Freight Intelligence: Learning from the Mayweather-McGregor Mess

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I wonder what those with freight intelligence were thinking if they were among those who were able to watch the live stream of the Mayweather-McGregor fight.

Fans usually aren’t still arguing about who got hit the hardest several days after a title fight. That’s unless of course the fighters weren’t the ones that took the hardest shots the night of the pay-per-view match between UFC Star Connor McGregor and undefeated boxer Floyd Money Mayweather.

Fans in record numbers showed Showtime the money for the heavily anticipated fight but because of technical difficulties with the Internet streaming version of the PPV TV contest, many didn’t get their money’s worth. One company had claimed it had all aspects of the production handled in advance.

What actually happened? Paying fans missed some rounds of the fight, only to be directed to customer service numbers (on a Saturday night no less) or to streaming sites to watch the event illegally. On Monday, Showtime claimed it would issues refunds. Later that day, the company was sued for poor quality streams. Can it get any worse?

A Teachable Moment for Shipping

Only if you don’t use this mess as a teachable moment, which it most certainly is for all parts of the shipping world.
So, what did we in the freight intelligence business learn – or re-learn – from the Mayweather-McGregor mess?

  • With shipping, you have to pick a partner that can scale to meet your needs, up to pre-identified peaks in demand, whether it’s the days before yearend holidays or hours before a boxing match begins streaming live. This wasn’t an act of God.
  • No surprises. Eliminate the element of surprise. Planning for your big event or extended peak period with your carriers. Everyone needs to know what’s coming to avoid unpleasant surprises. There were many weeks of advanced hype before the Mayweather-McGregor fight – and most sports fans knew of it far earlier.
  • Redundancy. Consider splitting freight across multiple carriers and multiple routes. You do this to have a much better chance of surviving a big problem if one of your options fails and you still have a customer awaiting a big delivery for a big event, promo, etc. Carrier and route diversity give you a better chance.
  • Plan for spikes whether you expect them or not. I bet 60% of fans waited til the hours leading up to the fight to order it. That shouldn’t have been a surprise to anyone given the high profile of the long-hyped fight.
  • Customer service. You need partners in the roughest situations, carriers that will be there with you in tough times and do everything in their power to help you in your time of need. You don’t want anyone that doesn’t answer their customer service line or that pushes you off to someone else. The very last thing you need when the going gets tough is for your partners to get invisible.
  • Live and learn with TMS data and analytics. How did things run, or not run, the last time you experienced a similar peak? Can you adapt accordingly? Listen to what the data tells you. Re-read the reports we provide.
  • Use TMS features and flexibility. When the shipping begins, use real-time shipment tracking to help you spot the beginning of a problem or problems. If you spot the beginning of what could be a peak, you can use the flexibility of your TMS and carriers to route around problems.

Get Freight Intelligence

Failure to plan for peaks results in messes like the Mayweather-McGregor situation that were largely avoidable. Trust me here because I boxed when I was younger. Nothing hits harder than a company that’s knocked out by a peak demand fail. Not Mayweather, not McGregor, not even Ali.

Don’t get hit with peak shipping problems. Get freight intelligence instead.

Try our free Freight Rate Calculator!

Kuebix Adds Wayfair Veteran to Lead Customer Success Initiative

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Kuebix Adds Wayfair Veteran to Lead Customer Success Initiative

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 4, 2016 (Maynard, MA) –Logistics technology company Kuebix today announced that Mike Doyle has joined as Director of Customer Success. Doyle comes to Kuebix after serving at the helm of key supply chain initiatives for over 13 years at Wayfair, a leader in online home furnishings and décor.

“We are excited to have someone with Mike’s skill set and knowledge base join the team,” commented Kuebix CEO Ray DeSabato.  “Mike has an impressive track record and is already establishing new programs at Kuebix to further engage customers and fuel growth.”

At Wayfair, Doyle held a number of key roles, across multiple disciplines. His most recent position was Senior Director within their logistics and operations group. Mike’s leadership on pivotal logistics projects was instrumental in scaling the supply chain operation to support a $2 billion business.

“I’ve always been fascinated by innovative supply chain technologies. When I learned about Kuebix and its potential to revolutionize the logistics industry, I knew that I had to join the team,” stated Mike Doyle.

Doyle earned his BA degree from Trinity College.

At Kuebix, Mike will meld his supply chain and consumer expertise to implement success initiatives designed to further engage current Kuebix customers and reach the millions of businesses across the country that will benefit from Kuebix TMS.

About Kuebix

Kuebix provides a disruptive SaaS TMS or Transport Management System built on the latest cloud technology that is changing how companies purchase and manage freight. Kuebix TMS is the right solution for every company. For small to medium-size businesses, Kuebix is a complete TMS and is ready to use in minutes. For larger companies and enterprises, Kuebix with Premier Apps & Integrations is the perfect solution for even the most complex supply chain. With Kuebix, companies only pay for what they need. And because Kuebix is a true cloud-based system, Premier Apps and Integrations are ready in a fraction of the time of other Enterprise Transportation Management (TMS) solutions. Finally, Kuebix offers Managed Services with unique revenue generating programs to companies looking to partially or fully outsource transportation management. Try Kuebix freight rate calculator for LTL.

Contact

Sarah Clark
Director of Communications
Kuebix
sclark@kuebix.com
978-298-2157

Kuebix Announces SaaS TMS with Premier Apps and Integrations

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KUEBIX ANNOUNCES SAAS TMS WITH PREMIER APPS & INTEGRATIONS TO MEET THE LOGISTICS NEEDS OF ANY SIZE BUSINESS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 27, 2016 (Maynard, MA) – Logistics technology provider Kuebix today announced Kuebix® TMS with Premier Apps and Integrations. Kuebix TMS is a subscription transportation management system (TMS) built on Salesforce.com that is ready to use in minutes. For companies that require additional features or access to data, Kuebix has made it simple to configure the ideal TMS for even the most complex supply chain with the launch of Premier Apps and Integrations.

Companies start with the core Kuebix TMS, a Software as a Service (SaaS) logistics solution that offers LTL rating, truckload and parcel shipment rating, booking and tracking, as well as invoice audit, claims management and carrier pay. Kuebix enables businesses to manage all their shipments on any mobile device using their direct carrier rates. In addition to shipment and financial management, the core Kuebix TMS offers Salesforce.com’s best-in-class customer relationship management system (CRM).

Next, companies choose from a broad suite of Kuebix Premier Apps. Available Premier Apps include: order consolidation, route optimization, dock management (scheduling & yard), load boards, vendor allowance, vendor compliance, produce management, RFP and brokerage/fleet management. Kuebix with Premier Apps is a multi-modal international solution offering ocean, rail and air. With Kuebix, businesses only pay for what they need and pricing is simple and transparent.

Finally, for companies that require access to simple or complex data environments, the Kuebix in-house team offers Integrations with any data source including ERP systems and IoT devices such as temperature monitors in trailers. Kuebix understands the power of data, but only if it is delivered in a way that allows companies to quickly and easily access and analyze the information. Kuebix provides a central repository of data that can be analyzed using best-in-class reports and dashboards. The supply chain visibility available through Kuebix empowers decision making and behavioral changes with real bottom-line results.

“Every business that ships freight today needs a transportation management system TMS,” stated Dan Clark, Kuebix Founder and President. “We’ve taken everything we know about logistics and created a subscription TMS that can be configured to perfectly meet the needs of any size business.”

Kuebix is available for a 30-day, no commitment free trial at localhost:8888.

About Kuebix

Kuebix provides a disruptive SaaS TMS built on the latest cloud technology that is changing how businesses purchase and manage freight. Kuebix TMS (Transport Management System) is the right solution for every company. For small to medium-size businesses, Kuebix offers a robust TMS that is ready to use in minutes. For larger companies and enterprises, Kuebix with Premier Apps & Integrations is the perfect solution for even the most complex supply chain. With Kuebix, companies only pay for what they need. And because Kuebix is a true cloud-based system, Premier Apps and Integrations are ready in a fraction of the time of other TMS enterprise solutions. Finally, Kuebix offers Managed Services to businesses looking to partially or fully outsource transportation management. Try new freight rate calculator to reduce shipping cost.

Contact

Sarah Clark
Director of Communications
Kuebix
sclark@kuebix.com
978-298-2157

Kuebix Adds Former VP of Sales & Marketing to Drive Sales in Central Region

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Kuebix Adds Former VP of Sales & Marketing at New Penn to Drive Sales of Kuebix TMS in Central Region

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 24, 2016 (Maynard, Mass.) – Logistics technology company Kuebix today announced that John Kelley has joined as Regional Sales Director. John comes to Kuebix from New Penn Motor Express, where he spent the past 16 years in sales, most recently serving for 6 years as Vice President of Sales & Marketing.

“John possesses tremendous logistics expertise in both operations and sales, having achieved success in numerous mission-critical roles from terminal manager to vice president of sales & marketing,” commented Kuebix Founder and President Dan Clark. “John’s deep industry knowledge and proven sales strategies will be instrumental in helping us take Kuebix to the next level.”

At New Penn, John Kelley managed a sales force of over 70 executives and developed sales programs and customer partnerships that resulted in a revenue growth of over $50 million. In his new role at Kuebix, John will manage the Kuebix sales force in the central region of the U.S. as the company launches the Kuebix transportation management system (TMS) to businesses across the country.

“Having dedicated my career to the freight industry, I know how important it is for the industry to embrace innovation,” stated John Kelley. “I joined the amazing team at Kuebix, because they have the best TMS on the market today. I am very excited to help bring Kuebix cloud-based technology to the marketplace.”

Prior to New Penn, John worked in sales and operations at several other major freight companies including Estes Express Lines, Ward Trucking and Carolina Freight. He holds a BA from St. Francis University.

About Kuebix

Kuebix provides a disruptive SaaS transport-management-system TMS built on the latest cloud technology that is changing how businesses purchase and manage freight. Kuebix TMS is the right solution for every company. For small to medium-size businesses, Kuebix offers a robust TMS that is ready to use in minutes. For larger companies and enterprises, Kuebix with Premier Apps & Integrations is the perfect solution for even the most complex supply chain. With Kuebix, companies only pay for what they need. And because Kuebix is a true cloud-based system, Premier Apps and Integrations are ready in a fraction of the time of other enterprise TMS solutions. Finally, Kuebix offers Managed Services to businesses looking to partially or fully outsource transportation management. Also, try Kuebix freight rate calculator.

Contact

Sarah Clark
Director of Communications
Kuebix
sclark@kuebix.com
978-298-2157

Kuebix Adds Former IBM Executive to Management Team

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Kuebix Adds Former IBM Executive to Management Team, Expand SaaS Logistics Technology Expertise

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 2, 2016 (Maynard, Mass.) – Logistics technology innovator Kuebix today announced that Suneel Krishnaswamy will serve as Vice President of Engineering. Suneel joins Kuebix from IBM, where he was Director of Development in the Commerce Group. While at IBM, Suneel managed engineering teams for multiple SaaS products and led over 240 engineers across multiple continents. As Vice President of Engineering at Kuebix, Suneel adds tremendous talent and leadership to the growing engineering team and will be instrumental in the development and deployment of Kuebix technology solutions.

“To continue delivering the best SaaS logistics technology on the market today, we need to hire the best technologists that the industry has to offer,” commented Kuebix CEO Raymond DeSabato. “Suneel brings extensive experience delivering highly successful SaaS products at IBM and other top technology firms, and we are pleased to have someone with his background join the Kuebix team.”

Suneel brings with him more than two decades of experience building and managing engineering teams. He has a deep knowledge base of the Kuebix markets and extensive experience with SaaS products for the supply chain.

“I am very pleased to be part of a company that is poised to change the logistics industry as we know it with a disruptive technology unlike anything else on the market today,” stated Suneel Krishnaswamy.

Prior to Kuebix and IBM, Suneel served as Vice President at Sterling Commerce (an AT&T company), Vice President and CTO at Yantra Corporation, and Sr. Project Manager at Infosys. Suneel earned a Bachelor of Engineering degree from University of Mysore, India.

About Kuebix

Kuebix provides a disruptive transport SaaS TMS built on the latest cloud technology that is changing how businesses purchase and manage freight. Kuebix TMS is the right solution for every company. For small to medium-size businesses, Kuebix offers a robust transportation management system TMS that is ready to use in minutes. For larger companies and enterprise TMS, Kuebix with Premier Apps & Integrations is the perfect solution for even the most complex supply chain. With Kuebix, companies only pay for what they need. And because Kuebix is a true cloud-based system, Premier Apps and Integrations are ready in a fraction of the time of other enterprise solutions. Try Kuebix freight rate calculator for LTL Finally, Kuebix offers Managed Services to businesses looking to partially or fully outsource transportation management.

Contact

Sarah Clark
Director of Communications
Kuebix
sclark@kuebix.com
978-298-2157