JBF Consulting

When a system outage disrupts operations, it’s not just an IT issue. Understanding the broader business impact is no longer optional—it's critical. From delayed shipments to financial losses to unhappy customers, the ripple effect can impact your entire organization. Just last month, a major ransomware attack hit Blue Yonder’s private cloud computing service, affecting several hundred of their clients. Unfortunately, this was not an isolated event... Given the recent events, SHIPPER TECH TALK co-hosts Brad Forester and Mike Mulqueen sat down with JBF Consulting team members Justin Wilcox and Mark Workman to discuss the rise of cyber attacks and what shippers can do to protect themselves. Check out their engaging discussion here: https://lnkd.in/etK_qVJu

Mike Mulqueen shares valuable insights and predictions for supply chain management and retail trends in 2025 in this article from Technology Evaluation Centers authored by Predrag (PJ) Jakovljevic, CIRM. Mike joins industry leaders John Lash, Mark Burstein, Guy Courtin, Nikki Baird, and David Landau in discussing the impact of tariffs, compliance challenges, and technological advancements. Read the full article to gain a deeper understanding of the key trends that will define SCM and retail in 2025, and learn how your organization can prepare for the opportunities and challenges ahead. https://lnkd.in/gK_upGAU

Rising tariffs, supply chain disruptions, and geopolitical instability are keeping logistics leaders up at night. Descartes Systems Group's 2024 Supply Chain Intelligence Benchmark Survey reveals these as the top challenges facing the industry. The report cautions that organizations involved in international trade need to sharpen their supply chain analytics to build more resilient networks and keep pace with frequent tariff updates. Of course, the impact of global trade challenges varies by factors such as business growth, country, industry, and company size, requiring companies to re-engineer their sourcing strategies to mitigate potential higher costs. 📌 JBF PERSPECTIVE - Insights from Adam Gray The pace and frequency of change in the world only seem to be accelerating. While some of it comes at a regular cadence, like the most recent U.S. elections, where you can anticipate to a degree what you should be evaluating in your supply chains, the balance of our global changes and their impacts are largely unpredictable. Sourcing used to be a much simpler process. Identify your vendors, consider the unit price, and ask yourself what’s the impact to carrying cost and transit in changing your supply from one location to another. Sourcing events were a deliverable with a result. Today’s business climate dictates an approach to continuously evaluate your options. Those ten quotes you got for materials during your last bid cycle should no longer be discarded and forgotten but stored and categorized for future reference. While no contingency plan can account for all the variation the world can throw at us, companies that anticipate the need for a backup approach and commit resources to ensure they are viable and sustainable will continue to lead the way in their respective industries. Download the report here: https://lnkd.in/ere2U-4N

Santa's logistics are a miracle of planning and execution. So, what exactly goes into a successful Christmas Season? It starts with leadership and Santa is a progressive logistics leader! He plans... He leads by example... He seeks advice from experts... He recognizes the power of technology... He strives to improve every day, every year... Now, if we could only figure out how he also makes so many personal appearances across the globe during peak season! Our latest blog answers that question and more - enjoy: https://lnkd.in/euG5Gsr Happy Holidays from JBF Consulting

🌍 ✈️ Ever wondered how stepping away from your business can lead to unexpected growth? In a recent conversation on the Bootstrapper's Guide to Logistics podcast with host Nate Shutes, we talked about my journey since he last interviewed me in 2022. A lot can happen in two years! This episode dives into the challenges and lessons I've learned as a business leader and entrepreneur, including my most significant hurdle yet... leaving the country and my business for over a month while I traveled with my family in Italy. I’m proud to say that my talented team stepped up in a big way while I was away. Their dedication and expertise kept the business thriving, which was truly impressive. Perhaps I could have stayed away longer! This whole experience reminded me just how crucial it is to build a strong, capable team that can tackle challenges on their own. It reinforced my belief that effective leadership isn’t just about managing tasks; it’s about empowering others to excel and take ownership of their work. Here’s some takeaways from our conversation: ⇒ Practical insights on resilience and leadership that you can apply to your own journey ⇒ Strategies for balancing personal growth with professional responsibilities ⇒ Real-life experiences that highlight the importance of taking a step back to gain clarity I hope my story resonates with you and provides actionable takeaways for your own entrepreneurial path. Listen here: https://lnkd.in/e5YmGyiF 🫵 Have you ever unplugged from your business for an extended period? Comment below on how that worked out!

Shippers, what is your satisfaction level of acquiring TMS technology? All too often, we hear from shippers who have acquired and implemented TMS technology and have not realized the full ROI estimated at the onset of the project. They tell us that while they believe that their logistics technology initiative was “technically” successful, the benefits were harder to achieve and came at a higher price than they should have. In many instances, the grand vision, which often includes the unification of all logistics processes under a single system, was never realized as the reality of just how hard it is to transform one's operations became apparent. Over time, the system degrades into a large, unwieldy electronic clipboard where daily operations can be managed, but the value that drove the initial investment is largely incremental and not truly transformative, as had been envisioned. So what do you do? Start with the end in mind. Ask yourself "what is your desired end state?" We've put together this resource to set you in the right direction An Insiders Guide to Acquiring TMS Technology. Download it here - no strings attached: https://lnkd.in/e6-g6sCm 👇 So what's been your experience? Please share it in the comments below 👇

Wishing everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy the football 🏈 and don’t forget to save room for the pie 🥧!

Wishing everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy the football 🏈 and don’t forget to save room for the pie 🥧!

As Thanksgiving nears, it's a great time for us in the logistics and supply chain world to take a step back and appreciate everyone who keeps things moving. Here are some unexpected Turkey Day stats... 🍁 Nearly $60 billion worth of foods and holiday goods purchased are distributed to local stores mainly by trucks, of course! 🍁 Truckers are estimated to deliver about 16,600 truckloads of turkeys to the United States on Thanksgiving alone. 🍁 In 2024, U.S. total turkey production is estimated to tally around 205 million birds raised, equaling 5.11 BILLION pounds of turkey. That's a lot of turkey legs! Remember, if you bought it, a trucker probably brought it! Enjoy the full collection of Turkey Day stats here: https://lnkd.in/eFFxnGa8 We asked DALL-E: "What’s the Best Axle Configuration to Transport a Giant Turkey?" Here’s the AI-generated result. DALL-E definitely hallucinated here. Can you spot the Easter egg?

The global supply chain is undergoing a seismic shift. By 2026, 69% of US supply chains are expected to relocate to the Americas. What’s driving this reshoring movement? Recent disruptions have exposed the risks of over-reliance on distant suppliers. Here’s what you need to know: Global events like COVID-19, geopolitical tensions, and natural disasters have tested the limits of traditional supply chain models The balance is shifting from cost-cutting to resilience and reliability Strategies like Lean Manufacturing and Just in Time (JIT) are being reevaluated for today’s challenges Businesses are focusing on reducing transportation distances, stabilizing costs, and improving agility Procurement and sourcing strategies require ongoing adjustments to keep up with market shifts The BIG question: How can we build more resilient, local supply chains without compromising efficiency? For deeper insights, check out Adam Gray’s latest article on the reshoring revolution: https://lnkd.in/gYSEDS29 Follow 🔔 #jbfreporter for industry news updates