The Logistics Tribe

Today we are talking about supply chain challenges in the automotive industry. Our guest is Robert Cameron who heads up the production, logistics and aftermarket department at the VDA, the German Automotive Industry Association. Our host, Marco Prüglmeier, sat down with Robert at the recent Trends in Automotive Logistics (TAL) Conference in Pilsen, Czech Republic and talked about the following topics: - Biggest challenges that are facing the automotive industry and automotive supply chains - Why electrification of vehicles will dramatically increase the need for semiconductors - Why large node size semiconductors are critical for electric vehicles - The relevance of the Fit for 55 EU-legislation - The European Chips Act - The development of Autonomous Driving - Interoperability of AMRs and AGVs and the VDA 5050 as an open-source standard - The vision and development of VDA 6000 - The importance of moving from relations management with direct suppliers only to holistically managing the entire supply chain end-to-end - Geopolitical factors and the transitions to e-mobility. Selective global sourcing and selective local sourcing. - Demographic and workforce developments and the impact on automotive manufacturing and supply chains - AI and the impact on the future of automotive manufacturing and supply chains Helpful Links: The VDA: https://www.vda.de/en Robert Cameron on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugh-robert-cameron-61a37430/ Marco Prüglmeier on LinkedIn: https://de.linkedin.com/in/prueglmeier/en

Countless attempts have been made in the last decade to leverage cutting edge technology to give companies the transportation and supply chain visibility that they need to anticipate disruptions, proactively manage risks and boost supply chain resilience. Literally hundreds of millions of funding has been poured into tech stacks that promised to finally deliver the visibility and control that every globally operating company is craving for. Yet, the end result of all these efforts has been quite sobering, to say the least. So our host Boris Felgendreher invited a representative from one of the key players in the real-time-transportation visibility space onto the show to discuss what’s going on. The guest is Anand Medepalli, the Chief Product Officer of Shippeo. Shippeo is based in Paris, France and is considered a global leader in real-time multimodal transportation visibility, helping major shippers and logistics service providers to operate more resilient, sustainable, and customer-centric supply chains. The company just launched an ambitious new offering that it calls Transportation Process Automation. It’s already used by Renault, a long-time key customer of Shippeo’s and is supported by an interesting group of launch partners such as Google Cloud, E2Open and 4Flow. Enough reason for us to take a close look under the hood to explore if what Shippeo is building here is indeed the Future of Transportation Visibility. Enjoy! Helpful Links: Shippeo: https://www.shippeo.com/ Anand Medepalli on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amedepalli/ Boris Felgendreher on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/borisfelgendreher/

It's hard to find Shippers that didn't get burnt by skyrocketing freight rates in the last 3 years. And high freight rate volatility is likely here to stay. The US-based startup ZenHedge is working on a fintech-based insurance solution that promises to offer peace of mind by protecting shippers from the financial impact of tender rejection, freight rate volatility, and other supply chain disruptions - risks that were once hard to “hedge" against. Our host Jonah McIntire sat down with Krishnan Kandasamy, CEO and Founder of ZenHedge, to dig deep into the world of risk management for the transportation industry. A lot to learn here. Enjoy! Helpful Links: ZenHedge: https://www.zenhedge.com/ Krishnan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krishnankandasamy/ Jonah on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonahmcintire/

Radu Palamariu from Alcott Global and Knut Alicke from McKinsey are two influential thinkers on the topic of supply chain leadership. In this episode of The Logistics Tribe, Radu, Knut and our host Boris Felgendreher explore how the last few years in particular have elevated the function of supply chain inside many organizations around the world. But how can supply chain leaders actually capitalize on this development and permanently secure supply chain management's seat in the boardroom as well as paving their own potential career path into the CEO role? This episode of The Logistics Tribe is a "must-listen-to" for any ambitious supply chain leader. Radu and Knut also recently published a book on the topic called "From Source To Sold". It features stories of leadership in supply chain and is a highly recommended read. Helpful links: From Source To Sold: https://sourcetosold.com/ Radu Palamariu on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/radupalamariu/ Knut Alicke on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/knut-alicke/ Boris Felgendreher on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/borisfelgendreher/

Today’s guest on The Logistics Tribe Podcast is Prof. Roland Siegwart. Roland is director of the Autonomous Systems Lab in Switzerland, director of the Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems at ETH Zurich and a world-renown robotics expert. He is one of the pioneers in the field of autonomous mobile robots, which are quickly spreading throughout warehouses and logistics operations around the world. Our host Marco Prüglmeier talked to Roland about the following topics: - Roland's work with AMRs dating back 30 years - His first book on the topic - How he got into the topic of AMRs - His early foray into mail delivery robots, 30 years ago - The history and evolution of AMRs - The main differences between AMRs and AGVs - The challenges of AMRs in logistics operations - Why AMRs will replace AGVs over time - The current state of robot technology, laser technology, camera technology, SLAM and what Roland and his teams are working on - Good and bad use cases of drones - The roles of robots on last mile delivery - Roland’s vision for the logistics of the future and the prospects of autonomous driving - Will robots eliminate logistics jobs - and more Helpful links: Prof. Roland Siegwart on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roland-siegwart-85466912/ Marco Prüglmeier on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prueglmeier/ Our supporters GreyOrange: https://www.greyorange.com/

Today we have a very special episode for you. It’s different because we typically bring you conversations between a host and one, sometimes two guests that are 45 minutes or so in length. Today’s episode is a deep dive into one very specific topic with two people who have very deep domain expertise in this field. And this episode is 2 hours and 45 minutes long. The idea here is to really take the time to tackle one very specific topic and go super deep on it. The two experts are Jonah McIntire, who has been a regular contributor to The Logistics Tribe, both as a host and a guest. And Märten Veskimäe, who’s currently a product strategist at Transporeon. Both are super deep thinkers on this topic. They look at examples of businesses that are platforms vs. businesses that aren’t, what the defining attributes of platforms are, what areas of logistics and supply chain platforms are suitable for, what successful platforms do differently, how they compete against other platforms and much more. Here is a LinkedIn post that Jonah has prepared that will accompany this podcast episode: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jonahmcintire_hey-linkedin-network-today-i-released-activity-6980135736381480960-grEl? Please visit the post and contribute to the discussion. You can also let us know there, how you like the content of this episode. We really appreciate your feedback on this. Today's topic breakdown: - Examples of businesses that are platforms vs. businesses that look like platforms but aren't really platforms. - Platforms in the real world and platforms in the digital space - The defining attributes of platforms and what makes platforms different - In which areas of logistics and supply chain management are platforms suitable and useful - Are forwarders platforms? Are Uber or Uber Freight actually a platform? - Are there differences between companies with network effects and platforms? - The role of platforms in standardization, particularly in logistics - How do you measure and assess platform businesses vs non-platform businesses? - The cold start problem and how platforms can get off the ground in logistics - What successful platforms do differently. What are the critical success factors to succeed in attracting and keeping users? - Success factors for logistics platforms to compete against other logistics platforms - Notable platforms in logistics by segment - Future outlook on platforms in logistics and supply chain - Takeaways Please visit Jonah's LinkedIn post on this episode: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jonahmcintire_hey-linkedin-network-today-i-released-activity-6980135736381480960-grEl?

Today we will take a look at what Google, in particular Google Cloud, is up to when it comes to Logistics and Supply Chain Management. Google Cloud has been active in this space for a couple of years now and it’s starting to become clear now why it may actually be a great match. Our guest today is Hans Thalbauer who has a rich history in Supply Chain tech, and is now the Managing Director of Google Cloud’s Supply Chain and Manufacturing capabilities. Together with our host Marco Prüglmeier, Hans covers the following topics: - Hans’ path from Austria to Silicon Valley - What prompted Google to enter the field of Supply Chain? - Google's Supply Chain Twin - The different data segments that can be leveraged for Supply Chain Management: Private segment (e.g. ERP data), community Segment (e.g. orders, tracking data), public data segment (e.g. weather, traffic, health data) - Google's Supply Chain Pulse - How Artificial Intelligence can be applied to SC data - Why Google is not creating applications, but is partnering with SCM solution providers instead - How to make it easier for companies to connect and exchange data: EDI, API, Google’s Data Warehouse (BigQuery), even GMail. - Google’s flexible Data Model - Last-Mile Solutions - Google Cloud Fleet Routing - An example of how weather and climate data can be combined with agricultural satellite data to predict impacts harvests - Dynamic ETAs for truck transports leveraging real-time Google Maps data - Sustainability KPIs and Scope 3 data - How to measure the impacts of your sustainability efforts. - On a 10-year time frame: What does the future of supply chain and logistics operations look like? - Hans’ prediction of the “post outsourcing” world - and much more

We invited two prominent journalists back onto the show who cover the exciting fields of logistics, supply chain, logtech and e-commerce. Emma Cosgrove writes about logistics with a focus on e-commerce for Business Insider and Eric Johnson is Senior Editor for Technology at The Journal of Commerce where he leads coverage and analysis of technology's impact on global logistics and trade. Our host Boris Felgendreher wanted to know what stories from the recent weeks and months Emma and Eric thought were the most interesting and deserved to be discussed in more detail. So the three ended up diving into the impact that the economic downturn is having on the logtech startup ecosystem, the appointment of Amazon Executive Dave Clark to the role of CEO at Flexport and they also talked quite a bit about how journalist like Emma and Eric go about their jobs covering the industry and what you the audience can do to show up on their radar and get a chance of getting coverage. So there is some real actionable advice here as well that we hope you will find useful. Helpful links: Journal of Commerce: https://www.joc.com/technology/logistics-technology-providers/money-still-flowing-complex-logistics-tech-market_20220708.html Business Insider: https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-insiders-say-dave-clarks-an-awkward-fit-for-flexport-2022-6 Eric Johnson's Substack: https://ericjohnson.substack.com/ The LogTechies Job Board (The coolest Jobs in Logistics Technology - Personally curated for You): www.logtechies.com Boris Felgendreher on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/borisfelgendreher/ Eric Johnson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ejohnson3242/ Emma Cosgrove on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmacosgrove/

What are the downstream consequences of the lockdowns in China for global logistics and supply chain management? That's what we discuss in this episode of The Logistics Tribe with Bjorn Vang Jensen. Bjorn is a well-known industry figure and a veteran of the global logistics business. He has seen the world of supply chains from many different angles. From the ocean carrier perspective, from the 3PL perspective, from the perspective of a manufacturing brand with a global footprint and now as an advisor at the consulting firm Sea Intelligence. In this episode Bjorn talks to our host Boris Felgendreher about the perfect storm of transportation and supply chain disruption that is brewing on the horizon as a result of the Lockdowns in China. Bjorn offers some very keen observations and assessments about how that crisis situation there will inevitably spill over and cause all kinds of first, second and third order effects across global logistics and supply chains. Helpful links: Bjorn Vang Jensen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bjornvangjensen/ Sea Intelligence: https://www.sea-intelligence.com/ Boris Felgendreher on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/borisfelgendreher/ Our supporters GreyOrange: www.greyorange.com

Today we have Joachim Schaut from DB Schenker on the program to talk about how the logistics provider is helping to digitally transform the supply chains of its customers. Joachim leads the company’s Intercontinental Supply Chain Solutions. That’s an area where DB Schenker is making some big technology plays and where they have built partnerships with some state-of-the-art technology vendors to transform the way global logistics and supply chains are managed. Together with our host Boris Felgendreher, Joachim discusses the key technologies that enable the digital transformation of global supply chains, the role of cloud platforms, end-to-end visibility, data quality and much more. Helpful links: DB Schenker's Intercontinental Supply Chain Solutions: https://www.dbschenker.com/de-en/products/ocean-freight/intercontinental-supply-chain-solutions Joachim Schaut on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joachim-schaut-a8a00a171/ Boris Felgendreher on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/borisfelgendreher/ Our supporters GreyOrange: https://www.greyorange.com/

Ho do you orchestrate your intralogistics operations when you have AGVs and AMRs from different vendors, traditional forklifts, conveyor belts and people working side-by-side in your warehouse and production facilities? Our guest today is Wolfgang Hackenberg, one of the founders of Synaos, a startup based in Germany that is building a hardware-agnostic intralogistics management platform. Together with our hosts Boris Felgendreher and Marco Prüglmeier talk about the following topics: - The short version of what Synaos is trying to accomplish with their integrated software platform to manage intralogistics operations - Wolfgang's background in the automotive industry and as a startup founder - The VDA 5050 interface standard and the role the automotive OEMs played in the development - Continuous realt-time optimization: How to calculation 250.000 solutions per second - The typical situation in toady's intralogistics operations with a very heterogenous landscape of hardware - The current and future capabilities of the VDA 5050 standard. How global is the standard and how does it compete internationally? - What criteria buyers should use to evaluate systems like the one Synaos develops - How much of intralogistics will be automated in the future vs. requiring manual intervention? - What the challenges are around integrating manual, analog systems and personnel with automation - Wolfgang's vision for logistics in the future - And much more Helpful links: Our supporters GreyOrange: https://www.greyorange.com/ Synaos: https://www.synaos.com Dr. Wolfgang Hackenberg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wolfgang-hackenberg/ Boris Felgendreher on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/borisfelgendreher/ Marco Prüglmeier on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prueglmeier/

In today's episode we will take a deep dive into the topic of Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM). SLAM is a method used for autonomous vehicles such as AMRs in logistics for example that lets you build a map and localize your vehicles in that map at the same time. SLAM algorithms allow vehicles to map out unknown environments. It’s one of those things we should all know about in more detail in order to understand how autonomous vehicles in logistics are able to do what they do. Today's guest is a leading expert in the field of SLAM. Cyrill Stachniss is a full professor at the University of Bonn and heads the Photogrammetry and Robotics Lab. In his research, he focuses on probabilistic techniques for mobile robotics, perception, and navigation. The main application areas of his research are autonomous service robots, agricultural robotics, and self-driving cars. He has co-authored over 250 publications, has won several best paper awards, and has coordinated multiple large research projects on the national and European level. This podcast is hosted by Marco Prüglmeier. Together Marco and Cyrill cover the following topics: - A definition and explanation of SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) - Where is SLAM being used - How the SLAM algorithm actually evolved over time and what Carl Friedrich Gauss has to do with it - The different categories of SLAM systems, how they work and what use cases they are best suited for - How SLAM systems are deployed in the world of logistics - Advantages of SLAM for robots in logistics - What problems and issues to look out for when implementing SLAM in logistics and warehouse situations with highly repetitive or highly dynamic environments - What the latest fields of research to advance SLAM technology are Helpful links: Webinar with JYSK and GreyOrange: https://bvl-digital.de/webinare/sendeplan/how-flexible-automation-helped-jysk-cope-with-the-unexpected-peaks-during-the-pandemic-and-support-their-ecommerce-growth/ YouTube Video on SLAM with Cyrill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87S82fh4rI4 Another YouTube Video on SLAM with Cyrill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuRCJ2fegcc To connect with Cyrill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cyrill-stachniss-736233173/

Supply Chain Visibility is an evergreen topic in the industry. But it feels like after so many years, there are still a lot more questions than answers about what visibility you actually need to run a global supply chain and how best to achieve it. The last couple of years have made that painfully obvious. Today's guest has been trying to tackle the issue from various angles for many years. Tobias Larsson is the founder of Resilience360 and leads supply chain solutions at Altana AI. Together with Jonah McIntire, serial logistics tech entrpreneur and another "veteran" of the field, Tobias discusses the following topics: - Tobias' background as the founder of Resilience360 and his role at Altana AI - How Altana is trying to build the "Google Maps" of Supply Chains - The current state of visibility across the extended supply and value chain - How 2020 and 2021 put supply chains on the radar of senior management - A look back at the history of how companies have tried to gain supply chain visibility over the years - How supply chain technology has evolved over time - From "dots on a map" to predictive ETAs and exception management - Views that Tobias holds that are "contrarian" or non-mainstream - Supply chain risk and ways to assess it - The importance of value chain visibility - Some recommended "no-regrets" moves supply chain leader should make to get better supply chain visibility - Jona's unconventional idea to look at betting markets as predictors of supply chain risk - What would be game changers for the field of supply chain visibility - And much more Helpful links: To connect with Tobias on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobias-larsson-6a953b/ To connect with Jonah on LinkedIn: https://nl.linkedin.com/in/jonahmcintire Altana AI: https://altana.ai/ Our great supporters GreyOrange: https://www.greyorange.com/ To connect with Boris (founder of The Logistics Tribe) on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/borisfelgendreher/