Skalata’s Post

When the pandemic cannon-balled into our lives we all saw what happened to supply chains. Every supermarket stock-up was running on unintegrated spreadsheets (or worse, actual sheets of paper)... Freight is really clinging onto its filing cabinets, with average digitisation levels languishing at 43%. 😬 Luckily, Hugh Dixson (ex-BCG/Uber/Ofload) has a way to - in his words - “turn chaos into order”. Just a few weeks’ use of Switchboard’s platform reveals how customers can optimise for maximum FTL (full truck load), reduce cost per consignment, forecast demand precisely… and, theoretically, scale infinitely. It’s time for an overhaul of haulage… more on why we invested👇.

Embracing Tech While Valuing Humanity: A thought-provoking read from FreightWaves highlights the balance between technology and the human touch in the logistics industry. As we embrace innovation, let's not forget the vital role human expertise and empathy play. Striking this balance is key for a successful future in logistics. #TechInLogistics #HumanElement #InnovationAndEmpathy https://lnkd.in/gUwspQh6

We enjoyed our time at FreightWaves' Future of Supply Chain. This article highlights the topics discussed by Brad Hicks, president of Highway Services and EVP of People, during his keynote.

One of the best articles I've read about why it's imperative to go with active managers when investing in the small/micro-cap space. https://lnkd.in/gZir4djr

When businesses shut down, plants close, or operations shift, they often leave behind a mountain of unused inventory. This 'dead stock' can be a major financial burden, tying up valuable resources and hindering growth. But what if there were a way to breathe new life into this inventory and turn it into cash? Explore how Goospares transforms businesses from shutdown situations into sold-out success stories. Visit #goospares today to learn more about how they can help your business! www.goospares.com #shutdown #deadstock #plantclosure #deadinventory #financialburden

Don’t buy all the hype. Only a handful of logistics tech ‘disrupters’ will still be around in 20 years. A few of them will truly change the industry but many more will run out of cash or simply cease to exist. But well-run logistics firms, reliable carriers and solid 3PLs will still be plugging away, adding value one small victory at a time. Do they get the headlines? No. Do they deserve more attention? Absolutely. That’s the whole point of The Bootstrapper’s Guide to Logistics. Let's highlight more companies and Founders doing it the hard way. See the links in the comments below. 👇 #logistics #bootstrapped #founders

What is Flexport's path forward? From what I can gather, Ryan Petersen and his team have a couple options that I don't see as workable, and one that might be interesting... 1) They are a Digital First Forwarder...which means that they are a forwarder. The problem with this strategy is that there are lots of forwarders, and the business model is already established. So is the valuation model. And forwarders are not valued like tech companies. And so, if they are a forwarder, which is a viable business, at some point lots of people will need to acknowledge that they have lost lots of money. 2) They are a Tech Company masquerading as a forwarder...in this strategy they are promising some kind of pivot, similar to the pivot that Uber made where they moved beyond taxi to delivery which exploded their opportunities and value. The problem here is that it isn't clear where their pivot is to a much bigger market. It's possible that it is a hyper-secret move that big brains have been working on, but I can't see it. It isn't obvious. The one path forward that I see could keep their core as a tech company (which would make their investors happy) and leverages their asset as a billion dollar freight forwarder. Imagine that Flexport has two assets: 1) their company as a freight forwarder, and 2) their core technology. The freight forwarding company has value on its own. That business could be sold to another forwarding player, or go public, creating value for this asset. They could then commercialize their core technology, which I know to be as good or better than any other software in the space, including CargoWise. My feeling is that the software to manage international freight forwarders market is itching for a CargoWise competitor (other than Descartes Systems Group). Were they to do this, their core technology would have the valuation of a tech company making their investors happy, a massive global marketplace to dominate, and the ability to right size their business to make it a lean and mean tech machine. Curious to hear your thoughts...

With #Redditch’s economy driven by manufacturing businesses, the Government has delivered a massive boost to this vital sector by making full expensing permanent. Full expensing allows companies to invest for less, getting 25p back for every £1 they spend when buying new equipment and machinery. ✅ Unlocking more investment ✅ Unlocking more growth

Reverse Logistics - the industry projected to hit $1,000,000,000,000 that most know little about... Let's shed some light on who is driving this growth. In simple terms, what does your business do? I'll start: RL Equity - connects buyers with sellers of reverse logistics and circular economy businesses. RL People - recruits reverse logistics and circular economy professionals on behalf of growing businesses. Drop a comment below and share some insights! #reverselogistics #circulareconomy #sustainability

Family businesses are crucial in manufacturing industries due to their rich histories and expertise, but their downfall can occur when owners excessively micromanage and control operations, stifling innovation and hindering the company's adaptability to market changes. #leanmanagement #familybusiness #micromanagement