Invest in New Technology to Handle the Surge in Online Fashion Purchases

Increase in online fashion purchases

To say that e-commerce has experienced a veritable explosion during the Covid-19 pandemic is nothing new. This is not limited to North America, countries all over the world are experiencing huge increases in online markets. According to a 2021 Spain online fashion report, the e-commerce channel has gained 2.7 million customers in Spain and penetration now reaches 43.4% of the resident population.

Online fashion sales have risen from 9.3% in 2019 to 19.4% in 2020, while 13.6% of consumers have purchased online or plan to do so. This spectacular rise in a business segment, that had already been growing, does not mean that Spain will catch up with other more developed countries. On the contrary, all countries, even those that had advanced the most in e-commerce, have experienced spectacular growth. The case of the UK is a good example because it was already considered an advanced and mature market, nevertheless, it has experienced a boom during the pandemic. According to a recent survey conducted by McKinsey and Dynata, in the UK, fashion e-commerce is expected to represent 50% of the UK market by 2022, compared to the already very high 35% today. In the UK, online market penetration reached 75% in 2020 and is likely to rise to 85% next season.

It is not a narrowing of the gap that separated Spain from other fashion markets, but everything points to the fact that we are facing a real market transformation that affects all countries, regardless of their level before the pandemic. The new buying patterns of consumers, which were already apparent, have become a normalized preference in one year, and in some segments, even dominant.

71% of fashion executives worldwide expect their online business to grow by more than 20% this year. Industry players are therefore facing a decisive moment in which they will need to make important and relatively quick decisions if they want to stay on board a train shows no signs of stopping.

Invest in technology to respond to market demands

The online shopper has become accustomed to standards of excellence and values. Precisely those standards that make logistics management in the fashion sector more complex such as availability of sizes, safety and predictability of delivery, ease of return and omnichannel sales experience with stores. A whole range of requirements that are impossible to manage without the use of appropriate technological tools, both for warehouse management and for transport, integration with systems and logistics management in general.

Many retailers are already investing time and money to improve their digital platforms and develop their online strategies, such as the warehouse management system, or WMS, that even have specific packs to meet the needs of online commerce in which stock management, visibility, traceability, and real-time control are no longer very convenient options but unavoidable requirements.

As omnichannel driven demands become the norm, with resulting customer satisfaction harder to achieve, supply chain professionals need to leverage advanced WMS technology to keep their operations nimble, efficient, and scaling – especially in these volatile times. Given Generix Group’s completeness of vision and ability to execute, as recognized once again by the Gartner analyst community, their Solochain WMS is well-positioned to help companies needing a modern, flexible, and agile solution that can easily adapt to their changing needs. Contact us to learn more.

This article originally appeared here. Republished with permission.

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LEAVE IT TO TECHNOLOGY TO MEET MODERN CHALLENGES: PART I

September 30th, 2021 Matt Coker Leave a comment

To be honest, incorporating more technology into business as usual for logistics, supply chain and manufacturing entities pre-dates the first confirmed COVID-19 case in the U.S. in January 2020. But it did take the global pandemic to propel many in those industries to move unrealized digital transformation initiatives to their front burners.

In light of Industry 4.0, which places a high value on robotics, clean technology, renewable energy and transforming traditional factories into smart ones using the Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud computing, InfinityQS International announced the findings of its 2021 Customer Satisfaction Survey on June 1.

The report from the Fairfax, Virginia-based authority on data-driven enterprise quality revealed that more than half of manufacturers now have their sights set on digital transformation to address concerns brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Behold:

-52 percent of respondents reported they are currently exploring or already adopting digital transformation initiatives to enhance operational performance.

-24 percent cited advanced analytics as their top technology priority.

“The pandemic exposed significant and often widespread operational weaknesses within incumbent manufacturing environments,” said Jason Chester, director of Global Channel Programs at InfinityQS. “It brought into sharp relief where legacy systems and outdated processes exacerbated the problems that manufacturers faced, alongside new challenges such as the rapid shift to remote work and supply chain disruption.”

Digital transformation is the key to addressing these new challenges, according to Chester. “Data, for example, is a great way for manufacturers to increase visibility into their operations as it can provide important insights into each stage of the production process. These insights can then be leveraged to make more informed and tactical decisions to secure long-term resilience and growth.”

In addition to advanced analytics, the other most popular technologies on the priority list for respondents included the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and cloud computing. InfinityQS notes that either technology supports anytime, anywhere access to real-time data for proactive decision-making, enabling manufacturers to maximize performance, respond to fluctuations in demand, ensure flexible operations and even build resilience for future “black-swan” events—all while maintaining high levels of product quality and safety.

“For manufacturers to stay ahead of competition and remain at the top of their industry, they need to constantly adapt to their environment by making tactical digital investments,” Chester says. “It is great to see the majority are rebounding from the pandemic and embracing digital transformation to increase their agility and maintain competitive edge. Companies that do so are better equipped to improve their operations at a faster speed and even anticipate changes before they occur.”

A clue that an impactful industry change was on the way happened during the March 2020 MODEX show in Atlanta, where attendees were warned they may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19. Folks can be forgiven if they were too preoccupied with personal health to consider the findings in the annual Materials Handling Industry (MHI) Report that was released during MODEX. According to the report (which you can read more about in our Industry Expertise column):

-67 percent of survey respondents said they believed robotics had the power to disrupt their industry and offer a competitive advantage for their organization.

-39 percent of surveyed companies said they’d adopted robotics and automation.

-73 percent of those surveyed said they plan to add more robotics or start implementing robotics in the next five years.

For a look ahead of the curve, Global Trade identified industry players who confronted a recent challenge with the help of technological partners. Our case studies are arranged by the categories Global Trade covers on the regular, from 3PLs and e-commerce to intermodal and air cargo logistics. Read on for part one.

3PL

Company: KSP Fulfillment of Fridley, Minnesota

Challenge: Rapid growth putting pressure on order fulfillment

Problem Solver: Softeon of Reston, Virginia

Solution: Cloud-based warehouse management system (WMS)

Founded in 2012 and headquartered near Minneapolis, KSP offers a broad mix of 3PL services to multiple industries, including medical, health & beauty, education, agriculture and pet care. The Verified Veteran Owned Business has realized rapid growth, with revenues jumping 296% in 2020. That is, of course, the goal, but …

Why is there always a “but?”

The mountain of increased orders drove the need for additional space, and KSP is set to complete construction on a new 182,000-square-foot facility in November. However, the KSP brass also realized they needed more than additional real estate.

“The company determined it needed a new WMS with the ability to scale, more advanced features and a better platform for continuous improvement,” explains Dennis Nicholson, vice president, Business Development at Softeon. “KSP selected Softeon as its WMS provider to help power execution of their aggressive strategy, making their decision to move to Softeon in less than two months.”

KSP was ready to move even sooner, to hear CEO Rob Walters tell it. “It was obvious in the early stages of our WMS vetting process that Softeon was going to be the right fit for our short and long-term business goals,” he says. “It was incredibly important that we chose the right strategic partners to ultimately support our customers’ needs. Softeon offers a unique combination of rich WMS functionality, robust support for 3PLs and a collaborative partnership that matches well with our culture.”

It’s not just smaller company cultures that Softeon meshes with, having also provided a WMS solution to Germany’s DB Schenker, which is, of course, one of the world’s largest providers of freight forwarding and logistics services

AIR CARGO LOGISTICS

Company: American Airlines Cargo of Fort Worth, Texas

Challenge: Expanding temperature-controlled shipments across the entire mainline fleet

Problem Solvers: CSafe Global of Dayton, Ohio, and CargoSense of Reston, Virginia

Solution: State-of-the-art packaging and temperature sensors

One lesson American Airlines Cargo learned from the pandemic was that operating one of the largest cargo networks in the world made one no more prepared to handle the huge demand for distributing temperature-critical vaccines, pharmaceuticals and other life science products than Uncle Eddie’s Crop Duster Inc.

Though the new normal is getting more normal currently (knock on Formica), the demand for temperature-controlled cargo solutions is not going away. That even newer normal propelled American to enter into a number of tests and trials in partnership with CSafe Global and CargoSense. The result: All of American’s aircraft offered ideal environments for passive temperature-sensitive shipments thanks to CSafe’s industry-leading packaging and CargoSense’s Temperature Loggers.

The even more amazing result: American’s ExpediteTC solution, which was founded in 2009 to provide active and passive shipping solutions as well as a global network of temperature-controlled facilities, can now nearly double its capacity. The airline has now extended its cold-chain solution network to 30 new stations, including in-demand cities such as Memphis, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati.

“When it comes to cold chain shipments, reliability is crucial for our customers,” explains Roger Samways, vice president, Commercial for American Airlines Cargo. “By expanding our offering of temperature-critical shipping on all mainline flights, we are able to provide our customers with access to more than 180 markets, marking the largest cold-chain network in our history.”

During the trials, sensors monitored internal package temperatures while aircraft operated in various climates. Results proved that temperatures of each package stayed constant, despite changing conditions during transit, according to the partnership.

“We are excited the pharmaceutical industry can now leverage American’s full fleet at a time that is critical for all of us,” says CargoSense CEO Rich Kilmer.

Added Tom Weir, CSafe Global’s chief operating officer: “It was a privilege to work with American to conduct these trials and leverage our innovative thermal shipping solution technologies to ensure even more temperature-critical shipments can travel effectively. Many sensitive, often life-saving goods travel the world thanks to effective cold-chain networks, and we are proud to play a part in that alongside American Airlines.”

BANKING/FINANCE

Company: Old Dominion Freight Line of Thomasville, North Carolina

Challenge: Streamline payments to improve satisfaction among 10,500+ drivers

Problem Solver: Relay Payments of Atlanta, Georgia

Solution: Instant electronic payments

Motor carrier and industry leader Old Dominion provides regional, inter-regional, and national services that include expedited transportation through an expansive network of service centers throughout the continental U.S. as well less-than-truckload (LTL), container drayage, truckload brokerage and supply-chain consulting across North America.

However, Old Dominion lived up to the . . . ahem . . . “Old” part of its name by, like many of its peers, relying on cash and checks to conduct business. With manual payment processes creating a sub-optimal experience for customers, OD turned to Relay Payments, which recently received a $43 million infusion from venture capitalists who share the fintech company’s vision of building an electronic payment network in the transportation, logistics and supply-chain industries.

“We strive to deliver best-in-class customer service and are always looking at ways technology can improve our offerings,” explained Todd Polen, vice president, Pricing Services, at Old Dominion. “Working with Relay Payments has allowed us to remove tedious and manual steps throughout the payment process and modernize the way we do business with our customers.”

Relay’s partnership with OD’s accounting, pricing and operations teams is paying dividends, thanks to the development of unique application leveraging data integrations and custom payment workflows for each department’s specific needs. “We have entrusted Relay to process millions of dollars in volume annually,” Polen notes, “and we’ve already been able to realize millions in savings through data integration, digitalization of receipts and simplified reimbursements. On top of it all, our customers are happier than ever which is the most important to us.”

“Our goal was to design an end-to-end solution which eliminated the use of paper-based payments and introduced operational efficiencies and increased revenue for the organization,” says Relay co-founder and President Spencer Barkoff. “We’re excited to continue working together to change the industry and keep America’s supply chain running during a period of immense challenge.”

E-COMMERCE

Company: Hermes Fulfillment of Hamburg, Germany

Challenge: Incorporate state-of-the-art technology to legacy warehouse management systems

Problem Solver: ProGlove of Munich, Germany, and Chicago, Illinois, and Ivanti Wavelink of Salt Lake City, Utah

Solution: Wearable barcode scanners and backend digital systems

Hermes Fulfilment handles the entire shipping process—including customer orders, warehousing and returns—for parent company the Otto Group’s retail companies. Besides multiple locations in Germany, Hermes has logistics, e-commerce and distribution facilities across all of Europe.

After identifying the need to upgrade technologically, Hermes officials sought an “out-of-the-box” solution: 150 of ProGlove’s wearable MARK Display barcode scanners that are married with Ivanti Wavelink’s Velocity backend/warehouse management systems.

This combo platter allows for easy integration of Telnet and browser-based applications to communicate and deliver crucial information to and from workers’ rugged mobile computers and wearable devices.

“ProGlove’s MARK Display is a giant leap forward in barcode scanning,” says Simon Storey, Ivanti’s Global VP of Strategic Alliances. “Their devices come with a unique form factor that is tailored to meet the needs of warehouse shop floor workers superbly.”

His company’s Velocity platform helps improve accuracy and efficiency without modifying or replacing legacy backend systems, all the while maintaining and improving worker productivity. This helps reduce picking errors, decrease downtime and increase productivity without frontline workers needing additional training as they continue to work with the tools with which they are familiar.

“The cost, risk and time associated with writing new mobile applications to keep up with modern mobile operating systems just isn’t feasible,” Storey explains. “We make it easy for their customers to deploy next-generation mobility, minimizing the risks and dependence on IT resources.”

“Ivanti’s Velocity set of solutions is a mission critical engine to boost the digitization of the shop floor,” remarks Charlie Grieco, ProGlove’s chief revenue officer. “While many organizations recognize the need for more flexibility and adaptability, they cannot just shake off the legacy systems they have in place. Ivanti resolves this issue so that businesses can change gears and accelerate to warp speed in no time.”

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Infographic: Supply Chain Leaders Weigh in on Ideal Balance of Tech and Human Expertise

September 21st, 2021 Coyote Logistics Leave a comment

To better understand how shippers and carriers are integrating technology into their operations today, and where they are investing for the future, Coyote Logistics conducted an in-depth research study in 2019.

Following a shift to digital adoption never seen before driven by the pandemic, Coyote revisited the topic in 2021. This two-part infographic series outlines trends in supply chain automation based on feedback from over 850 global supply chain leaders. Below is part one with four of the top trends.

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eCommerce Success: How to Boost Store Sales Ethically

August 5th, 2021 Sienna Johns Leave a comment

The surrounding reality dictates specific rules of the game. The world is changing, and very rapidly. Therefore, the ability to adapt to changes is a vital prerequisite for business development. In e-commerce, change happens very quickly. How to stay afloat in this business and achieve success ethically?

Register your business

First and foremost, if you want to be successful with your eCommerce business sales, you need to make sure that everything is okay regarding documents. The easiest way to do so is by registering your business online so you avoid all the paperwork and the hired company does these daunting tasks for you. No matter where you are in the world, you can seek help from Hong Kong company formation services to register your company in Hong Kong.

Plan ad campaigns

Data Management Platform (DMP) is a platform created for advertising marketing purposes as a tool for identifying the target audience. You get not just raw data on loyal customers’ discount cards but a full-fledged synchronization mechanism with the target audience. Using the entered card number, open letter, and other user actions in the network, you can track preferred purchases and generate data sets for conducting advertising campaigns for certain products.

Implement an omnichannel approach

It should be equally convenient for buyers to choose, pay and receive goods by all available means and immediately. You need to understand that omnichannel technologies are not created for the convenience of sellers but for the convenience of customers.

Today buyers choose, compare prices, closely study reviews and delivery conditions on the Internet, and only then go to the store to look, touch, and try on a thing. Or buy it for a promotion announced on the site. It often happens that sellers in stores find out about online promotions and sales from the customers themselves. The product declared on the site does not appear in a particular store, or its prices differ from the online offer.

The introduction of an omnichannel approach uses all possible means of communication with the buyer and greatly facilitates marketing research and sales tactics. For example, free Wi-Fi in a store will make life easier for customers and collect data on the movement of customers around the hall and optimize the display of goods.

Collaborating with a digital marketing agency

No doubt, we need well-functioning internal processes from the receipt of an order to its delivery to the buyer and receipt of money for the goods. You can build this process yourself or collaborate with professional companies such as Tactica, New Jersey SEO Company.

Working with reviews on social networks

Most shopping networking sites and online stores are integrated with social media. Even if one out of a thousand responses is helpful to improve service performance or fix deficiencies, it will pay off. To work in social networks, you need to develop special regulations with KPIs for feedback, response, and monitoring. Try to respond to user comments within 20 minutes.

The uniqueness of each client

Personalization of Big Data-based suggestions depends only on your ingenuity. You can greet the user by name on the site’s main page and in mailings or offer him products depending on geolocation and weather conditions. The main thing is to personalize a specific purchase as much as possible. For this, predictive analytics systems are already being created, which, based on user behavior (purchases, search queries, and surfing the web), determine what they may need in the foreseeable future. Alternatively, you can turn to an SEO consultant who can help you expand your online presence and increase your sales.

Channels of connection

Service automation is not only about having a contact center, where the client will be promptly answered not by a boring robot but by a friendly consultant, but also by many other channels. The call center should be integrated with social networks and messengers, and the voice communication between operators and customers should be made more informal. The operator’s on-call question at the beginning of the conversation, how he can help, rather irritates the client. After all, this is why he calls to help him. However, communication in online chatbots and answering machines, which receive requests from users around the clock, is irreplaceable. A full-fledged customer service based on CRM systems will allow you to automate processes as much as possible and competently respond to requests in a short time.

Conclusion

To ethically increase e-commerce sales, try to implement multichannel communications and modern sales resource management systems—leverage modern Data Management Platform (DMP) software platforms. Integrate retail networks and online stores with social networks. Personalize your offers as much as possible with Big Data. And, of course, automate CRM-based customer service using chatbots, social networks, and instant messengers.

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The Digital Highway: How to further your company’s digital transformation through a shared digital space

June 4th, 2021 Phil Mazzilli Leave a comment

As 2020 forced companies to move their employees largely from shared offices to individual home offices, the exchange of digital information became even more vital and the process of digital transformation was accelerated. Without the ability to physically interact with a printed document in a group setting, collaboration has moved to a virtual space and the digital exchange of documents, whether that be via email, remote conferencing solutions, or shared cloud solutions, is more common than ever.

When thinking about a company’s shared digital space, consider it a digital highway, with documents and information zipping around between users and being shared across two opposing directions. This framework encourages enterprising companies to think of this shift to the digital exchange of information in terms of an on-ramp and off-ramp and then determine how they are best enabling employees to get important information on and off that digital highway.

Determining employee needs

Before deciding on how to implement the digital transformation for your organization, consider how information is being shared currently. Does your sales team print out each contract for a signature and then save the hard copy? What about HR paperwork? If you have transitioned to an online onboarding solution, hard copies of W-2s might not be printed in your office anymore. Determining how your organization is currently sharing information and the pain points of that sharing will help define the best way to digitize moving forward.

Getting on the digital highway – from paper to digital

How does information get on the digital highway within an organization? While some documents are created digitally and stay digital throughout their lifecycle, others exist in the physical world on paper, such as signed documents, written notes, reports, contracts, and forms. Scanning those documents from paper to digital is the on-ramp onto the digital highway. When users can’t walk over to their colleague’s cubicle to share the document, file it away in a file cabinet, or drop the file into interoffice mail, the file must be digitized.

Digitizing physical paper makes archiving documents much more efficient, eliminating excess paper files and the need for filing cabinets or storage. For example, a doctor has endless files on all their patients and needs to be able to quickly access those files at any given moment. Having these files digitized makes it possible to find a patient’s file at the click of a button, instead of thumbing through a physical file cabinet to find a paper version. Furthermore, the doctor can also edit this file digitally, adding notes after a patient’s visit or updating their list of medications.

Getting off the digital highway – from digital to paper

Conversely, sometimes information needs to get off the digital highway. Taking an existing document that exists only digitally and making a real-world copy is an often-cited requirement for many industries. Some contracts still require a “wet signature.” Some documents can only be productively reviewed if printed. Some customers and clients may expect or even need physical delivery of paperwork. And even if it’s not a requirement, certainly hardcopy it is a preference for some. Moreover, looking at screens is a drain on the eyes and mind, while interacting with paper can be more productive in many cases.

Printed documents are still very much a part of business transactions today, and many industries still require physical copies for their records or legal reasons. Take the real estate business, for example, which utilizes both digital and physical documents. As a buyer goes through the steps of closing on their new home, they may sign paperwork digitally via applications like DocuSign. This digital paperwork allows the process to keep moving regardless of where the homeowners live in relation to the seller or real estate agent, but upon closing on the home, homeowners receive a physical copy of these documents, an important step in archiving and solidifying the process. The homeowner can then maintain a complete file with copies of all the paperwork that was signed during the transaction with the seller. Homeowners are encouraged to keep a physical copy of this paperwork for several years even after they sell this home so they can easily reference or review it, or use it in the event that they need to file a legal claim.

Choosing the right solutions

Technological advances, such as mobile print and scan apps, connect the digital and physical worlds within a company’s technological ecosystem from an easily accessible device like a cell phone. Companies that take full advantage of technology such as this can enable their employees a simple interchange between the digital and the physical worlds from a device in which every employee is already armed with. Those that started using these technologies prior to the pandemic were poised for a better transition and will continue to be in today’s changing work environments, compared to those that have focused solely on digital or solely on physical information exchange.

There are substantial benefits to both employees and employers in connecting the digital and physical worlds. For one, solutions that connect these two worlds streamline workflow in any industry, increasing the efficiency and productivity of employees. They further an organization’s digital transformation while ensuring simple solutions for employees that don’t require extensive IT knowledge. They also create business resiliency by maintaining some normalcy for employees who have different job functions and require different equipment. Increasingly we are seeing companies investing more in at-home set-ups and in the future, printing and scanning solutions could be part of that setup. And the companies that give more time and energy to their digital transformations will best be set up for the changing future of our workplaces and work environments.

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Connectivity is Key – VP of U.S. Telecom Provider Rodney Sanders on Challenges and Opportunities for Industry Growth Amid 2021 ‘New Normal’

March 4th, 2021 Sam Amsterdam Leave a comment

Maintaining ‘security of supply’ in internet and communications technology (ICT)-driven connectivity for both America’s urban and rural communities has played a pivotal role in the telecommunications industry’s exponential growth in 2020 and also to ensuring stability and recovery for a myriad of industries in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rodney Sanders, Vice President of Velocity Telecom, provides insider perspective on the road ahead for the industry of ‘bandwidth’.

Has the manner in which your telecommunications company manages projects or completes physical installations been altered due to the ramifications of COVID-19?

Our staff members (of which we have approximately 60-75) have to physically travel to our clients’ facilities; have to engineer, furnish and install (EF&I) and test their equipment completely on-site.

We are primarily hardware people – We are one of those industries wherein you cannot work from home.

Unlike certain sectors, where you can pass on information or facilitate technology transfer via the internet, we have to physically enter a warehouse, extract the inventory or equipment and physically deliver it to our clients’ facilities.

And so at Velocity, we took it upon ourselves to virtualize quickly and effectively; we were able to incorporate remote video technologies to keep connected with our in-the-field installation staff and the quality of their daily work efforts. Within our own facilities, we added the extra step of wiping down all newly-arrived equipment and materials, installingUV light air scrubbers in our offices and warehouses, as well as incorporating other clean practices including spraying down the offices twice a day with industrial grade foggers like those used on commercial aircraft.

Our employees have switched to ‘shift work’ within the offices, so that they are only operating at 25% capacity and rarely in the same place at the same time.

Safety is a top priority for our organization, both in meeting the COVID-19 adherence requirements of the U.S. States wherein we operate when servicing our clients and in engaging with each other as a Team amid this ‘new normal’.

We are always open to augmenting our client services to help provide a turnkey solution, one that so many of our clients demand.

How did the onset of COVID-19 impact the telecoms installation industry? Did it slow down or speed up due to this need for virtualization?

While many industries saw fault-lines in their supply chains, we understood the opportunity and moreover, the responsibility inherent to digital connectivity. The onset of COVID-19 grew the telecoms installation industry exponentially.

With everyone safely at home, whether working remotely or attending school online, this created a massive utilization shift from the traditional commercial venue to the residential arena. This then created an immediate need to build-out and augment the residential infrastructure capacity, in some cases completely anew, in order to handle those elevated utilization levels.

It’s interesting – In the initial throes, we faced a marginal lull, as did so many sectors across the rest of the world. Due to the historical nature of our industry, which routinely has lapses in workload, we established a process several years ago to provide full paychecks to our employees during times of less than full employment rather than simply bench them.

At the onset of the pandemic, we put our process into place and made the decision to ensure that no employee was left behind without a paycheck. Not every company was able to sustain the COVID-19 pandemic in the same way.

Now, as the demand for remote learning, working from home, tele-meetings, remote medical appointments has steadily increased, so has our workload. We are grateful for our employees’ tenacity and loyalty to our Team and to those we serve during this unprecedented period.

How specifically have standards and practices changed in order for installations to be carried out safely?

We’ve added enhanced levels of project management and coordination that did not exist previously. We quickly implemented temperature checks and, of course, the wearing of face-masks on a daily basis. We also reduced the number of installation staff that operate within a given client site.

While we developed our set of safety protocols, we also had to mesh our new standards with the expectations and standards given to us by our clients. Each step of project installation and management had to be re-evaluated in order to have the safest outcome. We repeatedly reinforced to our staff, especially our installations, the extensive efforts being taken to assure their safety in the uncertain environment.

We believe it was important not only to make such an effort, but to give them the confidence to go about doing their job.

Our installation crews used to change depending on various needs, but now there is absolutely no mixing of tech-teams between assignments. Our installation crews are firmly assigned, and act as insulated ‘pods’ or work units. This ensures that if one member of our team happens to come down with symptoms of COVID-19, it is limited to that pod. This allows for insulated containment in the event of an unlikely positive test.

How has the telecommunications supply chain been affected and what kind of ramifications did this pose to your projects?

Supply quickly decreased while demand seemingly increased overnight, to be sure.

We have had to dramatically increase our lead-times for equipment and materials as well as rapidly pivot in expanding our supplier base to ensure that we meet our clients’ myriad of often complex needs.

Currently, we have extended forecasting from one month to four months to ensure that we have the equipment and materials necessary to meet our clients’ deadlines, resulting in a VAST increase in our investment in inventory regarding both installation materials and equipment.

China’s frenetic infrastructure build-out has caused a scramble in the United States cross-sector and our supply chain is no different.

‘Proactivity’ and forecasting market trends and security of supply will be critical to our continued growth.

Advancements in technology occur at such a rapid pace. How does Velocity continue to keep up with the frenetic tempo in order to stay ahead of the curve?

It seems that with each technological advancement, we sometimes find ourselves at a new railroad crossing, where we simply need to ‘Stop, Look, Listen, and Learn’.

We perform work for a variety of Telecom clients that push us to deliver a gamut of ever-changing skills, processes, techniques, and services. We adapt to this demand by having our staff learn and adhere to strict standards, obtain specific certifications when needed, and utilize our own in-house training area.

At the highest levels, we have found that our Telecommunications clients traditionally request completely bespoke, turnkey solutions. They want a vendor that can handle as many pieces of the puzzle as possible, and Velocity listened.

We went from being an installation company to procuring a 10,000 sq. ft. inventory warehouse, transitioning to become an installation and furnish company in light of increasing client demand.

We are now able to provide turnkey solutions, from an ‘outside plant to an inside plant’. The result is that we run many of our client’s projects from cradle to grave, operating 24 hours a day, 5 days a week.

Take your typical office complex – You would traditionally have two different companies addressing your internal and external connectivity solutions; today, those assignments are handled entirely by Velocity.

As to addressing technology, our approach is simple. We adapt, while providing for our clients a seamless user-experience.

We always start from a 35,000 ft overview and work our way down to the granular ground-level so that we evaluate and capture our clients’ needs. We then execute our services to be delivered on-time, on-budget, on spec, each and every time.

In terms of innovations, I would point to our ‘thin-client’ username and password technology; We developed a proprietary repository for our end-users to log-in and view their projects’ status, the project’s percentage of completion, applicable to each and every Velocity client.

From this ‘dashboard’ installation portal, we maintain an open line of communication with our clients, enabling them to view their project documents and even access progress photos at all times from anywhere in the world.

How is the telecoms industry evolving? What role Velocity will play within it over the next decade?

The ability to increase reliability and bandwidth is what moves the needle for all telecom and cable providers; the ability to be at the forefront in terms of expertise and execution is what drives Velocity.

We pride ourselves on the ability to pivot to every need, every want of our clients. Versatility is the force multiplier that will sustain us through the next decade and beyond.

Being the industry leader of both long term projected projects and immediate response projects in the case of emergencies is the standard we hold for ourselves within the telecom industry.

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What Makes a Good Logistics Provider?

February 19th, 2021 Chris Hale Leave a comment

A business is only as good as its ability to deliver. This is especially true for small reseller traders who are often responsible for delivering goods from the global supplier right into the hands of their end customers. For these players, delays and missing or damaged goods can mean a devastating loss of revenue and reputation. Smaller traders who bid on contracts to supply goods to large end customers are an often overlooked, yet integral, part of the supply chain to deliver critical goods all over the world. We work with many of them on our trading platform and get an intimate view of their challenges as a result. When goods don’t arrive as expected, it is not only the traders and their customers that are hurt, but also the communities and institutions they serve. For a business working hard to compete, especially in today’s particularly challenging pandemic-affected trading environment, the choice of a quality logistics provider can be the difference between success and failure.

Although delivery is a critically important piece of the trade business for enterprises of every size, surprisingly few good resources exist to assist in finding the right logistics provider for a given project. We’ve known many businesses to resort to a quick Google search or a referral from a friend. This is risky at best, given what’s at stake. Still, without knowing what to look for and what questions to ask, it can be difficult to know where to begin in the search for a high-quality partner, and the desire to just find someone quickly can take over. As a result, traders often deal with poor service and a lack of attention from their logistics provider when a better partner could have provided a much better experience and result.

As a platform that vets trade service providers, constructs deals and manages trade execution for a large volume of trades into challenging markets, we’ve learned by necessity to identify the hallmarks of high-quality logistics providers and to note the red flags that signal ineffective ones. These are the qualities we look for in every logistics partner we recommend:

Experienced – A wave of brand-new companies have sprung up looking to fill the demand created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Always work with logistics companies that have been in operation for a number of years. Not only does this show that the company has a history of success, but experienced logistics providers will have a better understanding of local regulations and possible sticking points.

Good Customer Service Team – A professional, knowledgeable and robust customer service team will not only facilitate clear communication but is a sign of a quality company. Clear and effective communication from logistics providers also saves traders time and energy building and executing trades.

Responsive – It is important that logistics providers respond to messages quickly and are proactive in providing updates. When goods arrive at the right place on time, this should be communicated quickly. When communication is slow and sporadic, it is often the case that the company is unorganized, or goods are not where they are supposed to be.

Diligent – The logistics of international trade are complicated. Attention to detail is necessary as goods change hands and pass-through ports. A diligent company will have correct documentation for the goods and communicate effectively with the necessary parties, avoiding tax penalties, delays, and confusion that cut into revenue.

Registered with Appropriate Government Agencies – Logistics providers must be registered with the necessary agencies to do business in the jurisdictions in which they operate, such as the local revenue authorities. It is important to confirm that the company is registered to conduct business in the countries where the goods are to be picked up and delivered, and anywhere they may land in between.

Global Presence – A global presence is both useful and a sign of a reputable logistics provider. However, many logistics providers do not operate globally. Minimally, the company you choose should operate in the countries relevant to the transaction. Established companies with a large presence are often more experienced, and may be able to offer additional services, or deal with complications more quickly and easily than smaller operations.

Doing the research to find companies who check all these boxes pays dividends in many ways. A good logistics provider will save their customer time and energy by transporting and clearing goods efficiently and ensuring they arrive at the delivery location on time. Good logistics providers fix mistakes and resolve complications quickly, without requiring significant involvement from their customer, the trader. Put simply, the best logistics providers are capable, easy to work with, and reliable. They deliver every time because they communicate well and have accumulated a wealth of industry knowledge after years of experience. The time and effort invested to find a partner you can rely on for this level of service is small compared to the benefits of peace of mind, help when you need it or when things don’t quite go according to plan and the time saved in executing the transaction, not to mention the value of being known to your customers as a business that can be relied upon to deliver, every time.

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Chris Hale is the Founder and CEO of Kountable, Inc., a San Francisco-based technology company actively solving the world’s distribution problem by building a trust network for global trade that integrates, digitizes, and optimizes collaboration between qualified big and small players. Its cloud-based global trade platform delivers transparency, governance, and efficiency in trade by connecting the biggest global sellers with the most qualified buyers in challenging economies.

Archives, Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily

The Need for Commodity Analytics in Commodity Management Software

January 31st, 2021 Hrish Thota, Eka Software Solutions Leave a comment

The management of commodities and the risks associated with this activity have evolved since the introduction of Energy Trading and Risk Management (ETRM) software in the 1990s. Over time, the type and quantity of data to be managed changed and these solutions later evolved to Commodity Trading and Risk Management (CTRM) software in the mid-2000s that grew in scope to include support for commodities other than energy. In addition to support for additional commodity types, ETRM and CTRM software has grown further into the supply chain and the functional footprint of these systems has dramatically increased. Now, we are seeing another generational shift from what were primarily transaction-based systems to solutions that provide sophisticated, real-time, analytics along with transaction management.

Commodity Management is a Big Data Business

Inherently, the commodities industry has always been a big data business. Physical trades that are hedged with financial derivatives create thousands of individual data points. And each of those data points represent multiple decisions to be made and perhaps reconsidered before the trade is eventually closed. Prices move, markets change, and regulations are updated. For example, as a market data provider, GlobalView is constantly adding new data sources to meet the needs of commodity market participants. Today’s focus on analytics is driven by the need for more data.

All of this data drives complexity in decision making. Those companies who are best equipped to leverage the data available to them to make the best decisions will gain a competitive advantage. It’s a whole new world. No longer is the typical CTRM software system adequate for companies exposed to commodity market risk. While the ability to capture the data that surrounds each transaction or engagement is still required in CTRM software, that functionality alone is not enough. As margins tighten and conditions get tougher, commodities companies need systems that do more.

A Generational Shift from Data Capture to Data Analytics

To remain competitive, today’s commodities companies need next-generation systems that support real-time decision making to move beyond data capture to data analytics. The ability to analyze information to create predictive models allows firms to develop accurate, repeatable formulas that take into account market conditions to identify optimal scenarios. Using advanced visualization techniques coupled with user-controlled, predictive analytics, commodities companies can optimize operations.

Commodities companies can no longer afford to wait days and weeks to understand market changes, analyze the alternatives, and make decisions. Instead, all business users need the power to analyze data the way they want. The solution that will enable real-time decision making requires two components: the right technology to handle the large volume of data generated by the commodities industry and built-in commodity specific intelligence to analyze the data. In addition, the most useful analytics solutions will enable business users to start using the solution immediately without an extended and costly implementation project.

Today’s Next-Generation Commodity Management Solution is Smart Commodity Management

Smart Commodity Management includes Commodity Analytics Cloud, an advanced data aggregation and analytics tool, and InSight CM, an integrated system for managing commodity transactions end-to-end. These two solutions together provide the analytical and operational solutions that commodities companies need to manage in today’s complex and volatile markets.

Analytics are the future of commodity management. Commodities companies need to look at advanced analytics solutions to ensure future success. Geared specifically for commodities companies in the agriculture, manufacturing, energy, and metals industries, Commodity Analytics Cloud provides traders, risk managers, analysts, supply chain/logistics managers, IT specialists, back office personnel, and executives with previously unavailable insights into key business areas.

Commodity Analytics Cloud brings together data from multiple internal and external sources including ETRM, CTRM, ERP, CRM, spreadsheets, and market data, including GlobalView’s MarketView data, which is available in a special bundled package price.

Eka Software Solutions is a global leader in providing digital commodity management solutions, driven by cloud, blockchain, machine learning and analytics.

To talk to Eka experts please write to info@eka1.com

Archives, Global Trade Daily, Special Reports

Is Microsoft Office Proficiency Still Needed Nowadays?

January 12th, 2021 SlideHunter Leave a comment

Most of us have found that we need to have at least some basic understanding of MS Office Suite to cope in the real world. Microsoft Office tools have countless applications to assist in our everyday activities.

These Office tools help to streamline our professional and personal lives. Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, however, is not a must-have skill in many professions. For instance, a college professor or accountant needs a higher MS Office proficiency than an actor or bus driver.

In learning institutions, students are introduced to MS Office tools as early as third grade and must meet a basic level of MS Office Suite proficiency before graduation from high school.

And in the same way, these students will have used PowerPoint for their college presentations, they will then use this program for their boardroom presentations. Their career paths will influence their decision on whether they choose to upgrade their Office Suite skills.

If you’re eyeing managerial, accounting or other professional career paths, proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite can be an asset to your professional resume. Be sure to indicate your Excel, Word, Publisher, and PowerPoint capabilities when applying for these types of positions.

Your cover letter can present an opportunity to highlight your MS Office Suite skills too. Make sure to mention how well you understand the tool and how you’ve previously made good use of it. For example, if you’re applying for a data entry and analysis gig, mention how you’ve used MS Excel to sort or analyze big data.

And employees with well-rounded MS Office skills often get paid more than their counterparts!

From storekeeper to CEO, every employee will benefit when familiar with MS Word and Excel sheets, if not additional MS Office productivity tools. The data derived is essential in everyday business functions from the monitoring of staff productivity to enabling remote workers to collaborate.

Proficiency in MS Office Suite facilitates basic supply chain operations such as transportation, inventory management, warehousing, and even payroll management. These skills also allow supply chain executives to become better planners and negotiators.

Using Cloud computing technology, and with MS Outlook know-how, these experts can seamlessly collaborate with remote teams. MS Excel in particular, will give you an edge for efficient management and coordination of logistics for your organization.

Read on to learn the exact MS office skills you’re required to own to earn the title of being “Proficient in MS Office.” This post will enlighten you on how to upgrade your MS Office skills and, in the process, make yourself more marketable.

Proficiency Levels in MS Office

Proficiency in Microsoft skills means that you are adept at making powerful presentations, organizing information, and data handling. These MS skills enhance teamwork in an organization and improve the overall workplace productivity.

There are five main levels of mastery in Microsoft Office Suite: fundamental, basic, proficient, intermediate, and finally, the advanced level. The following is a listing of required skills needed in order to claim true proficiency in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, QuickBooks, and Email processing:

MS Office Suite Proficiency

MS Word

People with MS Word know-how are skilled in creating spreadsheets, Pivot Tables, data analysis, validating data, creating documents, creating slideshows, and embedding videos and images. Unless you have a solid grasp of the MS Office tools, don’t claim to be Office proficient. You don’t want to come up short later on when it matters.

MS Excel

To become MS Excel proficient, you need to be conversant with text formatting, SmartArt, spellcheck, page setup, textboxes, grammar check, title and ribbon bar, editing, quick access. Excel gurus have data validation skills and are versed in IF statements, macros, automatization (VBA), charts, Pivot Tables, formulas, data linking, workbooks, and spreadsheets.

MS Powerpoint

To become a skilled PowerPoint expert, you need to know how to do animations, manuscripts, charts and graphs, presentations troubleshooting, custom slides, and presentation design.

MS Outlook

Microsoft Outlook or MS Outlook plays an important role in fostering employee communication. Employees and organizations often rely on MS Outlook for email management for both their inter-office communication as well as with contacts outside the company. To be considered proficient in this particular Office documentation utility, you’ll need to be fully conversant with skills such as:

-Email settings configurations

-Auto replies and Email filtering

-Creating, planning and assigning tasks

-Scheduling meetings via emails

-Sharing workplace calendars

Other Office Skills

In addition to those MS Office skills, you should know how to write documents, collaborate with others, and share documents.

Other MS Office Suite productivity tools you need to know include:

Microsoft Access

Candidates with advanced MS Access capabilities are always in huge demand. MS Access allows seamless data organization and manipulation.

QuickBooks

A mastery of QuickBooks improves your likelihood of scoring accounting-related gigs. Include QuickBooks as a skill if you’re applying for an opening that involves payroll, accounting, reporting, and invoicing functions. These skills ensure your resume stands out and increase your odds of getting hired.

Email

Everyone is expected to know how to access, compose, and reply to work emails. Emails enhance collaboration, and they improve staff productivity. Go for the various certifications in MS Outlook to get the upper hand with future employers.

Improving Your MS Office Skills

Enhance your marketability by continually refining your MS Office Suite skills. Keep on learning to improve your grasp of the productivity tools provided by MS Office. Take full advantage of the MS Office Suite introductory, intermediate, and expert courses to improve your resumes.

Getting Microsoft Office training can help you become productive at work, giving you the confidence to tackle problems and new opportunities when using the platform. To top it off, you may be able to boost your earning potential, thanks to the certification you receive.

In Conclusion

Possessing basic know-how of Microsoft Office Suite is a must for students, tutors, and professionals. Nowadays, it’s impossible to function without productivity tools that help you to run your business, promote your brand, or manage your personal affairs.

MS Office will continue to be a highly sought-after office productivity skill set for many years. Attaining proficiency in MS Office is a long-term quest; your skills will only improve with repeated practice.

If you choose to mention particular MS Office skills, ensure you include only those that apply to your future position. Prove your mastery of these MS Office skills by demonstrating how you’ll apply your MS Office capabilities in your everyday tasks. Always remember to be truthful about your proficiency levels as you never know when you’ll be tested.

Keep your MS Office skills relevant to the marketplace by continually upgrading; boosting your hiring chances or opportunities for promotion. Therefore, it’s safe to say that proficiency in MS Office is still a marketable skill now and in the foreseeable future.

Archives, Global Trade Daily, Imports/Exports, News

BIS Adds Over 70 New Entities to the Entity List, Including SMIC

January 8th, 2021 Grant Leach and Cortney O’Toole Morgan Leave a comment

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) has issued a final rule amending the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”) to add 77 entities to the Entity List. This rule took effect on Friday, December 18, 2020, when BIS made a copy available for public inspection on the Federal Register website.

As a result of these Entity List designations, the EAR will now require BIS licensing for any exports, reexports, or in-country transfers of items “subject to the EAR” to these entities. The designated entities include 60 Chinese companies and additional entities from the countries of Bulgaria, France, Germany, Italy, Malta, Pakistan, Russia and the United Arab Emirates. The designated entities include (but are not limited to):

-Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation Incorporated (SMIC) of China and ten of its related entities, which BIS added to the Entity List because of “SMIC’s relationships of concern with the military-industrial complex, China’s aggressive application of military-civil fusion mandates and state-directed subsidies” (according to a BIS press release). BIS will evaluate any SMIC license applications involving “items uniquely required for the production of semiconductors at advanced technology nodes (10 nanometers and below, including extreme ultraviolet technology)” according to a presumption of denial and will evaluate all other license applications on a case-by-case basis.

-A group of four Chinese biotechnology companies (AGCU Scientech, China National Scientific Instruments and Materials (CNSIM), DJU and Kuang-Chi Group, which BIS added to the Entity List because it determined that they “have enabled wide-scale human rights abuses within China through abusive genetic collection and analysis or high-technology surveillance, and/or facilitated the export of items by China that aid repressive regimes around the world, contrary to U.S. foreign policy interests.” BIS will evaluate any license applications for these entities involving “items necessary to detect, identify and treat infectious disease” on a case-by-case basis and will evaluate all other applications involving these entities according to a presumption of denial.

-China State Shipbuilding Corporation, Ltd. (CSSC) and over twenty of its research institutions, which BIS added to the Entity List after determining that they had acquired and attempted to acquire U.S.-origin items in support of programs for the People’s Liberation Army of China. BIS will evaluate any license applications involving these entities according to a presumption of denial.

-A group of four Chinese universities (Tianjin University, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and Nanjing University of Science and Technology), as well as businesses and individuals associated with those entities. BIS will review license applications involving these universities, entities, and individuals according to a presumption of denial.

As a result of these new designations, these entities will now be ineligible for almost all license exceptions provided under the EAR. The announcement also included a savings clause which would allow shipments to any of these newly listed entities to continue without a BIS license if: (i) they were en route aboard a carrier to a port of export or reexport as of December 22, 2020, (ii) they were made pursuant to an actual order for export or reexport to a foreign destination, and (iii) they did not otherwise require a BIS license under any separate provision of the EAR.

These new designations were partially offset by BIS’s removal of Israel’s Ben Gurion University and Dow Technology, Hassan Dow and Modest Marketing LLC of the United Arab Emirates from the Entity List. Those delistings were also effective December 18, 2020.

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Grant Leach is an Omaha-based partner with the law firm Husch Blackwell LLP focusing on international trade, export controls, trade sanctions and anti-corruption compliance.

Cortney O’Toole Morgan is a Washington D.C.-based partner with the law firm Husch Blackwell LLP. She leads the firm’s International Trade & Supply Chain group,