Intermode - Software Consultancy for Logistics & Supply Chain

"Perfect" products never launch! Competitors love that you're still in stealth mode because it means they have a chance to take market share before you do! Cost of delay is real. For software, you need to release early with pilot users and iterate often. You need to move strategically fast. Speed + Insight + Iteration + ? Kill the "hot potato" approach where strategy → design → dev work in silos while market opportunities vanish. ?? Ditch the "us vs them" vendor mindset. One team, one mission, shared success. Your action plan: → Define your WHY (core purpose) → Honestly assess your capabilities → Make strategic build vs buy decisions → Align your entire team → Execute as ONE unified force ?? Find your first 10 customers and get them to start using it through a strategic pilot program. Looking to run a software pilot? DM Andrew Verboncouer on pilot coaching and strategy.

?? Building Useful Tech That People Actually Want to Use ?? Let's talk about cross-functional workshops in freight & logistics. This is where you uncover the best opportunities because you involve those vital to finding what will actually improve a process vs. just make it different. ? Set meaningful objectives (aka know what you're actually trying to fix) Nothing kills momentum faster than vague meetings about "synergy." Get real about what you're trying to solve: → "Our drivers are spending way too much time waiting at customer sites" → "Our tracking system is giving customers anxiety instead of answers" → "Why does it take 17 emails to change a pickup time?" Here's an idea... ?? Name the objective creatively Call your first workshop "Operation Stop the Madness"—focused entirely on simplifying your booking process. The name alone could people excited. ?? Mix it up with the right people The magic happens when you throw together folks who normally only interact through frustrated emails: → Get your tech people face-to-face with dispatchers who'll actually use their software → Invite that customer service rep who gets ALL the complaint calls → Don't forget your drivers—they're living with your tech decisions every day ?? Make it actually fun (yes, really) If your workshop could be replaced with an email, you're doing it wrong. Instead: → Turn process mapping into a competition—which team can find the most unnecessary steps? → Play "What would break everything?"—a surprisingly effective way to identify weak points → Try the "Driver for a Day" simulation, where office staff navigate the obstacles drivers face A warehouse team created a hilarious "Obstacle Course of Doom" that simulated all the hurdles their tracking system created. It was funny, but it also led to serious improvements. ? Ending with actions (not just another meeting) The difference between a productive workshop and a waste of time is what happens next: → Capture action items while they're fresh → Assign names to tasks → Schedule a quick check-in that people actually want to attend → Celebrate small wins ?? Real talk about making this work Implement a "Fix-it Fridays"—monthly two-hour sessions with rotating teams. Turn it into a friendly competition between departments, complete with a ridiculous trophy that gets passed around. ?? Remember Your competitive edge isn't just your tech—it's how well your people work together to make that tech actually useful in the real world.

?? Ever notice why some innovation teams spin their wheels? It's often because they're missing a simple decision-making framework. Without one, prioritization becomes a mess, and suddenly they're six months in with nothing to show for it. ??? Here's a practical tool that works wonders: the RICE framework It's straightforward but powerful for cutting through the "everything is important" noise. How it works: R - Reach: How many people will this actually help? (Be honest!) I - Impact: Will this move the needle or just look good in a demo? C - Confidence: How sure are we about our estimates? (No more "trust me") E - Effort: What's the real cost in team time and energy? Using RICE with your team (the non-corporate way): 1?? Get everyone in a room (virtual works too) with sticky notes and honest opinions 2?? Score each idea together - this conversation alone is gold 3?? Do the simple math: (Reach × Impact × Confidence) ÷ Effort 4?? Put the highest-scoring ideas at the top of the kanban board The magic isn't just in the numbers – it's in the conversations this framework creates. Suddenly teams are talking about concrete trade-offs instead of abstract "priorities." Teams have gone from decision paralysis to shipping valuable features in weeks using this approach. What decision framework has worked for your team? Or are you still searching for one that doesn't feel like corporate theater?

Only 15% of Innovation Projects Succeed ?? → Here’s Why: Most innovation projects fail—not because of bad ideas, but due to cost of delay and poor decision-making structures. ?? When teams constantly pass the “hot potato” instead of taking ownership, progress stalls. So HOW do you increase your chances of success? ?? Drawing inspiration from Marty Cagan’s empowered teams concept, the key to success is giving teams the ability to own their problems, make decisions, and iterate quickly. What can this look like? ?? Do this with your team: 1?? Define clear decision rights Establish who can make which decisions, at what level, and reduce approval layers. 2?? Create autonomous teams Form small cross-functional teams with end-to-end ownership of specific problems or opportunities. 3?? Implement rapid experimentation cycles Encourage testing ideas in small batches with real feedback instead of endless planning. 4?? Celebrate learning, not just success Create psychological safety where failed experiments are valued for their insights. The best innovators we've worked with don't just have brilliant ideas—they build systems that reduce friction and accelerate decision-making. Have questions on how to practice this approach with your team? Send Andrew Verboncouer a DM.

? Tactic to Select Winning Ideas A weighted scoring model helps you objectively evaluate each idea based on key criteria important to your organization. The Weighted Scoring Process → Simple but Powerful: START → ?? List your evaluation criteria (we use impact, feasibility, strategy fit, cost) ↓ ?? Rank each criterion's importance (e.g., impact = 40%, feasibility = 30%) ↓ ? Score all ideas on each criterion (1=poor to 5=excellent) ↓ ?? Multiply scores × weights for each criterion, then add them up ↓ FINISH → ?? Highest total score wins your resources!

Too many teams jump straight to solutions without truly understanding the problems they're solving. ?? Here's what we've learned with Andrew Verboncouer. Real innovation happens when you tell your team: "We're scheduling ten calls with users. We'll spend an hour with each of them. We'll shadow them. We'll observe their process. Then we'll dissect what we've learned and calculate the value of what they're doing." This discipline isn't easy. It's time-consuming. There's friction. ?? You might be thinking: "Who will let us observe them?" "Who's willing to talk to us?" But in that nuance—that disciplined observation—lies the true opportunity to create meaningful change. ? Why it works ? When you sit with users (whether external customers or internal team members), they feel understood. They know you care because you showed up, asked questions, and took the time to figure out their reality. Then, when you return with a solution, it genuinely aligns with their needs. You can check off that you're: ?? Solving their actual problems ?? Enabling specific capabilities ?? Delivering tangible value The deeper your understanding, the better your software will be. The most powerful innovations are unlocked not through assumptions, but through observation!

?? FOMO vs. FOMU: The Silent Killers of Logistics Innovation ?? Understanding FOMO - The fear of missing out on every new trend - Leads to scattered efforts and wasted resources ?? Overcoming FOMU (Fear of Messing Up) - Afraid you'll make the wrong move - Causes hesitation and stalls progress ??? Strategic Solutions - Focus on innovations that align with your core goals - Prioritize and implement changes thoughtfully - Foster a culture that balances caution with creativity Don't let FOMO and FOMU confuse the progress your team can make together.

?? Challenge Many internal innovation teams struggle to maintain momentum and direction, leading to failed initiatives. ??? Solution and Implementation One effective tactic to overcome this is conducting regular alignment workshops. Here's how: ? ?? Schedule monthly workshops to review goals and progress ? ?? Clearly define objectives and key results for each session ? ?? Encourage open communication and collaborative problem-solving ?? Results By implementing alignment workshops, teams experience: ? Increased clarity on project goals ? Enhanced team collaboration and morale ? Higher success rates in innovation initiatives Read more: https://buff.ly/5ue4uc1

?? 5 Ways to Overcome the "Fear of Messing Up" on an innovation project. ?? These fears often lead teams to chase every new trend without a clear strategy, resulting in scattered efforts and diminished impact. 1. Define Clear Objectives Start by outlining the specific goals your team aims to achieve. Clear objectives help prioritize initiatives that align with your long-term vision. 2. Conduct a SWOT Analysis Identify your team’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This analysis provides a grounded perspective, allowing you to focus on what truly matters. 3. Implement Structured Brainstorming Sessions Use facilitated workshops to generate and evaluate ideas. Encourage open dialogue while keeping discussions aligned with your objectives. 4. Prioritize Initiatives with the Eisenhower Matrix Categorize tasks based on urgency and importance. This helps you focus on high-impact activities and avoid distractions from less critical trends. 5. Adopt the 80/20 Rule Focus on the 20% of efforts that will produce 80% of the results. This principle ensures efficient use of resources and time. ?? Mental Models to Keep Your Team Focused ?? ? First Principles Thinking Break down complex problems into their fundamental components. This approach fosters innovative solutions without the bias of existing trends. ? The Pareto Principle Concentrate on the vital few tasks that drive the majority of your results, minimizing the impact of FOMO and FOMU. ? Decision Fatigue Management Streamline decision-making processes to maintain clarity and consistency in pursuing your strategic goals.

?? The million-dollar question... Is your solution solving a real market need or just a convenient fix for a few? ?? Focus on Validation Before Investment Instead of pouring resources into heavy development upfront, smart teams work with leadership to validate opportunities through rapid prototyping. This approach tests if there's enough value to entice potential customers to act. ?? Target Early Adopters Market adoption follows a predictable curve—you won't convince the entire market immediately. Success starts with finding innovators and early adopters who genuinely want change, whether building for internal teams or entering new markets. ?? Specificity is Key To connect with these early adopters: → Be clear about who you're serving → Understand the problem deeply → Articulate why it matters → Demonstrate tangible value ?? Overcome Operational Inertia In industries like brokerage, asset fleets, and logistics, there's significant comfort with existing operational processes. This makes driving technology adoption particularly challenging when pain points aren't explicitly acknowledged. ?? Avoid the "Double Sell" Trap One of the hardest positions is what experts call the "double sell"—trying to convince someone they have a problem AND that you're the solution. Rather than marketing an "all-in-one platform" (which nobody is searching for), focus on addressing specific pain points that resonate with target audiences. ?? Clip from Meet Me for Coffee Interview by Samantha Jones with Andrew Verboncouer, Partner & CEO at Intermode at Manifest: The Future of Supply Chain & Logistics 2025. #logistics #supplychain #logisticstech