Unboxing Logistics EasyPost

March is Women’s History Month—a time to focus on the accomplishments and contributions of women who have helped shape the world. In honor of the occasion, we’ve decided to highlight some modern-day women who have used their knowledge, experience, and leadership skills to influence the world of logistics. 
This special episode features our women guests from seasons one and two of Unboxing Logistics. Although they all specialize in different areas of logistics—from warehouse management to shipping to supply chain technology—they share something in common. Each of them is helping to pave the way for women in a traditionally male-dominated industry. 
This episode contains key insights and advice from our women guests. To hear more, make sure to check out their individual episodes: 
Jessica Lowrance’s episode: https://www.easypost.com/podcast/how-to-fight-porch-piracy Kelli Martin’s episode: https://www.easypost.com/podcast/shipping-resources-for-small-businesses Jill Barron’s episode: https://www.easypost.com/podcast/building-better-supplier-relationships Nancy Seaboldt’s episode: https://www.easypost.com/podcast/navigating-the-erp-implementation-highway Kylie Schafer’s episode: https://www.easypost.com/podcast/navigating-omnichannel-commerce Gemma Shaw’s episode: https://www.easypost.com/podcast/leveraging-an-oms-for-growth Veena Harbaugh’s episode: https://www.easypost.com/podcast/sustainable-shipping-tips-for-small-businesses Kim Baudry’s episode: https://www.easypost.com/podcast/warehouse-automation-and-sustainability Jicara Gorski’s episode: https://www.easypost.com/podcast/carbon-neutral-shipping-how-does-it-work Ching Pei’s episode: https://www.easypost.com/podcast/leveling-up-product-management Anna Podolskaya’s episode: https://www.easypost.com/podcast/empowering-women-in-logistics 

Last-mile delivery is one of the most important parts of the logistics process, playing a huge role in the customer experience. But it’s also one of the hardest things to get right—and carriers aren’t the only ones responsible. 
In this episode of Unboxing Logistics, Nicholas Daniel-Richards, CEO at Packiyo, lays out some last-mile challenges and explains how warehouse optimization streamlines the delivery process.
Why the last mile mattersAs CEO of Packiyo, a warehouse management system, Nicholas is very familiar with the ins and outs of logistics. But when it comes to the importance of last-mile delivery, he shifts to his consumer mindset. 
“I'm still a consumer that's receiving packages … and I think the complications around last mile [involve] convenience. You know, do I have tracking information? Do I know when that package is going to arrive or when it has arrived?  Is it the right thing (or things) inside the package?”
The answers to those questions can make or break the delivery experience—and mean the difference between loyal and lost customers.
The hidden side of last mile logisticsWho’s in charge of making sure last-mile delivery goes smoothly? Nicholas says, “A lot of people put an emphasis on … the carrier. But ultimately, there is that step of how packages get to the carrier in the first place.”
He explains that businesses are responsible for receiving customer orders, picking products, packing boxes, and coordinating shipping. If those tasks lead to inaccuracies or wasted time, the last-mile delivery experience suffers. 
How to improve last mile speed and accuracyWhen picking, packing, and shipping decisions are made in the moment by individual employees, there’s a lot of room for error. If it takes too long to pack boxes, last-mile shipping could be delayed. If the wrong product gets added to a package, you’ll face a frustrated customer. And the list of potential issues goes on.
The solution? Make decisions before it’s time to prep packages, so warehouse workers know exactly what to do.
Nicholas puts it like this: “You don't want to make decisions on how an order should be packaged and fulfilled and shipped at the time that you're trying to process the order. That’s a repetitive thing. [The] factors that affect that should be automated.”
LinksConnect with Nicholas on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholasdr/ Visit Packiyo’s website: https://www.packiyo.com/

As businesses expand into new sales channels, order management gets complicated—and time-consuming. Gemma Shaw, head of partnerships at Order Desk, explains what order management systems do and shares tips for using yours effectively.
Benefits of an order management system (OMS)What are order management systems, and how do they benefit businesses? Gemma explains, “An OMS enables businesses to centralize all of their orders. This is particularly beneficial if you've got multiple sales channels. [If] you're selling in various markets, maybe even globally, all of your orders are housed in one place for visibility.”
Challenges when setting up an OMSOne major challenge when setting up an OMS? Identifying your workflow. Before diving into the implementation process, Gemma recommends determining what the system needs to do and how it needs to work. “Knowing exactly what you want to achieve with your OMS is helpful.”
Gemma also notes that it takes time and patience to learn how OMSs work. She says, “There's a learning curve with any new piece of software. And with something robust and technical like this, there's a particularly steep learning curve at the start.” 
Getting the most from your OMSOMSs serve a very practical purpose: centralizing order information from various sales channels. But that isn’t all they’re useful for. As Gemma points out, these systems capture a lot of data: order volumes, inventory numbers, and much more. To get the most out of your OMS, “use that single source of truth to inform your strategic decision-making.”
LinksConnect with Gemma on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gemma-shaworderdesk/ Visit Order Desk’s website: https://www.orderdesk.com/unboxing-logistics/

Implementing a new ERP is a massive endeavor, and your business has a lot to consider. Which internal stakeholders should be part of the implementation project team? How will you get everyone else on board with the change?
In this episode, Nancy Seaboldt, ERP practice lead for Summit Advisory Team, shares advice for making the ERP implementation process smooth and effective.
The purpose of an ERP systemNancy begins by describing the purpose of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system: “ERP systems come into play when companies outgrow running their business on spreadsheets. Spreadsheets can only take you so far. … In a nutshell, ERPs bring together the people, the core business processes, and the technology across the organization.”
Getting buy-in on an ERP implementationWhile the technical side of software implementation is vital, change management plays an important role as well. Nancy says, “A change management plan … is defining the roadmap for going from A to B from a personal standpoint. It’s a communication plan.”
Change management isn’t just a nice-to-have; Nancy emphasizes that it’s “critical to the success of the project.”
Customization vs. transformationFor a new ERP to truly make a difference in your company, you have to be willing to embrace change. “[It’s a mistake] to make the new system meet the old way of doing things. … That's not transformation. That's customization. … Implementing the new ERP should be considered transformational. Avoid just replicating what's done today to keep the status quo.”
LinksConnect with Nancy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyseaboldt/ Visit Summit Advisory Team’s website: https://summitadvisoryteam.com/ 

As vice president of sales and solutions at Nimble, a fully autonomous 3PL, Jonathan Briggs knows just how powerful warehouse robotics can be. In this episode, he and Lori discuss the history of robotics in logistics, what companies are doing today, and how things will evolve in years to come.
What are robots capable of?Jonathan explains that in the past five years, the development of sophisticated artificial intelligence has led to “full-task robotics, where a robot can now do a full task of a person end to end.”
“It’s not just moving an item around a warehouse to make it a little bit more efficient. Now we can displace people because [robots have the same] functionality.”
What about human jobs?Lori poses a tough question: If robots can replace humans in the warehouse, won’t that harm workers? Jonathan says no, explaining that robots aren’t necessarily leaving people jobless; they’re usually used when there isn’t enough human labor to meet logistics needs.
Even more importantly? Robots can perform tasks that are often taxing and dangerous for humans. As Jonathan points out, “Everywhere you look, there's a shortage of labor, there's injuries and accidents. What we do is get rid of jobs that people aren't showing up for, are getting hurt doing, or don't want to do.”
Save money on warehouse real estateOne often overlooked benefit of robots? They allow businesses to make their DCs smaller while maintaining efficiency. Jonathan says, “Most people look at automation through the lens of labor, labor, labor—cost of labor versus cost of machine. But you can add in another layer of dimension there: [you] can shrink the building, [you] can shrink [your] utilities.”
LinksConnect with Jonathan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdbriggs/ Visit Nimble’s website: https://www.nimble.ai/

When businesses first start out, developing their product is usually a reactive process—and it’s hard to tell which new features make a difference. Ching Pei, VP of product at EasyPost, explains what product managers do to make the development process more proactive and effective.
The role of product teamsProduct teams are involved with every part of the business: customer success, sales, marketing, and more. Ching explains how she views product’s role: “I think of product as a center spoke of a wheel, with each of your departments surrounding it. [Product managers are] hearing feedback [from] external customers and internal customers, and it’s their job to come in and prioritize.”
Meeting the logistics industry where it isIf you’re a logistics tech company, you know that the industry is traditionally slow to adopt new, innovative solutions. But product teams still have an opportunity to design technology that makes a difference.
As Ching puts it, “Logistics [technology] is a little bit more tangible [than other types of software] … so you don't always get to push the boundaries of innovation. You have to meet the industry where it is. You may not be the forerunner in innovating and technology, [but] you're bringing in forward-thinking tech to an industry that has traditionally been a laggard in change.” 
How to get customer feedback Customers should be involved with product development from day one, but you don’t want to overwhelm them with requests for feedback. Ching’s team finds a balance by “piggybacking off of already existing calls with customer success or support. If support faces an interesting topic, we may say, can I jump on the call with the customer when you explain this?”
“You should never be afraid to let your customers talk to your product team.”
LinksConnect with Ching on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chingpei/ Visit EasyPost’s website: https://www.easypost.com/