Listening to Shippers to Bring More Value

David Domencic Vice President, ARMADA Supply Chain Solutions

BY LISTENING TO OUR KEY STAKEHOLDERS, WE FOUND THEY ARE HUNGRY FOR MORE INFORMATION, MORE MARKET INTELLIGENCE, MORE BEST PRACTICES, MORE CASE STUDIES, AND MORE PERSPECTIVES ON HOW TO DO THEIR JOBS BETTER AND BRING MORE VALUE TO THEIR ORGANIZATIONS AND CUSTOMERS.

Since 1955, Food Shippers of America (FSA) has been providing unique networking opportunities and knowledge to those involved in the food industry. While the phrase “supply chain” wasn’t even recognized as a term back then, let alone a formal business strategy, there were enough professionals with common interests in the creation and selling of food products that a trade association was formed.

Fast forward nearly 70 years later to an industry association that’s flourishing, even through a global pandemic. Never before have there been more challenges – and opportunities – for supply chain, operations, transportation, logistics and distribution professionals to bring competitive efficiencies, productivity, and business value to their organizations. Given this, in early 2021 the FSA board of directors decided to engage MindShare Strategies (an association management and marketing firm focused exclusively on supply chain, transportation and distribution) to deepen the value FSA provides its members. Our first step was to listen to our key stakeholders – current members, past members, providers of products and services to our members, and FSA leaders. Gathering input and gaining perspective was accomplished through many one-on-one interviews and surveys. Some of these insights gained from shippers are highlighted in the article on page 16, “The Voice of the Food Shipper: Our Biggest Challenges.” By listening to our key stakeholders, we found they are hungry for more information, more market intelligence, more best practices, more case studies, and more perspectives on how to do their jobs better and bring more value to their organizations and customers. And more frequently.

What does this mean to those involved in FSA? More everything! Along with a continued focus on bringing one of the most unique and powerful conferences each year to the marketplace, FSA is bringing value through a newly designed magazine, Food Chain Digest. You’re currently reading the first edition of this new magazine, which will feature best practices, perspectives, and market data more often (three times a year). And if you or your company would like to share your own challenges and perspectives, make sure to reach out to the editorial team at MindShare Strategies who publish this magazine. They’re eager to learn more about you and your company to share with our readers. You’ll also receive more information through FSA’s official e-newsletter, Food for Thought, which will be published twice monthly for timely, relevant, frequent information on the latest in food chain news and practices. To ensure your subscription to both the magazine and e-newsletter is current, simply visit our newly designed website, FoodShippers.org, to subscribe under the tab “News & Trends.” We’re also giving subscribers of the magazine the preference of receiving the magazine in a digital and/or print format, so you can indicate your preference through the subscription form as well. Lastly, in today’s online world FSA now has a stronger presence in social media. Through our social channels you’ll find more regular updates on industry developments, the latest news at FSA, and relevant content on the marketplace. Make sure to follow Food Shippers of America social channels and interact with your industry peers on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram (food_shippers) and Twitter (@FoodShippers). In the meantime, FSA looks forward to our continuous goal of bringing relevant knowledge and networking to the food chain marketplace.