This commentary appeared in the print edition of the Jan. 6, 2020, Journal of Commerce Annual Review and Outlook.
Some of the more pressing challenges in serving our clients will undoubtedly be (and not necessarily in this order) the ongoing global trade war, IMO 2020, and the ability to procure truck capacity and rates in a volatile market. We will continue to respond in the same way we always have. Clients count on our people to help them navigate these types of uncertainties. Although we cannot always make challenges disappear, we can keep clients informed and educated, and provide them with tools to better manage their businesses.
At Ascent, we believe in combining our people’s knowledge with powerful technology to deliver a seamless and intuitive experience. The biggest change in how we serve our clients in 2020 will be the deployment of a series of enhancements to our client technology, PEAK. We are making significant investments now and in the future to provide clients with a multimodal technology platform that simplifies how clients, carriers, and agents interact with us.
Along with the growing importance of ease of use, there is an increased need for tools that help clients manage activities deeper in their supply chains. It is no longer enough to inform clients of a shipment’s location or provide past reports. 3PLs must be able to give clients insights into their businesses that will assist with a better understanding of what may happen in the future. In a perfect world, we would work closely with our clients to determine what we can do to reach better outcomes together than each client could on its own.
While technology is certainly needed, it becomes less valuable without skilled and experienced people behind it. The best way to future-proof ourselves against new technology is by continuing to empower and invest in our people.