Transforming Transportation

Metafora on FreightWaves NOW

Written by Metafora | Jul 5, 2022 4:14:49 PM

Have you been tuning in to the weekly Metafora guest appearances on FreightWaves Now?

Our SMEs share the spotlight with FreightWaves NOW hosts to discuss important, trending, and timeless topics in the transportation, logistics, and freight space. While we encourage you to catch each segment live, we're rounding up a few recent spots here so you can binge watch as you please!

 

 [Roundtable] Who is going to feel the pinch with warehousing starts dramatically down?

 

Ryan Schreiber, Metafora’s CGO, joined FreightWaves Roundtable along with Joe Oliaro, VP of Sales and Chief Real Estate Officer of Wagner Logistics. They chat about how to handle the warehousing issue we're seeing now.

Key themes:

  • There’s plenty of land. The infrastructure around the land has to grow in order to accommodate facilities.
  • Still in flux: Nearshoring, onshoring, shippers derisks, and derisking trade lanes with global instability/climate change.
  • Warehousing will have a gradual recovery. Everything in this industry tends to be peaks and valleys.

Watch the full segment with Ryan about how to handle the warehousing issue here.

 

 [Roundtable] How to do a Technology Audit


Peter Rentschler, Metafora CEO, and Sean Santiago, Senior VP for Technology Platforms at TI/NTG chats with the host about How to do a technology audit.

In this economy, what are your biggest concerns as you do a technology audit?

  • Clients get sold something shiny as opposed to a platform that’s actually adaptable to their technology platform/ needs.
  • It’s critical that you’re buying software that actually solves a problem for you.
  • Now is not a good time to have issues with risks or compliance.

What are some mistakes that we have to avoid as money gets tight for people across freight?

  • Businesses that don’t properly implement or handle change management when purchasing a platform.
  • Folks will do an ROI calculation when they buy the software, but they don’t actually manage and maintain the performance of the application and the tech investment against that original ROI calculation.

What are some areas in freight tech that you think can make a big impact?

  • Automation: lots of opportunities in the space.
  • Data management and analysis as the foundational level to ultimately bringing AI into your business.

Watch the full segment with Peter about How to do a technology audit here.

How to use Agile to improve your business

 

Kevin Jenkins, Sr Director of Engineering at Metafora, chats with the hosts about How to use Agile to improve your business. 

What is Agile?

Agile software development is an umbrella term for a collection of frameworks and practices that are based on a set of specific values and principles. Agile is a response to what we’ve learned about software development over the last 60 years:

  • Software development is hard.
  • Software development involves building and working with complex systems and the unknown.
  • There are an unlimited number of ways to solve any given problem AND there are just as many ways for things to go wrong

What are some of the challenges teams come across when trying to improve their agile and DevOps practices?

A common blocker is company politics. This is especially true when companies are organized and operate by function. When business, product, project management, engineering, operations, and QA are all separate departments and don’t come together to form cross-functional teams then we run into heavy processes and approvals, handoffs, misalignment of goals, and turf protection.

Another problem is simply a lack of expertise. It’s easy to read about how frameworks are supposed to operate, get 2-day certifications, and such, but it quickly becomes not-so-straightforward when you go to apply these practices in your own organization.


How can an agile coaching partner help?

At Metafora, we realize that every organization is different, and every Agile journey is different. Our Agile coaches work closely with your team to understand your unique challenges so that we can tailor a customized plan to achieve your desired outcomes.

Our goal is to instill Agile values, principles, mindset, and practices across your organization to enhance interactions, collaboration, and feedback loops. Empowered teams are high performing - they’ll deliver value quickly, promote innovation and rapidly respond to the changing needs of your customers.

Watch the full segment with Kevin about Agile Coaching here. 

How technology drives both customer and vendor expectations

 

Ryan Schreiber, Metafora’s CGO, chats with the hosts about How technology drives both customer and vendor expectations.

Freight tech is becoming more accessible = a more level playing field

  • New tech is emerging, and with apps, integrations, and the cloud, SMB are more able to compete with bigger players. 
  • This works in parallel with the fact that customer and vendor expectations have never been higher.

Not all Tech is Value-Add

Given the growth of readily available technology modules, it is critical, now more than ever, to focus on building technology that differentiates you and buying what you can as an accelerator. For example: 

  • Tech that enables new services lines (ex. SMB Managed Transportation) 
  • Tech that makes your data more actionable
  • Tech that lowers the burden of management for non-core business needs, such as training
  • Tech that makes your employees lives easier and more fulfilling

Implementation is Just as Important as the Build

  • Many companies focus on building incredible technology. Great! However, many of those same companies do not spend the time and energy needed for the quality adoption of that tech. 
  • When widening their tech stack or capabilities, businesses need to consider and plan for transition activities, training/ongoing training, and maintenance.

Watch the full segment with Ryan about  How technology drives both customer and vendor expectations here.

 

Investing in Technology while planning for an exit.

 

Peter Rentschler, Metafora CEO, chats with the hosts about  Investing in Technology while planning for an exit.

What do you think about Investing in Technology in the context of planning to sell your company?

Companies demand higher valuations due to the Operational impacts of the technology, not for the technology itself.


Given the broader freight recession we're in, should companies planning on selling stop investing in Technology?

  • No, but you need to be hyper-aware of the expected ROI / operational impacts of the Technology investments
  • Per my point above, companies demand higher EV's not solely due to the technology, but due to the operational efficiencies they gain from Technology

Do you have any advice on how to best plan ahead for different scenarios in this turbulent market? How can we use this time as an opportunity to continue to improve our businesses?

  • Now is the best time to invest in your business, you just need to be more judicious about the spend
  • Clearly defined ROI that is tracked.

Watch the full segment with Peter about  Investing in Technology while planning for an exit here.

 

Product with a capital “P” 

 

Joel Bennett, Metafora’s VP of Product, chats with the hosts about Product with a Capital “P”.

What is Product and why does it matter?

Product with a capital “P” is the focus on the collaborative approach to solving users’ problems through better, more enjoyable interactions with software. Product is the entire ecosystem of product dev, which includes product managers, software engineers, architects, and customer service. If you can build a healthy ecosystem, this is how you innovate.

How do you leverage your product team to truly innovate?

Innovation comes from inclusivity, not exclusivity. This is where “Product” with a capital “P” is different from the product team. As you discover problems to be solved from market research, info from sales, feedback from the operations team, carrier reps, outside investment, and leadership, you should be developing solutions for those problems with input from all these areas as well. 

Your product development team should be an integral part of this process. This is different from just giving your developers a list of things to do. The collaborative process is key to identifying the best possible solutions for the product you are building.


Watch the full segment with Joel about Product with a Capital “P” here.

 

Taking on TIA 2023 in Orlando, FL

 

Ryan Schreiber, Metafora’s CGO, chats with the hosts Live from TIA 2023 Conference.

  • There’s a lot of optimism and excitement
  • People are getting to know each other, networking, and learning about each other’s businesses.

Key Themes:

  • Panel: What to do when de market turns.
  • Panel: How To Navigating Turbulent Freight Markets
  • M&A has still been a hot topic
  • Technology: how do I get the most out of my business with technology?

What FreightTech topics are we hearing?

  • Capacity tools in a deflationary market.
  • Customers continue to invest in the capacity side of the organization.

Watch the full segment with Ryan about TIA 2023 Conference here.

 

Getting the most out of available Freight Tech at TIA

 

Joe Lackey, Senior Product Manager at Metafora, chat with the hosts about getting the most out of available Freight Tech at TIA.

Preparing to find the right software product for your company at TIA 

  • Freight conferences offer a unique opportunity for folks to get to see a combination of existing transportation technology products, emerging products out there in the marketplace, and companies that can help you help accelerate your business goals 
  • There are 90 or so exhibitors at the conference all offering you information on products or services that can move your business forward, preparation will go a long way to make sure you get the most out of your time 
  • Talk to top performers and see where they feel there are shortcomings of the software they use  

What do I do when I get back from TIA? 

  • Prioritize your time afterward to talk through the available options
  • Take a step back and see if the product fits your company's specific needs.
  • Start an internal discussion around your product roadmap and whether you should go with a build or buy strategy
  • As you get back into your day-to-day and realize how difficult it may be to dedicate the time and resources to analyze what you just saw, you can reach out to a company like Metafora to perform a technology analysis, taking a look at your specific problems and your companies most important needs 
  • If you have found the time and identified the partners you’d like to work with but don't have the resources to get started on integrations or the best approach for implementation, an integration partner like Socket would be worth having a conversation with

Watch the full segment with Joe about Getting the most out of available Freight Tech at TIA here.

Amid a volatile market: take time to refocus on your foundation

 

Nick Oliver, Metafora’s Associate Director of Consulting, joined the show to chat about What to Focus On During A Volatile Market.

Core Focus Areas 

  • Customer interaction and experience
  • Internal with employees
  • Strategic goal setting and actions taken by leadership

Recruiting

  • Having the right roles in place to service customer and internal needs

  • Exploring nearshoring partners when possible to limit costs and streamline operations 

Emotional Decision Making 

  • Try not to let emotions feed business decisions and instead do your best to act off data and your overall company charter and vision
  • Hasty reactions can often have long-term effects that outlast a cycle
  • Do your best to rationalize 

Watch the full segment with Nick about What to Focus On During A Volatile Market here.

 
The Hot Seat
 

 

Peter Rentschler, Metafora’s CEO,  joins Bill Priestley for 10 questions in the Hot Seat. He was asked some random questions around the freight industry like What is the number one problem your company/organization is trying to solve? What’s been the greatest innovation in the history of the freight industry?  What’s the best thing about living in Colorado and MORE! Want to hear his responses?? 

Watch the full segment with Peter on the Hot Seat here. 
 
Metafora Is All In at F3 
 

 

Rush Feldhacker, Metafora Industry Consultant, chats with the host about the F3: Future of Freight Festival, which is happening in Chattanooga, Nov 1-3, 2022. 

Who will be at FreightWaves F3 from Metafora?

  • Ryan Schreiber, VP Industry & Growth
  • Steven Godfrey, Chief Delivery Officer
  • Adam Perlmutter, Director of Industry Consulting
  • Rush Feldhacker, Industry Consultant
  • Nick Oliver, Associate Director Consulting
  • Shanna Greathouse, Director of Partnerships
  • Teresa Ronquillo, Director of Marketing

Metafora will be presenting a rapid-fire demo of our integrations solution: Socket.

We are co-hosting a networking party with our partners at Lean Solutions Group. This event is on Wednesday Nov 2 at 9 pm. We’re taking up the street right outside the Chattanooga Choo Choo, and all F3 attendees are welcome.

We’re going to have:

  • Live DJ
  • Beer, wine and hot toddys
  • Fire pits
  • Make your own s’mores
  • Cornhole
  • Giant Jenga
  • Great company
  • Free giveaways!
Watch Rush's Segment about Metafora at F3 here. 
 
Using Tech to Solve Problems
 

 

Peter Rentschler, Metafora CEO, chats with the hosts about some situations in our industry that have been solved with tech.

  • Automation is the most common use case 
    Tech frees up resources so they can focus on more difficult tasks and problems
  • Dealing with historical knowledge of your team
    Ex: Pricing engine - the mental algorithm that an individual has and transforming that into a data driven output rate that the whole team can utilize.
  • Aggregated data and data strategy

Watch the full segment with Peter about Using Tech to Solve Problems here. 

 
Data Strategy Improvement
 

 

Shanna Greathouse, Metafora’s Director of Partnerships joined the show to chat about data strategy in T&L. Bringing the data together is not easy. Ensuring data quality and planning for normalization and transformation is a huge challenge. The cost of managing enterprise integrations is high and increases friction of expansion and growth. Integration also constrains scalability.

What are some common goals for creating and executing data strategy in T&L?

  • Master data - one handles warehouse and one handles inventory 
  • Making it so can close out books seamlessly month end
 
Training: You can’t afford NOT to train your people.
 

 

Ryan Schreiber, Metafora’s VP of Industry and Growth  joined the show to chat about the current state of training in our industry

  • Where is there room for improvement for training in T&L?
  • Why do you think more companies aren’t actively investing time and resources to upgrade their training programs and processes?
  • What are some signs that a training program needs attention?
  • What are some first steps or recommendations for people to improve their training?
 
Beyond New Hire Training
 

 

Robert Bain, Metafora Industry Consultant, chats with the hosts about continuous improvement for your employees, i.e. ongoing training and development.

What does continuous improvement for knowledge and skills look like for a business?

  • Ongoing and developmental training is an excellent way to encourage continuous improvement for your employees. 
  • Ongoing and developmental training is also a great way to improve your employee retention, team productivity, and company culture.
 
Managing Your New Hire Training
 

 

Adam Perlmutter, Metafora’s Director of Industry Consulting joined the show to chat about how training improves employee retention, boosts morale, and promotes a strong company culture. 

Investing in training is investing in your people. Investing in your people is key to the short-term and long-term success of your business. 

 
Investing in Your Business During a Recession
 

 

Peter Rentschler, Metafora CEO, chats with the hosts about why is it important to continue investing during the pandemic / broader economic recession.

The easiest thing to do is panic and cut costs across the board. This is what many companies do, in many industries.Thus, you have the opportunity to expand while others in your industry are cutting back.

Metafora POV: You should be doing the right thing for your business, no matter the market. This means, investing in:

  • Tech
  • Hiring
  • Training
  • Improving your Customer Experience (Relationships)
 
How to Avoid Common Issues in the T&L M&A Lifecycle
 

 

Robert Bain, Metafora Industry Consultant, joined the show to chat about the importance of having experts that help you build your inorganic growth strategy.

Typically, consultants adopt a three-step process for finding suitable partners, including identifying targets, target sourcing, and readiness evaluation. The goal is to find a shortlist of suitable partners within the transportation and logistics space who are ready to work with you and fulfill your operational needs.


The Foundation of Quality Culture
 

 

Maggie Domondon, Metafora’s VP of People, joined the show to chat about company culture. She had the opportunity to help with the cultural revolution from its beginning stages. What were some of the most important steps Maggie took to lead that?

  • Creating values

  • Believe in team and leadership

  • Celebrate based on values recognized!

 
The ROI of Culture
 

 

Peter Rentschler, Metafora CEO, chats with the hosts about quantifying the ROI of a strong company culture. Culture more than pizza parties and happy hours. Culture is about how your people feel about working there. It’s the shared values and mindset. You can measure both quantitative and qualitative indicators to assess your company culture. For example:

  • Employee Net Promoter Score: How likely are you to recommend this company as a great place to work?
  • Retention: Are your employees staying with your company?
  • Referrals: What percentage of your new hires are coming in from referrals?
  • Customer Service: A happy, healthy culture breeds productivity and quality.
 
The Changing Nature of RFPs
 

 

Rush Feldhacker, Metafora Industry Consultant,  chats with the hosts about The Changing Nature of RFPs. He speaks about some of the challenges with the current RFP process, and how he predicts a shift to a shorter bid cycle.

For both the shipper and the broker or carrier the time and resources that go into performing an RFP are high, but there are a lot more RFP tools and solutions available than there have been in the past.

Digital Freight Brokering

 

Ryan Schreiber, Metafora VP of Industry and Growth,  joined the show to chat about Digital Freight Brokering as a digital platform or tool that matches shippers to transportation providers. 

Truck drivers can manage freight opportunities based on real-time availability as well as digital technology optimizes their delivery routes and maximizes utilization.

The Value of Outside Help

 

Nicholas Oliver, Metafora Senior Consultant, chats with the hosts about numerous reasons why a company may want to consider utilizing outside help: such as staff augmentation, providing objectivity, and initiating change.   

Outside help will take some time to learn about a client’s business to understand what pain points they are trying to solve or aspirations that they are trying to achieve. Save time by partnering with a consultancy that knows your industry well and can jump right into learning the specifics of your business and goals.

Watch Nick's segment about The Value of Outside Help here.

Advising the Owner/ Operator or Small Fleet in a Freight Recession

 

Peter Rentschler, Metafora CEO joins the FreightWaves Roundtable Discussion with Kary Jablonski of Trucker Tools to share advice on how to survive a freight recession. What were their main tips?

  • Get scrappy!
  • Communication: Have honest conversations with your partners and your customers. Understand what is profitable business for you and be able to communicate that to your customers.
  • Be easy to work with! Create a frictionless experience for your customers.

Watch the full roundtable discussion with Peter and Kary here.

The Growing Need for Engineers in Freight Tech

 

Joel Bennett, Metafora's Director of Product Management, joined the show to chat about how things like M&A, a rapidly changing competitive landscape, and worthwhile efforts to modernize tech and solve the problems posed by legacy tech in freight companies are contributing to a growing need for software engineers in our industry.

Watch Joel's Segment about The Growing Need for Software Engineers in Freight Tech here.

Data Management in T&L

 

Steven Godfrey, Metafora’s Chief Delivery Officer,   joined the show to chat about Data Management, the practice of collecting, protecting, and storing an organization's data so it can be analyzed for business decisions.

What are some industry challenges that can be tackled with quality data management practice?

  • Data Silos: Data is everywhere! Many transportation companies have been built on and grown from acquisitions - technology has often kept the silos divided rather than bring them together.

Watch the full segment with Steven about Data Management here!

     

Catch Metafora subject matter experts and industry leaders on FreightWaves NOW on FreightWaves TV each week!
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