Project Management Lesson #1 – Projects are Everything

Without projects there is no progress.  The money saving software never gets implemented, the new car doesn’t get launched and the new house doesn’t get built..  My career is a series of projects with some boring, unproductive times in between.  Regardless of your work, there should be project helping your company sell more, reduce cost, improve operations and customer satisfaction.

Project Management Lesson #2 - Get a Visible and Engaged Sponsor

All the project management gurus stress the importance of having a project sponsor.  Having a sponsor is necessary, but having a very visible, engaged sponsor is a game changer.  Sometimes the sponsor has only a passing interest in the project, but signs on as sponsor as an obligation of their position.  This type of luke warm support is almost as bad as no sponsor at all.

A sponsor who believes in the project is especially important in big organizations, where multiple projects compete for the attention and time of people in the organization.  Make the sponsor’s job easier by providing them with great information about the project, like why it’s important, the expected results, positive news, milestones met, etc.  Regular status meetings with the sponsor will keep

Project Management Lesson #3 – Keep Selling

The best project managers never stop selling the value of the project objectives to the stakeholders.  During the project kickoff there is a lot of energy and enthusiasm around the project, but once the going gets tough, the project manager needs to remind everyone to keep on keeping on. When problems arise, people will lose faith and naysayers will criticize.  Keep a positive attitude, win over the fence sitters and ignore the hard core haters.

Project Management Lesson #4 – Create a Message

If you have a big project to implement, it helps to have a simple message that communicates the benefits of the project.  A simple message becomes a kind of the shorthand that helps sell the project.  This might seem like a throw away lesson, but projects with complex implementations get a muddled message.  Determine your message or someone else will.  When I was an automotive project manager, I had the message “on-time, on-budget, quality launch.” Today, I implement logistics software, and my message is “streamline the freight buying process and save 5%. On freight costs.” These simple messages constantly reinforce the project objectives and characterize the project in a positive light.

Project Management Lesson #5 – Escalate the right way

Unfortunately, projects run into problems.  When a problem gets big enough, the project sponsor or client has to be notified.  Escalating the problem is absolutely the right thing, but it is trickier than it sounds.

Usually, when an issue needs to be escalated, someone or some group is not able to support the project in the way that was originally planned.  This means somebody could potentially look bad in the eyes of their boss.  The escalation can be upsetting for the affected team member, relationships may suffer and the project becomes even more at risk.

The better way to escalate the problem to the next level is to meet with the person or group that can’t support the project.  Let them explain why they can’t support the project and discuss all potential options.  Empathize with them and make it clear that you are looking for solutions.  This is the time to strengthen a relationship and be a leader.

If the problem still needs to be escalated, have the leader of that area help you escalate the problem.  When you meet with the sponsor, focus on the solution and be sure to thank the team for stepping up to the challenge.  Never escalate a problem to a sponsor without a recommendation.

Project Management Lessons from the Titantic

What is your most important project management lesson?  How did you learn that lesson?

The post Project Management Lessons I Learned the Hard Way appeared first on The Logistics of Logistics.

UPS Freight is the fourth largest less than truckload (LTL) carrier with approximately $2.4B in sales (estimated 2012).  UPS Freight has 6.9% of the less than truckload (LTL) market.  UPS Freight is based in Richmond, Virginia.

UPS Freight is a business segment of United Parcel Service, Inc.  UPS, Inc. had $54.1B in sales in 2012.

UPS Inc. operates in three segments: U.S. Domestic Package, International Package, and Supply Chain and Freight.

LTL Carrier Profile: UPS Freight Services

UPS is well known for it’s small package delivery business.  Now, UPS has aggressively grown into freight and other transportation solutions through a series of strategic acquisitions.

The latest addition to this portfolio includes LTL and truckload freight services, which complements UPS’s global capabilities to provide customers a single source for multiple modes of transportation.

UPS Freight provides a variety of LTL freight solutions including: standard, regional, inter-regional and long-haul service.  UPS also has guaranteed day-definite delivery and expedited services.

LTL Carrier Profile: UPS Freight History

UPS was founded in 1907 by James Casey.  The company was based in Seattle, Washington and was originally called American Messenger Company.

Over the last hundred years, UPS has grown organically and through acquisition.

In 1975, UPS moved its headquarters to Greenwich, Connecticut.  In 1991, UPS moved it’s corporate headquarters from Greenwich, Connecticut to suburban Atlanta, Georgia.

In 1992, UPS acquired both Haulfast and Carryfast and rebranded to UPS Supply Chain Solutions. Haulfast provided the pallet haulage and trucking network for the CarryFast group of companies.

On November 10, 1999, UPS became a public company.

In 2001, UPS acquired Mail Boxes Etc., Inc. The Mail Boxes Etc., were rebranded to the UPS Store brand in 2003.

In 2004, UPS entered the heavy freight business with the purchase of Menlo Worldwide Forwarding, a former subsidiary of Menlo Worldwide. The new segment was rebranded as UPS Supply Chain Solutions.

In 2005, UPS acquired the less-than-truckload (LTL) trucking company Overnite Transportation.  The Overnite subsidiary was renamed as UPS Freight in 2006.

LTL Carrier Profile: UPS Freight Equipment & People

UPS Freight has 5,948 tractors; 20,783 trailers and 197 service centers.  UPS Inc. has 397,100 employees worldwide, but the specific number who work at UPS Freight is not available.

LTL Carrier Profile: UPS Freight Service Area

UPS Freight’s service area includes all of the United States including Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam.  UPS Freight also delivers to all of Canada and every major city in Mexico (over 600 points).

Additional reading on UPS Freight

UPS Profile - Yahoo Finance

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Last summer, Inbound Logistics published a list of different 3PLs and their services.  The article listed 11 different types of transportation services and I decided to write an overview of those 11 transportation service offerings described in the article.

I wrote a similar overview for warehousing: The 7 Warehouse Service Offerings

Transportation Service Offering 1 – Small Package

Package delivery or parcel delivery is the shipping of packages (parcels) or high value mail as single shipments. While the service is provided by most postal systems, private package delivery services have also existed in competition with and in place of public postal services.

Transportation Service Offering 2 – Air Cargo

Air transportation is used to transport air cargo by plane. Air cargo or air transport is a vital component of many international logistics networks.  Air transport ais a vital part of international commerce.  Air transport involves integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging.  Transporting goods to and from the airport is also an essential part of the process.

Transportation Service Offering 3 – Ocean

Ocean transport is used to move goods across the ocean or larger lakes.  There are many different types of cargo that are moved in various types of ships.  The ships types include: bulk carriers, container ships, tankers, refrigerated ships and roll on / roll off ships.

Bulk carriers are cargo ships used to move bulk cargo like coal, ore, grains and liquids.  Bulk cargo is commodity cargo that is transported unpackaged in large quantities. It refers to material in either liquid or granular, particulate form, as a mass of relatively small solids, such as petroleum, grain, coal, or gravel. This cargo is usually dropped or poured, with a spout or shovel bucket, into a bulk carrier ship’s hold, railroad car, or tanker truck/trailer/semi-trailer body.

Container ships are cargo ships that carry their entire load in truck-size containers, in a technique called containerization. They form a common means of commercial intermodal freight transport. Informally known as “box boats,” they carry the majority of the world’s dry cargo.

Tankers are cargo ships for the transport of fluids, such as crude oil, petroleum products, liquefied petroleum gas, liquefied natural gas and chemicals, also vegetable oils, wine and other food.

Refrigerated ships (reefers) are cargo ships used to transport temperature-controlled transportation, mostly fruits, meat, fish, vegetables, dairy products and other foodstuffs.

Roll-on/roll-off ships are cargo ships designed to carry wheeled cargo such as automobiles, trailers or railway carriages. RORO (or ro/ro) vessels have built-in ramps which allow the cargo to be efficiently “rolled on” and “rolled off” the vessel when in port.

A Multi-purpose ship (sometimes called a general cargo ship) is used to transport a variety of goods from bulk commodities to break bulk and heavy cargoes. To provide maximum trading flexibility they are usually geared and modern examples are fitted for the carriage of containers and grains.

Break bulk cargo or general cargo is a term that covers a great variety of goods that must be loaded individually, and not in intermodal containers nor in bulk as with oil or grain. Break bulk cargo is transported in bags, boxes, crates, drums, or barrels. Unit loads of items secured to a pallet or skid are also used.

More info about ocean transport from Wikipedia.

Transportation Service Offering 4 – Less Than Truckload

Less Than Truckload (LTL) is a shipment that does not require a full 48 or 53 foot trailer. There are many carriers that specialize or offer this service and like full truck load carriers the LTL carriers themselves specialize in different services such as lift gate and residential pick-ups and deliveries, guaranteed services, protect from freeze, transit, and bottom line cost to name a few.

Within a local area the LTL freight operator has a number of vehicles which collect shipments from their customers. After finishing the daily collection, the shipments are taken to a terminal where the vehicles are unloaded. Each shipment is weighed and rated which allows customer bills to be processed. The individual shipment is loaded on to an outbound vehicle which contains shipments from other customers bound for the same geographic area. The outbound shipments are trucked to appropriate regional terminals, where they are unloaded. The shipments are sorted and placed on local vehicles for delivery. Each individual shipment is handled a number of times from the time it is picked up from the customer until it reaches its final delivery location.

Transportation Service Offering 5 – Truckload

Truckload shipping is the movement of large amounts of similar freight, usually the amount necessary to fill an entire semi-trailer or intermodal container. A truckload carrier is a trucking company that generally contracts an entire trailer-load to a single customer.

Full truckload carriers normally pick up and deliver dedicated shipments.  Typically, shipments are  picked up at the shipper and delivered directly to the consignee.  Truckload shipments are generally handled less, cost less per unit shipped and have less freight damage.

Transportation Service Offering 6 – Fleet Acquisition

Fleet acquisition services help companies acquire trucks.  Fleet acquisition companies conduct an analysis of the client’s needs so they can acquire the right truck(s) for their clients.

To specify the truck fleet, the following information is considered: customization, driver requirements, market information, maintenance costs, financing options, taxes, etc.  Other function may include: project management, inspection and delivery.

Generally, fleet acquisition services will be help their clients save money through market intelligence, volume pricing and close relationships to the OEMs.

Transportation Service Offering 7 – Equipment / Drivers

There are logistics companies that sell or lease transportation equipment to their clients.  Transportation equipment is used to move material from one location to another, like between a loading dock and a storage area, etc…) within a facility or at a site.  Typical equipment includes: conveyors, cranes, industrial trucks.

There are also logistics companies that provide temporary and / or fully-outsourced driver leasing services.  These companies manage the driver workforce, enabling their clients to focus on their business.  Driver leasing companies specialize in hiring, training, driver management, employee retention and benefits management.

Transportation Service Offering 8 – Dedicated Contract Carriage

Dedicated contract carriage is a third-party service that provides dedicated equipment (vehicles) and drivers to a single customer for its exclusive use on a contractual basis.

DCC is a flexible service that offers all the service advantages of a private fleet and the convenience of a for-hire carrier. DCC in a sense outsources many of the challenging functions associated with managing a fleet.  Functions including, but not limited to ongoing operations management, technology, drivers, vehicles, vehicle maintenance, safety, regulatory compliance, risk management, and pickup and delivery instructions.

Transportation Service Offering 9 – Intermodal

Intermodal refers to transportation by more than one means of transport such as ship, truck and rail.   The intermodal containerization of cargo has revolutionized the supply chain logistics industry.  The reduced handling savings and efficiency has lowered shipping costs substantially.

Transportation Service Offering 10 – Final Mile

Final mile (last mile) describes the movement of goods from a transport hub to a final destination.  Transporting goods via freight rail networks and container ships is often the most efficient and cost-effective manner of shipping. However, when goods arrive at a high-capacity freight station or port, they must then be transported to their final destination. The last mile problem can also include the challenge of making deliveries in urban areas where retail stores, restaurants, and other merchants in a central business district often contribute to congestion and safety problems.

Transportation Service Offering 11 – Rail

Rail transport utilizes freight trains to haul cargo.  Sometimes, the freight cars are customized for a specific type of freight.  Freight trains are very efficient, with economy of scale and good energy efficiency.  However, pick-up and delivery to the rail head is costly and inconvenient.

With the growth of intermodal shipping, container trains has become the most important type of rail transport for non-bulk shipping.  Containers can easily be moved to other modes of transportation like ships and trucks.

Rail is the most efficient mode for transporting bulk shipments like coal, ore, grains and liquids. Bulk is transported in open-topped cars, hopper cars and tank cars.

Questions:  What do you think of the overview?  What should be added to this transportation service offering overview?

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Where We Are Today in the OTR Market and What Lies Ahead for Domestic Brokerages

My brilliant friends at Carrier Direct have published a great report on the U.S. over the road industry marketplace.  The report is titled “Where We Are Today in the U.S. OTR Market and What Lies Ahead for Domestic Brokerages.”

Carrier Direct is a unique company that helps carriers optimize their assets and helps 3PLs develop capabilities and strategic partnerships.  Carrier Direct has offices in Chicago, IL and Scottsdale, AZ.

Over the Road Industry Report

The well written, easy to read report is 25 pages and formatted in a PowerPoint presentation style.  The report has four sections.

The report begins with a few slides dedicated to the financial collapse of 2008-2009 and it’s lasting impact on the over the road (OTR) industry.  Wall Street’s historical valuations for truckload, LTL, asset-light and 3PLs companies is contained in this section.

Over the Road Industry – Carriers

From there, the authors give a solid overview of the truckload, less-than-truckload and asset-light markets.  For each of these markets, the key themes and top players are highlighted.  The case study of a successful asset-light carrier is particularly interesting.

Over the Road Industry – 3PLs and Domestic Brokerages

The majority of the presentation is dedicated to the domestic brokerage and 3PL market.  The 3PL and domestic brokerage market has grown rapidly.  In addition the growth, the market is also changing.  Shippers, carriers and logistics service providers will all be affected by these changes.

Carrier Direct’s report covers the trends changing the industry.  Trends covered include the following:

• Rapidly changing and growing 3PL marketplace
• 3PL market growth among both big and small shippers
• Evolving shipper needs
• The coming capacity truck capacity crunch
• The changing relationship between 3PLs and carriers
• 3PL service offerings
• Key players in the 3PL market
• Industry consolidation in the domestic brokerage marketplace

Bottom Line

If moving freight is part of your job, download this valuable report and get to know the guys at Carrier Direct.  Contact Erik Malin (erik@carrierdirect.co) and check them out at Carierdirect.co.

Download the Over the Road Industry Report by Carrier Direct

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The fine folks over at Logisticsdegree.net have created a great list of the 100 top logistics websites.  Since they included TheLogisticsofLogistics.com on their list, I am inclined to think their list is legit – lol.

I cut and pasted the top 5 websites from the list (see below).  For the complete list of the 100 top logistics websites, check out 100 Elite Resources for Logistics

1. Blogs in Logistics

   

   Blogs in Logistics is a social networking site especially for the logistics industry. With links to Facebook, Twitter, job boards, forums, and outside blog links, they connect people both to possible jobs, to logistics and company information, and to others in the industry.

   More Info: Blogs in Logistics

2. DataNow Global

   

   DataNow Global is a website that focuses on the technology and best business practices in the logistics industry. The data they collect is throughout the global logistics trade and helps clients to understand the affects of technology in their industry.

   More Info: Right on tech

3. SOLE – The International Society of Logistics

   

   Logistics Spectrum is the magazine produced by the International Society of Logistics. Producing “theme” editions quarterly, it is filled with articles written by industry leaders in their chosen field including commercial, data, efficiency, technology, green sustainability, and more.

   More Info: About SOLE

4. The Logistics of Logistics

   

   Logistics of Logistics is a blog that simplifies the logistics process, demystifying any technical terms or overused acronyms. People curious about the complete logistics industry can benefit from the knowledge and experience of this blog.

   More Info: Logistics Explained

5. Inbound Logistics

   

   Inbound Logistics is a leading magazine in the logistics field. By concentrating on important news, supply chain processes and innovations, and other industry changes, they have made themselves a standard in news and resources in logistics.

   More Info: Help on the Way

For the complete list of the 100 top logistics websites, check out 100 Elite Resources for Logistics.

Additional Reading on Top Logistics Websites

Logistics Websites – 2013

Best Logistics Websites – 2013

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