Canadian Shipper May/June 2016

MAY/JUNE 2016

PUBLISHED SINCE 1898 | WRITTEN FOR BUYERS OF TRANSPORTATION SERVICES

E-COMMERCE Logistics in Reverse

BEST MANAGED Canada's award-winning transportation suppliers

India Poised for 21st century trade?

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CONTENTS

MAY/JUNE 2016

DEPARTMENTS

14

6 | Editor’s Forward Terrorism, cyber-threats and the secure supply chain.

COVER STORY

8 | In the News Air cargo security and battery ban; e-air waybill push at airlines; ice-free Seaway opening.

India Trade A key administrative outsourcing centre, India is poised to become a 21st century nation, but faces obstacles in red tape and logistics development.

48 | Inside the Numbers Annual logistics spend for complex supply chains.

51 | Retrospective The shipper and carrier divide.

52 | Coaching Corner How to be the consummate professional in an uncertain workplace.

54 | The Bigger Picture The search for passion: finding your fit in the right organization.

30

Trucking’s leading ladies; How Diversity is measured.

©szefei/iStock

WOMEN WITH DRIVE CONFERENCE A view of the Taj Mahal, Agra, India.

FEATURES WHAT’S ON THE MENU FOR FOOD LOGISTICS? | 20 A look at the changes required around new food safety rules.

E-COMMERCE | 24 Logistics in reverse-the rising importance of returns.

NAVIGATING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE | 34 Surveying the challenges of retail logistics.

continued

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EDITOR'S FORWARD Julia Kuzeljevich May/June 2016 Volume 119 Issue No.3

EDITOR Julia Kuzeljevich (416) 510-6880 julia@newcom.ca

Trumping trade?

I

t seems like just yesterday that the horrific events of 9/11 took place: terrorist attacks against the United States and the “West” in general by way of hijacking and crashing passenger aircraft on U.S. soil.

I remember the day so well because at the time, our magazine offices were located on the second floor of an open concept building, and the floor above us housed a national newspaper whose staff suddenly started clustering around a giant TV screen in the newsroom as the unfortunate events unfolded.

Our staff, meanwhile, were stuck in several cities across the country-air transport was grounded in the U.S., and backed up across Canada as our system dealt with redirected aircraft.

Several weeks later I found myself having to travel to the U.S., and facing increased security along the way. You could have heard a pin drop on the plane that day.

The biggest effect of 9/11 though, from the standpoint of logistics, was that it seemed to finally get across (to the public, the mainstream media, and to those who work directly in the logistics industry) the effect to the just-in-time economy and to convenience that a slowdown or stoppage to transportation can have.

As we go to press this month Europe is again recovering from a terrorist attack, this time in Brussels, and the resulting fallout from that, notwithstanding more loss of human life, was the redirection of freight and the application of risk mitigation strategies to keep commercial traffic going.

Terrorism has always been at work across the world, but there are no longer just a few “isolated” zones that deserve more careful attention: supply chains are longer and the risks seem higher. The risk that terrorism could happen closer to home seems like an ever-present threat.

It was interesting to note, in our recent news coverage, that the number of global risk managers citing terrorism as their top concern has doubled over the past year to 22%, according to insurance provider Clements Worldwide’s Risk Index survey.

Such a jump reflects that managers at the surveyed multinational corporations and humanitarian aid organizations see terrorism as a risk that needs to be increasingly contained in key areas of operations — not just war zones. Terrorism concerns, in addition to other fears regarding political unrest and business interruption and supply chain disruption, have led a significant 27% of global organizations to delay or even cancel investment and expansion, the survey said.

The survey also highlighted the gap between risk concerns and losses and internal readiness to manage them, while pointing to the fact that some risk managers are becoming more focused on preparation for key risks. Even though surveyed managers perceive heightened risks associated with terrorism, only 16% say they are as prepared as they could be to address them.

Meanwhile, the Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) fourth annual Safety and Shipping Review 2016, which analyzes reported shipping losses of over 100 gross tons, found that the shipping industry’s reliance on interconnected technology also poses risks. Cyber risk exposure is growing beyond data loss. There have already been a number of notable cyber incidents and technological advances such as the “Internet of Things” (IoT) and electronic navigation means the industry may only have a few years to prepare for the risk of a vessel loss.

For the first time in five years piracy attacks also failed to decline in 2015. South East Asian attacks rose, accounting for 60% of all incidents, while piracy attacks in Vietnam surged year-on-year, the report found. While security post 9/11 was meant to trump trade, achieving the aims of security is in itself a monumental challenge in supply chain. CS

ART DIRECTOR Ellie Robinson ellie@newcom.ca CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Carroll McCormick, Leo Ryan, James Menzies, John G. Smith, Ian Putzger, Ken Mark, Carolyn Gruske MARKET PRODUCTION MANAGER Kimberly Collins (416) 510-6779 kim@newcom.ca VIDEO PRODUCTION MANAGER Brad Ling CIRCULATION MANAGER Mary Garufi (416) 614-5831 mary@newcom.ca PUBLISHER Nick Krukowski (416) 510-5108 nkrukowski@canadianshipper.com VICE-PRESIDENT PUBLISHING Joe Glionna PRESIDENT Jim Glionna HEAD OFFICE: 80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto, ON M3B 2S9 Canadian Shipper is written for Canadian transportation and logistics professionals who manage product flow from manufacturer to point-of-­sale. Edit­orial is focused on re­porting, analysis and interpretation of Can­adian log­ istics trends and issues. It is published by NEWCOM BUSINESS MEDIA INC.

SUBSCRIPTIONS: Contact us at: mary@newcom.ca Tel: (416) 614-5831 Fax: (416) 614-8861 Website: canadianshipper.com (click on sub­scription button)

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U.S.A.: US$107.95 per year. All other foreign: US$107.95 per year. Single copies $8 except for the annual Logistics Buyers’ Guide (Aug) $60.95 + applicable taxes, (not including HST) plus $2.00 for postage. USA: US$68..95, Foreign: US$68.95 ISSN 2292-2490 (print), ISSN 2292-2504 (Digital), (Can­adian Shipper.) Indexed by Canadian Bus­iness Period­icals Index.

Printed in Can­ada. All rights re­served. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced either in part or in full without the consent of the copyright owner.

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6 May/June 2016 www.canadianshipper.com

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IN THE NEWS

AIR CARGO SECURITY PROGRAM NOW IN EFFECT Last fall, Transport Canada’s Air Cargo Security Program launched a new application process in support of regulatory enhancements passed earlier in the year. Canada’s air cargo industry will have more options to determine where within the supply chain cargo can be screened to secure it for air transport.

Any business wishing to accept, store, transport or screen secure air cargo had to submit an application by

March 31 this year. While the program officially starts October 17, the application process can take up to six months. Applications received after March 31 will continue to be processed but may not be finalized before the program changes go into effect, said Transport Canada.

While participation in the Air Cargo Security Program is voluntary, failure to

apply under one of the new participant categories will result in delays and fees associated with screening cargo.

In partnership with Transport Canada, Air Canada Cargo has arranged for free, informational webinars about the changes to help guide our customers through the process, it said. CS

AIR CANADA CARGO SWITCHING TO E-AIR WAYBILLS FOR DOMESTIC SHIPMENTS Air Canada Cargo has been working with customers across Canada to help them switch to using electronic air waybills (eAWB) by April 28.

Starting April 28, domestic shipments within Canada must be tendered with an electronic air waybill (e-AWB). A fee of $18 wil be applied to non-e-AWB domestic shipments tendered in Canada. (The airline announced at press time the $18 fee for shipments tendered without an e-AWB will be waived until June 1.)

Air Canada Cargo is aiming to replace multipart forms and the printing of multiple copies of air waybills. Benefits of e-AWB will also be no more missing AWB’s on invoice statements, AC Cargo noted.

According to Karen Jones, Manager, eBusiness Processes, with Air Canada Cargo, the carrier has been communicating on a weekly basis to its customer base about transitioning to e-AWB. Across Canada in May and June the carrier will be promoting e-AWB as the preferred method.

As of March 2016, 15 of the world’s largest air carriers will have joined the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA’s) e-AWB 360 campaign to speed up the implementation of electronic air waybills (e-AWB) to all destinations and customers at numerous airports using the “single process” concept.

8 May/June 2016 www.canadianshipper.com

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The air cargo industry still relies heavily on paper documentation for the exchange of information. Each international airfreight shipment can require more than 30 different paper documents.

According to IATA, the AWB (Air Waybill) is the most important transportation document in Air Cargo. By implementing e-AWB the industry could see more accuracy, confidentiality and efficiency.

In terms of e-AWB industry targets, by year end 2016 the industry hopes to reach 56% e-AWB penetration. The current status is at 37.2% “The IATA initiative has definitely brought more awareness. It’s a collaborative effort, having everyone coming together under e-AWB 360. As a whole we are offering customers one process so they don’t have to think about doing process A with one customer and process B with another,” Jones said.

“Notification of the preferred method has been posted on all of our platforms, ebooking, and the cargo portal. Customers have been making inquiries about what tools are available if they don’t have an inhouse method,” she added, noting that Air Canada Cargo’s e-booking tool, and cargo portal, will facilitate the process.

“The cargo portal service has been around since 2003. Enhancements were made last year with support for customers to make specialized bookings. Changes

were also made to the booking spreadsheet so customers can make many bookings at once. We are constantly evolving functionality on the e-booking tool to make it more robust and user-friendly,” Jones said.

For international customers, platforms are in place to produce e-AWB. Many of these customers already have the ability to send e-AWB from their in-house systems.

Matthieu Casey, General Sales Manager, Cargo, Canada, told Canadian Shipper that feedback from customers around the e-AWB was never negative but that there was some angst surrounding what technology will be required.

“We have positive feelings around this.

We are putting a lot of method into making this easy for them. There is no cost to (using) our own e-booking tool. We have given ourselves targets on the international (e-AWB) front though there is no deadline as there is in domestic. We are gaining traction and people as a result of making the switchover are seeing all the benefits that are coming from this. They want to translate those benefits over to everything they do,” Casey said.

Though a fee of $18 will be applied to non-e-AWB domestic shipments tendered in Canada, Casey said this isn’t meant to be punitive.

“It was rolled out in a way that was not too shocking. We want it implemented as soon as possible. It’s a serious initiative,” continued

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IN THE NEWS

continued from p. 8

he said of the reason behind the fee for not producing e-AWBs. Air Canada Cargo intends to continue its communication about the initiative in the upcoming weeks.

“We will be hosting webinars to help customers navigate the new tool,” Jones said.

“We’ve organized four sessions already and we are obviously hitting the ground with all of our sales folks. Whatever assistance customers need to get there we will provide it. It’s very much at the ground level right now,” Casey said.

“It’s important we continue these webinars up to and after the launch. We would encourage our customer base to join us for one or more sessions so they feel comfortable with the tool,” said Jones.

“This is an industry focus and initiative on which we are really trying to move the dial forward for everyone’s benefit- for our customers, ourselves and the industry. Whatever they need we are here to help,” Casey said. CS

MINISTER GARNEAU BANS LITHIUM-ION BATTERY SHIPMENTS ON PASSENGER AIRCRAFT The Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport, has issued a new protective direction banning the shipment of lithium-ion batteries on passenger aircraft.

Effective April 1, 2016, the ban prohibits passenger aircraft in Canada from transporting shipments of lithium-ion batteries (packed on their own and outside of equipment). The protective direction reduces potential fire risks associated with lithium-ion batteries. Should one lithium-ion battery in a shipment overheat and catch fire, it could cause a chain reaction, resulting in the other batteries igniting as well, the release said.

The new protective direction falls in line with recommendations by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and will remain in effect until new

permanent rules for lithium batteries are added to the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations.

“Getting lithium-ion battery shipments off of passenger aircraft is the right move to make. The Government of Canada is committed to keeping the travelling public safe and I believe this measure, which will have no impact on the flying continued

10 May/June 2016 www.canadianshipper.com

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IN THE NEWS

continued from p. 10

public, will improve public safety,” said the Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport.

The ban does not affect lithium-ion batteries found in consumer products like cameras, cell phones, laptops, and medical equipment. Lithium-ion battery

shipments will still be permitted aboard cargo aircraft, provided that the batteries meet new requirements outlined in the protective direction.

Lithium-ion batteries differ from lithiummetal batteries, which are already banned from passenger aircraft in Canada. CS

SEAWAY OPENS 58TH NAVIGATION SEASON ICE FREE The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) marked the opening of the Seaway’s 58th navigation season today, with the transit of Canada Steamship Lines’ Thunder Bay through Lock 3 on the Welland Canal. The ship, carrying a load of road salt, will be replenishing stocks depleted by ice storms which repeatedly struck Eastern Canada over the winter. “We certainly welcome the warmer weather. A return to an opening in the third week of March provides our clients with the opportunity to move cargo in a timely manner, and make the most of the navigation season” said Terence Bowles, President and CEO of the SLSMC. Allister Paterson, President of Canada Steamship Lines, served as the keynote speaker at the opening.

“It’s an honour for CSL to be opening the Seaway this year with Thunder Bay, one of our state-of-the-art Trillium Class self-unloading Lakers. Like her five sister ships, this vessel is part of a new generation of vessels in the Lakes that are more energy efficient, environmentally-friendly, reliable and safe,” said Paterson.

“The ongoing investment in new vessels by a variety of Seaway carriers underscores our customers’ faith in the future of the waterway” said Bowles.

“In parallel with our customers’ investments, the Seaway’s award winning modernization program is now well over 50% complete, with Hands-Free Mooring operational at eight of the Seaway’s locks.

We are making steady progress in bringing about gains in efficiency and safety for all concerned, “The Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System continues to be an environmentally sustainable, vital route for commerce in the global supply chain,” said Betty Sutton, Administrator of the U.S. Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation.

“The combination of a rebound in Canadian manufacturing activity, a solid U.S. economy, and the prospect of more trade with Europe brings about several catalysts which may boost Seaway tonnage”, said Bowles. CS

12 May/June 2016 www.canadianshipper.com

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INDIA TRADE

‘BACK OFFICE’

BY KEN MARK

TO THE WORLD Is India poised to fulfill its destiny as 21st century nation?

14 May/June 2016 www.canadianshipper.com

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©szefei/Thinkstock

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INDIA TRADE

Doing business in India offers the promise of healthy future economic returns.

Along with a population of 1.2 billion people, it has the world’s seventh largest nominal GDP. India’s recent annual GDP growth rate of 7.6 percent makes it the world’s fastest growing major economy ahead of China.

If China is now the world’s shop floor; India is its back office. Many of the world’s largest corporations routinely outsource their administrative tasks to Indian firms.

But it is not just call centre activity thanks to a large number of English speakers – the legacy of being the jewel in the crown of the British Empire.

The true driver of such success and unusual for a so-called emerging economy is a vibrant IT sector led by thousands of returning students who have attended overseas universities in Canada and elsewhere.

The national breakthrough IT project is the continuing efforts to create a unique, 12-digit paperless personal ID number for each citizen. Hundreds of millions of Indians currently lack a proper birth certificate.

Each year millions of young people enter the work force. This adds to the already huge middle class with its growing appetite for a modern lifestyle. Consequently, India will soon have the largest and youngest workforce the world has ever seen.

In many ways, India is where China was in the mid-90s - a future economic powerhouse poised to fulfill its destiny of becoming a 21st-century nation.

The major obstacle to achieving that grand plan in future is the reality that, in India, everything moves very slowly. It’s the result of the parliamentary and legal system and the symbolic rail network. Says Ken Singh, Mississauga-based president of Atlas International Freight Forwarding Inc., “Recently there have been major campaigns to modernize the rail infrastructure including new IT systems. But all the decisions have

to be made democratically through the national parliament. That creates a burden because of various cultural and historic challenges. As a result, such projects move forward at an incredibly slow pace.”

Picking up the theme is Singh’s neighbour and logistics client, Kesh Gelda, president of Gelda Foods, a division of Gelda Scientific. “The challenge for most shippers and others is that to get things moving in India, you have to go through ‘channels’ since the rules and regulations are so tough.

“For example moving a container by rail from New Delhi to Mumbai - a distance of about 1,400 km, can take 10 to 14 days. Freight trains in India travel at about 25 km per hour unlike in Canada where it is closer to 100 km per hour. One simple explanation is that on India’s busy and crowded railway network passenger trains take precedence over freight.”

Plans for dedicated freight corridors (DFCs) are on the drawing boards that will bring together public and private sector investment. India Rail recently issued a timetable for such upgrade plans and the government of recently elected prime mister Narendra Modi is eager to get it passed in parliament quickly.

McCain Foods has become a major Canadian success story in India. Although it began in 1997, it took time for its long-range localization strategy that stressed adapting to the country’s different business practices and culture to kick in. Ultimately, McCain Foods changed the eating habits of millions of Indians while modernizing the nation’s frozen food industry and its retail grocery supply chain network. A key element to its success was to rely on its own corporate strengths and experience gained from becoming a $6-billon-a-year global food giant.

A quick overview of the firm’s successful penetration of the highly competitive Indian consumer market will yield practical tips for other Canadian companies. Although continued www.canadianshipper.com May/June 2016 15

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KLA_20

INDIA TRADE

continued from page 15

WHY GO WEST TO SHIP EAST? McCain's faced the challenge of marketing potatoes to suit Indian tastes.

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their products and services may differ and their potential customers may be in other regions and sectors of India, the overall challenges and opportunities will be similar to those that McCain faced.

First, the challenges. Potatoes are part of almost every Indian meal. But not French fries and certainly not the frozen variety. But the patience, experience and resources that have made the New Brunswick-based company a multi-billion-dollar global success story kicked in. After arriving in India in 1997, it initially focused on agricultural research to determine the type of potato to grow there, then introduced suitable farming, production and distribution methods.

It established a beachhead there by exporting frozen French fries from Canada to supply major fast-food chains such as McDonalds, KFC etc. Many Indians were familiar with such products from their foreign travels and attending schools abroad. Step two was to process them there as well as develop new products targeting traditional Indian tastes. One of them was a highly spiced French fry dusted with chickpea flour.

Those breakthroughs led to opening its first state-of-the-art plant in Gujarat state, 400 km north of Mumbai, India’s financial and business centre. Besides its strategic location, Gujarat was also known for being open to new ideas and foreign investment.

By coincidence, current Prime Minister Narendra Modi was formerly the chief minister of Gujurat state.

India, with 1.2 billion people who live in 29 provinces and seven territories, is a land of different cultures who have a reputation for fighting among themselves and with the central government.

According to Ken Singh, finding an accommodating and supportive state government makes life easier.

Another challenge was to make frozen foods more than a novelty. The key to success was offering a range of high quality affordable products readily available to consumers. McCain had to develop a reliable temperature-controlled supply chain and encourage retailers to install modern freezer space. Today, urban dwellers usually have a refrigerator with freezers.

Many of them have studied abroad where they were introduced to Western-style fast food. Equally, with both parents working, they have the money to enjoy the convenience of eating frozen versions of their favorite foods, lacking the time to make them from scratch.

McCain has successfully created frozen versions of many Indian favourites - including aloo tikki, masala fries and chili garlic potato bites. The market for such items continues to grow.

According to London-based Bill Bartlett, vice-president, Global Corporate Communications at McCain Foods, it has started to ship some of these made-in-India treats back to Canada for sale to caterers and retail grocers. Besides appealing to homesick Indians, such continued

DOCKET

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CANADIAN SHIPPER

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INDIA TRADE

continued from page 16

projects also target Canadians who were introduced to them during visits to India and others who want to try something different In reality, it is not necessary to be a global Pehr Designs' team examining textiles. giant to be successful over there. At the other end of the size spectrum sits Toronto-based Pehr Designs Inc. The online retailer of international home accessories targeted at women between 22 and 55 years old has only a handful of employees.

Says company co-owner and founder Jennifer Kelly, “We knew India could produce exceptional quality textile and were expert weavers. We knew that our consumers would respond well to products made there.”

Following McCain’s localization model, Pehr found a suitable agent through one of the factories making their products. Says Kelly, “It was not a traditional way to find an agent, but it worked out well for us. We started by working with the factories directly and soon realized the benefit of working with an agent.”

In addition, the firm requires all suppliers to be certified and regularly audited. That includes twice-yearly visits and direct relationships with the factory owners.

She says, “Walking through the factories and meeting the workers is critical. We also learn and understand much more about the

products by seeing production first-hand.”

All the items are sent directly to Pehr's U.S. or Canadian warehouses. Almost all the products are exported from India and very little sold there. While conceding that the firm has encountered logistics challenges, Kelly mentions that her biggest concern is working in a completely different time zone. “When production, transportation or logistics issues arise we often wish we were just there to deal with our team there to care of things," she says.

Pehr also has a team in Canada helping out as well. EDC provides Accounts Receivable insurance to protect its U.S. and international sales against non-payment. Through EDC’s Export Guarantee program it receives working capital for its export activities.

To succeed in India, companies need to follow in the footsteps of pioneering winners. CS Ken Mark is a veteran technology expert, who has covered supply chain management since it was called distribution and has documented its legitimization as a critical business function. He holds an MBA from York University.

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18 May/June 2016 www.canadianshipper.com

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FOOD LOGISTICS

A CHANGE IN MENU Preparing for new food safety rules

BY CARROLL MCCORMICK

©sorendls/iStock

C

anadian shippers and carriers exporting food to the United States face a lot of changes in order to become compliant with the Food Safety Modernisation Act (FSMA), published last September. It includes the Final Rule on Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food, published this April by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Some portions of this Final Rule, which is subsumed under the FSMA, are still in the comment phase, but the compliance dates, which depend on the size of the company, begin this September.

Regardless of their current practices, shippers and carriers will have to up their game in several areas, including changes to trailer inspections, cleaning and construction, tarps, hazard analyses and record keeping.

The changes to the FSMA are wide-ranging, and there are rules within the Rule. For example, there is the rule on Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food, which, according to the FDA, “… applies to shippers, receivers, loaders and carriers who transport food in the United States …” For Mexican and Canadian exporters to the U.S. it applies to truck and train transport. For other countries, it includes ship and air transport.

Another small-r rule is the Foreign Supplier Verification Programs (FSVP) for Importers of Food for Humans and Animals. On this, the FDA writes, “It is a program that importers covered by the rule must have in place to verify that their foreign suppliers are producing food in a manner that provides the same level of public health protection as the preventive controls or produce safety regulations, …”

These changes have the common goal of keeping food safe. For example, vehicles and transportation must be designed and main20 May/June 2016 www.canadianshipper.com

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tained to ensure food remains safe. The Rule covers transportation operations, such as temperature controls. It speaks to the protection of food from contamination, whether from other food or non-food items such as glass or wood splinters. Training, documentation and corrective actions are also specified.

One news item on the Final Rule has stated that the new regulations do not impact trucking directly, but this is incorrect. Yes, shippers are ultimately responsible for ensuring conformity to the new regulations, but their carriers will have to perform many specific chores if they want to keep working for any shipper subject to the Final Rule. “… under the new rule, shippers will be responsible [ for ensuring] that the shipment is OK. I will have to pass all of that on to my carriers: processes and procedures they will have to follow. Shippers will become a lot more thorough in making sure carriers meet the requirements,” says Todd Strickler, Manager, Logistics, North America, for Sanimax. “The FSMA has an entire section on the safe transport of food and feed.”

Sanimax is an international environmental solution provider for the agri-food industry, based in Montreal. It has 16 locations, including processing plants in Montreal, Hamilton and the U.S. It processes animal byproducts, such as carcasses, fat, bones, scrap meat, and used cooking oil. It produces powdered protein, used, for example, in pet food, and yellow grease, used in products such as soaps, cosmetics and lubricants.

Sanimax operates a 240-unit private fleet made up of a variety of vehicles, including vacuum continued

©IconicBestiary/iStock

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E-COMMERCE

In Reverse THE RISING IMPORTANCE OF RETURNS LOGISTICS

BY KEN MARK

24 May/June 2016 www.canadianshipper.com

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E-COMMERCE

I

n its short existence, e-commerce has successfully pushed reverse logistics higher up on the corporate totem pole of online retailers and their last-mile carriers.

The founding CEO of online shoe retailer, Zappos, Tony Hsieh, boldly told potential buyers, “Order five pairs and send back four if they don’t fit.”

His marketing masterstroke revolutionized e-retailing.

It removed a major psychological barrier to potential purchasers, particularly for women, who otherwise would never have dreamed of buying a pair of shoes without first trying them on in a store. As a result, online retailers who prominently display their returns policy and practices on the websites together with carriers, have developed more efficient ways to handle them.

Zappos benefited mightily as a result. When Amazon bought the company in 2009, its annual sales had reached US$1 billion, up from US$1.6 million in 2000.

And yet, Hsieh’s artful challenge to online buyers has not clogged up the e-commerce reverse logistics pipeline. Says Dave Mack, Mississauga-based Omni-Channel Retail vicepresident at SCI Logistics, a retail veteran with experience at The Source, RadioShack and Sears Canada, “Despite popular misconceptions, online product returns are only slightly higher than conventional in-store sales. In part, that may be because many consumers don’t like to make returns.

At the Source, it was single digit and only slightly higher than in-store sales. Currently, overall figures are five to 10% for many traditional stores and seven to 14% for their corresponding online sales.”

“But in the past 12 months, the return rate for apparel including footwear has jumped from 14% to 24%. That’s because it is quickly becoming one of the fastest growing segments.” continued

Photos courtesy UPS Canada

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E-COMMERCE

continued from page 25

Photo courtesy UPS Canada

Today, simplified returns policies and processes have become a differentiating marketing strategy rather than a mere supplychain afterthought. Says Craig Calvert, Burlington, Ontario-based Director of Customer Solutions for UPS Canada, “Having reverse logistics as a core part of their business strategy has created a positive online shopping experience and has made shoppers return customers.”

Statistics support Calvert’s conclusion that customers value a supportive returns policy as part of the omni-channel experience. According to a UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper 2013 Canadian study: • 65% of respondents want to be able to purchase online and make returns in-store.

• Over 50% of customers look for the return policy prior to making a purchase online.

More important, a good returns policy must also create a good returns experience. The survey also found that online shoppers who have made returns want free returns shipping (63%) and a “no questions asked” return policy (58%). An automatic refund (48%) is also very important for ensuring a good returns experience.

When Mack puts on his logistics hat, he notes that while online buyers prefer free over fast delivery, they also want to be sure that carriers will in fact deliver their order on the promised date.

He also points out some of the advantages that his firm’s parent, Canada Post offers such as 6,000 post office locations across Canada which can serve as both pick up and drop off points, initiate refunds as well as offer APIs (application program interfaces) and print proper return labels for SCI shipper clients. Many savvy online retailers already include such labels automatically with all their online orders.

The more recent 2015 UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper white paper, which surveyed 5,118 active online shoppers, documented several noteworthy shifts in consumer preferences for final delivery destinations. For example, the choice of home/residence slipped to 67%, down from 74% a year earlier. As well, support for package delivery lockers jumped to four percent up from two percent in 2014. The latter choice will likely continue to grow as such locations spread across North America. In the United Kingdom and much of Europe, they are everywhere.

Lost in the shuffle is the continuing role of brick-and-mortar stores in e-commerce reverse logistics. First of all, shoppers say they prefer dropping off items at a store although they usually ship unwanted products back to retailers. According to the 2015 UPS report, 70% of shoppers made new purchases when returning products to a store.

Recalling his own retail experience, Mack points out that conventional stores are not always properly set up to handle returns nor are staff trained to handle them quickly. Often the items sit around in back rooms. The key to recapturing the value of unwanted items is returning them to stock, recovering value through liquidators, or disposing of them as quickly as possible.

As well, traditional retailers must also contend with the seasonality of returns. As expected, online sales similar to conventional in-store sales peak late in the year so returns start rolling in after the holiday season. But that complicates life for retailers by disrupting their efforts to re-stock inventory and prepare for the spring season. As a result, many conventional retailers are bringing in third-party service providers to lend a hand.

In fact, the handling of returns offers further opportunities for online retailers to update their returns processes to gain brownie points with today’s conscientious consumers. For example, well. ca, a major health & beauty product site, besides providing a full refund for their purchase, also offers to certain customers the opportunity to donate the returned item to an organization or group to pass on to a member who could use it.

Although simplifying the returns process for consumers is useful, reducing product returns to zero is the ideal solution. For their part, carriers need to provide greater item visibility throughout the entire journey to its final destination.

UPS has introduced a range of programs to meet such needs.

Says Calvert, "Our customers look to us to assist in managing those returns and thus we have invested in services like UPS My Choice - a notification tool - and the UPS Access Point Network indicates where they can pick up their orders. Convenience, along with tracking transparency, is not solely cost saving measures but also growth measures as well."

But to eliminate the problem goes far beyond just mastering the related transportation and logistics issues. Dave Mack suggests that making greater use of analytics will provide online stores and even possibly retail sales reps with a clearer picture of a consumer’s past purchases and preferences that will go a long way to reducing returns. He says, “What retailers must do to reduce returns is to ensure that customers get the proper products in the first place.”

Unknowingly, Zappos sidestepped such retail logic and made a fortune by putting the company’s fate in the hands of logistics professionals. CS Ken Mark is a veteran technology expert, who has covered supply chain management since it was called distribution and has documented its legitimization as a critical business function. He holds an MBA from York University.

26 May/June 2016 www.canadianshipper.com

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PROJECT CARGO CASE STUDY

FOSSIL M

BY KIM STERLING

THE LOGISTICS BEHIND MOVING A TY

I

n the summer of 1884, Canadian geologist Joseph Tyrell and his team were looking for coal in the Red Deer River valley of Alberta when they stumbled upon a 70-million-year-old dinosaur skull; the first of its meat-eating species ever found. It was just a few kilometers from where the Royal Tyrell Dinosaur Museum of Palaeontology now stands in Drumheller, Alberta.

After carefully removing the fossil from its resting place, they tried to figure out how they were going to transport the massive fossil out of the valley. After all, they had arrived by canoe on the Red River and the skull was too big and too heavy to make the return trip that way. They carefully packed it and placed it on a buckboard – the only option available. Joseph’s group took great pains to preserve the integrity of their find as they made their way to Calgary – a painstaking, week-long, 150 kilometer journey. From there it was shipped to Ottawa by rail to the National Museum of Natural Sciences.

Fast forward more than 130 years and, thankfully, the logistics required to move massive dinosaur exhibits across Canada have improved significantly since Tyrell’s time.

Introducing a T. Rex Named Sue The legendary Tyrannosaurus Rex has long captivated public in-

terest, and Sue is the most famous T. rex of all! At 12.8 m (42 feet) long and 3.66 m (12 feet) tall at the hips, this T. rex inspires as much awe today as she did 67 million years ago.

Sue was uncovered in South Dakota in 1990 by palaeontologist Sue Hendrickson. After ownership disputes were settled, the fossil was auctioned at Sotheby’s in October, 1997 for $8.4 million (USD), the highest amount ever paid for a dinosaur fossil. Sue is now a permanent feature at the Field Museum in Chicago, Illinois.

The discovery of Sue ranks as one of the most important fossil finds ever, with tremendous educational value for scientists and the general public. With its extraordinarily powerful jaws and massive serrated steak-knife like teeth, T. rex is one of the largest flesh-eaters to have ever inhabited the Earth, and the T. rex still dominates popular perceptions of the Age of Dinosaurs.

The 'A T. rex Named Sue' dinosaur exhibit includes an exact replica of the original fossil. She’s quite a traveler, having been packed, transported, and re-assembled in 70 different locations around the world since 2000.

In mid-January of this year, the 'A T. rex Named Sue' exhibit was transported from Detroit’s Michigan Science Center to the Discovery Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, for a return engagement.

Sue’s last visit there was in 2011.

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L MOVES A TYRANNOSAURUS REX NAMED SUE The cross-border move involved 40 crates (some as large as a garden shed) shipped via three tractor trailers. To facilitate the move, cross-border customs paperwork had to be in order for the three trucks (provided by Keltic Transportation of New Brunswick, Canada) to pass together without delay.

The shipment, weighing in at 19,133 kgs (42,181 lbs.) took a total of three days to complete from pick up in Detroit to unload in Halifax. Streets near the Discovery Centre first had to be cleared of snow and a tilt-loader was used to offload the crates.

Under the watchful eyes of a technician from Sue’s home base at the Field Museum in Chicago, the Halifax Discovery Centre team assembled Sue with a scaffolding system and a beam lift with chainfall. The scaffold was built in place and Sue went up around it; then the scaffold system was taken down. Sue has 250 fully articulating sections and her rib cage alone weighs over 360 kg (800lbs).

Sue herself was put together in a day and a half, and the associated exhibits took about two and a half more days to install.

All in all, the move was smooth, but it also had its challenges.

“It’s not every day you get to move a 20,000 kg dinosaur exhibit,” observes Eric Dewey, President and CEO, Schenker of Canada Ltd. “It takes careful planning and execution to ensure that the logistics surrounding special projects like these are managed flawlessly.”

Not only did the planning and execution have to be managed properly, but the cross-border paperwork had to be in order as well.

“We’ve worked with Schenker on a couple of big project moves like Sue,” says Jeff McCarron, Director of Exhibits, Halifax Discovery Centre. “They understand that travelling exhibits like these are always one-of-a-kind – they take very careful planning and usually have special handling requirements.

“Our organization’s not-for-profit status and the nature of internationally touring exhibitions require very specific customs paperwork. Having a competent logistics team like Schenker’s is an enormous asset and helps us rest easy during what can be a stressful moving event,” adds Jeff.

What’s next for the “A T. rex Named Sue” dinosaur exhibit?

“This is the first time shipping the exhibit with Schenker and, based on the success of this delivery, we will be using them to ship Sue to her next destination which is the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, California, in May, 2016,” adds Lindsay Washburn, Traveling Exhibitions Manager, The Field Museum, Chicago. “Sue should prove to be an absolute thrill for children of all ages there as well.” CS Kim Sterling is Branch Manager with DB Schenker in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. www.canadianshipper.com May/June 2016 29

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WOMEN WITH DRIVE CONFERENCE

At just 25, Crisan said she isn’t always taken seriously in client meetings and once had a client jokingly ask her if she could legally work at her age. Despite this, Crisan said she believes being a millennial has helped her grow the Andy family business, even if it is the most challenging part of her job.

“We have two generations building the company at the same time,” Crisan said. “(My father and I are) building the structure, we’re hiring people…so sometimes there are diverging opinions. Sometimes there’s arguments, but learning how to work those arguments out and make the best decision for the company and for our team wins. For me, that’s the biggest challenge. My father has a lot of life experience and I have an educational background. I’m the first person from my family to graduate university. But through mutual respect and trust, sometimes experience wins over education and knowledge, other times it’s my education and knowledge that wins over the experience. But learning how to accept the other person’s opinion…is how we overcome that challenge.”

Erb agreed with Crisan that being a millennial within the family business, while challenging, is helping the business.

“We know how to move a truck from A to B,” she said. “(Erb) has trucking down pat. So as the market changes, we need to be innovative…and I’m part of a business development team to help rebrand the company with a new webpage and a stronger social media presence.”

So we can teach the older generation at Erb about the impact of social media and smart marketing, and they teach us about transportation, Erb added.

On managing their work/life balance, each of the panelists offered up their own advice as to what works for them, personally.

Meyers said that managing her career and social life has been something she’s struggled with, but she has found a solution by making friends at work.

“One of the things that I’ve done that’s worked for me is surround myself with coworkers, customers and suppliers that I respect and enjoy. So if I have to be en-

tertaining on a Friday or Saturday night, at least it’s with people I enjoy spending my time with,” she said.

In contrast, Erb said what works for her is separating her personal life and her work life equally.

“Everything I do I give it 100%…so when I’m at work, I’m all work. And I like to leave work at work,” she said. “And that’s hard nowadays because you’re constantly mobile and you’re just one click away…but you have to have a personal life because if you get out and do what you enjoy, you’ll have more energy to give to work.”

Kalhar said after she suffered an injury years ago, she has managed her work/life balance keeping one thing in mind – her health.

“Being in a leadership role is very demanding,” she said. “I need to be able to perform to support my team, and they need to be able to perform. I had a significant injury a few years ago…I had seven surgeries in a year and a half and it

really drove home how important it is to take care of yourself…there’s a few nonnegotiables in my week which is going to the gym and getting fresh air. While that life balance may not be able to happen every day or every week, it’s important to have downtime to take care of yourself.”

Finally, all panelists agreed that in order to drive more women into the trucking industry, mentoring is key. For Meyers, having a mentor was “life-changing.”

“I’ve worked very hard on surrounding myself with people I can learn from that can help me grow and it has changed my life,” she said. “It’s changed my personal life, my career. I’ve been very lucky.”

She added that at first she resisted help from others in the industry because she felt like she was a burden, but quickly learned that mentoring is rewarding for both parties.

“Don’t feel guilty about taking their time,” she advised the audience, "if you’ve been in the industry a while, to consider mentoring other women in the trade. CS

Diversity drives successful businesses: panel

T

he workplace of tomorrow is one that is changing.

Diversity within the workplace has become a hot button issue for many, as we see more women coming out of university and more businesses putting a focus on hiring those with different backgrounds and marketing themselves as being an inclusive place to work.

At Trucking HR Canada’s second annual Women with Drive Leadership Summit on March 3, a panel of diversity experts was asked to speak about this new changing work environment and how businesses can and should strive to be diverse and inclusive of all minorities if they want to see success.

The panel included Jennifer Laidlaw, diversity inclusion with CIBC, Shannon MacDonald, chief inclusion officer with Deloitte, and Kelley Platt, chief diversity officer, Daimler and president of Western Star Trucks.

By Sonia Straface

Lou Smyrlis, Truck News’ editorial director moderated the panel.

What is diversity?

To start, the panelists were asked to define diversity.

Platt explained that diversity is all about inclusion, saying, “Diversity is including the right people in the workplace. It’s really about respecting each individual in our organization…so whether you’re sweeping the floor at a truck plant or answering the telephones or whether you’re one of our senior sales and marketing people, your role is of value and you should be respected.”

MacDonald went on further to say that diversity is more than what people can see like gender, ethnic background, and accessibility. continued www.canadianshipper.com May/June 2016 31

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WOMEN WITH DRIVE CONFERENCE

continued from page 31

“On the surface, diversity is measured by what we can see. That’s why I think gender gets a lot of attention…and visible ethnicities,” she said. “But it’s what is under the surface… it’s the diversity of thought and the collaboration of ideas – that’s true diversity.”

She stressed that most HR teams think that by bringing in people of various ethnic backgrounds or more women into the workplace will automatically fix their diversity problem, when really they should be focusing on someone’s diverse thinking to achieve the goal of diversity.

Laidlaw built off of MacDonald’s comments saying that beyond achieving those different thinkers, a company needs to value that diversity.

“We want to get at those moments of truth,” Laidlaw said. “We can tick off all those boxes and say yes we have diversity…but the question is, are we valuing that diversity or are we trying to take dif-

ference and turn it into sameness? Diversity on its own has limited value because you have to unlock that value.”

To unlock the power of diversity, Laidlaw said those in leadership positions need to feel comfortable hiring people who may challenge them in the boardroom in order to leverage those different points of view. Otherwise, you risk devaluing the company’s diversity.

Why aren’t more women in the boardroom?

Statistics show than while women comprise almost half of the Canadian workforce (47%), they hold only 29% of senior management roles.

Which begs the question, why aren’t more women in these positions of power?

Platt said (while admitting she may be generalizing the situation) that she believes women don’t know where to look

for these positions or they believe they don’t deserve them. She added that sometimes it’s a matter of women being outsiders in a boardroom full of men.

“I’ve seen that when applying for a job, generally, men, if they can do 10% of what’s on the job description, they will put their name in the hat,” she said. “Women on the other hand, think they need to know 110% of what’s required for that job because they don’t ever want to make a mistake. So they keep themselves out of that role.”

Platt said she experienced this first hand when she was included in a meeting about hiring for a leadership position at a Daimler subsidiary. She worked for days with other senior managers thinking about who to hire, and while there were 7-8 men on the list, she got the call to lead the subsidiary even after she didn’t apply.

“I didn’t even think about it,” she said.

“I never thought about taking that role.”

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WOMEN WITH DRIVE CONFERENCE

Thankfully, her boss was right in hiring her and she did remarkably well at the subsidiary, growing it from the third largest school bus manufacturer to the largest.

MacDonald added that the drop in numbers between women in the total workforce and those in management roles has to do more with those people hiring those to be in management positions.

“We have to train ourselves to look at those who might be a little different and will want to do things differently,” she said. “When we drive a car, we’ve trained ourselves to look in our blind spot. And this is a huge blind spot. We have to ask ourselves, I have to hire someone for this team, have I thought of hiring someone different who wouldn’t normally fill this role?”

The panelists collectively agreed that in order to fix the disproportion between men and women in the boardroom, leadership needs to change to make women feel more comfortable in the workplace.

Why should women be in the boardroom?

Men and women are so different that it provides a great opportunity for diversity.

The panelists said it’s no secret that men and women think and react differently to certain situations and those conflicting perspectives should be celebrated, rather than feared, since different opinions will drive results.

“We need both men and women at the table and we need them to be well positioned and well equipped to work well together to value the fact that, you may come at this differently and I may come at this differently, but if we come at this differently we are going to get a better outcome,” said Laidlaw.

Beyond this, women also bring a certain personal touch to a business, said Platt.

“Women tend to think more about how you get results, not necessarily about what those results are,” she said. “They also tend to provide more recognition. And they tend to notice the little things, such as whether somebody actually has a problem at home that needs to be addressed.”

Finally, panelists said that the inclusion of women in the workforce will benefit men, not only from a economic point standpoint by making the business better and stronger, but from a lifestyle perspective, said MacDonald.

She said that more and more businesses are seeing how female leaders are making it okay for men to admit they want to be home more often and not stay in the office 24/7.

“If you’re going to see a soccer game for your kid, say you’re going to see a soccer game for your kid,” she said. “Because people who are thinking of having children need to hear that it’s okay. I think men have been engaged in parenting far more than they ever have admitted to for too long. Now this new generation of men wants to say that and I think women will be able to help men to say that it’s okay.” CS Sonia Straface is the assistant editor of Truck News and Truck West magazines. She graduated from Ryerson University’s journalism program in 2013 and enjoys writing about health and wellness and HR issues surrounding the transportation industry. Follow her on Twitter: @SoniaStraface.

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RETAIL LOGISTICS

Navigating the digital divide SURVEY EXAMINES CHALLENGES OF RETAIL LOGISTICS

J

ust how sophisticated are Canadian consumers and how digital is their path to purchase? A new Deloitte global survey, released this March, shows that, contrary to some preconceived notions, when stacked up against others, our U.S. neighbours in particular, Canadians have remarkably similar shopping preferences when it comes to the use of digital channels.

More than 2,030 Canadians participated in the 2015 global survey exploring how consumers around the world are using, and want to use, digital devices and channels during their in-store shopping journey. The survey reveals that Canadian shoppers are just as keen to shop online as Americans, yet the overwhelming majority of Canadians still shop in brick-and-mortar stores. This behaviour is the result of a lack of innovation in the last mile delivery, an emerging sophistication in supply chain, and early-stage omnichannel infrastructure, particularly in e-commerce and mobile capabilities, the survey indicated.

While the shopping preferences of Canadian consumers are leaning more and more to digital, their ability to shop that way in the Canadian market is limited.

Canadian retailers are struggling to keep pace with digital innovations, global marketplaces and international competition to meet the rising expectations of consumers, causing a digital divide.

There is a gap between how consumers want to shop and what retailers in fact provide. This divide is particularly pronounced in Canada in relation to the U.S., where retailers simply have more digital

capability than those in Canada.

Consumer expectations in digital are on the rise with rapidly increasing technological capabilities, necessitating an adjustment from retailers on their business models. Responding to the massive shift in consumer behaviour, retailers have been investing in e-commerce, social media, mobile and data analytics to better understand their buyers. They’re striving to develop and implement an omnichannel strategy “that delivers a compelling, engaging and seamlessly positive experience to consumers who have more information and choice than ever”, the study said.

Canadian retailers have also been embracing the challenge to serve the connected, empowered consumer-in-chief.

The question is: will they be able to keep up with the pace of change needed to be relevant in the digital and global marketplace? The survey suggests Canadian retail executives need to consider amplifying their digital efforts in order to take advantage of the digital impact and influence on total channel sales.

According to a Forrester Research report of online retail in Canada, Canadians spent $22 billion online in 2014, which accounted for about 6% of total retail sales in this country. With research showing Canadian retailers are lagging their global competitors in omnichannel offerings and distribution options, it’s clear there’s an opportunity for exponential growth in this space.

Global e-commerce sales are expected to double by 2018, and retailers with the right digital strategy and sound investment in omnichannel are positioned to reap the

rewards and pull ahead of the competition.

Foreign-based global retailers, competing for consumer dollars, are luring shoppers from across borders everywhere-including Canada-with a wide selection, competitive pricing, easy shipping and fast and convenient shopping. Keeping up with the ever-shifting digital landscape presents many new opportunities for retailers in this country-challenging, yes, but not insurmountable. If Canadian retail companies are to thrive and grow well into the future, they must continue to embrace the speed of digitization while improving the online customer journey and investing in the consumer experience, the survey suggested.

Canada–U.S. divide: The experience gap The survey shows few differences between how consumers on either side of the border like to shop if given digital options.

‘Digital’ runs the gamut from desktop and laptop computers to smartphones and tablets, from social media channels and retailers’ apps to in-store interactive devices like touchscreen walls. A quarter of shoppers in both Canada and the U.S. (24% and 25%, respectively) prefer to discover and learn about new products by using digital, while 27% of Americans and 25% of Canadians use them to evaluate products when they’re on the cusp of deciding which one to buy.

Almost the same number of consumers (38% in Canada, 40% in the U.S.) prefer to make their purchase with a digital device, be it a mobile wallet or a retailer’s app. As for how they want to get their goods home, slightly more Americans than Canadians (20% vs. 16%) prefer non-

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RETAIL LOGISTICS

traditional methods, such as having their merchandise shipped to their home or picking up the goods themselves at a convenient location.

The difference between Canadian and American consumers grows when it comes to how much influence the use of digital has on consumers as they decide what to buy, how to buy it and how to get it home, which Deloitte calls the digital influence factor. Forty-one percent of Canadian respondents say they were swayed by digital at some point, compared to 49% of Americans. An even greater difference arises when it comes to the mobile influence factor: the use of their mobile device influenced less than one in five (17%) of Canadian consumers along the purchase journey and almost one in three (28%) of Americans.

An opportunity exists for Canadian retailers choosing to focus on investing in

digital and mobile payment tools, instore and online, to take advantage of the resulting higher conversion rates and increased spending. More choice and ease of doing business could stem the loss of consumers going to foreign retailers that have a strong online presence and a robust distribution channel.

While an increasing number of Canadians are turning to digital channels to do their shopping, the majority continue to shop in physical stores. Of these, twothirds (67%) want to take the goods they buy home with them right away. However, only 55% say they typically can walk out the door with their purchase in hand: often, the merchandise must be ordered from another store or warehouse, presumably because it’s not on the shelves at that location. This represents a 22% shortfall in service between a customer’s preference and a retailer’s ability to meet expectation.

According to the study, the gaps between how shoppers would prefer to get their goods home and what is currently available to them are greater in the digital shopping sphere. Almost 33% of consumers who buy online would prefer their goods to be delivered to them at their home or office, while only 17% are able to do so. That’s a 94% shortfall in meeting customer expectations. A slightly narrower gap, of 80%, exists between online shoppers who’ d choose to pick up their purchases at the store if they could and 18% would like to click-and-collect but only 10% say they have the option.

Of course, Canada’s sheer geographical size and modest population density have long posed distribution headaches for any company that needs to move goods around it. Those working in retail find it no less challenging. Canadian retailers must operate with fewer distribution centres serving larger continued

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continued from page 35

geographic areas than those in the U.S. Product ubiquity needs to be improved in both traditional and online channels. Location is an important factor for those who want to obtain their merchandise at the store, whether shopping in person or online.

Effectively predicting consumers’ digital

shopping behaviours and fulfillment preferences will be key to meeting their expectations in the future, while providing them choices to buy any way they want through avenues such as click-andcollect. The question is: how do retailers strategically use their stores to act as micro-

distribution centres to accommodate this consumer behaviour?

The result is that retailers in Canada are becoming increasingly vulnerable to losing consumers to those that are keeping pace with digital advances. To keep Canadians spending at home, retailers should focus on driving brand experience, integrating analytics into the core of their business and strategically understanding the omnichannel consumer’s changing path-to-purchase.

In fact, customers who use social media before, during or after buying an item are four times more likely to spend more money than they normally would have.

Meeting customers' expectations and connecting with them in the digital sphere can lead to increased visits to brick-and-mortar stores, too.

The next generation of omnichannel will be based on strategic and predictive analytics capabilities, and the ability to offer a fully customized and personalized experience. These capabilities, in turn, increase basket size, deepen customer loyalty and drive brand experience. Consumers reveal an extraordinary amount of information about themselves when they use a retailer’s digital channels, providing data that can be potentially very profitable—if retailers understand how to get and effectively use the insights, that is.

Investing in the right resources to do so would be well worth the costs in the ROI. Retail companies in this country do face unique and difficult challenges, some of which are beyond their control.

They can’t change the higher costs associated with distributing goods, for example, or the fact that they don’t have economies of scale relative to their U.S. competitors.

But with challenge comes opportunity.

Retailers can get ahead by identifying how to make the most of their existing digital assets and where to make new digital investments. They can focus on bringing digital in-store to enhance the consumers brand experience, giving them a unique in-person advantage.

Whatever strategies Canadian retailers are considering in this shifting digital landscape, what is certain is that they will need to implement them soon to stay the course against new and non-traditional competitors. Finding ways to close the digital divide can prove to be a competitive advantage for Canadian retailers. CS

36 May/June 2016 www.canadianshipper.com

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SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

Defeating Disruptors The new players on the landscape in supply chain

BY JULIA KUZELJEVICH

I

n its recent 2016 Commercial Transportation Trends white paper, PwC authors Dr. Andrew Tipping and Andy Schmahl offered strategies freight carriers can use to defeat disruptors.

Based in Chicago, Dr. Andrew Tipping leads the U.S. transportation practice and specializes in organization and change leadership. His is also Managing Partner of the Chicago office.

Andy Schmahl, partner, strategy, is a Principal in the Pwc Chicago office and part of the Engineered Products and Services team.

In conversation with Canadian Shipper, the authors said they wrote the article after seeing a lot of interesting changes afoot in transportation.

In the North American context, Schmahl noted, one of the most important changes lies in the area of distinguishing between asset heavy carriers and asset light distribution companies.

In the past, very rarely did the two meet. There was a host of reasons why these distinctions existed.

Nowadays there’s been a bit of a crumbling of the wall between asset heavy and asset light players.

“There’s a greying of the lines between

the different organizations,” Tipping said.

There’s a blurring of roles, so whether players are competitors or collaborators is a much greyer distinction than in the past.

With asset light companies, there isn’t really any secure capacity. When it comes to peaks, it’s difficult to serve their customers.

Says Schmahl, before, shippers had more scattered sources of consumption and required someone who could move something from Manitoba to Toronto easily.

“What we’ve seen though, especially with companies as influential as Amazon, is that distribution centres are now hyper local, within just miles of the general population.”

This enables shared warehousing with which to do it.

Shared warehouse concepts, and dedicated warehouse management are a new and growing thing, enabled by technology.

With hyper-local distribution, the national carrier becomes a “quaint relic of the past.”

You have companies that can very easily move from one part of the city to the other.

Now when you’re doing it more in bulk, those last mile type things are becoming more local, he said.

Tipping said the long distance, overnight

©David Jones/iStock

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sortation carriers were more relevant with distribution centres that were far apart.

The strategy of most legacy carriers, said Schmahl, is that getting effective goods movement across distances is important.

With nearshoring, offshoring, and the advent of 3D printing, this also changes ideas about where things are going to be sourced.

“Globality will always be important but it opens up the potential for the little guys to move in, like the crowdsourcing fillers,” he said.

“Shippers are looking more at a “where should A be, if I have to get something to B, and the need for optimizing scale to reduce the total bill. They need more handholding than some of the big guys can do. Crowdsourcing is there because many companies just need ad hoc transportation.”

It will be a long way to overcome trust factors but technology and tracking will help small entrants live with the incumbents, Tipping said.

“Technology is so long overdue as to be farcical as are the number of paper documents that are still used, printed documents, keystrokes etc. -it’s kind of ‘mindblowing’ to other industries,” he added.

Improving technology will be key to not disrupting yourself.

“If you’re only going to play a small role, play it well. Don’t try to be all things to all people. There’s a need for a change in philosophy about your role and the way to challenge the status quo,” Tipping said.

The concept of digitization around the trucking space can’t be underemphasized.

“With mergers and acquisitions there is a huge uptick in interest among foreign companies looking to enter North America, and private equity investment in logistics startups. If you are a legacy carrier and comfortable doing things the way you have been doing them, maybe this time it’s really different. You’re starting to see where the little guys could leverage technology and crowdsourcing to synthesize and play bigger than they really are,” Tipping said.

“Timing also comes up. Our crystal ball is no better than anyone else’s but when you look at disruptors there’s technology, economics, and legislation. It’s not an economics problem usually- a huge amount is regulatory change, varying in each country to country environment. Regulatory limitations are one of continued www.canadianshipper.com May/June 2016 37

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SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

continued from page 37

the biggest pace setters,” said Schmahl.

Five trends have been identified as changes that are affecting dynamics for shippers in more complex supply chains: The supply chain is fracturing into “expanding nodes”. There is recognition among shippers that transportation and logistics can yield a competitive advantage for them-it’s a strategic consideration that is based on customer expectations, sales volume and product mix.

There is an expanded presence of highmargin shippers requiring exceptional handling, security, reliability, and tracking procedures from their transport companies.

Disruptive events have also become more frequent and have greater magnitude: higher demand peaks, geopolitical uncertainties are causing shippers to reevaluate their procurement tactics and efficacy of networks.

E-commerce is experiencing double digit growth and making inroads in the b2b arena, where shipment complexity is higher and transparency and tracking requirements are greater.

As a result of these trends, new demand patterns are being created. Freight traffic growth has stalled even though fuel costs have declined.

The study finds many companies have used M&A for growth but that assuming a strategic approach is a better option.

Local network builders buck the conventional model of centralized warehousing and expansive transportation networks for distributed, localized structure, exploiting the benefits of speed and dynamic flexibility at a competitive cost.

Third party logistics consolidators are an example.

Another disruptor could be called the “crowdsourcing fillers”. These are companies that leverage the fundamentals of social networks offering shippers supply chain flexibility and agility.

Their success “is not a foregone conclusion”, the study said, but their very existence suggests that a creative and flexible model that addresses today’s workforce challenges, such as driver availability and unionization, eventually will succeed.

The third disruptor, “startup simplifiers”, target new and small shippers that don’t offer enough volume to warrant the attention of larger carriers.

Their elevator pitch is that they view shippers as more than just high-margin customers to be harvested by a special-

ized sales force. They see shippers as a distinct customer segment requiring specific and differentiated products and services. Their offerings often go beyond shipments to a broader set of logistics activities, like website design and online channel management.

The fourth disruptors are the big data manipulators. They use a strategy that harnesses digital capabilities and the power of analytics to satisfy shippers that require more consumer-like buying experiences and greater control over their shipments.

These services, managed well, can also yield substantial cost savings for the carriers and logistics companies providing them. These savings can be reinvested in extending their digital competence.

The fifth disruptors, hybrid carriers, seek to balance the traditional divide between asset-light and asset-heavy models.

They have a combined ground network with the best of both services: a base load of fully controlled, owned equipment plus a portfolio of instantly available, nonowned equipment that can be contracted to manage demand fluctuations.

These niche value offerings will not likely come to dominate the commercial freight transportation and logistics industry but are already reshaping the sector, said the study.

How do you defend against disruptive business models?

Through developing a set of capabilities that address changing customer needs, that are sufficiently flexible to shift direction to match changing customer preferences, and importantly, that take advantage of the deep specialization that the firm excels in while improving operating efficiencies to drive optimum performance.

What should executives of established commercial transportation and logistics companies do to defend against these disruptive business models, and how can you strengthen your market position in the current environment?

As “pathways to success”, the authors advocate creating a “better balance between customer needs and operational efficiencies.”

Frontline employees should be empowered and encouraged to address shippers’ challenges within the framework of their daily duties.

They should be able to provide shippers with greater visibility and maneuvrability with respect to the timing and

mode of shipments. They should automatically aid shippers with global, crossmodal solutions.

They should enable supply-side vigilance and strategic deal making and integration in mergers and acquisitions.

For example, companies should seek to understand how customer needs are being addressed by any competitors. When product and capability gaps are identified, companies consider acquiring companies that fill in those holes in your business model.

In itself, mergers and acquisitions is not a sufficient strategic response to the shifting demands of shippers, the authors said. M&A can be an excellent tool for obtaining capabilities and fleshing out product and service portfolios, but only if you have an effective tactical plan for meeting customers’ needs.

Fully deploy data analytics and digital management: this includes tools needed to capture and store data effectively, the analysts who unlock insights from data, and the pathways needed to transform those insights into operational realities. Integrate this data with your customers’ systems, and with the systems of other third-party firms they work with. Design and implement advanced customer-facing digital tools.

Enhance network agility and support capacity management. Develop your own local shipping networks or use third-party networks, bypassing traditional hub-andspoke operations and taking advantage of more dynamic approaches to pickup and delivery of goods. These local networks can be more flexible than national systems because their packages travel only a short distance. They can promise overnight delivery even for pickups as late as 10 p.m., which gladdens many shippers because most Internet orders are placed after dinnertime. Moreover, local networks can support the effective management of supply chain disruptions and of large variations in demand on a daily, monthly, and annual basis.

Together, adopting these capabilities -or the right combination of them for your company’s business model and customer base -can help carriers and logistics companies respond to the shifts in shipper demand that have opened the door to disruptors emerging within their markets. “That’s a much more palatable option than sitting back and watching as your position in the marketplace erodes,” said the study’s authors. CS

38 May/June 2016 www.canadianshipper.com

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AWARD WINNING SUPPLIERS ARMOUR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS BISON TRANSPORT CONESTOGA COLD STORAGE TRAILER WIZARDS

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AWARD WINNING SUPPLIERS

Armour Transportation Systems' Ralston Armour, president of Courier & Logistics, on the growth of courier, visibility and building efficiency CANADIAN SHIPPER: What do you see as the top challenges and/ or trends that will drive your courier and/or logistics division in 2016?

RALSTON ARMOUR: In courier, we continue to see a trend in small package delivery as the online shopping market grows. Through the online marketplace, consumers can now purchase anything at any time, driving service demands. Technological requirements around real-time delivery information, detailed shipment updates and electronic signature capture have pushed the industry into both a provider of freight and data delivery services and the challenge is providing these requirements at current pricing levels.

Logistics is a growing market as national companies look to build a faster delivery mousetrap for their product regionally. This is a trend that has developed as larger suppliers move regional offices back to larger city centers, but yet still want to keep inventory readily available locally. The Port of Halifax also presents a great opportunity in logistics as container traffic grows with a national and international distribution requirement.

CANADIAN SHIPPER: What are some of your key strategies for these divisions?

RALSTON ARMOUR: In both divisions, we must continue to find ways to be more efficient. In the courier market, customers are looking for high service levels and increased freight visibility as consumers have increased options when selecting both their product and their carrier. We must reduce our costs or do things smarter. We have invested heavily in our IT infrastructure in 2016 to help give us the tools to find these efficiencies.

Logistics is in a similar situation around finding efficiencies, but for a different reason. As the demand grows, limitations revolve around capacity and space. Finding efficient or innovative ways to add capacity without increasing costs by expanding the building or renting outside is key to being more efficient and reducing costs. This includes taking advantage of unique warehouse layouts, racking designs or new technologies to maximize storage capacities without increasing the physical size of your space.

CANADIAN SHIPPER: You were the first company in Canada to help design and go live with a full system solution (the new TMW Truckmate computer system). Can you discuss how you expect the solution will address or accommodate the requirements you have set out for it?

result, we set out to find a solution that would provide us with the tools to meet customer demands, improve efficiencies, drive out redundant tasks, and allow for increased productivity.

Our operation is somewhat unique where our truckload, intermodal, LTL, and courier divisions are very integrated. Where the mix makes sense, a truck in the LTL environment could deliver a courier shipment and a truck in the courier fleet could deliver an LTL shipment, as an example. With that, TruckMate offered a system that was flexible enough for us to integrate this mix of services into one solution.

Because completely overhauling our systems was a huge undertaking, we allocated 22 months for the full implementation. A team of five key players representing various departments at Armour worked alongside a team from TruckMate throughout the project while leveraging subject matter experts from various areas in both organizations.

Like any large implementation, there were some initial challenges but we have a great team who worked through it with us.

Certainly some takeaways to the success of any project this large would be thorough training and detailed process review.

Once fully optimized, we are excited for what the system will bring to our customers and do for our organization.

CANADIAN SHIPPER: As an instrumental player in the economy of the Atlantic region of Canada, can you discuss any specific issues you experience as a carrier with regard to the region’s economy, geography, politics, etc? What initiatives are you involved in to promote the region and strengthen business opportunities there?

RALSTON ARMOUR: Geography in Atlantic Canada is always a challenge, as we joke that we are like one large city that covers four provinces. Fortunately we have built an extensive terminal network throughout the region to support the necessary service requirements. Although our economy has lost most of our major exports, like the paper mills, and more regional offices have moved back to larger centers to be handled from afar, business still seems to thrive here. There are a variety of small local and regional businesses and entrepreneurs who support our economy and, in turn, support Armour.

CANADIAN SHIPPER: Any new products, services you hope to roll out in 2016 beyond what has been mentioned?

RALSTON ARMOUR: 2016 will be all about defining processes and

As customer demands increase for better service, greater visibility of freight and minimal pricing increases, we quickly realized this would be difficult to achieve with our 25-year-old system. As a

RALSTON ARMOUR:

leveraging the capabilities of our new system. We knew going into this change that there would be challenges presented as opportunities and we are working towards these opportunities.CS

40 May/June 2016 www.canadianshipper.com

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ATLANTIC CANADA’S AWARD

WINNING CARRIER We are very proud to be recognized both nationally and regionally as a leading transportation and logistics specialist and one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies for the 12th consecutive year. Thanks to our customers’ continuous support, we are able to focus on maintaining excellent service, remaining flexible, staying true to our commitments and developing innovative solutions that help our clients.

With more than 2,000 employees, 4,000 pieces of equipment and 26 freight terminals, the Armour team continues to provide award-winning service to our valued customers across North America. Our many divisions, extensive fleet resources and strategic partnerships enable us to provide shippers with a full transportation and logistics solution and serve a wide variety of industries. For more information about our company, please visit our website.

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R

AWARD WINNING SUPPLIERS

BISON Transport's Jeff Pries, SVP Sales and Marketing, on professional drivers and growth plans for 2016.

CANADIAN SHIPPER: What do you see as the top challenges and/ or trends that will drive company strategy in 2016, whether on the human resources, economy, regulatory or other fronts?

There is a collective excitement for 2016; however, it is a challenging and uncertain time in our industry. Volatile fuel prices, currency fluctuations, and changing economic and political environments create turmoil and uncertainty in the market. We also see the recent Electronic Logging Device (ELD) mandate in the U.S. shifting interest to carriers like Bison who are already using ELDs across 100% of their fleets. That said, we have seen challenging times before, and like dealing with deregulation in the 90’s and the recession of 2008/09, Bison will stretch itself and shine.

JEFF PRIES:

CANADIAN SHIPPER: Bison Transport has been widely recognized once again for your safety record and driver programs. Do you anticipate you will be able to continue having the success you’ve had on the driver retention front in the face of changing demographics and if so, why?

Being a Professional Driver is a challenging career, and Bison strives to support our Drivers in their success. Investing in skills development, technology and continuing to evolve our operating patterns to support the shift in lifestyle needs are key focuses of Bison to ensure we remain a carrier of choice for Professional Drivers. In addition, our Entry Level Driving Program allows those new to the industry to join a carrier invested in their success and development. We recognize the importance in continuing to elevate our business, by meeting our changing needs and continually enhancing our various programs to support this progression.

way you do business and has the driver population been impacted?

Social media is fully integrated with all of our marketing efforts and the driver population is our largest and most engaged audience, especially on Facebook and LinkedIn.

JEFF PRIES:

CANADIAN SHIPPER: Do you think that the carrier-shipper relationship/collaborative environment is improving, and if so, what are the major factors behind the improvement?

JEFF PRIES: The carrier-shipper relationship is ever evolving.

Even though business conditions may be the same for two companies, our relationship with them may be quite different. Shippers need to secure capacity and face financial pressures, where carriers need to secure freight yet must be adequately compensated.

Part of our mission statement promotes to 'Enable Our Customers'. Part of this is helping a customer find efficiencies, with the understanding that we benefit the more we can help them benefit.

We have many mutually beneficial partnerships.

JEFF PRIES:

CANADIAN SHIPPER: Bison launched the ‘What Drives You?’ campaign Jan. 1, which aims to promote the myriad reasons transportation industry professionals do what they do each and every day. How has the campaign been going so far and what are the next steps?

This campaign was a great success. We had very high engagement and we learned some valuable lessons; namely: i. While compensation is important, it was clear that drivers placed greater value on many other benefits. ii. Trucking is a great career appealing to a diverse group. iii. No two drivers had the same motivations, which enforces the notion that we can’t assume all truck drivers think the same thing. Some drivers care mainly about pay, while others care about respect or knowing that they are making a difference. As a carrier, we need to create tailored careers and benefits for varied driver groups.

JEFF PRIES:

CANADIAN SHIPPER: Has social media changed the

CANADIAN SHIPPER: Can you discuss any new products, services, launches, etc. you hope to roll out in 2016?

JEFF PRIES: We have just opened our new Mississauga terminal due

to demand and projected growth. Our short-haul lanes in the Northeast U.S. are growing rapidly and we also see expanding our dedicated fleet capabilities. Our intermodal service has seen rapid growth due to new options and strong partnerships with our rail providers.

CANADIAN SHIPPER: Any other milestone achievements within the company you would like to highlight?

JEFF PRIES: We were just named “North America’s Safest Fleet” by the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) for the 10th year in a row. Winning awards is not the goal but this recognition does validate why we have built a ‘culture of safety' at Bison. This culture benefits our customers, our professional Drivers, and the general motoring public. We are very pleased to see that our standards are influencing other fleets to adopt a similar mindset.

From a growth perspective, we have a talented team that will collaborate and find ways to gain efficiencies and strengthen our organization. Our leadership team will invest in our business and our people in 2016 and beyond, with the goal of increasing our overall revenue by 50% by 2020. From an efficiency perspective, we will continue to adapt our business philosophies and practices through initiatives such as the Four Disciplines of Execution (4DX) and by implementing Lean.

We don’t just accept change, we pursue change. CS

42 May/June 2016 www.canadianshipper.com

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RELIABILITY STARTS WITH THE DRIVER

“ My goal is to make sure your product arrives on time and intact.”

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AWARD WINNING SUPPLIERS

Greg Laurin, President Conestoga Cold Storage, on REGS, GROWTH and WMS CANADIAN SHIPPER: Conestoga operates five fully-automated cold storage warehouses with a total storage volume of over 37 million cubic feet. You are serving customers worldwide. Can you discuss trends you are seeing with regard to particular products and flows?

With the reduction in value of the Canadian dollar, we have noticed an increase in the amount of Canadian made products being exported to the U.S.. We have also seen U.S. companies moving manufacturing to Canada in order to take advantage of the lower Canadian dollar. Our customers are paying close attention to recent discussions surrounding the new European trade agreement and the Trans Pacific Partnership. Its implementation could result in the opening up of previously untapped markets, particularly for beef and pork producers.

LAURIN:

CANADIAN SHIPPER: With regard to the full export and import capabilities at some of your facilities can you discuss the process/steps that enabled you to achieve this capability?

LAURIN: We expect to see more and more product manufactured

in Canada. The GTA is already the 3rd largest food manufacturing region in North America, behind California and Chicago. Droughts in California and the lower Canadian dollar are both strong incentives to manufacture in Ontario. Our corporate tax rate is, for the moment, also a competitive advantage.

CANADIAN SHIPPER: Can you discuss the computerized system and any upgrades/investments/improvements you are planning for 2016?

LAURIN: We have always preferred to control and design our own Warehouse Management System (WMS) system. Our WMS systems are integrated into our ASRS robotic systems and require a lot of customization and programming sophistication. EDI communication is also increasingly important but still requires customization and configuration for each new setup. We have found that onsite programmers and EDI experts allow us to set up and customize customer requirements more quickly and for lower costs than relying on outside providers.

We have an excellent relationship with the CFIA and have longstanding approval to ship to EU countries. Our facility in Kitchener is one of the only facilities in Canada approved to ship products to the Chinese market. Our automated systems, computer controlled product tracking and recall reporting give inspectors and customers the confidence they need to guarantee all tracking and exporting documents are accurate and that products have been expertly loaded.

LAURIN:

CANADIAN SHIPPER: What is the approval process like for CFIA and what are some best practices you employ to maintain the rating?

LAURIN: The CFIA approval process is relatively straightforward.

All of the documentation and requirements are posted online.

Once the reports and HACCP plans are registered, an inspector will perform a site inspection of the facility and issue an approval.

Procuring an approval to ship to other countries can be more difficult as there are often local legislation and requirements that differ from North America. It takes working with a consultant who is familiar with the region to work through the registration process.

The key to maintaining a high rating with any inspection agency is to ensure documentation is accurate and physical processes match those outlined in your HACCP plan.

CANADIAN SHIPPER: Where do you anticipate an increase in product coming into your facilities?

CANADIAN SHIPPER: How has warehouse management evolved in your opinion and what are the challenges to the running of such facilities?

LAURIN: The number of transactions in both pallet movement and case picking have increased dramatically at all of our facilities. The volume that we handle at our largest facilities could not be tracked accurately without an RF enabled computer system that tracks product at every step of the process. As we have become more automated, we have found that attracting young, skilled employees has been a challenge. The cold storage and warehousing industry does not tend to be top of mind for students coming out of technical training and universities. We have to work hard to find and retain top talent. We work closely with technical colleges and are participating in job fairs in order to highlight the exciting opportunities our industry has to offer young people with computer, maintenance and robotics backgrounds.

CANADIAN SHIPPER: Can you discuss any plans for new facilities, etc. or expansions this year?

LAURIN: We are currently constructing an automated building in

Mississauga that will add 12,000 pallets and are finalizing plans for another extension that will open in 2017. The increased demand for storage has come primarily from our existing customers’ growth, specifically from customers shipping large volumes to the U.S.. CS

44 May/June 2016 www.canadianshipper.com

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AWARD WINNING SUPPLIERS

Trailer Wizards' Anne McKee, Chief Operating Officer, on providing steadfast, professional commercial trailer solutions CANADIAN SHIPPER: What do you see as the top trends that will drive company strategy in 2016, whether on the human resources, economy, regulatory or other fronts?

Our strategy remains steadfast: “To provide professional commercial trailer solutions throughout Canada with fast, customer-friendly service”. We have been in business for more than 50 years and understand the cyclical nature of this business environment. In every economy we know how essential it is to be customer-centric. Currently the uncertain economy is creating pain points for many of our customers. It is critical that we act as appropriate business partners; keeping the fleet in great shape to avoid downtime, driving out costs and keeping rates affordable. 2016 challenges will include dealing with equipment affordability and reliability. The affordability relates to the exchange rate – over which we have no control. The reliability is partially driven by the changes to the equipment specs due to regulatory demands. A 2016 opportunity is harnessing the potentials of some of the new technologies available to drive out cost through operational efficiencies. The technological advances are quite exciting.

I do believe the collaborative environment amongst supply chain stakeholders is improving. There have been greater opportunities for dialogue – which can lead to better understanding of the challenges faced by all.

ANNE MCKEE:

ANNE MCKEE:

CANADIAN SHIPPER: What are the top challenges that have

changed the way you approach your business and can you elaborate on how these challenges may evolve?

It is also now more important than ever that we approach training rigorously.

‘Excellent employees’ is a key part of our strategy. Service maintenance employees are more than half of our employee base. Ensuring that this group receives the right training delivered the right way is essential if we are to have a safe, reliable operating fleet.

CANADIAN SHIPPER: Can you discuss any new products, servic-

One of the top challenges is equipment reliability.

This isn’t a slam on manufacturers and OEMs. The changing regulatory environment is creating needs for consistent changes in equipment components. New products can have unforeseen issues that end up in failures and warranty. Warranty is taking more time than ever. We now have an early alert system when we believe we are starting to see a trend of repairs. We are working to get ahead of failures before they become a side of the road issue for our customers.

It is also now more important than ever that we approach training rigorously. ‘Excellent employees’ is a key part of our strategy. Service maintenance employees are more than half of our employee base. Ensuring that this group receives the right training delivered the right way is essential if we are to have a safe, reliable operating fleet. Our Super Wizards national tech challenge has definitely provided our technicians with a great way to compete, learn and have fun.

ANNE MCKEE:

CANADIAN SHIPPER: Do you think that the collaborative

environment amongst supply chain stakeholders is improving, and if so, what are the major factors behind the improvement?

es, launches, etc. you hope to roll out in 2016?

ANNE MCKEE: Trailer Wizards doesn’t stand still! 2016 will see additional maintenance facilities and trailer yards added to our network. We have been listening to our customers and ensuring we are where they need us to operate. For instance Brandon, Manitoba, Lethbridge, Alberta and London, Ontario are several areas where we have grown our presence after listening to our customer’s preferences. As well, we will be continuing our operational excellent drive with the continued roll out of cloud technology to improve efficiency, productivity and our ability to service our customers.

CANADIAN SHIPPER: Any other milestone achievements within

the company you would like to highlight?

Trailer Wizards continues to grow to support our customer requirements. This year saw the opening of a 28 bay facility in Edmonton. Yes – during a downturn. We can proudly say the bays are all busy. We have an amazing group of technicians in Edmonton who provide top quality work. That is an achievement in the current Alberta economy! CS

ANNE MCKEE:

46 May/June 2016 www.canadianshipper.com

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Over $2B 11% 10%

$30M-$60M

$500M-$2B

10% 12%

8% 13%

$60M-$100M

$100M-$500M

Geographic region of responsibility

Annual logistics budget

35%

$10M-$20M Over $20M $5M-$10M 19%

22% 18%

6%

8% $1M-$5M

Less than $100,000

16% 17%

11%

2% Canada domestic

Canada/ US

24%

NAFTA

Global

Annual spending on transportation

$500,000-$1M

$100,000$500,000

Percentage of total transportation costs spent on internal resources

Over $20M

68% of respondents

$5M-$10M

$500,000-$1M

15% 13%

11% $10M-$20M 6%

$1M-$5M 19%

18% Less than $100,000

19% 8%

18% $100,000$500,000

48 May/June 2016 www.canadianshipper.com

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Less than 10%

11-20%

5% 21-30%

More than 30%

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RETROSPECTIVE

Towards Collaboration Canadian Transportation’s June 1967 cover featured in this issue's Retrospective focused on the “angry” issues between shipper and carrier. While today the shipper-carrier relationship can at times still be contentious, for several years now Canadian Shipper, along with our sister publications Truck News, Fleet Executive and Dan Goodwill and Associates, have taken a proactive approach to improving shipper-carrier relations, by bringing the buyers and providers of surface transportation services under the same roof with our annual Surface Transportation Summit to discuss and debate key industry issues. Our current TMTV video series on www.canadianshipper.com, and sponsored by Shaw Tracking, focuses on the Summit discussion. This year’s shipper-carrier panel themed 'Shipper-Carrier Collaboration' included three prominent shippers, the leaders of three trucking companies and the head of a 3PL. Dan Einwechter, Chairman & CEO, Challenger Group, Jason Dubois, President, Len Dubois Trucking, Doug Munro, President, Maritime-Ontario Freight Lines, Kelli Saunders, President, Morai Logistics, Ginnie Veslovaitis, Director, Transportation Operations, Hudson’s Bay Company, Alex Boxhorn, Logistics Manager, Loewen

m Norton

Windows and Kim Wildenmann, Traffic Coordinator, Lantic Inc. engaged in the discussion led by Lou Smyrlis.

The panel looked at whether outsourcing is on the increase for shippers, at the competitive pressures driving the transportation industry, and strategies at planning for the “unexpected”.

G

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COACHING CORNER

During times of change, there is only one way to be and one person to trust. YOU As a reminder, please submit your questions in confidence to www.thecoachingcorner.ca Q/ HOW SHOULD YOU ACT IN A WORK ENVIRONMENT WHERE YOU ARE NOT SURE WHOM TO TRUST AS A RESULT OF CHANGE?

Change in the workplace brings about uncertainty, which is the single greatest stressor to most of us. Change is a funny thing; there are so many dimensions to it.

It can be planned or unexpected, well thought out or patched up as it goes. It can be a single element such as a new manager, new supervisor, or an entire shift to a new CEO because of a merger or purchase/sale.

A/ The answer to your question is a single word: professional. You should act like a professional. During uncertain times, the dynamics shift quite rapidly. People may begin to assess the new political landscape and begin to align their personal goals and agendas with the new environment.

As for whom to trust, as a professional you are truly an 'Intrapreneur', meaning that just like an entrepreneur owns his or her own business you own and are responsible for your career and professional brand. Every action, every interaction can mean an opportunity to take charge and be the creator of your role in your new reality. Here are some suggestions: 10 | Volunteer for Special Projects – This will give you the opportunity to highlight different skills as well as interact with different leadership levels or departments. It also shows good corporate citizenship and team spirit.

9 | Introduce a cause or charity you are passionate about – be it a green initiative or fund raising for a specific charity, if there is a cause you truly believe in and are passionate about make sure you clear

it with HR or are given the goahead before linking it to your organization.

8 | Become a mentor or sponsor for a junior colleague. Whether inside or outside your organization, professional organizations more often than not have mentorship programs. It provides great leadership experience as well as a great addition to your resume.

7 | Find ways to reduce cost and introduce innovation to your organization.

Start with the job you already know and make it the best it can be! This is a great way to show you have internal drive and helps to improve your presentation and research skills.

6 | Do your own homework. Learn everything there is to know about the new initiatives or mandates that have been introduced, their place in the market, the industry, the world and what the trends for the new systems, products or services are.

5 | Volunteer to be a brand champion. If comfortable with social media and with the guidance of leadership, you can volunteer to blog and become a social media champion to your organization.

4 | Find win/win propositions to enhance your role. While doing your homework and creating ways to save money or streamline a process, find a way to either incorporate this into your existing role, expand your role or even identify a brand new position altogether. It is ok to be proactive and bring forth proposals that can be mutually beneficial - even if not accepted, your efforts will be noticed. Remember, be gracious if your idea gets deferred or not implemented “this time”.

3 | Build an independent support system. Working with a professional career coach or mentor is an investment worth effort. An external career coach can guide

52 May/June 2016 www.canadianshipper.com

By Carolina Billings, CPCC, CHRL, MA-IS

you outside of “corporate politics” or potential conflicts of interest. They work for you. Just like an athlete has a coach to provide guidance and identify what they need to work on, a career coach can help you set and achieve your goals.

2 | Continued development means continued success. Almost every single regulated profession requires continued development activities for recertification from their membership. The reason is because their “brand” - be it their designation as a lawyer, chartered accountant, certified coach, HR professional etc. stands for high quality and value of their member’s specific skills and qualifications. Be at the top of your game by investing in your own skills development - keeping them sharp, expanding and up to date.

1 | Personal Branding. Just like an enterprise, if nobody knows who you are, what you do and what your value proposition is, how can you expect anybody to invest in you? Hiring an employee is an investment on the part of any employer.

Take ownership and make sure your skills and personal brand are relevant and competitive in the market. Invest in yourself and others will invest in you.

“Action is the foundational key to all success” -Pablo Picasso For more information, please visit www.nlilabel.com or email directly to info@thecoachingcorner.ca Your questions. Your solutions. Your results. Let transformation & empowerment begin! CS For more information, please visit www.nlilabel.com or email your questions to info@thecoachingcorner.ca Your questions. Your solutions. Your results. Let transformation & empowerment begin! ©iMrSquid/iStock

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Bleed Trim

Live

THE BIGGER PICTURE

PASSION Going back several weeks, I was watching the U.S. Democratic Party Town Hall on television that took place in South Carolina. A member of the audience stood up and asked Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont to talk about what he considers one of the most important traits of a leader. He replied that having a passion for what you do is a driving force for him. He then went on to amplify his response. That

help organize and host one of the best freight transportation conferences in Canada. I have a deep passion for all of these segments of the business.

On the flip side, I can recall companies and bosses for whom I did not enjoy working.

For a variety of reasons, those companies did not get the best out of me. The passion wasn’t as strong. While I very much wanted to be successful and bring success to the company,

“If you have lost the passion for your job, or never had it, you should be actively looking elsewhere.” question and answer were quite revealing and have stayed with me ever since.

Two days later I received an e-mail from Scott Monty who publishes a blog entitled The Full Monty (http://www. scottmonty.com/ ). Scott is an expert in Social Media. The title of his weekly blog was Passion. The fact that these two seemingly random events happened in the same week inspired me to write this blog.

As I reflect back on my over 45 years in the working world, the issue of passion has been a driving force for me.

There have been times when I worked for some fine companies and great leaders. I got up in the morning and couldn’t wait to get to work. I was proud to represent my company and I was very driven to see the company succeed.

I am very happy to be running my own company at this stage of my career. I am very motivated to help our shipper clients save money on freight, to help our carrier clients improve their profitability and to

the work atmosphere and/or the level of trust and support weren’t there. These are my takeaways from my many years in the business world.

Unless you are a professional actor, it is difficult to fake passion. If you have lost the passion for your job, or never had it, you should be actively looking elsewhere. If you are “going through the motions,” it is likely everyone around you can see it.

I receive many calls and emails from people who suddenly lose their jobs. Since I have a large network in the transportation and logistics industries, many people think that I can help them with their job search. It is often quite obvious to me that they were not a fit for their organization. More specifically, they had lost the passion for their work. The

moral of the story is don’t wait for the shoe to drop. If you don’t have the passion, start your search as quickly as possible.

I love being an entrepreneur. When I was a young manager, I wasn’t ready to run my own business. Having been on my own the past 12 years, I could never envision going back to the corporate world. It is very exciting to shape and control your own destiny. As you achieve success, there is no greater feeling in the world. It is very easy to be passionate about your own business. However, not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur, particularly a successful entrepreneur.

Many new businesses fail.

It is one thing to create a business. It is an entirely different thing to create a sustainable, profitable business. For some people, creating their own business is not a realistic option. For people with kids in school and mortgages to pay, a bi-monthly salary is essential.

Sometimes achieving success in certain situations is out of your hands. A company may embark on a strategy that is doomed to fail. Some leaders feel they know everything and don’t need advice from their subordinates. The business models for some companies are not sound. In other situations, rival managers or executives may sabotage your opportunities for success. Some

companies don’t provide the resources, follow-through or leadership to be successful.

In some cases you need to look in the mirror and admit to yourself that you are simply not a good fit for the organization.

While this may be tough on the ego or force you to come out of your comfort zone, regaining a passion for your work can be a very positive life changing and career saving experience.

In other words, if you have some challenges where you work, don’t get too down on yourself. If you don’t have the skills and tools to be successful, try to get them. If the leader, work environment or business model are not conducive to your success and there is nothing you can do to change the dynamic, initiate a job search. Seek out opportunities where you have better odds of success.

Economic conditions change over time and new business models supersede existing ones. Nothing lasts forever.

Never get too comfortable at what you do or for whom you work. Look inside and outside yourself and take stock of whether or not the passion is there and the business is sound. As a final takeaway, keep building your network, keep improving your skills and knowledge and keep your eyes open for other opportunities.

If you can stay passionate about what you do in life, you stand a much better chance of enjoying a happy and fulfilling business career. CS

Dan Goodwill, president of Dan Goodwill and Associates, has more than 20 years of experience in the logistics and transportation industries in both Canada and the US. Goodwill is currently a consultant to manufacturers and distributors, helping them improve their transportation processes and save millions of dollars in freight spend. He has held several executive level positions in the industry. He can be reached at dan@dantranscon.com.

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