It's episode three of our Sifted mini-series!

Last week in episode two, I was joined by Kevin Miller, VP of Data Insights at Sifted, to talk all about what simulation and modeling means; common misconceptions; the benefits of using simulation to make smart supply chain adjustments; and how predictive modeling has the potential to revolutionize your business's sustainability goals.

And today in episode three, it is operational automation's turn under the Sifted spotlight. I'm joined by Caleb Nelson, Chief Growth Officer, to dive into Sifted's Parcel Audit solution for shippers; how it can identify and recover lost revenue; how the boom in ecommerce has impacted shippers; and the power of strategic automation.

IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:

[01.37] The changing landscape of the industry over the last few years, and how the rise in ecommerce, accelerated by the pandemic, has shifted the entire market.

"The carriers are really built to handle a certain number of shipments at a given time, and COVID and the boom in ecommerce has really tested the stress limits of that carrier capacity network."

[04.24] How this evolving market, at a time of business growth for Sifted, helped to shape products like Parcel Audit and the growth of operational automation.

"Every shipper is overwhelmed with data… shippers don't need more data, they need more insights into their data."

[10.09] A look at some of the main challenges faced by shippers in the current climate.

"It's a really challenging time for on-time delivery percentages… for a couple of reasons: excess amounts of volume… but what most businesses have been facing is labour shortages."

[14.05] An overview of Sifted's Parcel Audit for shippers – how it helps its customers, and how it uses automation to address key industry challenges.

"A lot of shippers are looking for more auditing solutions, and more money that can be achieved outside of the traditional ways."

[18.26] A closer look at exactly how Parcel Audit works.

[20.57] How automation, with Sifted's Parcel Audit solution, can save shippers an incredible amount of time and resource.

"Most shippers use Excel… it takes an average shipper typically two to three hours just to get their data into Excel and formatted correctly! ...With Sifted, they can spend less time manipulating the data and more time consuming the data."

[22.14] How shippers can utilize Parcel Audit to gain refunds from FedEx and UPS, for late deliveries and pricing mistakes, and recover money they didn't even know they had.

"It happens and goes unnoticed every single day… so having a good safety net, that's continuously looking for areas of improvement and mistakes, for you to go get that money back is what it's all about!"

[23.29] How Sifted's Parcel Audit solution can also facilitate revenue recovery across invoices and contracts, helping shippers to become more proactive – both in optimizing their own operational decisions, but also in holding their carriers accountable for service failures.

[26.22] The quick and easy integration and onboarding process for Sifted's Parcel Audit solution.

"We've made it '30 seconds easy'… because this is often the number one concerned question I get from shippers."

[27.36] The ideal client for Sifted's Parcel Audit solution.

[29.05] A case study, showing how Parcel Audit helped a key customer to save time and money through identifying refunds and expired contract areas, ultimately delivering much-needed peace of mind.

[33.00] Caleb's reflections on the power of utilizing well-chosen and strategic automation within supply chain to optimize, save costs and create efficiencies.

"People want to make better, informed decisions when it comes to managing their companies transportation. Their time is best served identifying areas within the process that are not working."

RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED:

Head over to Sifted's website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Sifted and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, or you can connect with Caleb on LinkedIn.

If you enjoyed the show, don't forget to check out episode one and episode two (LINK WHEN READY) of this fantastic mini-series.

Check out our other podcasts HERE.