The Pro ICP is the leader of a small logistics team, consisting of 2 to 10 people. Generally, process management in these teams is 100% based on generic tools such as email, Excel, WhatsApp, etc. The cost of a TMS like SAP, Oracle, or BlueYonder is usually not justifiable given the size of the operation.

The following are the specific characteristics of this class of teams:

Characteristics of the Logistics Manager (Client)

• Male or female (almost always male) between 30 and 50 years old
• Has more than 5 years of experience in their position
  • Experience in the position is a characteristic of relative value. That is, if they have little time in the position, the manager is likely to have enthusiasm for implementing improvements to make their new participation more notable. However, this reduces the likelihood of accessing budget authorizations. This last characteristic is applicable to the gender factor. In other words, if the manager is a woman, she will likely always have the need to be recognized and may have difficulties accessing budget authorizations due to being a woman in a context of deep-rooted machismo. This should not be a factor for disqualifying the client, but it should be taken into account.
  • On the other hand, if they have between 2 and 5 years in the position, it is highly likely that they have well-identified problems and opportunities for improvement in their process and may even be desperate to solve them. In addition to already having the trust of their superiors to authorize budgets.
  • In any case, the enthusiasm and passion of the logistics manager for solving management problems through technology is fundamental and probably the most important characteristic of the ICP.
  • The characteristics inherent to the virtue of leadership are indispensable for the pro ICP. These are visible in examples such as the following:
    • In a pilot test, they take the initiative to explore areas of the platform on their own, or directly do more exercises based on what they have learned.
    • They ask constructive questions such as: Can I share this information with my commercial team or with my client?
    • It is common for them to share information about their current process without needing to be asked, emphasizing what they want and need to improve.
    • In case someone opposes or questions the implementation of the tool, they usually refute with arguments such as: "implementation may be complicated at first, but this has a lot of value in the long term"
  • It is important to mention that if the manager has been in the position for too long, for example 15 years, they probably don't want to change anything. The time they've been there can be a factor against us (commercially speaking). We may have to face issues of arrogance and/or apathy.
• Needs to maximize budgets as much as possible
  • It is important to take into account that the company's operation is limited. Therefore, budgets will also be limited. In principle, this is a factor why they probably haven't implemented a TMS in the first place.
  • Another factor to consider is the industry sector and the product they move. If the product tends to be cheap, probably not many resources are allocated to the logistics operation, both in terms of people and tools. If this is the case, it is not a factor to discard them, but it should be taken into account in a commercial proposal.
• Generally somewhat incredulous and requires tangible evidence
• Is a technology enthusiast
  • It is important that the client is already familiar with the idea that there are technological tools that solve industrial problems. They have probably researched on their own, already know some, and may have even approached competitors.
  • If the client is not enthusiastic about technology and is "comfortable" with a traditional operation, it will be very difficult to move forward with them.

Characteristics of the Logistics Operation

• First mile and middle mile distribution (for now, we DO NOT handle last mile)
• Volume: less than 1000 shipments per month
• +90% of the operation is domestic (Cross-Border opens in November)
• FTL shipments
  • We can manage multi-origin OR multi-delivery operations. But it is essential that in each shipment, the unit is FTL.
• +60% of the operation is carried out with articulated units (Single or Full)
  • We can manage operations with Torton, Rabón, and 3.5 Ton. But when more than 50% of the operation is done with small units, the shipper usually needs to manage vans or smaller vehicles as well, and they are closer to a last-mile operation.
• Units requested from providers: mainly Platform and Dry Van. It can also be curtainside or hopper.
  • Refrigerated units can be selected. However, refrigerated units have particularities in their management. For example, temperature monitoring or pre-cooling status during shipment.
  • The fact that the client requests too many customizations based on the product being transported or the unit requested is a factor for leaving the pro ICP. For example:
    • Creation of a new user with different faculties (other than shipper or carrier)
    • Special features or documentation assigned to products, customers, or transport assets
• +95% of their operation is assigned to external providers (not counting brokers).
  • The assignment of cargo to brokers (logistics intermediaries) complicates the management and transparency of shipment information documentation and transport units
  • On the other hand, it is relatively common for a shipper to have their own fleet. Generally, this is managed with a different business name, and there is no problem in managing this type of operation through TrackChain. However, if the operation is assigned to this fleet in a high percentage, for example 50% or 60%, there tends to be a bias of having high control of the operation just because it is their own fleet. Convincing them that they have a problem and then convincing them that our solution to that problem is the best can be an important factor in wasting time.
  • The factor that would completely disqualify the ICP is an operation that is divided solely between logistics intermediaries and own fleet.
• Their provider ecosystem is integrated by 30 - 100 carriers
• It is common that many providers, or even the majority, are owner-operators or SMEs. This is an advantage in implementation most of the time.
• The entire logistics team does not exceed 10 people. Including: Manager, Procurement, dispatch, monitoring, and billing.
• They do not have a TMS.
  • All logistics operations are commonly done through Excel sheets, email, WhatsApp, phone calls, maybe a cloud repository like Dropbox or Google Drive for document storage.
  • The company may have an ERP or WMS for warehouse and inventory management, but these technologies interact very little with the logistics process, so the need for API integration is very remote or almost null.