As we move into a Post-Covid world in 2022, virtual logistics and supply-chain events have shifted to physical events and we are thrilled to once again attend them. Parcel Perform was part of three key events in the US. This past January our CCO and Co-Founder Dana von der Heide attended BGSA Holdings: Supply Chain Conference 2022, National Retail Federation: Big Retail Show 2022 and Manifest 2022: The Future of Logistics Is Here. She brought back with her some highlights and key insights we have learned about the trends of supply-chain and logistics in 2022 as we move into an e-commerce first Post-Covid world.  

National Retail Federation: Big Retail Show 2022

First up, Parcel Perform visited the famed National Retail Federation’s annual Big Retail Show. This year it took place from the 16th - 18th January in the exciting Big Apple! A gathering of over 15,000 attendees showed a nice coming together of platforms, solutions and retail and e-commerce brands alike. 

Some big companies that participated at the event included Walmart, Morgan Stanley, Lowe’s Nordstrom, Best Buy and many others. 

The four key themes that were covered at NRF’s Big Retail Show 2022 were optimism in a post covid world, experimentation in technology and operations for big businesses to meet increasing customer expectations, a stronger shift toward sustainability in the e-commerce sector as well as diversity, equity and inclusion.  

As brands saw an uptick in sales that continued into the last quarter of 2021, 2022 is likely to continue with this trend with a more even growth for online retail. 

Brands also cared more about exploring tech-based solutions to promote customer retention and were noticeably more inclined to explore data solutions to measure their performance metrics both online and offline. Companies such as Parcel Perform are thus in the forefront of this shift and are responsible for leading this change worldwide due to our expertise in the logistics and supply chain field. Additionally, the hot-topic of the metaverse was definitely a main talking point discussed by speakers at the event. 

Another important notion on the note of inclusivity and the championing of women in logistics technology specifically. An exclusive women luncheon was held in partnership with DHL Supply Chain, project44 and AEye. It pointed out the increase in women in leadership positions increasing over the past five years and celebrated this achievement by highlighting future opportunities for women inclusivity in C-suite positions. 

The support of these headline companies showed the significance of making milestone changes for women over the next three years. This sets the tone and pioneers a balanced approach to working in logistics as well as building a pipeline of cultural diversity for the next generation of women leaders.  

Other important themes include the importance of equality, diversity and inclusivity as retail's impact in global change increases over time.  In a session that outlined this, it was shared that approximately 85% of retail purchases are made by women however retailers do not place an emphasis in mentoring women leaders in the workforce. This has culminated to over two million women leaving the workforce as of February 2020. Karen Etzkorn, CIO of Qurate Retail Group placed emphasis on retailers to inspire and nurture women in their careers so they do not have to make the choice between career and family. This was also reflected in the attendance of the event, largely being male attendees. Lastly, as with most other industries, sustainability initiatives were explored and insightful learnings were shared on how retail businesses can make “going green” part of the core DNA of their businesses. 

BGSA Holdings: Supply Chain Conference 2022

Next up we had the annual Supply Chain Conference hosted by BGSA. This was the 16th annual BG Strategic Advisors Supply chain CEO conference. This conference exclusively features C-suite level executives from differing areas of the logistics and supply-chain industry and took place from 19th - 21st January at Palm Beach Florida and was a highlight of our trip. An important highlight was the opportunity to learn from the United States Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. One of the key learnings was how USPS was implementing a turnaround strategy on how USPS was combating the challenges that are curently facing similar carriers. The main takeaways were the commitment the USPS has into developing a strategic plan designed to maintain service while transforming the organization and ultimately achieving break-even status. This turnaround will be one of the most unprecedented in American history as it revolutionizes its approach to ward a more lean and efficient workforce. This sets the tone for the emphasis is going to leverage key partnerships with private enterprise to drive more volume through the existing USPS infrastructure.

Benjamin Gordon, Managing Partner and CEO of Cambridge Capital and BGSA opened with a speech detailing, amongst other key trends, the need for reliance on data-first technology in this post-covid era. 

Parcel Perform had the unique opportunity to speak on a panel discussion titled Managing Technology in this Era of Disruption. Dana represented us on this panel discussion and was joined alongside powerful names in the industry such as DHL, E2Open and Flexe live during the event. It was the genesis of the discussion that the core of revolutionizing the supply chain industry in 2022 and beyond relies on powerful data analytics and machine learning tools to anticipate and meet the growing needs of customer expectations globally. 

Manifest 2022: The Future of Logistics Is Here

What started as a boutique event is now a global gathering at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas. At Manifest 2022 : The Future of Logistics Is Here, prominent thought-leaders in the logistics industry joined efforts to share their learnings and experiences of several main variables affecting the logistics industry at large. The event took place from 25th - 27th January and brought together industry leaders from across the globe. It boasted over 250 world class speakers from around the globe. 

The speakers covered different areas of the logistics and supply-chain industry spanning industry staples such as DHL Supply Chain and Boeing but also experience-first technology players focusing on robotics such as Udelv, Iamrobotics, Locus Caja, Exotec and HAI Robotics.  company expanding into autonomy of delivery with robots. 

Manifests 2022 also had a comprehensive array of topics which spanned much discussed areas of logistics such as; Automation Robotics & Quantum Computing, Digitalization & Visibility, Green Logistics & Returns, Machine Learning & Autonomous Solutions and Logistics Expansion and Partnerships. The dominant theme of the event appeared to be tech platforms as software continues to play a larger part in optimizing all points of logistics but specifically the last-mile. This played a huge role in the panel discussion Parcel Perform was part of titled The Power of data analytics to know your supply chain. 

At the panel discussion, Parcel Perform shared the limelight with other known names in the industry such as OneRail, Slalom, Shipium and Microsoft. As data moves to transform multiple industries both online and offline, logistics has naturally experienced this shift. The most important element that data plays in the logistics is not only the quality of data being used but the need to convert it into actionable insights. Dana also represented Parcel Perform in a podcast with Supply Chain Brain 

Check out the events that we attended in January below and keep a keen eye on our Linkedin Page and Blog where we will share our updates on the events we will be attending in the future!

National Retail Federation : Big Retail Show16 - 18 January 2022

New York City, United States

BGSA Supply Chain Conference 202219 - 21 Jan 2, 2022

Florida, United States

Manifest 2022: The Future of Logistics Is Here25 - 27 January 2022

Las Vegas, United States