262: We Need To Talk About The First Mile

Today we’re featuring one of our amazing live shows on Let's Talk Supply Chain. Last month in episode 257, we put the spotlight on Action Items with Dyci Sfregola and now it’s the turn of First Things First with Mercado! We live in a consumer driven world. $2.5T worth of products are imported annually, representing 15% of U.S. GDP. It’s time companies become fully connected to the people who make and move our products, and look for ways to improve the way we plan, buy, and move them around the world. Join Mercado CEO Rob Garrison and special guests every second Tuesday of the month at 12pm ET as they explore the future of the supply chain in 2022 and beyond. And this episode is all about the first, and last, mile. Rob is joined by special guest Edward Hertzman, Executive Vice President at Fairchild Media and Founder and President of Sourcing Journal, to talk all about ensuring you have a first mile strategy; the growing importance of traceability; building more equal supplier relationships; and the evolution of the modern first mile industry.   IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:   [06.16] The “fastest five” – from carrier profits to a furniture brand building its own vessel, Rob takes a look at five standout industry headlines. [11.59] An introduction to special guest Edward Hertzman, his background and how he came to found Sourcing Journal. [14.57] Rob and Edward discuss how, and why, the final mile has evolved so quickly, whilst the first mile has remained arguably static; Amazon’s role in these changes; the importance of an integrated strategy; and the impact of COVID . “When you talk about the last mile, Amazon has completely changed the game… they made that part of the shopping experience.” “We can no longer take our upstream, first mile relationships for granted and we need a strategy – it’s not one or the other, it’s the first mile, middle mile and last mile.” [22.33] A closer look at sourcing, tier two and three suppliers and the importance of traceability. “We have a regulatory responsibility to make sure we know where our products are being made.” [26.37] Edward’s thoughts on whether the first mile is an opportunity for businesses to do some good, and better tackle their commitments to people and planet. “We need to think about how we can share risk – it can’t just be that the retailers win and the factories lose.” [31.57] Rob’s reflections on the ‘modern first mile industry.’ “We’re due for the next evolution of this industry.” RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED:   Head over to Mercado’s website now to find out more and discover how they could help you. You can also connect with Mercado and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, or you can connect with Rob. Discover trending industry news over on Sourcing Journal’s website, or connect with Edward over on LinkedIn. You can find previous episodes of First Things First with Mercado over on the live show page, or you can check out other Let’s Talk Supply Chain podcasts HERE.