Summer is just around the corner. What are you planning to do with it? Do you have a vacation scheduled?
For many executives – especially if their title includes the words ‘e-commerce’ or ‘operations’ – the answer is often no. If their role takes them anywhere near a supply chain, they’ve got to be on call around the clock. Go on a tropical getaway? Not if it’s out of cell phone range. Attend a backyard birthday party? Only if they can check their email. The last time they got to enjoy a summer Friday or a long weekend (without having to put out a fire) was probably during their entry-level years.
We get it. But we also think it’s time for that to change. Just because your supply chain doesn’t take a break doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be able to.
Take it from UBTech, a new AI and humanoid robotics company. UBTech creates robots for classrooms, recreation, or even sanitation purposes. Some of their products teach students how to build and program robots. Others can disinfect a large room in three minutes, utilizing a UV light.
Engaging young minds and removing harmful bacteria are causes that we can get behind, but this work didn’t come without headaches. In particular, managing the logistics was a challenge.
You see, UBTech is a global company with a major presence in most of the world. But they’re just now expanding into North America, which means that scaling is a top priority.
In addition to the usual growing pains, UBTech creates a highly technical product, which comes with its own set of concerns. As one might imagine, robots have some pretty specific storage and shipping requirements, so it’s important to find a partner who is ready to take on the challenge. UBTech learned this the hard way when, after contracting with another 3PL, they still spent far too much time tracking orders and chasing down service representatives.