The conversation opens with the staggering reality of shelfware in logistics: 53% of SaaS licenses go unused and only 17% of B2B users actually adopt the tools they pay for. Michiel introduces the gym membership analogy to explain how shelfware works invisibly inside freight forwarders, where nobody escalates the problem and the cost just sits in the budget until renewal. The episode explores how 70% of digital transformation projects in logistics fail to deliver even 20% of their promised value, and why the conventional advice to "vet harder before buying" is misdirected. The real leak isn't in procurement, it's in days 1 through 90 after the contract is signed. A key finding is that features with repeat usage in the first seven days have 3.2x higher retention at day 90, making day five the most critical moment in any rollout. Pauline and Michiel draw a sharp line between training and adoption, arguing that 100% training completion can coexist with zero adoption because training is performative while adoption is muscle memory. The conversation also highlights why mid-size forwarders get hit hardest: DSV has 50 certified change practitioners, the average mid-size forwarder has nobody. The episode closes with three concrete plays: run the first 30 days as a project with three workflows and three named owners, demand live ROI math during the demo with your own numbers, and name both an internal sponsor and an internal saboteur, turning your biggest resistor into your first power user.

Takeaways

• 53% of SaaS licenses go unused, in logistics only 17% of users truly adopt
• The leak isn't in the buying decision, it's in days 1 through 90 after signing
• Day five determines everything: 3.2x higher retention when users come back in week one
• Training completion and adoption are two completely different metrics
• Mid-size forwarders lack the change management resources to recover from stalled rollouts
• Programmes with effective sponsors are 73% more likely to hit their objectives
• The saboteur on your team should become your first power user, not your biggest blocker

Chapters

• Introduction and the Shelfware Problem
• The Gym Membership Analogy
• How Big Is Shelfware Really
• Module Shelfware: The Version Nobody Talks About
• The Leak Isn't in Procurement
• Day Five Is the Day That Matters
• Training Is Not Adoption
• Why Mid-Size Forwarders Get Hit Hardest
• Play One: Run the First 30 Days as a Project
• Play Two: Demand Live ROI Math in the Room
• Play Three: Name Your Sponsor, Find Your Saboteur
• The Friday Playbook: Two People, Ninety Days
• Wrap-Up