIDriftâ.
âROI drift is the all too common practice of vendors overpromising within the sales cycle and underdelivering against those promises during implementation. The vision of our IWS practice is to eliminate ROI Drift from the supply chain industry and our client base. We want every big capital investment our clients make to be a âsafeâbet,â statesZiegler.
Thisexpansioninoï¬eringscomesfromMacGregorâs dedicationtoactivelylistentotheirlogisticsand3PL clients,heartheday-to-daychallengesandmajorpain points,andthendevelopsolutionstohelptheirclients solvethoseproblems.
âOur client base brings the challenges and we bring the technical expertise necessary to ï¬nd operations-centric solutions to those challenges,â statesZiegler.
AsMacGregorbegantoaddressspeciï¬cneedsforits clients,itinvestedinanR&Dteamresponsiblefor buildingSaaSsolutionstosolvetheproblemstheykept seeingpop-upacrosstheirclientbase.
MacGregorâshighlysuccessfulSaaSproductsfocuson twomainproblemareasâSupplychainanalyticsandthe digitaltransformationofsupplychainpaper-based workï¬ows.
Mostinthesupplychainand3PLcompaniesrecognize thefutureoftheindustryliesinthepowerofanalytics, butmanyofMacGregorâsclientsweredissatisï¬edwith thedeploymentandresultstheyweregettingfromtheir analyticsplatforms.Whywasitsohardtoimplement analyticssuccessfully?
TheMacGregorteamrealizedthatmostanalytics systemsrelyheavilyontheaestheticappealoftheir dashboardvisualizations,buttherealmagicandsuccess ofananalyticsdeploymentisintheharmonizationof dataacrossmultiplesystemscombinedwiththedomain expertisenecessarytoweavethatdataintoaclearoutput thatdrivesprecisebehavioracrossanorganization.
MacGregordevelopedToolbox,aturnkeyanalytics platformbuiltforthesupplychain,tosolvethose problems.
âOur 3PL client base used a multitude of systems within their distribution network to record, process and analyze disparate data. Each system could oï¬er one small window into the productivity and proï¬tability of our clientsâbusinesses, but they did not provide a holistic view of what was going on inside those businesses dayto-day. Without that holistic view, our clients could not easily or quickly adapt and adjust their operations. We built Toolbox to provide that vital holistic view for one of the largest and most sophisticated 3PLs, so we know how eï¬ective this tool can be. Our Toolbox clients can see across their networks and make changes that have a material impact on their cost to serve and proï¬tability,â Zieglerstatedconï¬dently.
MacGregorâsToolboxdeploymentsfocusonpredictive alertsandsignalsthatdrivebehaviorchangeacrossa multitudeofpainpointsincluding,laborplanningwith anaimtoreduceovertimespend;drawingcausation betweenfacilitylayout,facilitycapacity,process,and productivity;inventorymix,facilitydesign,ordermix andcube;and,therelationshipbetweenthecontractand spotmarkettoreducetransportationspend.
âThe beauty of Toolbox is its turnkey package that can be deployed across a complex multi-system network with ease and speed while providing the ï¬exibility of selfservice to iterate and grow as the business needs change and evolve. Toolbox revolutionizes the way the supply chain and 3PLs access and harness their data to improve their business,â statesZiegler.
NotonlyisToolboxapowerfultoolinsidea3PL,butit hasevolvedintoapowerfulsalestoolfor3PLstowin morebusiness.
âToolbox provides 3PLs with a unique mobile visibility oï¬ering that can be leveraged to win competitive deals. The ability to share data with clients and provide realtime visibility oï¬ers a unique level of comfort to a client and helps showcase a 3PLs focus on technology and data-driven decision making. 3PLs using Toolbox can demonstrate to their potential customers the value of network-wide visibility and predictive alerts about macro market conditions and allow them to make adjustments and avoid negative impacts to their business,â states Ziegler.
Fortheirsecondï¬agshipSaaSproduct,MacGregor turnedtosolveanotherindustry-wideheadacheinspired byvisitingclientwarehouses.
Ineveryclientwarehousetheteamvisited,theywould inevitablycomeacrossanaislemeantforsaleable productthatwasbeingwastedonpaperstorage. Wouldnâtitbebetterfortheirclients,iftheycould reclaimthataisleanduseittostoreproductinsteadof non-revenuegeneratingpaper?Thatgottheteamat MacGregorthinking.
Notonlyisstoringpaperwastefulintermsofspaceand riskytostorevitaldocumentsinaphysicallocation,but therealimpactoncost-to-servecomesfromthelabor associatedwithmanaging,moving,andtouchingthat paper.MacGregordevelopedFoliototacklethe immensevolumeofpapergenerated,managed,and storedby3PLsandsupplychainorganizations.
Theteamwantedtotryandquantifythetruecostofthe paperstatusquoandasidefromtheobviouscostsof printingandstorage,therewassigniï¬canthiddenlabor associatedwithphysicallymanagingthepaperworkï¬ow. Folioreducesoreliminatesthepaperhandlinglabor spendbyautomatingtheworkï¬owsandmovementof paper.
⢠Folioâsï¬exibleworkï¬owautomationplatformallows gateagentstoclearthegatefasterwithdigital signaturecapture,anddocumentswithcomplex workï¬owslikeQAbecomeincrediblyeï¬cientand safeasnosignature,document,approval,orprocess isevermissed.
⢠LikeToolbox,Foliobecomesavalue-addfor3PLs withintheirsalescycle.ShowcasingFolioâsabilityto streamlinepaper-basedworkï¬owsandprovideclients withreal-timeinstantaccesstodocumentsisunique withintheindustryandprovidesapowerfulsales diï¬erentiator.
Folioeasilycapturesdocumentsandautomatically groupsandstoresthem,cuttingoutthemanualï¬ling process.Fromthere,Folioautomateseachadditional workï¬ow,fromsignaturecapturetoï¬nalapproval,to streamlinetheprocessandprovideinstantvisibility.
âOur clients have materially reduced the labor and risk associated with manual paper management while improving enterprise visibility to documents across their business and with their customers,â statesZiegler.
Foliohasseveraluniqueusecasesfor3PLsandtheir clients:
⢠Folioprovidesa3PLâscustomerswithanintuitive mobileframeworktosearchfortheirdocuments themselves,improvingtheproductivityofmultiple departmentsacrossa3PLandtheoverallcustomer experience.
⢠Folioallowsoperatorstocaptureimagesreal-time andlinkthemtotherestofthedocumentsforthat speciï¬caction.Forexample,picturesofaloaded trailercannowbecapturedandlinkedtoallthe shippingdocumentssothatintheeventofdamageor aclaimsdispute,afacilityhasthedocumentation necessarytoprovetheyarenotliable.
âWith how competitive and thin margins are in the 3PL space, we view the use of Toolbox and Folio in the sales cycle as a mechanism to move the negotiation closer to a sale based on value, not just margin,â statesZiegler.
MacGregorâsEmployee&KnowledgeFocus MacGregorâsleadershipteamrecognizesthattocontinue tosolvethechallengestheirclientsface,thecompany muststayabreastoftechnologytrendsandmacro conditionswhileworkingtoattractandretainthebest employees.TheMacGregorleadershipteamissteadfast intheirbeliefthattheiremployeesarethebestresource toprotectthecurrentmarketpositionofthecompany andenablefuturegrowth.
Tofosterthisinquisitive,client-ï¬rstculture,MacGregor promotescontinuededucationintheformofsupply chaincouncils,tradeshows,technologyevents,speaking engagements,andinternalpresentationsmanyofwhich theyhostintheirMilwaukeeoï¬ce.
Theseeventsandopportunitieshelpemployeesgrowand learnmoreabouttechnologytrends,supplychain fundamentals,andtheareasofgrowththeindustryis
excitedabout.Theselearnings,lessons,andideasthen makeitbacktothewholeMacGregorteam,beneï¬ting boththeorganizationanditsclients.
âWith regards to the logistics industry, we pride ourselves on being true technology experts in our ï¬eld. Whether this means providing AI and machine learning use cases, knowing how blockchain ï¬ts into todayâs supply chain, or ï¬guring out how best to weave together distribution and transportation data to materially lower transport costs, we have real-world experience that we love to share and turn into something useful for our clients to move their businesses forward,â notesZiegler.
MacGregorcontinuestoexperienceroughly50%growth yearoveryear,whichspeakstotheuniquevaluethey providetheirclients.Inlookingtothefuture,MacGregor willcontinuetofocusonR&Dandinvestmentinthe transportationtechnologyspaceastheirclientsbattle transportationcostvolatility.MacGregoralsohopesto
workwithclientsinterestedinfocusingonemerging technologytoshapethefutureoftheindustry.
âTo remain competitive in todayâs business world, organizations need to stay in front of the fast-changing landscape of their supply chain partners, vendors, and customer needs. They need a committed technology partner to ensure they donât get lost or left behind, and thatâs what we want to be for our clients. MacGregor is committed to being a logistics technology partner focused on moving the industry forward for tomorrow, while enabling the sales and operational successes of our clients today,â aï¬rmsZiegler.
GlobalTranzwasfoundedin2003withavisionto deliverinnovativetechnologytotheLess-ThanTruckload(LTL)spacethatwouldallowshippers unprecedentedvisibility,options,ï¬exibilityandcontrol overtheirLTLtransportation.GlobalTranzcombined ground-breakingtechnologywithexceptionalLTLratesand arapidly-growingnetworkoffreightagents.Since2003, GlobalTranzhasrapidlyexpandedintoaleadinglogistics technologycompanyandaward-winningproviderof multimodaltransportationservicesandsolutions.
Thecombinationoftransformativetechnology, exceptionallylowrates,arobustagentnetwork,andgreat serviceledtorapidgrowthwhichcontinuestothepresent. Today,GlobalTranzisa$1.4Borganization,with11oï¬ces throughoutNorthAmerica,includingaregionaloï¬cein TM Monterrey,Mexico.Thecompanyoï¬ersGTZconnect,the award-winningnext-generationTransportation ManagementSystem(TMS)thatconnectsshipperswith carriers,logisticsserviceproviders(LSPs)and GlobalTranzâssuiteoflogisticsservices.GlobalTranzâs logistisplatformleveragesthepowerofpredictiveanalytics andmatchesshipperdemandandcarriercapacityso shippersandLSPscanmakebetterbusinessdecisions acrossthesimplesttothemostcomplexsupplychains.The companyprovidescompletemultimodalservices,from smallparceltoprojectlogisticsandeverythinginbetween, includingLTL,truckload,expedite,intermodal,crossbordertransportationandinternationalairandocean shipping.
Additionally,GlobalTranzprovidesconsultativeManaged TransportationServices(MTS)thatallowitsclientsto focusongrowingtheirbusinesswhileutilizingtheirteam ofexpertstomanagetheirfreight.Whetherashipperwants tooutsourcealloftheirlogisticsoperationsorjustaspeciï¬c segmentoftheirtransportationneeds,theGlobalTranzteam worksasanextensionoftheclientâsteamtodesignthe rightsolutiontoï¬ttheirorganizationâsneedsandgoals.
ThedynamicGlobalTranzteamalsoworksasapartnerto providesupplychainplanning,day-to-dayexecutionand strategicrecommendationstoreducetheirfreightcosts,
improveoperationalprocessesanddeliveracompetitive advantage.
AsChiefExecutiveOï¬cerofGlobalTranz,ReneeKrug bringstremendousleadershipskills,domainknowledgeand 30+yearsofmulti-disciplineexperiencethatdrivethe overallstrategyanddirectionofthecompany.Sheisan action-orientedexecutivewhodrivesmeaningfulinitiatives thatcreatesuccess.PriortobecomingthecompanyâsCEO, sheservedasthecompanyâsCFOfrom2014-2018,where shehelpeddriveGlobalTranzâsrecordgrowthandposition asamarketleadingtransportationmanagementsolutions andtechnologycompany.BeforejoiningGlobalTranz, ReneewasCFOofClearChannelOutdoorandVPof ï¬nanceatSwiftTransportation.Earlierinhercareer,she heldavarietyofleadershiprolesatHoneywellin technology,operations,salesandSixSigmaprocess improvement.
âIn todayâs logistics technology landscape, itâs not enough to simply oï¬er a robust Transportation Management System that captures shipment-level data. That is table stakes. The real diï¬erentiator is the ability to provide a control tower view of a shipperâs entire transportation network, and to leverage data, machine learning, and AI to provide predictive analytics which create true business intelligence, drives real-time business decision-making, and provides shippers with a competitive and operative advantage,â remarkedRenee.
GlobalTranzhasinvestedheavilyinitstalentedpeopleand technology,currentlyemployingmorethan140full-time developersfocusedsolelyonbuildinginnovativenew productstoservetheneedsofshippers,carriersandLSPs. TM InadditiontoGTZconnect,itsaward-winningTMS TM platform,GlobalTranzhasdevelopedGTZamp (automatedmovementplanning)whichcombinesavariety ofpredictiveanalyticscapabilitiestodelivernext generationDigitalFreightMatching(DFM)servicesthat diï¬erentiateGlobalTranzfromitscompetitorswhilealso providingshipperswithinsightstheycantranslateinto action:
Our sustained organic growth, strategic acquisitions, and the continued release of new technology products will allow us to continue to outpace many of our competitors in customer expansion, ï¬nancial growth and advanced technology leadership in 2019. These are exciting times for GlobalTranz.
â â
-Renee Krug CEO
Load Aï¬nity analysisidentiï¬esshipmentsthatarewellsuitedtobecombinedintoamulti-movementroute.
Carrier Match functionalityalgorithmicallymatchesloads withthebestcarriersbasedonahostoffactors,including volumecovered,on-timeperformance,cost,bounceand rollpercentages,andseasonality.
Cost Prediction Model predictslanelevelcostsbasedona widevarietyoffeatures,includinghistoricalcostsand currentmarketconditions,inordertoensurethat GlobalTranzmaximizessavingsforcustomersbysecuring thelowestpossiblerate.
Load To Truck Forecasting isapredictiveanalyticstool thatleveragesleadingindicatorstopredictcapacity availabilityinordertomaximizeservicewhileminimizing cost.
Thinkinggloballyisnâtjustlipservicefor GlobalTranzâitâsintheorganizationâsnameitself.The GlobalTranzteamcaresdeeplyaboutmakingtheworlda betterplace.ThatâswhytheyâvecreatedCORE,agroup dedicatedtoorganizingwaysforGlobalTranzâsemployees togiveback.COREiscomprisedofthreeteams:
GreenTeamâTheGreenTeamfocusesonthe environmentalimpactofthecompanyâsdaytodaybusiness andcommunitysupporttolessenitscarbonfootprintonthe environment.
TruBluTeamâTheTruBluTeamfocusesoncorporate cultureandvalues,aswellashealth,education,and engagementforallGlobalTranzemployees.
Red Team âTheRedTeamfocusesonserviceand citizenship.TheRedteamorganizesphilanthropicand charitableeventstohelpGlobalTranzâsteammembersgive backtothecommunity.
GlobalTranzoï¬ersafullspectrumofTMStechnology, multimodaltransportationservices,Managed TransportationServices,andvalue-addedsupplychain solutionsincluding:
⢠Whiteglovein-store/in-homedelivery
⢠Finalmiledelivery
⢠Retailcomplianceprograms
⢠Droptrailerprograms
⢠HighValue/HighRiskCargosolutions
⢠Warehousing/cross-dockingamore nd
ThisholisticapproachallowsGlobalTranztoprovide technology,services,andsolutionsthatgrowwiththe clientsastheirbusinessgrows.
FortheshipperswhomGlobalTranzserves,eachdaybrings anewhurdletoovercome.Thatâswhyitsteamofdedicated logisticsexpertsworkssohardtodevelopthetechnology, multimodalservicesandsolutionsshippersneedtosucceed. Inthepasttwoyears,theteamhasgreatlyexpandedthe technologyoï¬ering,particularlywiththereleaseofthenew TM GTZcommand,aswellasenhancedbusinessintelligence andpredictiveanalyticscapabilities.Inaddition,through acquisitionandstrategicpartnerships,thecompanynow oï¬ersmoremodalcapabilitiesandsolutionsthanever before.
Thelogisticsindustryisinthemidstoftremendous technologicalchange,andGlobalTranzisleadingtheway withcutting-edgesolutions.Technologiessuchasthe InternetofThings,autonomousvehicles,electricvehicles, AI,machinelearning,blockchain,etc.arepoisedtomake signiï¬cantimpactsonourday-to-daylives,thelogistics industryandtheeconomyoverall.Attheirroot,manyof theseinnovationsboildowntohowtobetterleveragedata tocreatebusinessintelligence.Thereisahugeopportunity forthoseorganizationsthatembracethesenewtechnologies inordertoprovidetheircustomerswithabetter,more TM seamlessexperience.GlobalTranzdevelopedGTZconnect toservetheneedsofshippersofallsizes,andcontinuesto enhancetheplatformwithnewfeatures,includingAIand machinelearning.Leveragingthesetechnologiesallows GlobalTranztodeliverpredictiveanalyticsthatempower shipperstomakemoreinformed,real-timebusiness decisions.
â2019 has been the âYear of Technologyâ at GlobalTranz, and we continue to develop and release cutting-edge technology that shippers, brokers, freight agents and carriers use to manage and optimize their transportation and logistics. In addition, we are aggressively pursuing acquisitions that will beneï¬t our customer base by allowing us to oï¬er additional modal solutions and services,â said Renee.
âThe transportation and logistics space has always been an arena for innovation and entrepreneurship- thatâs how GlobalTranz started. My advice for entrepreneurs looking to enter the industry is to be very clear on focusing on a speciï¬c problem they are looking to solve, and then to develop the absolute best solutions they can. â
BradleyMooreistheFounderandCEOofSAFRRemovals,oneofthemorewell-knownlogisticscompanyin SouthAfrica.InaninterviewwithInsightsSuccess,BradleysharedsomevaluableviewpointsabouttheLogistics Industry.Healsohasalsoelucidatedonhowhiscompanyisexperimentingandinnovatingdiï¬erentideasthatare transformingtheindustry.
⢠WhatisthepresentscenarioofLogisticsTechSolutionindustryfromyourpointofview? Westillhavemuchtodotoenhanceeï¬ciencieswithinLogisticsTechSolutionspace.Thelogisticstechnologyistherebut
theknowledge,trainingandcoordinativefunctionsforthis technologyarenâtmaximizingthesolutionsthatare available.Thelogisticalplayinggroundhastoomany playersthatareallpreoccupiedwiththeirownlimitedfocus andsurvivalsinsteadofcombiningtheirresources,clientsâ needsandtruckspacemanagementformoreeï¬ciency,and thereforecostsavings.Amoresimplisticbusiness infrastructurecanbeinitiatedwiththeLogisticsTech solutions.However,itneedsahumanelementtointegrate andcoordinateallviableplatformswiththelogistics players.Webelievethehumanelementisnecessaryfor manipulatingtheTechfunctionalityintothelogisticsarena.
⢠Wouldyouliketoenlightenusaboutyourmission, vision,philosophiesyoufollow,andthefuturegoals?
AstheFounder&CEOofJHBRemovals,Iamsetabout testingabusinessphilosophyandincreasingeï¬ciencyby implementingIoTandimprovingthecoordinationwith co-playerswithinthetransportindustry.
Thephilosophywastocollectandcoordinatewith co-industryplayerswhoshareapassiontodeliverquality customerserviceanduseourcollectivemarketintelligence toeï¬ectivelyrepresentlocalremovalandstorageservice needs.Thismarketintelligencewouldnotonlyenhanceall roleplayerstosourcenewbusinessopportunities,butit wouldalsoprovidelogisticaleï¬ciencywherebyeachteam canconcentrateonspeciï¬cregionswithintheprovinces. Thiswouldeliminatedieselwastage,travellingtimeand grapplingwithunnecessarytraï¬cwhichcontributesso muchineï¬ciencytologisticalservicedelivery.
TheSAFRGroup(PTY)Ltdmanagementphilosophyis basedoncarefullyselectedstaï¬andteamsthatareselfdrivenandhaveanaturalinstincttoprovidethebest possiblecommunicationandservicedeliverytoourclients. Eachteamandpersonaretheirownauthoritywithoutbeing policedandmotivated.Therewardsarereï¬ectedinthe resultsoftheirownwork.
⢠Briefusaboutyourcompanyanditsinceptionstory. Cape Removals (https://www.caperemovals.co.za/) CapeRemovalswasinceptedinOctober2012, CapeTown, WesternProvince,SouthAfrica.
Theregionallyfocusedfurnitureremoval&storage businesswasfoundedwiththeobjectiveofprovidinga collectivebrandthatwouldrepresent4to6independent removalteamswhichallhadthesameservicedelivery commitmentsbutlackedtechnologyintegrationand regionalbrandidentity.
Thebusinessmodelwasextremelywellreceivedbythe localizedremovalteamsinTheWesternCape.We coordinatedandprovidedaplatformtolaunchThe1stleg ofournationalstrategyin2012andlaunchedCape Removalsbusinessin2012.
ThesuccessofCapeRemovalsanditsformulawas duplicatedinotherkeyregionswithinSouthAfricawhich includedJohannesburg,Pretoria,andDurbaninthe Gauteng&KwaZulu-Natalregionsrespectively.
JHB Removals (https://www.jhbremovals.co.za/) JohannesburgandPretoria,asregions,areessentiallythe ï¬nancialzoneswhichdriveSouthAfricaâseconomyand ourlocalizedbusinessJHBRemovalswasbornwiththe samebusinessmodelandformula,hopingtoreapthesame resultsthatCapeRemovalshad.JHBRemovalsâlocalized formulawasextremelywellreceivedandtheprogressionto KwaZulu-Natalfollowednaturallyandeasily.
DBN Moving Company (https://www.dbnmovingcompany.co.za/)
DBNMovingCompanywaslaunchedinDurban, KwaZulu-Natalin2017,toconnectthelogisticaldotsfora startingnationalinfrastructureandtoexpandourselection ofserviceswhichnowfacilitatesanationalfurniture removalservice.
We are bringing together localized teams and services from all corners of South Africa.
â â
SAFR GROUP (PTY) Ltd
(https://www.furnitureremovalssa.co.za/)
SAFRGROUP(PTY)Ltdwasbornin2019withthe purposeofprovidingacoordinativehubforusandour partnerswiththeobjectiveofmaximizinglogistical eï¬ciency,Increasingourreachandoptimizingcustomer serviceatgroundlevel.SAFRGrouphasfoundapurpose inbringingtogetherlocalizedteamsandservicesfromall cornersofSouthAfrica.
SAFRGroup(PTY)LTDwillconsolidateitsposition beforereachingoutinternationally.
⢠Whatkindofâout-of-the-boxâstrategiesdoesyour companyfollowtodiï¬erfromyourcompetitors?
SAFRâsout-of-the-boxstrategyistocoordinateourselves andlocalizedroleplayersintoaneï¬cientmachine.This startswithleadershipmanaging,communicatingand re-emphasizingourcommongoalsinprovidingthebest possibleserviceatthebestpossibleprice.Workingtowards serviceexcellenceandprofessionalismarekeyaspirations forus.
⢠Howdoesyourorganizationcontributetothe CompanySocialResponsibilitycause?
Weareayoungcompanywithourresourcesbeing reinvestedintoourbusinesstoensureweallhavejob securityï¬rstandforemost.Wearenowexpandingonthis andweareensuringthatourownstaï¬andtheirchildrenâs dignityandsocialstatusareenhancedandupliftedto healthylevels.Besideslookingafterourown,weprovide ï¬nancialsupporttocommunitysportsinitiativesfor childrenaswellasanimalrescueandrehabilitation.
⢠Howdoyoudiversifyyouroï¬eringssoastobeneï¬t yourcustomers?
RemovalCosting,personalgoodssecurityandprotection aretheprimaryfocusesforusandourclients.Thetraining andselectionofourstaï¬areobviousattentionareasforus butwestillcontinuallysearchforstrategicdedicated employees,shareloadtransportation,technologyoptionsas wellassupportingserviceslikepacking,crating,protective wrappingandpackagingmaterial.Personalgoodsandtheir safetyareemotionallyandsentimentallyattachedtoour clientsandthereforewestrivetoprovideinnovative protectiveoptionsforourclients.
⢠Fromthebeginningtilltoday,listoutthetoughest diï¬cultiesyouâvefacedandlessonsyouâvelearnedfrom them?Whatistheeï¬ectofthecurrentDieselphase-out plansproposedbymanycountriesonyourcompany? Ourdiï¬cultyisprimarilycoordinatinganeï¬cientshare loadspaceutilizationwithclientsandourownschedulesto minimizetheemptyspacesbeingwasted.Weareaspiringto
ultimatelyreducetrucksandtimeontheroadbutstill facilitatelogisticalcollectinganddeliveringofallfurniture toourclientsâdepots,oï¬ces,andhouses.
Weareprodieselphaseoutandwemaintainourobjective ofdieseleï¬ciencybyusinglessdieselandultimatelyno dieselatall.WeaimtobetheleaderinElectricadaption st andthe1 inSouthAfricaandAustraliatodoso.
⢠Withthemassiveadvancementsintechnologysuchas IoT,AutonomousVehicles,AI,ElectricVehicles,and morewhataretheopportunitiesandchallengesevolving withit?
OpportunitiesforAI,IoT,andElectrictruckingismassively excitingforus.Theintelligenceandanalyticsderivedwill enhanceourabilitytoeliminateineï¬ciencies,reduce humanerror,enablemanagement&clientstobeproactive andbemoredirectlyinvolved.
ThisisanareathatSAFRGroupisaspiringtoprepareand inceptasquicklyaspossible.
Ourchallengeswillbetodeveloptheexpertiseto implementandmanageallAIandtheIoT.
⢠Whatcanbeexpectedfromyourcompanyinthenear future?
Toprovideandpopulateaninteractiveserviceforour clientsandselectedcontractorstocommunicatedirectlyon aneï¬cientlogisticaltransportingplatformperregion,per district,nationallyandinternationally.
⢠Anyadviceforthebuddingentrepreneursinthe industry?
Opportunityandentryintoourindustryhaveneverbeen easiernormoreexciting.TheLogisticsoï¬erssomanyareas ofexpertisewhichcanandshouldbeindependentwitha verylittlecapitalcostofentry.TheLogisticsindustrywasa verycapitalintensiveindustrywiththeneedtohavetrucks andsupportinginfrastructuretoprovideacompleteservice totheirclients.
Theplayingï¬eldhaschangeddrasticallyanditâsbecoming increasinglyeasierforanentrepreneurtoenterthelogistics marketfromalargevarietyofexpertisechannels.
Today,companiesaresearchingformorefully integratedlogisticssolutions.Theydemandfull trackingoftheirshipmentsfromthefactorytothe ï¬naldestinationusingoneplatform.Theyalsowanttobe abletoarrangetheshipmentsacrossallmodesandtobe notiï¬edofdelaysassoonasitbecomesapparentthata delayisinevitable.Thisallowsthecompanytomake alternativearrangementstore-routeshipmentsifnecessary, whilefullyweighingthecostsofdoingso.
Freightgatestartedwithinternet-basedTrack&Traceand expandedtheoï¬eringsfromTariï¬sintoafullyfunctional globalLogisticsCloudPlatform.Now,theFreightgate LogisticsCloudplatform spans:MultimodalTransportation Management,Rates,Schedules,GlobalVisibility,PO Management,Compliance,AnalyticsandWork-Flows.The companyhasalivelyecosystemacrosspartners,carriers andmodes.Freightgatestrivestoprovideinnovative logisticssolutions,fosteringglobalcollaborationand productivity.
MartinHubertistheCEOofFreightgate.Hehasmore than30yearsofexperienceprovidingITsolutionstothe logisticsindustry.Hebeganhiscareerin1994,byfounding acompanythatfocusedonprovidingtrackandtrace capabilityovertheinternetthroughestablishingEDI capabilitieswithcarriers.MartinthenfoundedFreightgate in2000,withavisiontoimprovetheITenvironmentfor logisticscompaniesandshippers.
Martinâscorevalueisthepassionforinnovationandneverendingimprovements.Hestrivestoprovideinnovative logisticssolutions,fosteringglobalcollaborationand productivity,whilebuildingahighlyconï¬gurableplatform withaglobal-by-designphilosophy.Martinwillcontinueto
deploytechnologytoï¬ndsmarterwaystosolvetodayâsand tomorrowâssupplychainchallenges.
Freightgatehasaprofessionalteamofâout-of-the-boxâ thinkerswithin-depthexperience.Theyorchestrate solutionstocustomerneedsusingtheglobal-by-design platform.Freightgatesetsitselfapartfromtherestby pairingtheirtechnologyplatformwithdeepindustry experience.
âEvery process is under investigation and if we can do something better, weâll discuss it and act accordingly. This is where the customers have the biggest advantage. They present their âcurrent stateâand sometimes âideal stateâ processes Freightgate comes up with multiple ways to get there. It is this challenge that is born out of the dialogue and collaboration with our customer that fuels the creative thought process and leads to mutual success,â asserts Martin.
Freightgatestartedasacentrallyhostedcollaboration platformtoshareshipmentinformationbyusingthethennascentinternetasabackbone.Gettingpeopletosharethis visionearlyonhashaditschallenges,butgritand perseverancepaidoï¬.Addingfunctionalitydrivenbya fusionofFreightgateâsvisionandcustomerdemandhas beenafunridethatthecompanyhopestocontinue.
TheteambelievesthatopportunitieswithIoTandAIareto reducetheimpactofdelaysinshipmentsbeforethey becomemajordisruptionsandhavesevereeconomic
consequences.AIcanalsobeusedinsupplychain planning,lookingforwaystoimprovethesupplychain processesoverall.ThechallengeswithIoTdevicesareto ï¬ndsignalstosendthedata.WithAI,itâshavingthe resourcestodevelopyourAIcapabilitiesandthedatawith whichtowork.Youtypicallyneedverylargedatasets,you havetoobservethedecision-makingprocess,andhaveto createalgorithmsthatcanincorporatethatdecision-making processplusallthevariablesandmakebetterdecisions.
TeamFreightgatethinksthatwithAutonomousVehicles, theopportunityistoimproveoperationaleï¬ciencyand routingandlowercosts.Thechallengescomefromthe regulatoryandliabilityperspectives.WithElectricVehicles, theopportunityistolowercarbonemissionsandperhaps evenï¬eetmaintenancecosts.Thechallengeswillbethe rangeofsuchvehicles.Canyoucreatebatteriesthatoï¬er enoughrangetokeepadriverontheroadduringhis permissiblehours? Howoftenwillthebatterieshavetobe replaced? Whatarethecostsofchargingandmaintaining batteriesversusfuellingandmaintainingengines?
Freightgateisexploringstrategicpartnershipsandworking withitscustomersonnewproductdevelopmentinitiatives. Freightgatewilltakecontinuedprideinsharingits
knowledgeandeverexpanding/growingservicestobetter assisttheneedsofitscustomersinthelogisticindustry.
âThe Cloud TMS market is very volatile and needs constant innovation, so listen to what the market is telling you.â
Martin Hubert, CEO
â
We strive for excellence and continuously improve our services based on customer requirements and recommendations. â
Foundedin2011,Ubimaxistheglobalmarket leaderforEnterpriseWearableComputingand AugmentedRealitySolutions.Asaone-stopshop,Ubimaxprovidesanall-in-onesolution-AugmentedRealitysoftware,WearableComputing devices,conï¬gurationanddeploymentservices,aswell assupport.Thecompanyhasbuiltupaverystrong partnerecosystemwithmorethan250enterprisesaround theglobeandoperatesfromoï¬cesinGermany,theUS andMexico.
WeapproachedtherenownedCEO,Dr.HendrikWitt foraninterviewaboutthegloriousandsuccessful journeyofUbimaxthroughout:
Q:Briefusaboutyourcompany,itsinception,and journey.
A:Ourcompanystartedoutlikeafairnumberofstartups:Abunchofpeoplehavingspentsomeyearsin strategyandmanagementconsultingwithajointvision workingontheirbusinessideainasmallroomalmost aroundtheclock.Butweknowwhatwewereworking onwasworthit:Improvingindustrialprocesseswiththe helpofwearablesandaugmentedreality,enhancing desklessworkers,sotheycanreachtheirfullpotential.
Q:TellusabouttheFounder/CEOofyourcompany, hisambitions,andphilosophy.
A:BeforeUbimax,Iwasworkingintheï¬eldof wearablecomputingalready.Mybackgroundofnow morethan15yearsinwearabletechnologyfor enterprises,doesnotonlyconsistofPhDfromthe UniversityofBremenandGeorgiaTech,whereIwas workingwiththewearablespioneerThadStarner,but alsofrombeingtheCo-HeadintheEU-fundedresearch
projectâwearITatworkâ.Fromthenonitwasthegoal tomaturethetechnologytobeabletomeetthemarketâs needsandmakeitproï¬table.Ubimaxâsrootslieina strongteamofthethreefoundersPercyStocker,Jan JunkerandDr.HendrikWitt.Wemetduringourstrategy andmanagementconsultingtimeandrealizedtheyhad funworkingtogetherandpursuingthesameideals. Shortlyafterthefounding,Ubimaxbecametheglobal marketleaderforindustrialaugmentedreality-based wearablecomputingsolutionscreatingdigitaltoolsfor realworldproblems.WhilePercyhastakenoveras PresidentofUbimaxInc.intheUS,Janisleadingthe commercialactivitiesasCCOandIhavetakenoverthe roleofCEO.
Q:WhatisthepresentscenarioofLogisticsTech Solutionindustryfromyourpointofview?
A:Rightnow,thefearofautomationerasingjobsin logisticsisomnipresent.Weareheretoshiftthatfear intoopportunity.Yes,digitizedworkingenvironments optimizeprocessesinwarehousesbutthehumanfactor cannotbeunderestimated.Aspectslikeintuitionand ï¬exibilityareboundtopeople.Globally,80%ofthis humanworkforcearedesklessworkers.Indigitization overthelastdecade,thismajorityofworkershasbeen forgotten.Theyareoftenstillworkingwithpaperlistsor cumbersomestationarycomputers.Andifsoftware solutionsareprovided,theyfrequentlyhavecomplex requirementsorarejustnotuser-friendly. Forus,itisall aboutempoweringthesefrontlineworkerswiththetools theyneedtomaximizetheirabilities.Thisalsomeans thatcompaniesimplementingtheinnovative technologiesarewaymorelikelytoachievetheir eï¬ciencyandqualityimprovementgoalsinaneven shorteramountoftime.
Wehelpfrontline workersfocuson whattheyarereally goodat:real-world physicaltasks,not complexandtimeconsuming computerprompts.
HendrikWitt CEO
Q:Whatkindofâout-of-the-boxâstrategiesyour companyisfollowingtodiï¬erfromthe competitors?
A:WithUbimaxFrontline,wehavecreatedtheworldâs ï¬rstfullyintegratedend-to-endenterpriseplatformfor wearablecomputing.Designedaroundthefouraward winningARsolutionsxPickforintralogistics,xMakefor manufacturingandqualityassurance,xInspectforï¬eld serviceandxAssistforremoteservice,weareableto supportdesklessworkersintheirdailytasksalongside theentirevaluechain.Oursoftwareworksintuitively withoutcomplexrequirements.So,workersarenot distractedfromtheiractualtasksandcanworkmore productivelywhileitincreasestheirworkplacesafety andergonomicsatthesametime.WithUbimaxFrontline wecreateaninnovativeanddigitizedworking environmentforhands-onworkers.ItislikeMicrosoft oï¬ceâonlyfortheblue-collarworker.Thegoalisthat companies,processesandtheworkerscanbeneï¬tfrom oursolutionslikewise.
A:Socialresponsibilityforusisallaboutpeople.After all,connectingpeoplewithandthroughtechnology-this iswhatUbimaxstandsfor.Thatiswhywenotonly supportdesklessworkersallaroundtheglobebutwe alsoputthehumanbeingwithallhisqualitiesand experiencesintheforegroundinourowncompany.We seeinternationalityandculturaldiversityas opportunities.Ourteamconsistsof17diï¬erentnations with15diï¬erentlanguages.Withoutourdiverseteam,it wouldnothavebeenpossibletobecometheworld marketleaderinsuchashorttime.Ourclientsarelarge corporationsoperatingonaninternationalscale.Only withourdiverseteam,inwhichinterculturalexchangeis agiven,weareanattractivepartnerfortheinternational market.Diversitythusprovidesuswithareal competitiveadvantageanddrivesusforward.
Q:Howdoesyourorganizationcontributetothe Company
Q:Howdoyoudiversifyyouroï¬eringssoasto beneï¬tyourcustomers?
A:Weareacompanythatlistens.Wefound,themore wearereadytolearnfromtheproductiveuseofour platform,thebetteroursolutionsbecome.Alotofthe featuresfoundwithinoursoftwareareeitherbasedon concretecustomerwishesorderivedfromchallenges beingsolvedinproductiveusage.Wedonotthinkthat creatingnewtechnologyonlybecauseitisfeasiblebutit doesnothaveaproductivevalueisadvantageousfor anyone.Witheverynewfeaturewewanttomeetreal industrychallenges.Sofar,wecanrelyon250customer projects.Theexperiencegainedfromtheseisavaluable sourcefornewideasonhowtoadaptoursoftwareeven morepreciselytoourcustomersâneeds.Thisway,we growasacompanywitheverynewchallenge,with everynewprojectwitheverynewcustomer.
Q:Fromthebeginningtilltoday,listouttoughest diï¬cultiesyoufacedandlessonsyouhavelearned fromthem?Whatistheeï¬ectofthecurrentDiesel phase-outplansproposedbymanycountriesonyour company?
A:TheDieselphaseoutplansandotherenvironmental challengesareactuallyabigopportunityforus.Our maingoalisoptimizingindustrialandlogistical processesalongtheentirevaluechain.Thatreducesnot onlygenerallycostsbutalsospeciï¬callytheneedfor resourcesofanykind.Throughoptimizinglogistics,we aredrivingleanprocessesforwardwhichhelpstoreduce transportationandstoringeï¬orts.Withourremote assistancesolutionstravelingforproblemsolving becomesobsoleteinalotofcasesâagainagreatchance intimesofenvironmentalchallenges.Also,oursolutions supporttheconstructofapaperlessfactorybyproviding allneededinformationdigitallyrightinfrontofthe workerâseye.
Q:Withthemassiveadvancementsintechnology suchasIoT,AutonomousVehicles,AI,Electric Vehicles,andmorewhataretheopportunitiesand challengesevolvingwithit?
A:AtUbimaxwehaverecognizedtheseopportunities longago.FeatureslikeIoTcomponentsareintegrated intoourplatformaswellasAIfeatureslikeimage recognitionforrecognizingpickeditemsforexample. Withthehelpofwearables,datacollectionhasbecome easierthaneverbefore.Theanalysisofthataccumulated
dataoï¬ersaprecisebaseforprofounddecisions. Throughthemobiledevicestheconnectivityis maximized,too.Thatway,apowerfulcollaboration betweenhumansandmachinesâtheso-calledInternetof Humans-isachieved.Withoursolutionsweare augmentingtheworkforceâsintelligence.Onechallenge thatwearefacingistheacceptanceofthetechnology amongworkers.Allprovidedadvantagescansometimes nottrumpethicalconcernslikedatasecurityor surveillanceattheworkplace.WeatUbimaxhave implementedfeatureslikearecordingsymbolwhenthe cameraisstartedremotely.Theworkeristheninformed thathissupervisoriswatching.Thesestepsseemsmall buttheyarepowerfultoolsforincreasingworkersâ autonomy.
Q:Whatcanbeexpectedfromyourcompanyinthe nearfuture?
A:Forus,thefutureisanaugmentedworkforce.We wanttoachievethisnotonlythroughwearable computingandaugmentedrealitybutthroughthis combinationenhancedthroughartiï¬cialintelligence. Thatiswhatwecallaugmentedintelligence.Driving industryandlogisticsforwardwithnext-level technologiesandprovidingrealaddedvaluewithdigital processes.Whileartiï¬cialintelligenceoï¬ersanarrayof advantagesonthebusinesssideitalsoempowers frontlineworkersbysupportinghealthyworking environmentsandmakinginformationevenmoreeasily accessible.Thatwaywecreateawin-winsituationfor allinvolvedstakeholders.
Q:Anyadviceforthebuddingentrepreneursinthe industry?
A:Webelievethataftermobileandsmartphoneerathe nextcomputingdecadebelongstowearabledevices.In thelastyears,themarkethasdevelopedrapidlyand continuestogrowuptoanestimatedmarketvalueof35 billionby2023.Thus,theï¬eldisoï¬eringplentyof opportunityfornewcompanieswithgoodideas.The mostimportantaspectforusisnottolosethefocuson theworkforce.Afterall,theyaretheonestousethe technologyonadailybasis.Withthatinmind,weare lookingforwardtonewfacesenteringthemarketdriving theindustryforwardtogether.