Freight to the Point

This month, Anne Sophie Fribourg, Zencargo's VP of Global Ocean Freight and Catia Fernandes, Zencargo's Head of Trade Asia and IPAK - Europe and Intra-Europe, hosted a webinar on ‘Rates: Our insights after Chinese New Year”. In the webinar they explored:Their observations post Chinese New YearHow shippers should approach contract negotiations and tender strategiesPredictions on the ocean market for the next few months of 2024ResourcesRed Sea Disruption Q&A: What Shippers Are AskingEverything Shippers Need to Know About Rates in 2024

How should shippers collaborate with their freight forwarders?“Shippers need to work in a partnership mode rather than a purchase mode with their freight forwarder. The main failure is that shippers are looking into transportation as a purchase service.”In the latest episode of Freight to the Point, we’ve featured Okyay Oztugran, VP of Supply Chain Europe at Spreetail. Spreetail is an e-commerce company specialising in selling a wide range of products through various online platforms, including their own website as well as marketplaces like Amazon and eBay. Okyay joins Lucie Phillips, Zencargo’s Chief Operations Officer, to talk about the world of e-commerce supply chains and how to create resilient supply chain strategies to work towards business goals. ResourcesAll together now: Coordinating for success in modern supply chains How digital freight forwarding is shaping the future of retail success

In the latest episode of Freight to the Point, we’ve featured our most recent webinar, recorded on 10th January on the Red Sea Crisis. Carriers have suspended vessels from passing through the Bab al-Mandab strait after the recent attacks by the Houthis which has had implications for the shipping industry. Our experts, Anne-Sophie Fribourg, VP of Ocean and Catia Fernandes, Head of Trade Asia and IPAK - Europe and Intra-Europe, share their insights on the repercussions of the crisis on:RatesTransit timesEquipmentCapacityDiscover how shippers should work with their freight forwarders and adapt their strategies to mitigate risks in their supply chain. From rate negotiations to pushing shipments back to a later date, stay informed on the latest developments by listening to this insightful episode. ResourcesWatch the full webinar: https://content.zencargo.com/redsea-crisis-video

In the most recent instalment of Freight to the Point, Lucie Phillips, Zencargo's Chief Operations Officer, engages in a discussion with Nicolas Vandeput, the CEO and Founder of SupChains, a company which specialises in demand forecasting and inventory optimisation. In this conversation, they delve into the significance of demand forecasting in supply chains and the potential it holds when combined with technology and machine learning.They explore:The starting steps for any company who is looking at demand forecastingThe KPIs that need to be put in place when it comes to forecastingWhat role technology will play in evolving demand forecasting.Nicolas VandeputNicolas Vandeput is a supply chain data scientist specialising in demand forecasting and inventory optimisation. He founded his consultancy company, SupChains, in 2016; and SKU Science, an online platform for supply chain forecasting, in 2018. He enjoys discussing new models and how to apply them to business reality. Passionate about education, Nicolas is both an avid learner and teaches at universities. Since 2020, he has been teaching demand forecasting and inventory optimization to master students in CentraleSupelec, Paris, France. He published three books: Data Science for Supply Chain Forecasting in 2018 (second edition in 2021), Inventory Optimization: Models and Simulations in 2020, and Demand Forecasting Best Practices in 2023.ResourcesEpisode 47: How should businesses approach inventory management?De-risking inventory in an uncertain market

As we prepare for the year ahead, it's crucial to consider the three pillars that will shape the freight industry in 2024: competitiveness in rates, quality of service, and sustainability.In our most recent episode of Freight to the Point, we’ve featured our most recent webinar, “Rates: What’s next for 2024?” which explores rate strategies going into 2024. Zencargo experts Anne-Sophie Fribourg, VP of Ocean, and Catia Fernandes, Head of Asia-Europe Trade Lanes, explore:The main trends and challenges for customers in 2024How BCOs are approaching tenders in the marketOur predictions for the market in the run up to Chinese New YearRecommended strategies on how customers can prepare themselvesResourcesEpisode 62: Mastering tender strategiesHeard of a diversified rates strategy? Here’s how to build one

To make the right changes in an organisation, it's crucial to attract the right talent, and diversity plays a significant role in achieving this. Diverse teams bring together people with different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives, which leads to innovation, creativity, and better decision-making. Tune into the latest Freight to the Point episode as we’ve featured a Navigate session with Ilhan Hartigan, People Director at Zencargo, Sophie Swift, Head of Delivery at MATCHES and Lucy Harding, Partner and Global Head of Practice, Procurement and Supply Chain at Odgers Berndtson to discuss the opportunities and challenges of diversity in the supply chain industry. Resources Episode 68: How can we inspire the next generation of supply chain leaders?What will it take to bridge the supply chain talent gap?

What steps can we take to cultivate the next generation of supply chain leaders?“So it's about positioning the sector as one that is evolving, but that you can evolve with it”In this week’s episode of Freight to the Point, Bethany Windsor, Interim Director of Stakeholder Engagement and Relationship Management at the CILT, joins Alex Hersham, CEO and Co-Founder at Zencargo to uncover how to attract talent for modern supply chains. Together they explore:How the role of supply chain management has evolvedThe challenges the industry faces with recruitmentHow to make supply chain more attractive for new talentThe training resources that are available to grow careers in supply chainBethany WindsorBethany Windsor is Interim Director of Stakeholder Engagement and Relationship Management at CILT(UK). Bethany’s role centres around promoting the profession to underrepresented groups and securing the next generation of supply chain professionals through a wide range of programmes, including Generation Logistics. Her work with Women in Logistics won Bethany the 2015 Multimodal “Woman of the Year” award, followed by recognition as a finalist in the Everywoman in Logistics and Transport awards (2018) and securing the Talent in Logistics awards (2019), both for “Industry Champion”. As a former teacher, inspiring the next generation to choose the logistics sector is a personal and professional passion.ResourcesWorking around labour shortages in supply chainEpisode 4: How to become a supply chain leader

“And it's like a marriage, it takes some effort to maintain the relationship. It's about compromise and trust.”As the business landscape is constantly evolving, companies are increasingly recognising the need to build resilient supply chains to withstand disruptions.  Alex Hersham, Zencargo’s CEO and Co-Founder is joined by Frederic Gomer, Managing Partner of B2G Consulting, to talk about how collaborative relationships in supply chains can help drive supply chain resilience. Together, they discuss:Defining resilience in modern businessHow to establish collaborative relationships in the supply chainTechnology’s role in improving collaborationFrederic GomerWith an impressive portfolio spanning over two decades , Frederic has successfully assisted numerous industrial organisations in overcoming crisis situations. His past engagements include turnarounds, ramp-ups and restructuring powerhouses names like Schindler, Smiths, and Faurecia, showcasing his adeptness at navigating high-stake environments. ResourcesBeyond rates: Why it’s time for the value of freight forwarders to evolveHow digital freight forwarding is shaping the future of retail success

“Digitalisation gives a retailer a platform to see their shipments from end-to-end, which drives a whole heap of benefits from data, but also to give them an ease of access to data and to shipment locations.”In our latest episode of Freight to the Point, Greg Tress, Logistics Operations Manager at MATCHES joins Alex Hersham, CEO and Co-founder at Zencargo on Freight to the Point to discuss how retailers can unlock supply chain success with digital freight forwarding. Together they explore: The requirements retailers should look for in a digital freight forwarder.How to leverage data from partners to optimise the supply chain.The importance of partnerships and collaboration in the supply chain.Greg TressAs the Logistics Operations Manager at Matches, Greg oversees all inbound freight activities, manages compliance operations related to CFSP/AEO Authorisations, and handles supplier management within the supply chain. With a tenure exceeding 2 years at Matches, Greg has a background of working in the retail freight environment. ResourcesMeasuring a freight forwarder’s valueEpisode 14: The value of strategic partnerships with Gareth Davies

As ChatGPT and other AI language models made significant progress this year, it has prompted all industries, including the supply chain, to think about how AI can drive efficiency. In this podcast episode, Alex Hersham, Co-founder and CEO at Zencargo and Tamir Strauss, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Zencargo discuss the impact of AI on businesses and the supply chain. Tamir, who boasts an extensive career in the science and tech space, shares his insights on existing AI technologies that have been in use for a long time, such as OCR and robotic process automation.They explore:How AI is being adopted by businesses to drive operational efficiency. How AI can revolutionise supply chain decision-making, especially in demand forecasting, inventory management, and optimising warehouse intake. How AI capabilities will evolve to help companies stay competitive and make data- driven decisions.Tamir StraussTamir has over 25 years of experience in product and tech, working with companies such as Huma and Snatch before joining Zencargo. Driven by analytical problem solving, strategic thinking and innovating Tamir’s goals focus on improving business processes.ResourcesEpisode 3: Tamir Strauss and Priscilla Parrish on how to build a smarter supply chainCheck out Zencargo’s platform