Month: April 2019

Posted on

Challenges of Omni-channel Logistics

By Antony Francis , Lakehill Partners

March 17, 2019

Let’s begin with an overview of what omni-channel means. Whether it be B2B or B2C, buyers and consumers expect to be able to source and purchase goods in any combination of methods whether online or in brick & mortar stores and then be able to return them in any way they choose.

This is where omnichannel logistics comes to solve this no-exhaustive list of methods:

  • Online purchase delivered to the buyer’s home or place of business, either via an e-retailer (e.g. Amazon) and either fulfilled directly by the e-tailer (e.g. FBA – Fulfilled by Amazon) or by the manufacturer/seller.
  • Online order sent to a store for local pickup or local delivery from a store.
  • Ability to search availability either in a DC or a local store. This is important when dealing with out-of-stock or back-ordered items.
  • Online order and in-store purchase return management. Customer choice is all important.

Increasingly, customers expectation of arrival times has changed such that same day delivery is becoming an almost standard feature. But at what cost to serve? Last mile delivery networks are challenged to reduce these delivery times without increasing rates to their customers.

Omni-channel logistics is designed to manage inventory flow across all sales channels. It, therefore, comes with its own unique set of challenges. Many of these are not new to the logistics space. They have been known for years. Indeed, one of the principal barriers to eliminating these issues has been technology. With today’s connected systems and the use of distributed ledger technology, we are getting closer to resolution.

Now, let’s look at 5 of the top omni-channel logistics challenges that businesses face:

  1. Lack of visibility in the supply chain.
  2. Poorly executed processes.
  3. Solving transportation conundrum.
  4. Returns Management and Reverse Logistics.
  5. Insource operations or outsource to a 3PL

 

  1. Lack of visibility in the supply chain.

Two key challenges are inventory visibility and visibility once in transit. In short, it means picking and packing the right product and delivering it when expected.

A well-developed Inventory Management System which views stores as mini-warehouses with the same visibility to contact and selection should be coupled to the Order Management System that is fed from various Order Entry points (online or other). Each of these systems has key metrics and dashboards built into them to alert to execution status at any time.

We are always dealing with three supply chain (physical, informational and financial). Once, these were mutually exclusive. That is no longer the case today. Knowing the cost to serve is as important for a business as pick accuracy or fulfill rates as operational metrics.

Once the shipment has left the dock, it is all important to be able to alert a customer when an issue arises in transit and allow interception in-transit and re-routing capabilities. Many TMS products integrate these features including shipment status, GPS, temperature, humidity and shock sensors, etc. It is also important to know which product is in which box when a pallet or multi-piece shipment arrives.

For international shipments, it is critical to integrate freight forwarder systems into the shipment status tracking, in the event of delays in customs clearance.

  1. Poorly executed processes.

A killer for supply chain operations is manual processes that come from legacy systems that have yet to be connected to an updated technology platform. One of the enduring areas is inventory control which often still rely on physical count process engendering slow update and inaccurate counts. As companies grow and restructure or acquire other operations, the integration of these platforms is often painfully slow. The key to solving this supply chain breakdown is to consolidate these processes, rather than let them function in silos.

 

  1. Solving transportation conundrum.

There are many ways to get a product to the customer’s doorstep, whether from a DC or a store. The challenge is to find the most effective and efficient transportation solution to keep customers happy without driving up the landed product costs. Selecting the right shipping method for the right customer situation is essential to omni-channel logistics. This is especially true for returns. They may not require the same speed as used for the forward side.

  1. Returns Management and Reverse Logistics.

The return process for any product should be just as seamless as its initial delivery. In this new omni-channel landscape, customers expect to be able to return products they’ve purchased online in-store or by mail. Companies that don’t offer this ease of return are unlikely to generate repeat business. Implementing sound reverse logistics infrastructure is imperative to good customer service within the omni-channel logistics framework.

  1. Insource operations or outsource to a 3PL

Although digital transformation has been the focus attention from analysts and technology companies alike, businesses must take care not to overlook the physical transformation. The method of flowing truckloads of products from large DCs to stores has become outdated. Businesses must update their supply chain and distribution networks to compete in this new market, in which the speed of delivery and inventory reduction are paramount. Leading enterprises are testing out new distribution strategies that eliminate DCs to become more agile and to better align with customer expectations for faster deliveries.

In fact, the companies that do omni-channel best sell orders online without ever taking physical possession of the product. E-commerce and order management systems are synced in such a way that online shopping cart orders trigger a PO directly with the vendor. This, in turn, places a PO on an OEM and triggers a chain of events with the outbound freight forwarder, the carrier, and the inbound forwarder and then an outsourced or in-house party within the business’s supply chain carries out fulfillment. All these operators’ systems need to be fully integrated.

Omni-channel logistics is all about providing consumers with a seamless shopping experience. This experience is only attainable when businesses leverage their e-commerce capabilities in a way that acknowledges the reality of running both a brick-and-mortar storefront and distribution center network.

More and more companies are relying on their 3PL/4PL partners to run the back-office operations, allowing them to focus on the core competencies of designing, producing, marketing and selling products. Leave the rest to the experts.

A successful 3PL is an operations manager, a strategic consultant and an IT provider all in one. This combination of capabilities is especially valuable when it comes to inventory optimization and omni-channel fulfillment. A 3PL’s core competency around fulfillment operations — such as knowing which metrics to use and how to measure them to drive continuous improvement — can help companies both large and small close the capability gap.

Summary

The right 3PL partner can use its retail and shipping industry knowledge and supply chain experience, as well as a diverse set of OMS/WMS/TMS capabilities and integration strategies to address the challenges listed above.

Lakehill Partners has a long history of systems integration and business process redesign. Let us help you manage the way forward.

For more information on this subject, please contact Antony Francis at antony.francis@lakehillpartners.com.

Thank you for visiting our blog.

I hope you enjoyed our point of view and would like to receive regular posts directly to your email inbox.  Toward this end, put your contact information on my mailing list.

Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read.  Your input is very important to me so; please leave a comment.

 

Jim Weber, Managing Partner

ITB PARTNERS

Jim.Weber@itbpartners.com

Author of: Fighting Alligators, Job Search Strategy For The New Normal

 

Posted on

Troy Gautier Joins ITB Partners

The April Members Meeting was held on the 18th.  Troy Gautier spoke about Creating Strategic Alliances.  Troy is seen here presenting Jim Weber with his 2019 Annual Membership Fee, making him the newest member.

Troy Gautier is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Alliances Progress, LLC.

Alliances Progress is a professional services firm specialized in international ecosystem development. We provide “Alliances as a Service” to enable our client and partner firms to work together to grow their revenues and capabilities.

– Strategic Alliances
– Commercial Partnerships
– Ecosystem Development
– Mergers & Acquisitions
– Member Firm Organization
– Global Business and Technology Network
– International Business Development
– Advisory Boards and NGOs

Posted on

Mentors, Coaches, and Networking

Josh Sweeney Presentation on Culture First Hiring

This week I received an article from my friend, Faith, which she described as ‘must read.’  When Faith sends me a ‘must read’ article, I jump on it!   This article was an excerpt from The Complete Guide to Building Your Personal Brand, a book written by Neil Patel and Aaron Agius.  Actually, the article is chapter 6, How to Connect With Mentors.

 

 

The article begins by stating that “74% of hiring managers, believe that job seekers need the support of a mentor, counselor, or job coach whereas, only 40% of job seekers actually have a mentor to help them through the process.” They quoted Madeline Slutsky, Chairman of the Career Advisory Board and Vice President of Career Services at DeVry University who stated that “job seekers are doing themselves a huge disservice by ignoring the wealth of guidance and insight a mentor could provide.”

 

 

They quoted Rachel Louise Ensign of the Wall Street Journal who said that “a mentor can help a young worker answer tough questions about his or her career path and get perspective on the industry.  The relationship may even help you eventually land a new job.”

 

 

After the setup and further prose on the value of mentors, the article laid out a systematic approach to identify a mentor, how to engage the prospective mentor, and the need to formalize a structure for a productive relationship.

 

 

This post was clearly meant for someone beginning their career, a primer as it were, which is fine.  It’s an important topic, worth discussion.  There’s so much to learn about navigating organizational cultures that one needs a mentor or coach to help accelerate their learning.

 

 

I find it useful to distinguish between the work of a coach and mentor.  Although there may be some overlap in their approach, there is a difference.  A mentor is more of a strategist and generalist whereas a coach is more tactical and specific.  This point is a generalization, of course, as mentors can be strategic or tactical, depending on the situation. In my experience, mentors are people you call on to better understand the dynamics of a situation. They are guides.  They don’t tell you what to do but help you learn by providing options to consider.  A coach, on the other hand, helps you develop skills and provides feedback and encouragement.  Another important distinction is that coaches are often paid for their services.  Mentors are volunteers who gain satisfaction by giving back.

 

 

The situation is relevant as well.  A mentor or coach appropriate for career development on the job may not be suitable to help you during a job search.  A career coach experienced in job search will provide relevant tactical support for resume preparation, networking effectiveness, and interviewing skills, to name a few.

 

 

I couldn’t help but think that finding a mentor is a subset of building a network to support your career.  That thought sparked my thinking on a broader level.  Faith’s recommendations tend to do that.  I was reminded of the chapter I’d just read from Strategic Connections.  Those authors speak about the importance of creating teams to accomplish different objectives.  They say that, depending on the nature of the objective, different personality types are required to achieve the objective.  They identify 14 different archetypes as follows:

 

 

  • The Sponsor
  • The influencer
  • The Cheerleader
  • The Wise Elder
  • The Novice
  • The Heart
  • The Wizard
  • The Brain
  • The Critic
  • The Guru
  • The Sarge
  • The Promoter
  • The Creative
  • The Global Citizen

 

 

Thinking about the issue further, finding mentors and coaches is part of building your network. You’ve probably been on different teams from time to time, both at work and play, so you have experience.  To achieve important goals, we often need to assemble a team.  Depending on the nature of the objective, the team may be broad, or it may be small.

 

 

From a broader perspective, the issue is about building a network of people with diverse skills and perspectives who can be a resource to you.  I believe it’s about developing relationships based on mutual respect and interests.  You’re not only developing a team to support your needs; you’re a member of your contacts’ teams.  Expect to be called on when they need you.  Make sure to answer their call.

 

Thank you for visiting our blog.

I hope you enjoyed our point of view and would like to receive regular posts directly to your email inbox.  Toward this end, put your contact information on my mailing list.

Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read.  Your input is very important to me so; please leave a comment.

 

Jim Weber, Managing Partner

ITB PARTNERS

Jim.Weber@itbpartners.com

Author of: Fighting Alligators, Job Search Strategy For The New Normal

 

Posted on

Houston, We Have A Problem!

I swear, I must have been transported into an alternate Universe this week, where I was an actor in a sitcom.  Something resembling “I love Lucy.”  You know how sitcoms are written, there is always the main plot with a few sub-plots working.  By the end of the show, all the plots converge on one common theme. Yes, I was living through a sitcom episode in my alternate Universe.

It began a week ago Friday evening when my wife’s car wouldn’t start.  She was at a job site which required the car to be towed to the nearest Dealer.  It sat there until Monday when the Service Department opened.

As she is a residential contractor, she rented a car to keep her projects on track.  Unfortunately, she fell in love with the rental and decided it was time for a new car.  It must have been the electronics package.  Naturally, I protested!  Her car is ten years old but hasn’t even cracked 100,000 miles.  In fact, it is very reliable and has had few problems.  From my perspective, the car isn’t even broken in.  We have been married for 43 years, so I knew how this would unfold.  My best logic would be deployed to no avail.  I could only hope to minimize my losses by working at the margins.  By the beginning of the week, we weren’t speaking much.  Houston, we have a problem!

I realize that most purchases are made on emotion and later justified by tortured logic.  Surprisingly, I have come to believe that is not limited to the consumer world.  All too often I have seen that scenario play out in the business world.  This is was our sub-plot.

Monday, I met with a senior consultant for the local office of a National outplacement firm.  He invited me to explore an opportunity to collaborate. I told him how we help our members understand and adapt to the new employment paradigm.  I explained my view that we are all ‘free agents’ in a dynamic environment.  Professionals will move between W-2 and 1099 status as tenures become shorter and shorter.  We have little control over the employment situation created by the digital transformation of the economy.  He invited me back to speak to his clients.

Tuesday, I moderated the monthly meeting of the BENG Atlanta Chapter.  Our featured speaker, Erica McCurdy, a Master Coach, and ITB Partner facilitated a discussion entitled “Not every problem has a solution.”  The gist of her message was don’t confuse situations with problems. There is a difference.   A situation is a state of being; a confluence of events beyond one’s control.  Situations require one to adapt whereas problems require solutions.  Was it merely a coincidence that I was hearing this message from Erica?

It’s useful to know the difference between problems and situations to focus your energy on things you can change.  If you try to change things that cannot be changed, your state of mind will suffer.  By resolving things that can be changed, you will reduce stress and improve your life, especially if you eliminate unproductive effort.

Successful people view problems as opportunities to grow, improve, and adapt.  For them, problems are a part of life.  Their positive attitude toward problem-solving improves their outcomes.  Experience makes future events easier to traverse.  We should accept problems as a normal, unavoidable condition of life.

I spent the rest of the week evaluating situations and problems.   As I dissected what I assumed were problems, I realized that some were situations.  In these cases, I found opportunities to employ my leadership skills.

This week unfolded within the context of my wife’s desire for a new car.  I had a situation.  She had a problem. When she sets her mind on a course of action, I become a spectator.  During our marriage, I can’t remember winning a major battle, but I’ve had success at the margins.  Guys, I think you know what I mean.  While I became more obstinate, digging in my heals, she negotiated a better deal.  I lost, of course.  I knew I would. My life was imitating art.  Today, she is very happy with her new car.  I live on to fight another day.

Thank you for visiting our blog.

I hope you enjoyed our point of view and would like to receive regular posts directly to your email inbox.  Toward this end, put your contact information on my mailing list.

Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read.  Your input is very important to me so; please leave a comment.

Jim Weber, Managing Partner

ITB PARTNERS

Jim.Weber@itbpartners.com

Author of: Fighting Alligators, Job Search Strategy For The New Normal

 

Posted on

Erica McCurdy Presents to BENG Atlanta Chapter

Erica McCurdy, of McCurdy Solutions Group,  Presented to the BENG Atlanta Chapter’s April meeting.  The topic of her presentation was “Not Every Problem Has a Solution.”  The gist of her message is to make a distinction between situations that require management and problems which can be resolved.   If the situation isn’t managed, you might have problems that must be resolved.

April 9, BENG Atlanta Chapter Meeting

 

McCurdy Solutions Group specializes in leadership development, communication, writing, strategic growth initiatives, culture change, business strategy, succession planning, administrative design, work-life balance, purpose. International reach including building leadership development plans for both individual and corporate clients.

Erica McCurdy is a Certified Master Coach, Member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF), Member of Forbes Coaches Council and member of ITB Partners. Multi-year winner “Best Atlanta Coaches” and “Best of Norcross”.

For more information and to contact Erica, follow this link to her website:  https://www.mccurdysolutions.com/

Posted on

Three Pillars For Independent Consulting Success

Reflecting on this past week, my focus was on exercising my coaching skills. That comes as no surprise as coaching is fundamental to my leadership responsibilities. I was a bit surprised by the breath of my coaching responsibilities, though. It began by helping a client get his job search on track and ended with a coaching client finishing her PhD requirements. Most of the week was spent with my consulting team and prospective consultants. Interestingly, one of those prospects is a Mexican Citizen who wants to open an office for us in Mexico City. I like her passion and vision for developing Latin America.

 

The common thread to these discussions is what I call “the three pillars of success for independent consultants;” networking, public speaking, and writing. These three skills are the key to success in most if not all occupations. Another way to characterize these skills is Marketing.  The objective is to be viewed as an expert in your field, someone who can be hired with confidence.

 

Professionals and Craftsmen must master the skills of their profession. If you’re an Accountant, you must know how to record transactions, balance accounts, and prepare accurate financial statements, among other things.  A carpenter must know how to make precise cuts, create square corners, and minimize waste. In both examples, one must be familiar with codes, regulations, and best practices for the industry. That is a baseline requirement to compete.

 

If you want to build a business or expand your practice, you need a lot of people who know your capabilities, who can recommend you to prospective customers. So how do you accomplish that goal? Networking, public speaking, and writing.

 

I’ve written extensively about the importance of networking. It is necessary but time-consuming and inefficient with regard to the number of people you can influence at any time.  It cannot be avoided, however.  The relationships one builds by networking creates trust, facilitating referrals. A referral from a trusted colleague is a powerful introduction.

 

The second and third pillars provide leverage. Public speaking is a viable way to influence many people at the same time. It provides a platform to demonstrate your professional credentials to an audience eager to hear your message. Isn’t it better to sell your product to 20, 40, or 100 people at the same time than by talking to just one person?

 

Receiving public speaking invitations requires you to be adept at presenting general information about a relevant topic. By demonstrating your command of the issue, you indirectly sell your services. This isn’t about direct selling; it’s about reinforcing your credentials. No one wants to listen to a 40-minute infomercial, but they will listen to learn how others have resolved common problems.

 

Writing blog posts or articles provides even greater exposure and more latitude over the subject matter. Before the internet, the traditional method was to write articles or editorials for publications in industry magazines, newspapers, and periodicals. Today, we have many more options including social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and your company website. Additionally, you can create podcasts and YouTube videos to reach a larger audience. Supporting your writing campaign are email marketing applications like Constant Contact, AWeber, and Mail Chimp.  Grammarly is an application that helps you with your grammar and punctuation, a digital editor as it were.  With all of these resources available at modest cost, why wouldn’t you develop a writing discipline?

 

Distributing written information provides leverage that can easily put you on the national, and international stage. I have proof positive based on my conversation this week with the lady from Mexico City. The point is to present material that is interesting, relevant, and easy to read.  Over time, you will create a loyal following. These fans are potential clients, ambassadors supplementing your selling efforts. Writing articles or blog posts leads to an expanded business development platform.

 

The three pillars are mutually reinforcing. Once you develop a message, tested and honed by networking, you can easily move on to public speaking. Public speaking takes your message to a broader audience while writing takes your message to a far larger audience. It’s a natural progression where one activity builds on the other.  Plan for success as an independent consultant by mastering the Three Pillars!

Thank you for visiting our blog.

I hope you enjoyed our point of view and would like to receive regular posts directly to your email inbox.  Toward this end, put your contact information on my mailing list.

Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read.  Your input is very important to me so; please leave a comment.

Jim Weber, Managing Partner

ITB PARTNERS

Jim.Weber@itbpartners.com

Author of: Fighting Alligators, Job Search Strategy For The New Normal

 

 

Posted on

April Atlanta BENG Meeting featuring Erica McCurdy

Business Executives Networking Group

Join Us for the April Atlanta BENG Chapter Meeting

featuring Erica McCurdy, MCC, Member of Forbes Coaches Council is the Managing Member of McCurdy Solutions Group, LLC.

Date And Time

Tue, April 9, 2019

7:30 AM – 9:30 AM EDT

Add to Calendar

Erica will be presenting:

Not every problem has a solution

Location Bella’s Gourmet Kitchen

350 Embassy Row Northeast

Sandy Springs, GA 30328

View Map

About Erica McCurdy

Professional coach, consultant, and mentor with years of experience leading teams in support of CEOs and top leadership. Passionate about my community, veterans, women’s leadership initiatives, and teens. Strong and capable administrator. Able to make strategic decisions with limited information. Understanding of confidentiality. Capable of handling challenging situations. Comfortable creating content as well as presenting to groups. Well read, educated, and traveled. Atlanta native. Versed in change management theories as well as differing cultural change initiatives. Linkedin

The Atlanta chapter of the Business Executives Networking Group (BENG) is a multidiscipline, independent group of job seekers, those currently employed and business networkers, who are willing to help others. Current membership includes mid to senior level executives with over ten (10) years of business experience. Past attendees have come from the financial management, information technology, legal, manufacturing, engineering, transportation, logistics, distribution, and general management industries. We actively seek new members from all disciplines.

Monthly meetings are structured to help each member get the maximum benefit.

BENG Networking Meetings:

  • Are approximately two hours in length.
  • Are typically held monthly.
  • Range from 10 to 30 attendees, but the average is 20.
  • A skill building presentation.
  • Allows each attendee 30 seconds to introduce themselves, talk about their background and expertise, and to present their Target Companies and networking needs.
  • Please bring business cards and your marketing plan if you have one.

Networking meetings provide members with an opportunity to sharpen their networking skills, meet peers from various disciplines and share business opportunities and job leads.

Register Now