FLEXPORT AND LOGISTICS/FORWARDING

What will the SoftBank investment in Flexport do to the logistics provider/forwarder industry as to angst and new business model--such as SCaaS--supply chain as a service and/or 3PSCM, 3rd party Supply Chain Management?

FLEXPORT AND $1 BILLION INVESTMENT BY SOFTBANK

$1Bil investment by SoftBank in Flexport seems like a game changer. Think big-beyond forwarding & its disintermediation. Think of technology & the end-to-end Supply Chain. Look at the real opportunities that few logistics firms & 3PLs are attacking from a SCM point of view.

TECHNOLOGY AND SUPPLY CHAIN VELOCITY

Technology, such as VR/AR and IoT, will speed up Supply Chain Velocity and increase e-commerce order size with more SKUs. Across markets and industries and borders. How prepared are manufacturers and retailers? More leaders and laggards?

IOT AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

Manufacturers and distributors that think they are immune to Supply Chain Velocity, wait for the Internet Of Things. Servicing and maintaining IoT will be the next driver of velocity that e-commerce started. What are you going to do about it? And when? Transform now.

AMAZON AND SUPPLY CHAIN VELOCITY

Why, after all this time, do so many retailers and manufacturers not understand that Amazon created the e-commerce selling reality with end-to-end Supply Chain Velocity? And dominates because of it.

AMAZON GETS MORE PLANES

Forget who Amazon competes with. They are increasing their Supply Chain Velocity with Inventory Velocity for Order Delivery Velocity. Faster inventory turns. Free up working capital. No complaining on Last Mile & logistics costs. And winning the market.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/15/amazon-will-compete-with-fedex-and-ups-to-become-logistics-company.html

MANUFACTURERS AND E-COMMERCE CUSTOMER SERVICE

A little discussed issue with e-commerce for manufacturers is dealing directly with the customer, even the end customer. Complaining on logistics costs shows this. Even retailers struggle with this direct customer need.

CONTAINER LINES VS SUPPLY CHAINS

Do container line mega ships increase the likelihood of canceled services and blank sailings and their impact on manufacturer and retailer Supply Chains? Especially in a time of supply chain velocity. Given the history of these, how do carriers really view customers?

3 SUPPLY CHAINS

The undiscussed Supply Chain story--the need to integrate the product supply chain, the information supply chain, and the Finance Supply Chain.

E-COMMERCE AND EASY ANSWERS

Do too many manufacturers and retailers take short cuts/easy answers for e-commerce instead of transforming their Supply Chain to drive Order Delivery Velocity for Customer Expectations? And the results show?

LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

Many logistics stories focus on the service in isolation and not how and how well it fits into customer Supply Chains, especially with the new selling reality and the strategic importance of SCM.

SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT AS CEO

Amazon elevated Supply Chain Management to strategic. Manufacturers and retailers struggle to effectively compete in e-commerce while citing logistics costs as a problem. It is time to make SCM execs/experts as CEOs to transform Supply Chains.

CMA CGM WANTS TO BUY CEVA LOGISTICS

CMA CGM looking to buy Ceva. Aligning container shipping and hashtaglogistics service offerings/#3PL. Similar to what Maersk is doing. And the competition both shipping and logistics? https://www.wsj.com/articles/cma-cgm-launches-1-billion-takeover-offer-for-ceva-logistics-11549980384

TESLA AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

It is about the Supply Chain.  For Tesla, is Musk correct or another C-suite self-appointed SCM expert?  Thoughts?   https://www.wsj.com/articles/tesla-is-cranking-out-model-3snow-it-has-to-service-them-11549810800?mod=djemlogistics_h
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SMEs AND CONTAINER LINES

Have container lines abandoned the SME BCO market to OTIs/NVOs? Is this further segmentation of services? Does it put SMEs at a further competitive disadvantage? Do SMEs understand what they are buying beyond price for their operations/sales needs?

LOGISTICS AND TRANSFORMATION

It seems that much about logistics--transport, all modes, warehouse, 3PL, and other--is anecdotal.  From both perspectives of customer/BCO and provider.  Does it make it harder for provider to see the need for change/transformation? And put them further behind.

INCOTERMS

What is the best Incoterm to mitigate Supply Chain Risk?  

OCEAN CONTAINER CONTRACTS

Does more ocean container volume move in flexible time-volume or in real SERVICE contracts. What is the service commit and does it differ for BCOs vs OTIs? With #CM, speed and reliable are required with the new Supply Chain reality. Are needs being met?

AMAZON PROFITS

Amazon who redefined Supply Chain Management is continuing its logistics build out to drive Order Delivery Velocity from Supply Chain Velocity and Inventory Velocity. And the competition is doing what?

https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-reports-third-record-profit-in-a-row-11548969267

SUPPLY CHAIN PERFORMANCE VERSUS LOGISTICS COSTS

In the new reality of Customer Expectations, how much of performance is impacted for manufacturers and retailers by their strong emphasis on logistics costs? What do you think?