by Fronetics | Jan 6, 2016 | Blog, Logistics, Strategy, Supply Chain, Transportation & Trucking
Fronetics Strategic Advisors is a leading management consulting firm focused on the logistics and supply chain industries. Our industry and functional expertise enables us to fully support and guide our clients as they address critical business issues, take advantages of opportunities, and grow their company. Our clients rely on us to create and execute marketing strategies, capture value from their customer and channel strategies, identify opportunities for increased revenue, create and execute new organizational models, and lead transformational organizational change.
Supply chain talent is a salient issue. At Fronetics we not only provide thought leadership on this subject, we also engage with future talent. Each year Fronetics collaborates with MBA students from the University of New Hampshire Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics. I am excited that several of the most-read logistics and supply chain articles were written by these students.
Here are the 10 most read logistics and supply chain articles of 2015:
It’s difficult to accurately predict what Amazon will be doing fifteen years from now, but whatever they are doing, it will mostly likely continue to shape consumer expectations and impact the surrounding business and consumer markets in ways we had not thought of beforehand. Read the full article.
There is a common misconception that the majority of goods we purchase arrive via plane, or are transported via road. The reality is that 90% of everything we buy comes by ship — and it’s not likely that this number is going to decrease any time soon. Read the full article.
While many of us may be familiar with recent advancements in home automation, like the Nest thermostat, the real impacts of the Internet of Things (IoT) will be in supply chain management. Recent reports by Cisco, IDC and Gartner all claim that a significant increase in the number of devices making up IoT will have a profound impact on how future supply chains will operate. Read the full article.
Cathy Morris, senior vice president and chief strategy officer for Arrow Electronics, Inc., talks women in the supply chain and offers up career advice. Read the full article.
Regularly tracking your relationship with your suppliers and their performance toward your expectations is critical to ensure the success of your business. One mechanism for tracking this is the supplier scorecard — in essence, a report card for your supplier. Supplier scorecards, when used effectively, can help maintain a healthy supply chain and will benefit both parties. If not used effectively, supplier scorecards can damage the supplier relationship and hurt both businesses. Read the full article.
The pet food industry is a market that boasts $21.57 billion dollars in sales in the United States (2013). According to Trade Group, with 95.6 million cats and 83.3 million dogs owned in the United States, it is no wonder that there is such a large market for the food that the self-proclaimed “pet parents” feed them. However, it isn’t all good news for aspiring entrants, as they must first understand the supply chain that dictates this growing industry. Read the full article.
Uber, the on-demand driver-for-hire mobile service, has come to stand for disruption. The company has not only transformed the taxi industry, it has changed everything. Uber, Aaron Levie notes, is a “lesson in building for how the world *should* work instead of optimizing for how the world *does* work.” NY-based start-up Transfix is doing just this. With the launch of the company’s new app, Transfix is poised to disrupt the trucking industry. Read the full article.
“Man or woman, the Supply Chain of the future depends upon the perfect mix of talent. And, as we know, Supply Chain talent is experiencing a shortage.” Read the full article.
Looking at the manufacturing, supply chain, logistics, transportation, distribution and freight industries, there are a few companies that have emerged as leaders — companies that exemplify the business value of creating and executing digital, social media, and content marketing strategies. Cerasis, a freight logistics company, is one of them. Read the full article.
by Fronetics | Jan 5, 2016 | Blog, Leadership, Strategy, Supply Chain
Fronetics Strategic Advisors is a leading management consulting firm. We work with organizations to identify and execute strategies for growth and value creation.
Good leadership is invaluable. At Fronetics we offer: leadership solutions for organizations during times of transition; leadership development solutions; thought leadership on important news and trends; talent acquisition and succession management guidance and support; and M&A support to help our clients build and capture value.
Two of the most-read leadership articles of 2015 were interviews with top female supply chain executives. Interviewing these women, Arrow Electronics’ Cathy Morris and Bravo Solutions’ Mickey North Rizza, was a highlight for me. Thank you again to both women for taking the time to talk with me and to share your thoughts on leadership, the supply chain, career development, and women in the supply chain.
The following are top 10 leadership articles of 2015:
Cathy Morris, senior vice president and chief strategy officer for Arrow Electronics, Inc., talks women in the supply chain and offers up career advice. Read the full article.
The world has changed a lot in a century, but Andrew Carnegie’s ideas on leadership have endured. Read the full article.
Mergers and acquisitions are increasingly popular strategies toward growth; however, 40% to 80% of mergers fail to meet objectives. M&A is complicated, and goes beyond simply “the process of buying a company.” At its heart, it is a strategic selection of competencies that fill a void in a company’s offering, geography, technology, or industry area of focus. It’s wise to think about whether the time, money, and energy are ultimately going to pay off, literally and figuratively.
There are some critical things to consider before courting a merger or acquisition. Be a leader by asking the tougher questions internally rather than focusing your team on an outside “target.” Read the full article.
There’s a great deal of buzz about social media in the business world — and for good reason. Marketing and communications professionals have made it de rigueur to tap into the popularity of social media networks to extend their brands into the digital world. But when it comes to executive use of social media, the field seems much more divided. Domo and CEO.com estimated that of the 500 leaders of the biggest companies in the US, 68% have no social media presence whatsoever. By leaving the social media management to marketers, these leaders are missing opportunities to connect with followers and expand their influence. Read the full article.
Businesses don’t fail; leaders do — a lot. Studies have shown that the rate of failure of executives coming into new companies ranges from 30 to 40 percent after 18 months. The costs and implications of a poor leadership hire are enormous. Given the odds, how can you hire a leader — a true leader? Read the full article.
When leaders fall prey to the busyness trap, time devoted to thinking and reflection is often minimized or eliminated; the result can be catastrophic. Freek Vermeulen, associate professor of strategy and entrepreneurship at the London Business School, cautions: “If you can’t find time to think, it probably means you haven’t organized your firm, unit, or team very well, and you are busy putting out little fires all the time. It also means that you are at risk of leading your company astray.” Read the full article.
Mickey North Rizza, VP, Strategic Services at BravoSolution, holds the distinction of Top Female Supply Chain Executive. She has 25 years of senior-level procurement, sourcing, and supply management experience. Mickey has also been an award-winning supply chain analyst with Gartner and AMR Research. In this interview, Mickey talks women in the supply chain. Read the full article.
The inability to delegate effectively is a principal reason why executives fail. According to London Business School Professor John Hunt, only 30% of managers think that they are able to delegate well. Among these individuals, only one-third are considered to be good delegators by their subordinates. Read the full article.
Women hold just 4.4% of CEO positions at S&P 500 companies, and this number is set to drop when Carol Meyrowitz steps down as CEO of TJX Companies, Inc. and moves into the role of executive chairperson. Looking globally, just 8% of companies with revenues of at least $500 million have a female CEO. Here’s the thing — the dearth of women in leadership positions is not just an issue of equality; it is also one of economics. When women are in positions of leadership, companies perform better — much better. Read the full article.
Whining. Just writing the word makes me cringe. Whining is a truly unattractive characteristic. It is unattractive in children, and it is even more unattractive when adults partake. One of the reasons why whining is just so unattractive is that it is ineffective and it can make a brilliant leader look like, well, like a blithering child. Read the full article.
by Fronetics | Nov 25, 2015 | Blog, Data Security, Data/Analytics, Strategy
Apple has been making lives easier for years with its personal electronics devices, and its new step towards security will bring relief to many people and, in the age of BYOD (bring your own device) many businesses with be grateful. An increase in two digits, from four to six, might not sound like a big difference, but, in fact, it is. With a four digit passcode there are only 10,000 possible combinations, and the bump up to six digits allows for 1 million possible combinations. According to the website Cult of Mac, “With a brute-force computer, it takes on average 40 seconds to attempt every passcode; theoretically, it would take a maximum of 111 hours, or 4.5 days, for a computer to crack a four-digit passcode. Bump it up to a six-digit passcode and it’d take the same machine 11,000 hours, or 458 days.”
The Age of Flexible Work Arrangements & BYOD
Companies and employees are increasingly going the route of allowing personal devices to be used in the workplace, and allowing people to work from home. According to a recent study by the Quarterly Review of Economics, people who work from home are more productive (the study showed a 13% increase), less exhausted, and less likely to leave a job. As more people work from home and on the road, and want to immediate access to their personal and professional information, BYOD has become popular.
According to a thorough Ponemon Institute study on the security impact of mobile device use by employees, many employees want to use their cell phones, but don’t have a full grasp of how security is being impacted or could be breached. Here are some telling numbers:
- 70% of respondents said that BYOD makes them more productive because they have access to personal and professional information in one spot
- A total of 62% of the respondents reported that access to corporate information via mobile devices is “essential” to productivity
- 38% said that they are more efficient and work time was reduced by roughly 30 minutes
- Only 20% of participants reported receiving training on security of corporate content on mobile devices. Of those who were trained, 74% reported that it was not helpful in reducing security threats on mobile devices.
- 66% said that they “frequently” or “sometimes” download apps that aren’t approved by their companies
- Only 19% check for viruses or malware, and 22% believe this behavior invites any danger to their company
Can a Passcode Fix Security Problems
Apple’s new security option is going to help, no doubt. Breaching a password is one issue, but security concerns extend beyond passwords. One of the major benefits of Apple’s new passcode option is that many companies will have to review their mobile device policies. Emails, client information, legal documents, finances, and other important information are sent from and stored in mobile phones. To say this is delicate information is an understatement.
Here are some suggestions for tightening security:
- Review all vulnerabilities in security including devices, networks, and applications
- Require password protection
- Have detailed security protocols for each electronic device
- Determine which activities can be performed and which can’t on devices
- Consider periodic IT check-ups on devices
In the modern workplace, being able to balance flexibility with security is key to a productive and safe business. Properly training employees, setting clear expectations, and instilling trust in employees is important. If employees are trusted they will want to protect your company’s valuable information, but they can’t do the right thing without clear and accessible policies.
This post originally appeared on Electronics Purchasing Strategies.
by Fronetics | Nov 16, 2015 | Blog, Leadership, Strategy, Talent
Recently a friend left her job for a new job that offered more money, a better title, and exciting work. She spent much of the last days at her job feeling excited about her new prospect, but something in her was unsettled. She had spent much of the last decade at her job forming and fostering incredibly close friendships. She’s the kind of person who skips over the small talk and digs into the meat of someone’s life fairly quickly. The level of her friendships at work was most likely what was keeping here there for so many years. Leaving felt like a huge loss, even though she had so much to gain at her next job.
Make New Friends But Keep the Old
According to the Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends 2015 report, the first of the six “key findings” is that “softer” areas such as “culture and engagement, leadership and development have become urgent priorities.” Half of those surveyed said that culture and engagement were important to them. Companies who have an engaged workforce can boast up to 147% higher earnings per share.
A study conducted by Dr. Vanessa Boute at Plasticity Labs, confirms previous findings about the tie between valuing co-workers and job satisfaction. The study of over 450 employees showed that those who listed their co-workers as one of their top five things they’re grateful for were more satisfied and more engaged. According to the report, “people who value their co-workers are also more grateful and happy.”
Deep Talk Not Small Talk
We know there’s a connection between friendship and satisfaction, but how do we get people truly engaged with one another in the workplace? My friend, who likes to skip small talk and go straight to in-depth conversation, may be on to something.
According to several studies, people can form deep connections within an hour. One researcher, Arthur Aron, of State University of New York at Stony Brook, has been exploring interpersonal closeness for decades. He found that the kinds of questions you ask can make all the difference. If you ask superficial questions, in the way of small talk, bonds won’t be formed easily or quickly, however if you ask more meaningful questions people feel connected quite quickly. Rather than asking, “How did you spend your vacation?,” a question such as “What would constitute a perfect day for you and why?” will bring about more self-disclosure and more of a feeling of connectedness.
Space and Time
Allowing time in the workplace for employees to connect is critical to friendship development. These days many workplaces are dreary hives of fast production. Encourage mid-day group walks or lunches, and after-work outings. Plan staff development retreats and allow time and space for people to connect. When people have friends at work they will work harder in the end. The time a walk or lunch takes will come back to you and the company in the form of superb work and dedication. Think of that walk as an investment in the company’s future. People may not mind letting down a colleague, but they often mind letting down a friend.
by Fronetics | Nov 5, 2015 | Blog, Content Marketing, Data/Analytics, Leadership, Marketing, Strategy
We all want to see the fruits of our labors. Whether launching a product or a new social media campaign, we look for instantaneous numbers that will affirm we made the right choices. But here’s the problem: not all metrics are created equal.
So-called vanity metrics are measurements that have no bearing on your bottom line but can give you an inflated sense of success. Generally, they are easy to calculate but are influenced by too many factors—and are too vulnerable to random external events—to be reliable.
Website visits and number of subscribers are two classic examples. A spike in homepage hits may be the result of your marketing efforts, or it may be because of ghost spam. (Or, both.) Regardless, more visits do not necessarily correlate to increased revenue—just more visits. In the same vein, having 100,000 email subscribers means nothing if only 1% are opening them. You actually could be losing money in terms of resources allocated if the emails aren’t helping drive sales.
That’s why it is crucial to focus on return on investment instead of vanity metrics. You could waste hours reviewing a hundred different analytics that tell you nothing about how revenue was affected by a particular effort. Or, worse, you could use vanity metrics to justify decisions that don’t achieve their ROI.
As a simplified example: say you spend $100 on a banner ad for a new product on an industry conference website, and your analytics report that 100 people clicked through. This sounds like success! But don’t celebrate just yet. When you dig past the vanity metric, you find an extremely high bounce rate. That means most of those click-throughs left your site immediately, neither engaging with your brand nor moving any closer to becoming a customer. In fact, you find that only one click-through converts. Was it worth paying $100 for this one customer? Probably not.
But say you ran another $100 banner ad on an industry publication website, one that targets a younger audience than you think your product fits. Only 20 visitors clicked-through, which sounds less successful than the other ad. But when you follow those 20 click-throughs down the sales funnel, you see that 15 ended up purchasing $1500 worth of product. Already, the ad has paid for itself 15 times over. You’ve also learned that perhaps a younger audience is more suited to this product. The ROI proves the vanity metric was quite misleading in this case.
Lean-startup pioneer Eric Reis, who coined the term vanity metrics, said, “The only metrics that entrepreneurs should invest energy in collecting are those that help them make decisions.” In other words, measure the things that will tell you if an effort was profitable so you know where to put your time and money.
While vanity metrics tell you nothing about your bottom line, ROI can help you determine whether it was worth spending your resources in a particular way. This is extremely useful on platforms like blogs and social media, where things are constantly changing. Using ROI as a litmus test, you can keep experimenting and making sure you’re using these tools effectively. Tracking a vanity metric like number of followers, which is likely to build over time regardless, gives you no indication of which experiments were successful and which weren’t.
Your resources are limited, so it’s crucial to evaluate your efforts with meaningful numbers that illustrate their effect on your bottom line. Calculating ROI might take some time—both in the few extra minutes to do the math and the amount of time that needs to pass before all the data is available—but that number will be infinitely more valuable to you than any vanity metric on your Google Analytics report.
What metrics do you report to your team?
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by Fronetics | Nov 2, 2015 | Blog, Marketing, Social Media, Strategy
In mid-October, LinkedIn made some big changes: LinkedIn Groups are private and there’s a new, standalone LinkedIn Groups app for iOS users. Many LinkedIn Groups were used for the purpose of networking, research, and prospecting, however many people were misusing, and even abusing, the Group option. Rather than using groups properly, to form relationships, engage with industries that could supplement yours, and keep up with hot topics, the group option was often used for self-promotion.
The Changes
According to LinkedIn, these changes were spurred by consumer feedback. “Our research has shown that professional conversations are most effective in a private trusted space, so conversations in groups won’t be visible until you’ve joined the group. Joining a LinkedIn group now requires either an invitation or approval of your request. Our data has shown that open groups have historically attracted a larger percentage of low-quality conversations. Members-only groups have created significantly more participation and conversations than others (up to five times more), indicating that members feel more confident contributing in these types of groups.”
Some additional, prominent changes:
- Moderation: Conversations will be posted without the need for approval from a moderator, manager, or group owner, however those people can still remove off-topic conversations.
- Standard and Unlisted Groups: In an effort to simplify things for the consumer, groups will be either unlisted, meaning that they don’t show up in search results and only a manager/moderator can invite people members, or standard, meaning that groups do show up in search results and members can invite anyone with a 1st degree connection.
- Content Filtering: Filtering of spam and low-quality content to keep promotional material out of conversations.
- Subgroups: Subgroups will no longer exist to help clear up confusion. Any current subgroups will become their own, standalone groups.
- Mentions in Conversations: Like other forms of social media, the @ symbol will now be used before a name in order to reference someone and bring them into the conversation.
Other changes can be found at LinkedIn’s Help Center page.
Group Etiquette
If you’re already using groups in smart way, you’ll only see improvement from LinkedIn’s changes. Say goodbye to spam and relentless self-promotion. Groups may become more meaningful with a more exclusive approach. The people who are genuinely interested in having specific, topical conversations will. Here are some tips on how to navigate the new Groups:
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Engage Don’t Enrage:
Keeping in mind that there’s a difference between narcissism and seeking feedback, wait a bit before you post your own blogs, articles, or other branded content. You may want a group of talented, knowledge people to review your writing, but you need to establish yourself as a valued member of the group first. Comment on and like others’ posts. Put in your time and build rapport.
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Prudence in Posting:
When there’s a discussing going about a topic that speaks to you, you might feel anxious to jump in with a relevant article you’ve written, but consider your timing. Only after posting third-party articles and blogs, to show your support of others and breadth of knowledge, consider posting your own. When you do post your first article, it might be helpful to connect it to the groups’ influence. For example, Based on the recent, rich conversation about the engagement of Boomers and Millennials in the workplace, I gather my recent years of experience with this and wrote an article I though I’d share with you. I appreciate the fruitful conversations here that helped spur this article.
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Connect Cautiously:
As with all etiquette, the idea isn’t to approach people with fear, but with respect. Sometimes, early on, respect can be established by being cautious in order to better understand individual and community needs and norms. Once you’re in a group, don’t be unknowingly creepy. Engage with people who might have similar interests or who you feel might be attracted to your brand. First comment on their posts, like an article, show that you’re engaged and have something to offer intellectually. Give them your thoughts before your products. Once some sort of engagement is established, then send a connection request.
The new changes to LinkedIn’s Group option is going to serve everyone well, whether you’re in marketing in or any other field. It means more meaningful engagement and less bothersome noise and chatter.
Fronetics Strategic Advisors is a leading management consulting firm. Our firm works with companies to identify and execute strategies for growth and value creation.
Whether it is a wholesale food distributor seeking guidance on how to define and execute corporate strategy; a telematics firm needing high quality content on a consistent basis; a real estate firm looking for a marketing partner; or a supply chain firm in need of interim management, our clients rely on Fronetics to help them navigate through critical junctures, meet their toughest challenges, and take advantage of opportunities. We deliver high-impact results.
We advise and work with companies on their most critical issues and opportunities: strategy, marketing, organization, talent acquisition, performance management, and M&A support.
