The Logistics of Logistics

In "Beyond FBA: Unlocking Amazon's Fulfillment for Retailers", Joe Lynch and Wainwright Yu, the General Manager and Director for Amazon's externalized fulfillment services, including Buy with Prime and Multichannel Fulfillment, discuss how retailers can scale their brands by leveraging Amazon's global logistics and the Prime badge to drive multi-channel growth. About Wainwright Yu Wainwright "Wain" Yu currently serves as General Manager and Director of the Multichannel Commerce and Fulfillment business at Amazon, where he leads the organization's business and go-to-market functions. In this role, he oversees strategic initiatives that enable customers to seamlessly fulfill and deliver products across multiple channels. Wain joined Amazon in 2012, beginning his Amazon career in the Kindle organization where he played a pivotal role in expanding services across device platforms, marketplaces, and languages. He later transitioned to the Last Mile Operations organization, where he developed and managed Amazon's extensive network of pickup and return drop-off locations, creating innovative solutions that enhanced customer convenience and operational efficiency. Beyond his corporate responsibilities, Wain is passionate about developing leaders and fostering healthy workplace cultures. He serves as a leadership coach and is a dedicated advocate for mindful, compassionate leadership in the modern workplace. Wain holds an MBA from Stanford University, where he developed his strategic and analytical foundation for business leadership. About Amazon Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth's Most Customer-Centric Company, Earth's Best Employer, and Earth's Safest Place to Work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews. Key Takeaways: Beyond FBA: Unlocking Amazon's Fulfillment for Retailers In "Beyond FBA: Unlocking Amazon's Fulfillment for Retailers", Joe Lynch and Wainwright Yu, the General Manager and Director for Amazon's externalized fulfillment services, including Buy with Prime and Multichannel Fulfillment, discuss how retailers can scale their brands by leveraging Amazon's global logistics and the Prime badge to drive multi-channel growth. Leveling the Playing Field with MCF: Wainwright explains how Multi-Channel Fulfillment allows any retailer—whether they sell on Amazon or not—to tap into Amazon's global network of 200+ fulfillment centers. This turns Amazon into a high-performance 3PL that handles picking, packing, and shipping for orders from your own website, Shopify, or even social media stores. The "Halo Effect" of Buy with Prime: A major focus is how Buy with Prime allows D2C (Direct-to-Consumer) sites to offer the familiar Prime logo and checkout experience. By providing the same fast, free delivery promise shoppers trust on Amazon, retailers have seen an average 25% lift in conversion rates on their independent sites. Unified Inventory Management: Wainwright discusses the strategic advantage of a single pool of inventory. Instead of splitting stock between various warehouses, retailers can keep all their products in Amazon's centers to fulfill both Amazon.com orders (via FBA) and off-Amazon orders (via MCF), drastically reducing out-of-stock risks. Frictionless Checkout via Amazon Pay: With Buy with Prime, the checkout process is streamlined using the customer's existing Amazon account details. This reduces "cart abandonment" because shoppers don't have to enter credit card or shipping info, making the purchase as simple as a few clicks. Unbranded Packaging Options: A common concern for retailers is brand identity. Wainwright highlights that MCF orders can be shipped in unbranded, "blank box" packaging, allowing the retailer's brand to remain front and center rather than being overshadowed by Amazon's smile logo. Trust-Building through Reviews: Through Buy with Prime, retailers can now display their Amazon.com star ratings and reviews directly on their own websites. This social proof helps "new-to-brand" shoppers feel confident enough to buy from a site they may be visiting for the first time. Predictable, All-In Pricing: Wainwright clarifies that both services offer a simple, transparent fee structure that includes storage, picking, packing, and shipping. For many brands, this eliminates the hidden costs of managing private warehouses and allows for more accurate margin forecasting. Learn More About Beyond FBA: Unlocking Amazon's Fulfillment for Retailers Wainwright Yu | Linkedin Amazon | Linkedin Relentless.com Amazon MCF Amazon MCF Case Study: JLab Recent News The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: Google, Apple, Castbox, Spotify, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Tunein, Podbean, Owltail, Libsyn, Overcast Check out The Logistics of Logistics on Youtube

In "Why It's Time to Expect More from Your EDI Platform", Joe Lynch and Shane Hagen, Presales Solutions Architect at Cleo, discuss the necessity of transitioning from traditional EDI to a unified platform for strategic supply chain orchestration and superior visibility. About Shane Hagen Shane Hagen is a Presales Solutions Architect at Cleo. He designs integration solutions that seamlessly connect internal applications with external partners, leveraging both API and EDI integration patterns. Cleo's customers rely on Shane to solve complex supply-chain challenges, trusting him to bridge the gap between business objectives and technical execution. With over eight years of experience in the integration space—including a prior role at Boomi—Shane brings deep expertise in modern connectivity and enterprise workflow design. He holds a computer science degree from Penn State University. About Cleo Cleo Integration Cloud (CIC) is a cloud-based integration platform, that allows organizations to build, operate, and optimize critical supply chain orchestration processes. The CIC platform brings end-to-end integration visibility across API, EDI, and non-EDI integrations, giving technical and business users the confidence to rapidly onboard trading partners, enable integration between applications, and accelerate revenue-generation. As a supply chain orchestration software company focused on business outcomes, Cleo's focus is to ensure each customer's potential is realized by delivering strategic solutions that make it easy to discover and create value through the movement and integration of B2B enterprise data. Key Takeaways: Why It's Time to Expect More from Your EDI Platform In "Why It's Time to Expect More from Your EDI Platform", Joe Lynch and Shane Hagen, Presales Solutions Architect at Cleo, discuss the necessity of transitioning from traditional EDI to a unified platform for strategic supply chain orchestration and superior visibility. The Imperative for Seamless System Connectivity The penalty for not connecting internal systems directly to external business partners is severe: it forces manual entry, leading to processes that are time-consuming, slow, unreliable, and prone to error. Organizations must expect their EDI platform to eliminate this manual burden and ensure robust, automated data exchange. Shift from Transaction Processing to Supply Chain Orchestration Expect your platform to evolve beyond simple data exchange to become a strategic tool for supply chain orchestration. Modern cloud platforms, like Cleo Integration Cloud (CIC), manage, operate, and optimize critical B2B enterprise data movement across the entire network, driving strategic business outcomes. Enabling Profitable Partner Relationships Through Speed Working with a powerful integration platform like Cleo is the key to accelerating growth. It directly enables companies to onboard new customers, suppliers, and business partners significantly faster, which is foundational to building more prosperous, high-velocity relationships. Hybrid Integration is the New Standard (API + EDI) The complexities of the modern supply chain require integration solutions that seamlessly blend traditional EDI with contemporary API patterns. A high-value platform must provide a unified environment for designing complex, end-to-end workflows that leverage both types of connectivity. Comprehensive Visibility Across All Data Streams True operational control requires end-to-end integration visibility across every data flow—API, EDI, and non-EDI. This holistic view gives technical and business users the confidence to solve complex supply-chain challenges by quickly identifying and resolving any bottlenecks. Bridging the Gap Between Business Strategy and Technical Execution A modern EDI platform must act as the essential link between ambitious business objectives (like accelerated revenue and growth) and the technical execution required to meet them. Guest experts, like Shane Hagen, are relied upon to translate complex requirements into measurable business value. Strategic Partnerships Drive Industry Focus (The Trimble Example) Expect your integration provider to have deep, strategic alliances within key industries. Cleo's position as a proud Trimble partner highlights its experience in solving complex integration challenges for Trimble customers and demonstrates its specialized focus on critical industry ecosystems. Learn More About Why It's Time to Expect More from Your EDI Platform Shane Hagen Cleo | Linkedin Cleo Demo Case Studies The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: Google, Apple, Castbox, Spotify, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Tunein, Podbean, Owltail, Libsyn, Overcast Check out The Logistics of Logistics on Youtube

In "Trimble's Perspective: The Future of Freight is Connected", Joe Lynch and Rob Painter, Trimble's President and Chief Executive Officer, discuss how Trimble connects the freight ecosystem—people, data, and workflows—to navigate the difficult truckload market and drive customer efficiency using AI and integrated commercial solutions. About Rob Painter Rob Painter became Trimble's president and chief executive officer in January 2020. From 2016 through 2019, he served as the Company's chief financial officer. Joining the Company in 2006, Painter held a variety of leadership positions, including corporate development, corporate strategy, general manager of Construction Services, general manager of the Intelligent Construction Tools international joint venture, and vice president of Trimble Buildings construction software. In August 2023, he was appointed to serve on the Synopsys Board of Directors. Painter holds a bachelor's degree in finance from West Virginia University and an MBA from Harvard University. About Trimble Transportation Trimble Transportation provides fleets with solutions to create a fully integrated supply chain. With an intelligent ecosystem of products and services, Trimble Transportation enables customers to embrace the rapid technological evolution of the industry and connect all aspects of transportation and logistics — trucks, drivers, back office, freight and assets. Trimble Transportation delivers an open, scalable platform to help customers make more informed decisions and maximize performance, visibility and safety. Key Takeaways: Trimble's Perspective: The Future of Freight is Connected In "Trimble's Perspective: The Future of Freight is Connected", Joe Lynch and Rob Painter, Trimble's President and Chief Executive Officer, discuss how Trimble connects the freight ecosystem—people, data, and workflows—to navigate the difficult truckload market and drive customer efficiency using AI and integrated commercial solutions. Holistic Solution for a Difficult Truckload Market: Trimble's T&L segment directly addresses the pressures of the current truckload market by providing core operational platforms (TMW.Suite, TruckMate) to help carriers, shippers, and brokers manage operations, accounting, and dispatch, ensuring maximum efficiency and cost control when margins are tight. Driving Strategy with the Connect & Scale Message: The entire product portfolio—spanning TMS, maintenance, visibility, and procurement—is structured to embody Trimble's "Connect & Scale" message, which focuses on integrating people, data, and workflows into a unified ecosystem to drive growth and efficiency. AI-Powered Autonomous Freight Procurement: Trimble is leveraging AI within its Freight Procurement solutions (Transporeon, Freight Marketplace) to move toward autonomous procurement. This helps shippers and brokers efficiently source capacity and optimize freight spend in real-time, which is critical in a volatile capacity environment. Commercial Mapping for Efficiency and Safety: Essential tools like Trimble MAPS (CoPilot, Appian) go beyond basic navigation. They provide commercial-grade routing that accounts for truck-specific constraints and HOS, acting as a crucial element in optimizing routes and protecting drivers (part of the people and workflow components of Connect & Scale). TMS as the Core Workflow Integrator: Comprehensive Transportation Management Systems (TMS) platforms like TMW.Suite act as the central brain for workflows, integrating data across the business from operations to financial accounting, which is foundational to the "Scale" component of Trimble's strategy. Proactive Maintenance and Data Connectivity: Solutions for Asset & Fleet Maintenance focus on maximizing uptime—a key lever in today's market. By using data from connected trucks (fault codes, location) for preventative and predictive maintenance, they ensure assets remain productive and reduce unexpected downtime. Regulatory Compliance and Risk Mitigation (People & Data): The Safety & Compliance offerings help fleets mitigate risk and adhere to federal regulations, ensuring the safety and legal operation of their people (drivers) and assets, proving that technology is essential for responsible management and effective use of operational data. Learn More About Trimble's Perspective: The Future of Freight is Connected Rob Painter | Linkedin Trimble Transportation | Linkedin Trimble Transportation Revolutionizing the Road: Trimble's Tech Solutions with Kelly Williams | The Logistics of Logistics Trimble & Platform Science: The Future of Telematics with Rob Painter and Jack Kennedy The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: Google, Apple, Castbox, Spotify, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Tunein, Podbean, Owltail, Libsyn, Overcast Check out The Logistics of Logistics on Youtube

In "SPS Commerce: Optimize Speed to Revenue", Joe Lynch and Wes Arentson, Senior Sales Manager, Logistics at SPS Commerce, discuss how streamlining the supply chain's Order-to-Cash cycle is the key to accelerating business growth. About Wes Aretson Wes Arentson is a Sales Manager at SPS Commerce. He leads a logistics sales team focused on providing 3PLs and Carriers with tools to optimize their supply chains, connect with their partners more efficiently and make onboarding new customers easy. Wes has over 15 years of experience in supply chain and technology helping customers solve business problems with software and automation. About SPS Commerce SPS Commerce is the world's leading retail network, connecting trading partners across the globe to optimize supply chain operations for all stakeholders in the retail ecosystem. The company enables data-driven partnerships through innovative cloud-based technology, customer-centric service, and a team of accessible industry experts—allowing clients to focus on their core business. With over 45,000 recurring revenue customers spanning retail, grocery, distribution, supply, manufacturing, and logistics, SPS Commerce powers a vast and growing global retail network. Key Takeaways: SPS Commerce: Optimize Speed to Revenue In "Optimize Speed to Revenue", Joe Lynch and Wes Arentson, Senior Sales Manager, Logistics at SPS Commerce, discuss how streamlining the supply chain's Order-to-Cash cycle is the key to accelerating business growth. Direct Correlation: Order-to-Cash Speed = Revenue Acceleration. The single most critical factor in optimizing revenue is the speed of your Order-to-Cash (O2C) cycle. Wes stresses that every inefficiency in processing orders, from receipt to payment, translates directly into delayed revenue. Streamlining O2C with efficient data exchange is the fastest way to pull cash forward. Stop Margin Leaks by Eliminating Disconnected Systems. Learn how disjointed or manual systems create costly margin leaks—the silent erosion of profitability. These leaks are often caused by the lack of connection between trading partner portals, forcing manual data re-entry and increasing the risk of chargebacks and penalties. EDI as the Foundation for Impeccable Data Quality. At the core of SPS Commerce's success is the commitment to data quality. Listeners will understand that clean, standardized, and automated data transmission via modern EDI is essential not just for compliance, but for enabling accurate forecasting and preventing operational errors for all SPS Commerce customers. Master Retailer Scorecards by Fixing Data Exchange. Achieving and exceeding Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Service Level Agreements (SLAs)—the foundation of retailer scorecards and milestones—is non-negotiable. Wes explains that a failure to meet these standards is often a symptom of poor EDI connections or the lack thereof, not operational failure. Automated, accurate EDI is the fix. Accelerate Onboarding with Proven Compliance and Security. Wes highlights the comprehensive service offered by SPS Commerce, focusing on mapping, testing, compliance, and security. This end-to-end approach drastically shaves weeks off the process of onboarding new trading partners, ensuring systems are instantly compliant and secure, which minimizes risk and accelerates time-to-revenue. The EDI Advantage: Consolidate Portals and Win More Tenders. True efficiency moves beyond basic EDI compliance. By consolidating disparate retailer portals into one platform, you eliminate the "swivel-chair" chaos. This improved efficiency and performance not only stops margin leaks but directly improves your scorecard performance, helping you win more high-value tenders. Future-Proof Partnerships with Automated Data Strategy. The conversation culminates in the shift from tactical order management to a strategic, data-driven approach. Wes advocates for using centralized EDI to build continuous learning and accountability, allowing companies to focus less on manual data work and more on connecting world-class technology with senior executives who control budget and strategy. Learn More About SPS Commerce: Optimize Speed to Revenue Wes Arentson | Linkedin SPS Commerce | Linkedin SPS Commerce Woods Distribution Case Study Arcadia Cold Storage & Logistics Case Study Jay Group Case Study The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: Google, Apple, Castbox, Spotify, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Tunein, Podbean, Owltail, Libsyn, Overcast Check out The Logistics of Logistics on Youtube

In "Penske's State of Logistics: Leasing, Tech, and Loss Prevention with Andy Moses", Joe Lynch and Andy Moses, Senior Vice President of Solutions and Sales Strategy for Penske Logistics, discuss the critical findings from the State of Logistics Report, the strategic advantage of integrating leasing and logistics services, and the operational necessity of combating escalating threats like cargo theft and cyber fraud. About Andy Moses Andy Moses is the senior vice president of solutions and sales strategy for Penske Logistics. He leads the organization's engineering solutions team and heads corporate sales strategy, advising Penske's product line leaders on sales and development. He was most recently senior vice president of sales and solutions, and previously held the role of senior vice president of global products. He has a distinguished career in the transportation industry in product and sales leadership roles, including prior experience as vice president of sales at Penske Truck Leasing. A member of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) and a supply chain author, Moses has spoken at industry conferences and guest lectured at top universities. A Master Black Belt in Six Sigma, Moses holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from Brooklyn College and a master's degree from Pennsylvania State University in leadership development. About Penske Logistics Penske Logistics is a Penske Transportation Solutions company headquartered in Reading, Pennsylvania. The company is a leading provider of innovative supply chain and logistics solutions. Penske offers solutions including dedicated transportation, distribution center management, 4PL and lead logistics, transportation management, freight brokerage, and a comprehensive array of technologies to keep the world moving forward. Visit PenskeLogistics.com to learn more. Key Takeaways: Penske's State of Logistics In "Penske's State of Logistics: Leasing, Tech, and Loss Prevention with Andy Moses", Joe Lynch and Andy Moses, Senior Vice President of Solutions and Sales Strategy for Penske Logistics, discuss how integrated services and proactive technology are building a more secure and agile supply chain. Cyber Security, Cargo Theft, & Freight Fraud: Digital and physical security threats are escalating, making loss prevention a strategic imperative. Logistics providers must invest in robust cyber defenses for operational technology (OT) systems and implement advanced tracking, authentication, and security protocols to mitigate both physical cargo theft and sophisticated freight fraud schemes. The State of the Market (CSCMP/Penske Report): The industry is defined by persistent uncertainty and disruption, requiring a shift from short-term cost-cutting to long-term strategic resilience. The CSCMP/Kearney/Penske State of Logistics Report highlights that while capacity is balancing, geopolitical and economic headwinds, including shifts in trade and the $2.6 trillion U.S. business logistics costs, continue to drive complexity and require agility. Penske's Cross-Over Advantage (Leasing & Logistics): Penske's unique position—providing both truck leasing and logistics services—offers customers a unified and adaptable solution. This cross-over provides superior scale, equipment access, maintenance support, and integrated market intelligence on transportation capacity and emerging market needs. Technology as a Solution Driver: Penske's ClearChain® Technology Suite leverages data, analytics, and AI to provide end-to-end visibility, orchestration, and control. This technology allows companies to move beyond reacting to problems and engage in predictive modeling to proactively address issues before they impact the network. Problems Penske Solves: Penske leverages its engineering and sales strategy to solve critical business problems, including optimizing network design, providing compliant dedicated transportation, offering rapid scalability, and delivering the data-driven transparency required for consumer trust and regulatory adherence. Learn More About Penske's State of Logistics Andy's LinkedIn Penske Logistics CSCMP/Penske State of Logistics Report Penske ClearChain® Technology Suite The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: Google, Apple, Castbox, Spotify, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Tunein, Podbean, Owltail, Libsyn, Overcast Check out The Logistics of Logistics on Youtube