Coldcart

Thank you Alumni Ventures for partnering with Coldcart to bring enterprise-grade technology to perishable parcel/eCommerce for the first time in this industry's history! Jason Bird Samantha Herrick Ron Levin Alumni Ventures #logistics #coldchain #ecommerce #3pls #startups

One unique aspect of perishable parcel shipping is the impact of network effects. If you take multiple different companies, and put their perishable shipping operations together, their costs and spoilage both improve in ways that cannot be replicated by each company individually. The more shipments you add, the more these new efficiencies multiply across companies. And with 3 billion perishable parcels shipped in the U.S. last year, the potential for improvement is massive. However, achieving this requires technology that isn’t available in traditional supply chain software. Thank you Fluency Digital for inviting me to share how Coldcart uncovered this hidden phenomenon and built a business around it. #coldchain #logistics #supplychain #ecommerce #3pls

Perishable parcel shipping is a catch-22. The more you reduce cost, the more spoilage increases. The more you reduce spoilage, the more cost increases. Reducing both at the same time requires technology that has not existed before. Thank you Brett Stapper inviting me to share how Coldcart created technology to reduce cost and spoilage simultaneously in perishable parcel shipping. Also, Crowd Cow and Elizabeth Liu, if you're listening, let's talk! :-) #coldchain #ecommerce #3pls #supplychain #innovation

For perishable parcels, carrier diversification isn’t an option…it’s a necessity. Late deliveries = spoiled product = refunds = reships = customer churn In any given zip code, every carrier has a different on-time delivery % at any given time. The more carrier options you have for the same shipment, the higher your chances of better on-time delivery. Someone always has at least 1% better on-time delivery than someone else. However, if you rely entirely on one carrier, then you're at the mercy of whatever their on-time delivery is at that moment. Whether it's 95%, 85%, or worse. For perishables, that's literally the difference between refunding 5% of your sales, 15% of your sales, or worse. Yet, few if any perishable shippers consistently use more than 1-2 carriers. Why not? Even if you set aside the false comfort of incremental volume discounts… …the technology simply has not existed to enable this intense degree of carrier diversification. And no, conventional "rate shopping" doesn't actually do this. Why not? * Not only does on-time delivery vary overall by zip code, but regional and local carriers often have consistently better on-time delivery. * However, traditional WMS/TMS/OMS solutions do not take this into account - because they don’t select a carrier until AFTER the warehouse is already filling the order. * To get the best on-time delivery possible, available carriers and their on-time delivery need to be part of the criteria BEFORE a warehouse is selected. Stated differently, whether I ship an order out of IL or NJ should be heavily influenced – if not determined entirely – by which carriers are available in those facilities. Because again, every 1% difference in on-time delivery is another 1% of your sales. This is another example of why traditional software actually REDUCES efficiency for perishable shippers and 3PLs. Perishable parcel shipping requires perishable parcel software. #coldcart #coldchain #logistics Nate Skiver Ben Emmrich Aaron Hodes Robert LeGere Coldcart

Q4 is well underway and peak season is right around the corner. While I technically spent the last peak season at Coldcart, this one will be my first as a leader with something to say. I just celebrated my one year anniversary and the amount I have learned about shipping perishable products in only one year has been surreal! One thing remains the same whether your product spoils or not; creating a solid foundation throughout the first three quarters is the easiest way to set yourself up for success: Labor Management: There is nothing less fun than seeing a huge influx of orders and revenue with no one to fulfill them. Make sure your team has the right expectations and access to extra help when the time comes. Technology: While too much can be overkill, make sure you have secured the right systems for your business. Everyone knows Q4 can be unpredictable; which means your systems need to be configurable and agile to handle the unexpected. Vendor Relationships: Building strong partnerships with vendors is essential. It is likely you are going to have surprises come up and those surprises don't care about legal terms and SLA's. Your partners are going to need to go above and beyond what is expected if your marketing team executes. Carrier Diversification: We all have a favorite, but this is arguably the only time of year where more is merrier. Make sure you have an automated process to find the best carrier for every order and be prepared to pivot towards/away from certain carriers at any given time. Let the data speak for itself. Believe it or not, if you have these four areas covered you are better prepared than most this holiday season! ???? #Ecommerce #Fulfillment #HolidaySeason #SupplyChain #Logistics

#truth #coldchain #ecommerce

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When you’re shipping perishable products, small differences have a significant impact: ? 1 lb. more or less of dry ice ? 1% higher or lower on-time delivery ? Releasing an order 1 hour earlier or later The more customized and precise you can be on every individual shipment, the more you can reduce costs and spoilage. However, traditional operations and software are designed for standardization - the opposite of this. If you’re a perishable shipper relying on traditional solutions, you will never be able to reach the level of efficiency you need. Thank you, Lynn Pornschlegel 潘琳 and Pia Mangold, for an insightful discussion about Coldcart and the depth and detail of optimization required in perishable shipping. #coldchain #logistics #ecommerce #3pls

[Article] Chicago startup Coldcart is trying to make shipping cold products less of a chore. #logistics #startups #food #chicago #chicagobiz