Josephine Coombe talks about her career journey; how marketing has changed; work/life balance; & why it’s never been a more exciting time to be in supply chain.

[07.26] Josephine’s career journey; her transition from the arts to technology and supply chain; and why embracing ambiguity is a good thing.

“I wouldn’t say my career was planned, or at least the first half was more serendipity than planning. But, around halfway through, I started being much more deliberate about where I was going as a professional. And, particularly for young women, allowing a little bit of the unexpected can take you down paths that are very positive.”

[08.49] How marketing has changed over the course of Josephine’s career; why it’s vital to bring creativity and analytics together; and why data isn’t everything when it comes to marketing.

“It’s been a very interesting time to see the shifts in marketing. Back then marketing was, to some extent, more of an arts discipline… And it’s changed dramatically, as digital marketing has enabled a much more analytical approach.”

“We can go overboard with trying to make the data tell us everything – and it can’t. I often see wild goose chases when it comes to attribution, but often what’s lost in those conversations is the influencing factors… Not everything can be perfectly measured but, just because it can’t, doesn’t mean that it’s not delivering value.”

[14.33] Josephine’s role as Chief Commercial Officer at Nulogy – what it involves, how she approaches the role, and the importance of bringing sales and marketing together.

“The ability to get out of your silo and into another area enables you to build empathy for other business areas.”

[18.37] Josephine’s experience of moving from North America to Europe for her latest job role.

[22.10] Nulogy’s vision of collaboration and co-innovation, and the big industry challenges they’re tackling with these core principles.

“More and more, we’re seeing a reliance on external providers to enable growth. But if you don’t know what’s going on out there, it’s going to be difficult to achieve. It’s a big supply chain issue.”

[25.02] The significant momentum driving women’s involvement in supply chain in the UK, and the different culture it’s creating for the industry.

“In the logistics industry in the UK, there’s been a deliberate effort to move beyond the historical reliance and dominance of men to enable more women in leadership positions.”

[27.40] Josephine’s experience as a woman in supply chain, and how things have changed for women over the course of her career.

[29.33] Why it’s never been a more exciting time to be in supply chain, and Josephine’s advice for younger generations, especially women, who may be looking to join the industry and take advantage of that excitement and momentum.

“The pandemic made very clear to the world that supply chain is critical to society. And it made very clear to big businesses that they couldn’t treat their supply chain organizations like an operational necessity, they had to recognize its highly strategic value to the business. So we’ve seen a tremendous focus and investment in supply chain.”

[31.29] The turning point in Josephine’s career; the influential people who played a part in her journey; and why you don’t ever stop learning.

[36.16] Josephine’s passion for the arts; achieving her diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Music; and the importance of embracing creativity as part of work/life balance.

“For me, creative endeavors are part of work/life balance. It’s so important to make sure you’ve got that type of time to unwind and give your brain something fresh to think about.”

[38.41] The future for Josephine.

You can connect with Josephine over on LinkedIn.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear from more inspiring women in the industry, check out 422: Women In Supply Chain™, Kiran Mann or 380: Women In Supply Chain™, Christine Barnhart.

Larry Cuddy of Lynxis talks about transforming terminal operations; consolidating solutions; & his vision for the landside logistics facilities of tomorrow.

[05.39] Larry’s career journey and unrivalled passion for supply chain.

“My journey is so special because I love what I do. I have to pinch myself, because it’s really not a job for me… This journey started at five or six years old in a truck with my grandfather.”

[08.53] An overview of Lynxis – who they are, what they do, and how they help their customers.

“We’re designing a platform for the asset owner and the operator, and there are three things that are core to that: how do you move cargo; how do you do it in less space; and how do you reduce your operating costs? And the common denominator is optimizing terminals.”

[12.35] The ideal client for Lynxis.

[14.24] The biggest challenges currently faced by cargo terminals and landside logistics facilities, and Lynxis’ approach to tackling them.

“Yes: tech is important, automation is important. But we’ve got to look at the infrastructure and workforce side as well.”

[18.22] Lynxis’ aim to transform terminal operations from the ground up, and drive rapid transformation in the industry, by building teams that ‘think like operators, but act like tech experts.’

[21.14] The importance of consolidation in an inter-connected industry, and how Lynxis is working with customers to pull infrastructure, equipment, tech, and people together into one highly orchestrated model.

[24.50] How Lynxis is utilizing advanced technology to provide the mission-critical solutions that organizations need to tackle challenges, achieve orchestration, and eliminate the risks that slow the flow of cargo.

“It’s about building the tech to proactively monitor, using real-time vision systems, in order to keep the flow of goods moving well.”

“We are in the digital planning game. How do we model something and look at the differences between a hypothetical and real life, and which works better? And you can only do that with data.”

[30.42] The importance of orchestration and optimization, and two case studies showing how Lynxis has helped key clients achieve big results.

[35.24] Lynxis’ vision of the landside logistics facilities of tomorrow, and how they’re working towards making that vision a reality.

“Our goal is to democratize, and make manual terminals more automated, without spending millions of dollars on tech and infrastructure.”

Head over to Lynxis’ website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Lynxis and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, or you can connect with Larry on LinkedIn.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more from Larry, listen to 325: Build Thriving Supply Chain Communities, with Envase Technologies.

Kiran Mann talks about her career journey; her experience in the male-dominated auto industry; & why she left the corporate world to found her own business.

[07.20] Kiran’s early years, and how an unexpected opportunity led her to a successful career in automotive and manufacturing.

“It was a temporary situation that turned into 22 years! It felt like home. At some point I forgot about fashion designing, and became a full-time professional in automotive and manufacturing!”

[09.49] From viewing challenges as opportunities to setting an example for other immigrants, the things Kiran is most proud of across her career, and what she’s learned along the way.

“At the time, it felt normal. We all look for where we fit in, for opportunities, we grow. But, looking back now, it gives me a different feeling. A feeling of pride, a sense of accomplishment… who am I today is what I went through and what I learned.”

[16.41] Kiran’s experience as a woman in a male-dominated industry; and how the industry changed for women over the years.

[18.34] The question that led Kiran to quit her job and found her own business; and her experience of leaving the automotive industry after 20 years to go it alone.

“Women overlook what we’re good at, because we just think it’s default. But if it was default, every single person around you would be doing it. So you have to find that recipe.”

[22.53] How Kiran figured out how to use her skills in her new business; why she wanted to address the workplace challenges we all complain about; and her approach to fixing the gap between businesses and consultants.

“One of my favorite words is ‘choice’… There’s no right or wrong choice, but every choice has a consequence.”

[32.00] How Kiran came to take on the role of COO at Brar’s, alongside running her consultancy; how she balances her responsibilities; and why she’s come to realize that multitasking is not a good thing.

[38.59] Kiran’s experience in the close-knit community of the dairy industry, and how she gained their trust and earned respect.

[45.29] Kiran’s advice for young people as they start their careers.

“Come out of your comfort zone, but don’t go crazy – be realistic.”

[48.29] Why Kiran lives by the phrase Carpe Diem, and the importance of living in the moment.

You can connect with Kiran over on LinkedIn.

If you enjoyed the show and want to hear from more incredible women in supply chain, check out 384: Show Me The Money: Why Women Need To Stop Working For Free, 270: Women In Supply Chain™, Sneha Kumari or 212: Women In Supply Chain™, Ana Lucia Alonzo.

Evan Smith of Altana talks about his mission to fix globalization; the role of AI in making data actionable; & the changing face of supply chain visibility.

[06.59] Evan’s early fascination with global issues, and how that curiosity, combined with his unwavering work ethic, ignited a passion that has driven his career and led him to co-found Altana.

“I was kind of a weird kid, focused on big global issues – I actually wrote my high school senior thesis on the impending collapse of globalization… I was really curious about how the world works.”

[11.07] From geopolitical consequences to environmental and social impacts, how globalization has gone wrong; and Altana’s mission to fix it.

“The side effects, and unintended consequences of globalization, have resulted in its demise.”

[17.30] Exactly what a value chain is; an overview of Altana and what they do; and how Altana’s Value Chain Management System is helping them to work towards a vision of better global commerce for everyone.

“We need to create a ‘Google Maps’ of the world’s supply chain. There needs to be a common operating picture that everyone taps into, and you can only get so far with commercially purchasable data.”

[25.55] The ideal client for Altana, and how a variety of different organizations can leverage Altana’s data and tools to meet their needs.

“The blessing and the curse of Altana is that we can do so much for so many!”

[32.20] The changing face of supply chain and logistics visibility; how Altana are achieving more than twice the supply chain visibility of any other provider; and how organizations can translate that data into actionable insights.

“An outsourced just-in-time supply chain is only efficient when things are stable.”

[38.19] AI; its vital role in making data accessible and actionable; and how Altana utilizes active learning to make connections and create a single source of truth for customers.

[44.22] A case study showing how Altana helped a global apparel brand tackle a huge issue with detained imports, helping the brand to reveal a hidden forced labor problem, take action to fix it, and collaborate within their organization to optimize and develop ways to manage their whole value chain, not just their buyer-supplier relationships.

[52.14] The future for Altana.

Head over to Altana’s website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Altana and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn or X (Twitter), or you can connect with Evan on LinkedIn.

If you enjoyed the show, and want to hear more about the power of data, check out Women In Supply Chain™: Procurement Leader, Stephany Lapierre on Using Supplier Data to Empower a More Connected, Diverse Supply Chain, Why Data, Focus and Follow-Through Are Shaping the Future of Supply Chain, or How To Leverage Your Logistics Data to Drive Demand.

Eric Johnson of LogTech Live talks about the new FMC detention and demurrage billing rules - the changes, challenges & what they mean for businesses.

[06.58] The latest from Eric – an update from Home Delivery World, two upcoming events, and how to get involved with the Blended Pledge.

“Remember when everyone said ‘when the pandemic is over, everything will slow down’ – it didn’t, it never slows down!”

[11.52] The big industry news of the week.

“Now we’ve had Convoy and Transfix, within 6 months of each other, become defunct as brokerage brands… A lot of people are talking about whether the digital brokerage model worked on its own (as it was pitched to VC’s a decade ago).”

[17.31] An introduction to Eric’s guest, Alexandra Griffon, and her company BlueCargo.

“Historically truckers and drayage providers were the ones risking the per diem, detention, and demurrage costs, but this has changed. Shippers want to internalize this cost, and have control… Between 2020 and 2022, US importers, forwarders, and drayage companies paid $15 billion – that’s the lack of control they don’t want to go back to!”

[23.35] The new detention and demurrage rules issued by the FMC – the big changes and what they mean for businesses.

“Now it’s 30 days to issue an invoice, and another 30 days to issue a dispute or challenge – it’s a very strict timeline. And there are new data requirements that have to be on an invoice for it to be deemed valid.”

[33.03] From data to the burden of responsibility, the biggest challenges with the new rules and regulations.

“It’s very hard to make sure your data is accurate. Just something as simple as the start or end date sometimes varies based on the source…. Having the data is a good thing… but there are lots of gray areas.”

[47.16] When the new rules took effect, and how the dates impact what you can dispute now.

“You need to engage to get your own access to the original source of data.”

[50.57] Alexandra’s favorite song.

[53.18] Eric’s best ‘Dad Joke’ of the week!

Explore more industry news over on Journal of Commerce, and connect with Eric on LinkedIn.

If you enjoyed the show, there are plenty more episodes of LogTech Live to explore. And if you want to hear even more from the super-knowledgeable Eric Johnson, you can also catch him on episode 238 and episode 300.

Bill Catania of OneRail talks about inventory, visibility & shrinkage; empowering customers by normalizing data; & optimizing customer experience.

[07.07] An overview of OneRail, what they do, and how they help their customers.

“Don’t ever think of us like a parcel shipping solution! What we’re doing is delivering in localized markets – think about turning a store into a warehouse, turning a warehouse into a localized delivery zone.”

[07.52] The latest at OneRail, and some of the big challenges they’re focusing on right now.

“These days, you can’t hear an earnings call from a retailer without hearing about product shrinkage – and about 65% of that is theft.”

[08.38] Why inventory, visibility, and shrinkage – particularly related to theft – is a growing concern for retailers.

“It was easy when it was single-channel commerce. But now there’s so many different channels, so many different shipping options – customers have demands they didn’t have before. When product starts to move more, there’s more risk.”

[10.03] The recent survey, conducted by OneRail, dives deeper into the problem of inventory and shrinkage.

“Customers are counting on that product being at the store. But if it goes missing 500 miles ago, and the retailer doesn’t know it, there’s a mismatch in supply and demand. A lot of money goes into demand planning, and all that work goes out the window when items go missing.”

[13.53] How OneRail utilized their findings to develop OmniPoint Inventory Visibility, a brand-new solution for their customers; and how it tackles inventory and shrinkage challenges.

“When you look at what it takes to be competitive in 2024, you have to be operating from data.”

[17.17] The ideal client for OneRail’s OmniPoint Inventory Visibility solution.

[1946] The challenges with data; the importance of empowering customers with the right data; and how OneRail is adding an extra layer that helps systems to connect and normalize data, helping retailers to make the right decisions.

“An organization could be working with 50 to 100 couriers – all sending data in different ways, some of them aren’t even sending data! – and we’re normalizing that data layer, so they can make sense of it and decision on it.”

[22.25] The opportunity to be found in achieving improved inventory visibility and optimizing customer experience.

“Optimization is taking data and making iterative business decisions to reduce cost and improve experience.”

[25.15] Why OneRail is moving up the order stream with delivery management solutions, and how they’re helping customers to improve order decisioning and fulfillment logic.

“It’s so much more than visibility – it’s the ability to actually change an outcome.”

[28.02] A big announcement, and the future for OneRail