Would you prefer your supply chains to be cheap or resilient? It turns out that 40 years of cutting cost exposed us to dependency on China and risk of disruption. What happens next? One solution will be "China + 1." As Harvard Business School professor Willy Shih describes it in the Wall Street Journal, "Politically sensitive gear such [...]
Last-mile logistics is growing rapidly in the US. This surge has fueled growth for giants like UPS and FedEx, as well as last-mile logistics specialists like USPack and LaserShip, and technology leaders like Bringg. And it has been fueling acquisitions, such as the Target acquisition of Deliv. But what about Latin America? $11 billion has been invested globally in last-mile logistics this decade, but Latin [...]
The supply chain world just welcomed its latest unicorn. Congratulations to Bringg and its outstanding team, which is building the market leader in last-mile logistics software. When we first met Bringg's founders Raanan Cohen and Lior Sion, it was 2016. Bringg was just getting started. Still, it was clear that they had a compelling solution for the last mile, blue-chip [...]
JD Logistics is planning to raise $3.4 billion in an IPO. Three issues that stand out: First, JD attracted a world-class network of largely US-based investments banks, including Bank of America and Goldman Sachs. Nevertheless, they chose the Hong Kong exchange for their listing. This reflects the fact that Chinese and US markets are increasingly separating from one another. [...]
Cambridge Capital recently decided to invest $20 million in ReverseLogix, a reverse logistics SaaS company. We've received a lot of interest from other logistics technology companies, as well as retailers and brands seeking a partner to manage their returns. So I thought it might help to explain our reasoning for making this decision, and sharing [...]
I had the opportunity to do an interview with Pearl Lemon. We had a free-ranging discussion, covering good advice, bad advice, best investment, recovering from failures, and more. Here are a few highlights. Feel free to see the full interview here. What Is The Book (Or Books) You’ve Given Most As A Gift, And [...]
Last week, we hosted the 15th annual BGSA Supply Chain conference. Normally we would be together in Palm Beach at the Breakers. This year was different, thanks to COVID. Despite the shift to a virtual format, we had a vibrant discussion with more than 30 CEOs and industry leaders, including Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel, US [...]
On November 3, the American people will vote. We may not know the actual election results immediately, due to unprecedented volumes of vote-by-mail. However, the polling currently suggests a Democratic sweep of the White House, Congress, and Senate. Meanwhile, Wall Street increasingly expects a Blue Wave. What will be the ripple effects for taxes, business [...]
The US Postal Service has gotten more publicity this year than any time in modern history. A Google search for “USPS Postmaster General” yields 23.8 million results, including multiple front-page stories in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and Washington Post this month. Many have challenged the qualifications of new US Postmaster General Louis [...]
Why is Crown Holdings, Inc. running out of cans? Supply chain students are familiar with the "beer game." It's an academic exercise that shows how a small increase in demand at the end-consumer level can drive larger ripples through the entire supply chain. We are witnessing a real-life "beer game" today, as demand shifts from kegs to [...]
