For this episode of the eCom Logistics Podcast, we welcome George Wojciechowski, the CEO of Manifest, an e-commerce fulfillment provider. He is on a mission to tackle the sustainability problems of e-commerce logistics while simultaneously providing brands and merchants with a better fulfillment experience.

George talks about his professional journey starting in finance and then starting ShipBob to cater to a new segment of online merchants. In 2021, George founded Manifest which is committed to finding sustainable alternatives to fulfillment. He shares their green initiatives and how they are disrupting fulfillment with the end goal of protecting the environment that we collectively share.  

ABOUT GEORGE

Prior to launching Manifest, George cofounded ShipBob, a predominant name in the global e-commerce fulfillment space. Before ShipBob, George worked as a trader at Goldman Sachs. George attended DePaul University.

HIGHLIGHTS

• 02:00 Catering to the emerging market of online merchants
• 27:45 Manifest was started to tackle the environmental issue of fulfillment
• 32:34 Sustainable fulfillment is a need that must be addressed today
• 41:25 Finding alternatives to unsustainable packaging

QUOTES

47:50 Sustainable packaging is actually not more expensive to manufacture - George: "A lot of the packaging companies told me that it's actually not more money to produce the sustainable packaging but because everyone just asks for the same things that they've always asked for, the manufacturing is more expensive. It's cheaper for the traditional goods because it's just manufactured in much higher volume."

52:56 Common sense and innovation will create the disruption needed for sustainable fulfillment - George: "We can talk about sustainability, we can talk about environmentally friendly, we can talk about regenerative, but nothing beats common sense and figuring out ways how to keep up with mass fulfillment, high-velocity fulfillment, but also do it in a way that is packaging efficiency is going to move mountains in terms of how sustainable we are as an industry." 

Find out more about George in the links below:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-wojciechowski-870b814/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/wojskig
• Website: https://manifest.eco/
• Email: [email protected]

Subscribe and Keep Learning!

If you’re a logistics leader looking to scale sustainably, don’t miss out! Subscribe for more expert strategies on tackling modern supply chain challenges.

Be sure to follow and tag the eCom Logistics Podcast on LinkedIn and YouTube

For this episode of the eCom Logistics Podcast, we welcome Alok Ahuja, CEO and Co-Founder of Trexity. Being the true last mile partner where orders are delivered the same day they pick it up has been the goal of Alok's company. They wanted to be hyperlocal and empower local SMBs to be able to compete with the Amazons of the world. 

Alok digs into why different last-mile solutions exist to address the needs of different types of buyers. He also explains that, given their low barrier for entry, that local shops can be given a low risk alternative to see how they can offer a comparable solution to Amazon and grow their business.

ABOUT ALOK

Alok has over 15 years in software, technology and e-commerce. Along with his co-founders, Alok has created a platform, in Trexity, that makes it possible for any small business to deliver quickly and locally. Alok is a serial entrepreneur who encourages and supports like-minded individuals to succeed in their business.

Alok began imagining a platform that could make it possible for any small business to deliver local and fast, and one that is fair and takes advantage of neither merchants nor couriers. He believes that filling this need will help disrupt our over-reliance on faraway e-commerce giants and help small businesses stay in business. 

HIGHLIGHTS

• 01:20 Alok's early exposure to business and his passion for technology
• 06:01 Perfecting last-mile, hyperlocal delivery for SMBs
• 12:38 The future of last-mile delivery: Owned Infrastructure vs. the Gig Economy  

QUOTES

07:50 Perfecting hyperlocal delivery opened up national markets for Trexity - Alok: "We started out empowering your favorite store on your favorite street of your favorite neighborhood. The local mom and pop. And on of the things that was really important to us when we started out, we said, let's be the true last mile partner. The same day we pick it up, it's the same day we're going to drop it off, as fast as our merchants are willing to fulfill it, it's as fast as we will deliver it. And let this be the one thing that we do so perfectly well that no one else can touch us on it." 

13:25 Owned-infrastructure and gig economy have their own pros and cons - Alok: "It's not one or the other. Both of those FedEx models exist for a reason because there's an addressable market for both of them. And I don't think it has to be warehousing or direct from merchant. It doesn't have to be one or the other. And what I do love about some of the bigger brands that we work with, some of our national brands is they do a combination of both and it's because they're catering to different personas of customers and users."

Find out more about Alok in the links below:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alokahuja/
• Website: https://trexity.com/

Subscribe and Keep Learning!

If you’re a logistics leader looking to scale sustainably, don’t miss out! Subscribe for more expert strategies on tackling modern supply chain challenges.

Be sure to follow and tag the eCom Logistics Podcast on LinkedIn and YouTube

For this episode of the eCom Logistics Podcast, we welcome Brittain Ladd, Strategy Advisor Shatranj Capital Partners. Brittain's no-holds-barred insights on management and logistics have not only captured people's attention, but they have also even proven to be accurate given how many of his predictions have come true. 

He discusses some of the biggest companies in the world like Amazon, Twitter, and TikTok, and gives hot takes on what they are doing wrong and how they can make it right. He comments on the recent layoffs at Amazon and how he believes it is only the beginning and a symptom of a much larger shift that will affect entire industries worldwide.

Brittain then digs into how partnerships can change e-commerce by providing social commerce platforms the established fulfillment infrastructure they need to deliver goods to the consumer. He also discusses in great detail the flaws of the quick commerce model and how fulfillment should be a question of accurate delivery versus quick delivery.

ABOUT BRITTAIN

Brittain has 20 years of experience in supply chain management and logistics. He has lived and worked in China, India, Africa, Saudi Arabia, Europe, and the United States. Brittain is a global strategy and supply chain consultant and a writer for Forbes and his own website, brittainladd.com. Brittain is also recognized as being one of the most accurate analysts in business. 

He successfully predicted multiple major acquisitions more than a year in advance of them occurring, including Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods, Microsoft and Walmart partnering to bid on TikTok, and most recently, Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Brittain is frequently quoted in the press and often appears on major news networks like CNN, Fox Business, and the BBC. 

HIGHLIGHTS

- 01:37 Posting thought-provoking ideas and predictions on social media

- 08:52 Amazon's mistake and getting down to its optimal fighting weight 

- 18:47 Twitter can change e-commerce with shoppable videos

- 25:43 Instead of creating their own fulfillment, TiktTok should partner with Amazon/Walmart/Target/Shopify 

- 35:42 Quick commerce is a failure: Fast delivery vs accurate delivery 

QUOTES

23:51 Shoppable videos can save Twitter - Brittain: "I believe the way that Elon Musk saves Twitter and makes Twitter completely different is through shoppable videos and, I think, absolutely, that what Elon Musk should be doing is we need short-form videos, shoppable videos, and for every shoppable video we put on Twitter, we take 12% of all sales, and I think the goal should be for every shoppable video that Elon Musk puts on Twitter, that it generates 100 to 250 million in sales."

25:50 TikTok should acquire Shopify for its fulfillment infrastructure - Brittain: "I think, number one, TikTok needs to do something above and beyond than just opening up their own fulfillment centers. I think what TikTok needs to do is, again, change how commerce is done on the platform. So I think what would be very interesting is if TikTok acquires Shopify, so where now I have Shopify, I have a Shopify storefront on TikTok, and so then what happens is I immediately see a video come across but it's a video from a storefront, and without having to go to a website, I see it, I buy it. And that's how I refer to what I think is the next big thing in commerce. I say see, buy. I see it, I buy it. I'm not going to websites."

Find out more about Brittain in the links below:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittainladd/
• Website: https://brittainladd.com/
• Email: [email protected]

Subscribe and Keep Learning!

If you’re a logistics leader looking to scale sustainably, don’t miss out! Subscribe for more expert strategies on tackling modern supply chain challenges.

Be sure to follow and tag the eCom Logistics Podcast on LinkedIn and YouTube

For this episode of the eCom Logistics Podcast, we welcome Brian Glick, Founder and CEO of Chain.io. He digs into the complexity of global B2B market logistics and how it can be difficult for new players to enter due to EDI and compliance issues.

Brian also dives into the differences between fulfilling an order in the US and fulfilling orders in Southeast Asia where more than 100 parties are involved—and these parties change with every transaction. 

He gives advice on how midmarket brands are best matched with midmarket service providers, as well as how to peel apart the different services to optimize payment terms or routing, an uncomfortable yet necessary process as the company grows.

ABOUT BRIAN

As founder and CEO of Chain.io, Brian Glick has made a career of simplifying complex supply chain and trade compliance IT challenges. Whether analyzing complex coding issues or rationalizing the compliance impacts of a vendor direct drop ship program, Brian brings a rare combination of executive perspective and deep technical knowledge to today’s supply chain challenges.

From the early days of web-based visibility platforms and into today’s connected ecosystem, Brian has been an active leader in each phase of the connected supply chain evolution. With a focus on retail and apparel supply chains, Brian has brought his expertise to bear as an IT leader both within logistics service providers and through independent software companies.

HIGHLIGHTS

• 06:08 The complexity of global B2B logistics and tiers of fulfillment
• 11:19 Defining First Mile, Middle Mile, Last Mile Logistics
• 13:36 The challenge of setting standards and pushing for innovation in 3PLs
• 24:34 Choose the right investors for your supply chain tech company

QUOTES

10:21 Midmarket companies are best served by midmarket service providers - Brian: "The companies that are more midmarket that you have to do some research and find often will give you an account manager. You'll be a big enough account to them that they will treat you well and help you, when all of this chaos is going on, help you understand, take the time with you that the biggest guys can't."

25:58 Supply chain companies must establish trust with brands - Brian: "Supply chain is a very trust-based industry, whether if you're a service provider or software that supports a service provider, people are putting their brand in your hands. It's not a consumer app that if you screw up... If you screw up Twitter tomorrow, just stop using Twitter. If you screw up the thing that delivers my product to Macy's, I got a problem. So you need investors who understand that." 

Find out more about Brian in the links below:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briansglick/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/bglick
• Website: https://chain.io/

Subscribe and Keep Learning!

If you’re a logistics leader looking to scale sustainably, don’t miss out! Subscribe for more expert strategies on tackling modern supply chain challenges.

Be sure to follow and tag the eCom Logistics Podcast on LinkedIn and YouTube

For this episode of the eCom Logistics Podcast, we welcome Steve Bozicevic, Sr. Director of New Product Development and GM of Flow Direct, Flexport. Cross-border shipping has evolved in the years since COVID began. From prioritizing speed and reliability, ecommerce brands now focus instead on managing costs and cashflow.

Steven discusses how they serve the SMB market and help them grow by keeping customers happy. He also digs into managing inflation during times of uncertainty and what the future holds for the logistics industry, and in Toronto in particular where Ninaad and Steve are currently based.

ABOUT STEVE

Steve Bozicevic has been in the cross-border ecommerce and logistics technology industry since 2000. Mr. Bozicevic started his career at Borderfree.com as a software developer, then moved on to product management until 2010 when he joined Pitney Bowes and formed the Global Ecommerce division, where as Vice President of Product Management, he developed products and technology that launched and powered Ebay's Global Shipping Program.

In 2016, Steve joined Amazon as the first member of the Amazon Global Logistics organization where he spent nearly six years building global trade-related technology, products and operations to facilitate B2C exports and B2B imports for Retail and FBA. In 2021, Mr. Bozicevic joined Flexport as Sr. Director of New Product Development. In this role, Steve is also General Manager of Flexport Flow Direct, an ocean freight shipping product for ecommerce SMBs; and is responsible for ecommerce platform and marketplace integrations, including the partnership with Shopify.

HIGHLIGHTS

• 03:20 Steve's journey in cross-border shipping and building technologies
• 08:50 Flow Direct offers speed and reliability in international shipping for SMBs
• 14:48 Tips to manage cash flow and costs in Q4
• 25:23 A growing talent pool for supply chain in Toronto

QUOTES

12:24 COVID transformed business' priorities to speed and reliability - Steve: "Speed was important, but reliability was more important. Knowing when it's going to get there allows the customer to plan ahead on their supply chain and say, If I know it's going to be 20 days or 40 days or 60 days, it's reliable, I can manage my POs, I can manage my cash flow according to reliability."

15:51 Manage cash flow with just-in-time fulfillment - Steven: "Cash is important and how do you best manage your cash flow? In my opinion, similarly to how manufacturing supply chains moved to just-in-time production, I think just-in-time fulfillment is a similar kind of approach. Ordering smaller quantities more frequently, being more reactive to demand trends, making sure that you always got something in transit."

Find out more about Steve in the links below:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sbozicevic/
• Website: https://www.flexport.com/

Subscribe and Keep Learning!

If you’re a logistics leader looking to scale sustainably, don’t miss out! Subscribe for more expert strategies on tackling modern supply chain challenges.

Be sure to follow and tag the eCom Logistics Podcast on LinkedIn and YouTube

For this episode of the eCom Logistics Podcast, we welcome Edward Hertzman, Executive Vice President of Fairchild Media and Founder and President of Sourcing Journal. Edward shares the trends in supply chain he is observing today post-COVID and beyond. 

From the way Amazon changed logistics forever and its effects in consumer expectations as a result, to the importance of remaining agile and how to do it, Edward takes a deep dive into how global supply chains will look like in the near future and how to maintain inventory to scale.

ABOUT EDWARD

Edward Hertzman received a degree in economics from NYU and spent more than a decade working as a top executive for major sourcing companies all over the world, including Synergies Worldwide and Pearl Global. Hertzman sits on the Board for Delivering Good, a charitable organization that channels the resources of the fashion industry to those in need.

In 2009, in response to a need in the industry, he founded Sourcing Journal Online. With more than 75,000 subscribers, Sourcing Journal Online is the largest trade journal devoted to the sourcing apparel and textile industry supply chain in the world. 

In August 2020, he was promoted to executive vice president of Fairchild Media, tasked with growing the businesses of all Fairchild Media titles in his new position, while continuing to lead the day-to-day operations at Sourcing Journal. He will also oversee the growth of Fairchild Media’s strategic content studio, bolstering the creation of engaging, interactive content to help industry partners stand out in an increasingly competitive landscape.

HIGHLIGHTS

• 07:07 DTC is dying and mergers are set to happen
• 13:08 Surviving devaluation and managing inventory for what's to come
• 20:23 Keeping sourcing lean and agile in fashion
• 25:23 Nearshoring and diversifying manufacturing and sourcing capabilities
• 30:22 Regulations and sharing the responsibility of sustainability in supply chain management

QUOTES

14:27 On pushing back on the growth-at-all-costs mindset, Edward says, "Just don't acquire customers saying, Oh, the lifetime value is X and never really realize that. Don't buy inventory without testing the product. Find retail partners that are gonna support you, not just be transactional."

31:09 As regulations will push for tangible sustainability measures from retail, Edward says, "I think there's only two ways to incentivize people or two ways to get people to change. One is through incentive and one is through repercussions. And what I mean by that is either you're gonna pay me more to do something or you're gonna punish me for not doing it."

39:48 To survive the recession, Edward suggests, "I think that if people don't think short term, the same way I say don't buy a million T-shirts when you really only need five. Don't just start laying off to make the quarter. It's very hard to find talent in this space. Don't stop investing in technology to make the quarter because you're gonna need that technology."

Find out more about Edward and Sourcing Journal in the links below:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-hertzman-2401b38/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/EdwardHertzman
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edwardhertzman/
• Website: https://sourcingjournal.com/

Subscribe and Keep Learning!

If you’re a logistics leader looking to scale sustainably, don’t miss out! Subscribe for more expert strategies on tackling modern supply chain challenges.

Be sure to follow and tag the eCom Logistics Podcast on LinkedIn and YouTube

For this episode of the eCom Logistics Podcast, we welcome James Malley, the "Cartonization Magnate" and Founder and CEO of Paccurate. Reducing the amount of air in packages is not just good for profits, it’s critical for the environment too.

James discusses the complex but critical question of how to reduce air in packages with cartonization. He digs into the low-hanging fruit that companies can initiate to begin cartonization, as well as raises awareness of the gravity of the waste issue worldwide. 

HIGHLIGHTS

• 02:58 Cartonization: Packing mistakes and the factors that drive them
• 14:59 Amazon packing practices are practical but waste is a major issue
• 18:59 Cartonizing realizes hidden savings per square foot
• 28:47 Lead the shift because the waste problem needs to be resolved

QUOTES

19:36 Bad cartonization is still better than no cartonization - James: "The good news is there's a ton of low-hanging fruit, so if you don't have any cartonization, use bad cartonization. It'll get you at least some of the way there to get you started and help you keep your margins intact."

27:04 The data proves that the waste problem is much more significant - James: "My team is very motivated by this idea that we could put a dent in some of the waste in supply chain. And I think it's kind of a rude awakening, a little bit, when you start digging into the data of how bad things actually are. From a packaging standpoint, we're like oh, we'll do paper fill and cardboard's better than plastic, and truth is it is but not by as much as we would hope."

Find out more about James in the links below:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmalley/
• Website: https://paccurate.io/

Subscribe and Keep Learning!

If you’re a logistics leader looking to scale sustainably, don’t miss out! Subscribe for more expert strategies on tackling modern supply chain challenges.

Be sure to follow and tag the eCom Logistics Podcast on LinkedIn and YouTube

For this episode of the eCom Logistics Podcast, we welcome Erhan Musaoglu, Founder and CEO of Logiwa. Seeing a need, Erhan developed their own high-volume online order fulfillment execution system that functions much more holistically than just a WMS.

Any e-commerce business needs even the barest fulfillment execution system to realize greater productivity in its warehouses and be able to ship orders quickly and efficiently. Erhan also discusses market trends like product returns and the current climate with tight delivery windows. 

HIGHLIGHTS

05:24 the day you landed - Moving to the US and building a leading WMS

09:27 i used to implement - Differences between WMS and order fulfillment solution

16:07 first of all - Warehousing and WMS are crucial for an e-commerce business's success

21:20 you don't need - Facilitate quicker UPH with an inexpensive fulfillment execution system

28:28 we constantly - Trends in the market: Adapting to unique workflows, package optimization, and labor

34:12 how do you - Multi SKU management in a warehouse

QUOTES

05:50 On moving to the US and focusing on online order fulfillment - Erhan: “You cannot do everything perfect. You have to select one vertical, you have to select one solution, and you have to stick with it. And you have to make it better than anyone else."

14:46 Implement a good warehousing and fulfillment system - Ninaad: "Just because you have a warehouse management system does not translate into it being a good fulfillment system. They are 2 different universes. I would go to say that a fulfillment system is just as far apart from a traditional warehousing system as a store operations system is from a distribution center."

18:04 Warehousing is the top consideration of e-commerce businesses - Erhan: “Warehouse is the most crucial element for an online business. Otherwise, you are going to fail. If you cannot pick, if you cannot pack, and if you cannot ship faster, you're going to fail." 

Find out more about Erhan in the links below:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erhanmusaoglu/

Website: 

https://www.logiwa.com/

Subscribe and Keep Learning!

If you’re a logistics leader looking to scale sustainably, don’t miss out! Subscribe for more expert strategies on tackling modern supply chain challenges.

Be sure to follow and tag the eCom Logistics Podcast on LinkedIn and YouTube

For this episode of the eCom Logistics Podcast, we welcome Chad Rubin, Founder and CEO of Profasee. As one of the pioneering Amazon sellers, Chad has kept up with the updates over the years and now offers a dynamic pricing platform to enable Amazon brands to predict the perfect price at each precise moment.

Chad dives into how data science is the competitive advantage brands need to profit on Amazon. He highlights that brands should embrace Amazon as it simply is the best place to meet buyers where they are buying. Finally, Chad discusses how Shopify and Amazon can coexist and how AWD is changing the 3PL game.

HIGHLIGHTS

04:08 Solving problems: Find friction first then refine the solution

10:40 Selling on Amazon is profitable with data science as a competitive advantage

22:07 Brands should meet buyers where they buy, which is Amazon

28:16 Fix the pricing of AWD and it will dominate the market

38:10 Shopify and Amazon can coexist in the same space

QUOTES

19:35 Data science is the competitive advantage for selling on Amazon - Chad: “The strong will survive and one of the ways of being strong is actually getting an edge. And that edge right now, the only edge that they're gonna be able to get, because if Thrasio has 20,000 SKUs to manage, they need data science.”

26:53 Offer Amazon exclusives for social proof - Chad: “People go on Amazon, a lot of times they never leave Amazon. So perhaps it's important you have your exclusives, let's just say your Caraway and you're selling pots and pans in Shopify.”

“And you have some really beautiful, elegant product. Well, put your hero SKU or your economy SKU on Amazon because then you get social proof and you have your other color variations maybe off Amazon.”

45:20 Shopify and Amazon can coexist to address different segments of the market - Chad: "I believe that you can coexist in the world and be on Amazon and have your own storefront simultaneously and add different value. And, certainly, you can do a lot more experimentation with your own Shopify site. But I don't think that they're mutually exclusive anymore."

Find out more about Chad in the links below:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itschadrubin/
• Website: https://profasee.com/
• Email: [email protected]

Subscribe and Keep Learning!

If you’re a logistics leader looking to scale sustainably, don’t miss out! Subscribe for more expert strategies on tackling modern supply chain challenges.

Be sure to follow and tag the eCom Logistics Podcast on LinkedIn and YouTube

For this episode of the eCom Logistics Podcast, we welcome Ben Gordon, Managing Partner and CEO of Cambridge Capital. A rich history in the logistics industry made way for Ben to start his private equity firm that invests in the supply chain sector.

He shares the many nuggets of wisdom he has learned over the years, first as a founder, and second as an investor. Ben also discusses the soft skills founders need to be successful, including humility, a genuine desire to listen, and the ability to listen to their market.

HIGHLIGHTS

• 02:29 Learning about logistics and starting an advisory business
• 09:09 The top 3 advice for founders 
• 24:54 Pivoting: The micro fulfillment space & robotic automation investment
• 34:30 Investing in cold storage and reverse logistics
• 39:12 As an entrepreneur and investor: Be on point and have a genuine desire to listen

QUOTES

11:18 Listen to the market and learn to pivot - Ben: "The number one key for a successful entrepreneur, not just to raise money but to build a business, is put yourself in the shoes of the market. And the market could be different. It could be what does the customer think, what does the investor think, what does the strategic partner think?"

40:13 Sell with story and substance - Ben: "If you're an entrepreneur looking to raise money, I think number one, gotta have a clear pitch, gotta be able to tell the story elevator-style, 30 seconds, a lot of entrepreneurs, the story takes too long and you lose the audience's attention. You've got to be able to have the hook in 30 seconds. And that's one.” 

"Two, it's not just the story. There's also the substance which is a proof-point of success. I've got a lot of decks and, generally speaking, the ones that I'm the most interested in are ones where the deck shows a simple statement of what's the problem, what's their solution, customer case study, and clear results."

Find out more about Ben in the links below:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bengordon18/
• Website: https://cambridgecapital.com/
• Email: [email protected]
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/benjaminhgordon

Subscribe and Keep Learning!

If you’re a logistics leader looking to scale sustainably, don’t miss out! Subscribe for more expert strategies on tackling modern supply chain challenges.

Be sure to follow and tag the eCom Logistics Podcast on LinkedIn and YouTube