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#23 Richard Savoie: Solving the Hardest Problem in Logistics
Make better business decisions with data and AI—subscribe to The Decision Intelligence Lab Newsletter at https://decisionintelligencelab.substack.com/.
In this episode of the Decision Intelligence Lab, hosts Vijay Mehrotra and Michael Watson sit down with Rich Savoie, CEO and co-founder of Adiona, to explore one of the toughest problems in modern logistics: last-mile delivery optimization.
Rich shares his unconventional journey from electrical engineering and medical devices to logistics technology. He discusses the intricate challenges of last-mile delivery, emphasizing how data science and AI are used to make supply chains more cost-effective and environmentally friendly. The conversation dives into the realities of building and commercializing enterprise software, navigating customer demands, and managing the trust gap with non-technical users in the logistics sector.
Beyond logistics, Rich reveals his journey from medical device engineering to startup founder, and the lessons he learned about sales, perception, cybersecurity, and enterprise-grade reliability.
Chapters
0:00 - Preview & Introduction
1:00 - Meet Rich Savoie
1:40 - Overview of Adiona
3:30 - Why the Last Mile Is So Hard
6:10 - The Optimization Stack: MIP, ML & Clustering
9:40 - Who Buys Optimization Software?
11:45 - Customer-Led Approach for Product Development
14:04 - The SaaS Dilemma of Modularization & Revenue Optimization
19:00 - Building Trust & Overcoming Resistance in Non-tech Operations Environments
21:41 - From Commute Optimization to Logistics AI
28:30 - Founder-Market Fit & Getting Real Data
34:10 - Lessons from the Medical Devices Industry
36:10 - Perception & Selling to Enterprise
38:15 - Tools, Books & Resources
Follow the show
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-decision-intelligence-lab/id1811085064
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0lFoAVKqJHTYSZNpeN61ou?si=0ae973aab0174b3b
Connect with the guest
Rich Savoie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richsavoie/
Connect with hosts
Prof. Vijay Mehrotra (University of San Francisco): https://www.linkedin.com/in/vijay-mehrotra-ba9498/
Prof. Michael Watson (Northwestern University): https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-watson-07600a1
About the podcast
The Decision Intelligence Lab podcast delivers real-world insights for data professionals, business leaders, and anyone seeking to leverage data & AI for smarter decision-making & successful business outcomes.
For business inquiries, email at [email protected]
View all episodes
By The Decision Intelligence LabMake better business decisions with data and AI—subscribe to The Decision Intelligence Lab Newsletter at https://decisionintelligencelab.substack.com/.
In this episode of the Decision Intelligence Lab, hosts Vijay Mehrotra and Michael Watson sit down with Rich Savoie, CEO and co-founder of Adiona, to explore one of the toughest problems in modern logistics: last-mile delivery optimization.
Rich shares his unconventional journey from electrical engineering and medical devices to logistics technology. He discusses the intricate challenges of last-mile delivery, emphasizing how data science and AI are used to make supply chains more cost-effective and environmentally friendly. The conversation dives into the realities of building and commercializing enterprise software, navigating customer demands, and managing the trust gap with non-technical users in the logistics sector.
Beyond logistics, Rich reveals his journey from medical device engineering to startup founder, and the lessons he learned about sales, perception, cybersecurity, and enterprise-grade reliability.
Chapters
0:00 - Preview & Introduction
1:00 - Meet Rich Savoie
1:40 - Overview of Adiona
3:30 - Why the Last Mile Is So Hard
6:10 - The Optimization Stack: MIP, ML & Clustering
9:40 - Who Buys Optimization Software?
11:45 - Customer-Led Approach for Product Development
14:04 - The SaaS Dilemma of Modularization & Revenue Optimization
19:00 - Building Trust & Overcoming Resistance in Non-tech Operations Environments
21:41 - From Commute Optimization to Logistics AI
28:30 - Founder-Market Fit & Getting Real Data
34:10 - Lessons from the Medical Devices Industry
36:10 - Perception & Selling to Enterprise
38:15 - Tools, Books & Resources
Follow the show
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-decision-intelligence-lab/id1811085064
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0lFoAVKqJHTYSZNpeN61ou?si=0ae973aab0174b3b
Connect with the guest
Rich Savoie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richsavoie/
Connect with hosts
Prof. Vijay Mehrotra (University of San Francisco): https://www.linkedin.com/in/vijay-mehrotra-ba9498/
Prof. Michael Watson (Northwestern University): https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-watson-07600a1
About the podcast
The Decision Intelligence Lab podcast delivers real-world insights for data professionals, business leaders, and anyone seeking to leverage data & AI for smarter decision-making & successful business outcomes.
For business inquiries, email at [email protected]