Scott and Greg welcome Donna Mullins, Elliott Paige, and Amar More to the Supply Chain Now Studio in Atlanta, Georgia.

[00:00:05] It’s time for Supply Chain Now Radio. Broadcasting live from the Supply chain capital of the country, Atlanta, Georgia. Supply Chain Now Radio spotlights the best in all things supply chain the people, the technology, the best practices and the critical issues of the day. And now here are your hosts.

[00:00:29] Hey, good morning. Scott Luton here with you live on Supply chain now. Welcome back to the show. What a great show we get light of day. Once again, we’re gonna be featuring air cargo leadership from the world’s best airport, along with a big supply chain partner of theirs that helps make things happen. Some more on that in just a minute. On a quick programing note, like all of our series on Supply chain, now you can find our replays on a variety of channels Apple podcasts, SoundCloud, YouTube, Spotify really? Where roski podcast Froome. As always, we’d love to have you subscribe. So messy thing. Let’s think a few of our sponsors that allow us to bring these best practices and innovative ideas to you. Our audience. Cap Gemini. U.S. Bank Apex, Atlanta ProPurchaser.com. Many more. You can check out each of our sponsors on the show notes of this episode. All right. So no fearless co-hosts here today or we’re flying solo, but we’re in good hands. We’ve got an outstanding panel. We’ll introduce those right quick. Mr. Elliott Paige, airport director, air service development with Hartsfield Jackson, Atlanta International Airport. Elliott, how you doing? I’m doing great. Thank you. Great to have you back. I think you were here last. In late December? Yeah, just Christmas. Just before Christmas. I think we published UPS said a few weeks back to great fanfare. Folks really enjoyed, you know, I think for as folks fly in and out of these as these these huge airports and they get where they want to go sometimes sometimes air cargo and everything else that the airport does to drive global supply chain can be a bit of an afterthought.

[00:02:05] So I’m glad we were able to kind of bring you so our audience is ahead of the pack and it’s not an afterthought. Know, I really admire Leo’s innovative leadership down there. So more on that to come along with it. Elliott is Donna Mullins, CEO. Mullin’s International Solutions, which has been retained as a senior consultant for Logistics at the world’s best airports, have done your work. Good morning first. Good morning. Good morning. Thank you for having us back. Great to have you back. We heard your story, kind of your journey in December as well. It’s really neat to see your top leaders team up to continue to drop innovation at a, you know, an organization or an entity, you know, a huge cog in the global supply chain that’s been leading for so long. Right. Yeah. And we’re not sitting on our laurels. We continue to get better and better. I mean, that’s the name of the game, right? OK. So along with you all today, you have brought a more good morning, director, CEO of Collee Logistics Solutions. Amarr, how are you doing?

[00:03:06] Hey, I’m doing great. Thank you so much for having me on the show.

[00:03:09] Glad to have you. You. Your ears may have already been burning because in some of those earlier shows and someone’s earlier sidebar conversations, a lot of your contributions were talked about. So it’s great to have you in studio with us and and learn more firsthand. Pleasure. And I cannot wait to share with our audience your your incredible world record breaking travel schedule.

[00:03:33] And, you know, some times I speak in Habour hyperbole. Right. As I said that we’re not today. It’s gonna blow your mind. But good morning.

[00:03:41] Great to have you here in Supply chain City, Atlanta G-A. OK. So for starters, I want to go around kind of go around room. And Amara. We’ll start with you because. Because for starters, kind of we want to get the Reader’s Digest version of your background and a little bit more about yourself and what you do. So. So tell us tell us more about Amarr more.

[00:04:01] Ok, well, thank you so much. You bet. So I’m I’m moody. I’m the director and CEO. I mean, literally now with Sam, the chief entertainment officer of Kali Logistics.

[00:04:17] So I’m on the panel of United Nations for trade facilitation. Experts insisted then. And then along. Have you’ve been on that panel about two years now? Okay. And then I’m also one of the board members of the International Air Cargo Association, which is headquartered in Miami. Scott Luton Yakup. Mm hmm. Apart from that. Yeah. I mean, about Karli Logistics, you know, Vienna technology company, as the name suggest, focused on the Logistics industry and our region is essentially to empower and integrate these different elements of the Supply chain Logistics value chain. And two very important words that empower and integrate and integrate is what we have been taught. On the show, you know about the community system, so integrating the different stakeholders and empowering them is giving them technology to digitize their operations, you know. So that’s what we do. Personally, I’m an electrical engineer and an MBA in Supply chain management. So this is really fascinating to be here on this show.

[00:05:18] And it’s a deadly combination. Amarr Deadly combination.

[00:05:23] But I like that that integrate and empower that that best get beyond kind of how you defined it. There’s so much there, right? Especially in in 2020 and beyond where, you know, things are evolving so quickly. When I think of empower, I think of leadership in workforce and how we’re we’re making sure they have the information they need to make decisions as fast, good decisions as fast they need to in today’s environment, right?

[00:05:49] Yeah, absolutely. In fact, you know, just to sort of elaborate a little bit on these two words. So, OK. I mean, if you take an air car with Supply chain, I was talking to my teenager child. Right. And I was telling him that to move one piece of cargo. And you have 30 types of documents. Hundred and twenty four copies of paper and 200 signatures still happening in this world.

[00:06:14] And one in one in any international air cargo shipment, I.

[00:06:19] Because it’s going from exporter to trucker to forward to talking again to customs roca to ground handler customs to chambers of commerce in so many other stakeholders out there in the supply chain. Right. And the funny part is, you know, most of the data on these documents is the same shipping name and it is consigning them. And there’s a number of packages read volume. Right.

[00:06:42] And so you’re saying I shouldn’t be one in about moving one small pallet to Las Vegas.

[00:06:48] All right.

[00:06:50] That’s a story for a different time. Well, we’re going to circle back because we’re going to talk more about a lot of what you’re minch what you’re alluding to and mentioning and how it plays into what’s going on at ATF. So thanks for being here. So, Eliot, let’s let’s remind refresh our audiences memory of who you are and what you do. So tell us more.

[00:07:13] Well, I’m Eliot Page. I’m the airport director for a service development. And that really means business development for the airport. So I work on attracting new routes to the airport news and connecting us to new cities for both cargo and passenger. So I talk a lot with a variety of airlines, airports from all over the world and an juvera and also internally a lot of different stakeholders. I’m engaging with the trucking community, the freight forwarding community, ground handlers, anyone that needs to ship anything via the airport. I’m talking to them and I’m trying to figure out, you know what? What are some of our challenges? How can we improve our efficiency? How can we be better, better serve them by recognizing that the airport is there to serve its community, both passenger and cargo. And so, you know, we see ourselves as facilitators. We’re facilitating business. And once we help the community to make money, we make money as well.

[00:08:15] So it is important, which is important. It keeps everything going well. Yeah. Yeah. When you were here last, one of the things I learned about you that I didn’t know last time when I saw you presenting at some of the events out in town is your international trade background, your international government background. And if you could address how important that is when you’re when you’re you’re basically serving as an an ambassador or to make things happen when the world’s the world’s busiest airport.

[00:08:45] No, no. I mean, I always tell my my colleagues and staff that we are ambassadors for Atlanta. I mean, I’m I’m originally from Antigua and the Caribbean. And my background involves, you know, working at the World Trade Organization in Geneva on a variety of things, including that an agreement on trade facilitation. And it always amazes me. I tell some of my old career colleagues that I worked on disagreement with. You know, they I was negotiating that agreement with them. And today I am implementing the agreement. On the other side. So it’s interesting to be on both sides of it. Yes. And but yes, indeed, we are ambassadors for it for Atlanta and for the Saudis, where we’re selling the city and we represent what makes this city great. And this is why we are doing some of the innovative things that we’re doing, because the city naturally attracts this, given its its advantages. But we do want to take advantage of those that those advantages and and make us even great and well put.

[00:09:52] And we’re going talk about some of those things you’re doing to continue to push continuous improvement and the capabilities and the capacity. Of the Atlanta airport here just a second. All right, so Donna Mullens, good morning again. Great to have you back. So let’s refresh, are our listeners understanding of who you are as well? So tell us more about yourself.

[00:10:14] Oh, well, excuse me. I’m president CEO of Mullin’s International Solutions. We’re a consulting firm for international businesses. Whether you are a moving cargo, clearing cargo or trying to purchase cargo, we. We work with many entities in the supply chain. And we are very excited and honored to be working with a colleague, Logistics in the Atlanta airport to implement what I have lovingly called the ace for landside transportation. So Ace Ace, Ace is a government term automated commercial environment. And that’s the single window for communications with importers, exporters to the government. So the Collee air cargo system is ASW for transportation. It really does make a single window to connect all of the players and that’s that’s moving car get.

[00:11:05] So so I’m I’m consulting with them and seeing what we can do to help make air cargo move that once it arrives, more effective, more efficient and more expedient.

[00:11:15] And your background is steeped with lots of import export experience. Right.

[00:11:20] I think I was born into they said hi. How do you do?

[00:11:26] I started to work with an importer. So I’ve got the import side experience. And then I went to work for a customs broker and freight forwarder. And now I have Mullin’s international relations. So we’re doing the consulting. But yeah, I’ve I’ve been in this international arena since I was 18 years old. So it’s really something that I’ve grown up in and I’ve really watched that all changes.

[00:11:47] Well, in the experience that that bringing the experience of this collective panel brings a table, you know, we are working through challenges that are very complex, right in in this environment that doesn’t give you three weeks to do anything hardly right. So I’m sure that the experience 3L brings to the table and your leadership capabilities that helped make things like the Atlanta car air cargo community system happen, which we’ll talk more about here in just a second. All right. So now we’ve given our audience a sense of who Donna Elliott in MA are. Let’s talk about how we’re collaborating, especially between Cali, Logistics Solutions and the airport. So where can we start with that and what can we. Where did that maybe where did the relationship start?

[00:12:41] Well, maybe I’ll start. So Atlanta Airport, we got together first with Amsterdam, skippered airport in the Netherlands. And we talked about building what we call a trade corridor. And that basically think of it in the sense that if you have two airports where both have equal standards and you have a carrier, common carrier between those two airports, you can basically make yourself the preferred airports in both ends of that that that route to to move anything. And skippered thought being, you know, involved in trade for a long time and Atlanta giving its connectivity to over a hundred and fifty cities nationally and over 70 cities internationally, that it would be a great partnership. So we started work on that partnership. And one of the things deficient in Atlanta was that Sipple Amsterdam had a new cargo community system and we didn’t. So that’s one of the first things we decided to work on was an air cargo community system. And I wanted the conferences. I think it was at Tiankai conference. I was introduced to Amarr and we started to talk about it. And and, you know, we said, well, could you help us out? Could you come to Atlanta and and invest in helping us to develop this system? And, uh, inter interestingly, this is where in January 2020, exactly one year ago, Amarr came to Atlanta and he had a we had a you invited a bunch of stakeholders, people who have never heard of this thing. This animal called an air cargo community system. And we invited him to the airport. We sat in a conference room and Amarr, you know, gave his presentation. And right then then when we said when we showed them how they could save money, save time, because, you know, they were truckers who are stuck in traffic for stuck on getting into warehouses sometimes for hours, eight hours. And, you know, timing out. And, you know, how could we improve all of this? And when they heard the solution, they said it was like, could we start next Muraca moment?

[00:14:51] Yeah, we start next week. And so we’ll know we can start next week.

[00:14:55] But week we can start implementing this system and, you know, teaching. How it works. And then we spend the next couple of months with a small group of private sector officials from, you know, trucking companies, freight forwarding companies, growing them and companies, and they got together and decided to take the risk of implementing this new system that they never heard of and trusting Amaan Kylie and trusting their long history, trusting us as the airport and, you know, the support that we put behind it. And fast forward a few more months and November 14, incidentally, my birthday.

[00:15:34] Coincidence?

[00:15:35] We launched the first air cargo community system, India in the Americas, in India and certainly not America. And immediately upon launching that, you know, a bunch of other airports started calling us about themselves, starting similar a similar system. So it’s catching on. And like I said, in a way, we are leaders and we’re happy to be leaders. We’re happy that the airports are signing on because it’s it’s better for all of us. And airports have the airports and networks. Right. And, you know, nodes for networks. And so as each airport becomes more efficient, passengers become happier and people involved in cargo becomes happier. So.

[00:16:17] So. So even to one of her, I’m hearing there is even even leaders need sparks. Right. And it sounds like a ma when you when you all met at the Geoghan’s Yaka. Right. Yaka, which is an international air cargo association mukherji right. Now, is that spark from that initial conversation? And then you brought Amar and some of his thoughts and innovative thoughts to Atlanta with the group of shareholders. And that’s what helped get this snowball going to when you implemented North America’s first Atlanta air cargo community system, which arguably could be the America’s first. Right. It is the Americas. November 14th. And it is changing just in two and a half months time. It’s helping so many more people, especially local transportation and logistics providers, do business and move stuff in partnership with the airport. Mark, this is this. Do you have a long does this your long track record of being that spark internationally? Tell us more. No.

[00:17:19] I mean, it it’s not about me or us bringing in a spark. It’s just about somebody who looks at the supply chain, this segregated, you know, bunch of blocks and coming out and trying to put an order there. Right. I mean, that appeals to everybody, as Elliot said. Just just one year back when we had about 60 people in the room from different segments of Supply chain. Donna, was that right? Yeah. And the moment they understood the concept, you know, there was no selling required. I mean, you know, everyone said, yes, we want it. And, you know, that’s what it does, because as I was telling you at the beginning of this conversation today, we still have a lot of paperwork. And that’s that’s not just America. It’s everywhere. Right. In the Supply chain. And that’s the nature of supply chain. Different parties get involved and that’s how it becomes. So if you have a tool that eliminates this paperwork, eliminates these delays, and that’s something that people want and we see this catching up big time globally dirty dog.

[00:18:23] Go back to what you shared in the first segment. There are over 30 documents, I think you said over 120 pieces of paper, yet over 200 signatures.

[00:18:32] Holy cow. Half. Can we cut through all that right now while still protecting your body?

[00:18:37] Right. The passengers and the shippers and the receivers and all that stuff. So, Donna, what did you assess? Clearly, you were part of the the the Jerai Council that met a year or so ago, right? Yeah. Well, give us your take on that kind of how this evolved.

[00:18:52] And I was tremendously excited. You know, I think I mentioned in our first podcast that being from Atlanta, born here, raised here, still here, and I was just a static that this was going to kick off in my hometown. You know, we I just was at the Air Cargo 2020 conference. And one of the things that they talked about is that an air shipment averages a 96 hour transit from door to door, and 80 percent of that is spent on landside at on the ground, the handling, the waiting, the staging and so on. I determined on my own that probably 90 percent of that 80 percent was truckers waiting to pick up or drop off cargo. And we really do as as a marsat, we have kind of a deep, fragmented supply chain. And so this is an operational system that and and does that and it kind of puts it together in the single window. You know, like I said, I’m I’m kind of calling this the ace for landside transportation. And that’s really what it is, because it does make a connection all the way from the landside at origin. To the landside and ultimate delivery at destination.

[00:20:02] So let’s demystify this just a bit. I think a lot of Supply chain folks can already, based on what each of you all shared, can already understand the value the Atlanta air cargo community system. But for those that that may be new to Supply chain, maybe they’re the recent college graduates or maybe they’re just new to the industry or or they might be completely not be practicioners that like learning about supply chain. Let’s talk about the value of something like the Atlanta Air Karkh Air Cargo Community System. So correct me if I’m wrong, but previous state, prior to this being implemented, a lot of trucking companies would venture to the airport right there on a Monday morning or Tuesday morning or whatever. It is unsure exactly that they would get business that day. So they go to the airport sometimes. To your point about waiting. They might would wait hours and hours and then not be necessarily a guarantee that they’d get a piece of business to ship and take care and drive revenue, stuff like that. So they may spend half a day or a full day at the airport, which is no one’s fault.

[00:21:08] It’s just it’s just a process. There’s waste in every process in business. So if I understand this correctly, with this system, the folks that ventured the transportation companies with his mom and pop or big companies can get a much better indication upfront before they decide to invest that time, getting to the airport, spend that time on site what the revenue opportunities would be. Is it that accurate?

[00:21:33] Oh, yeah, yeah. I mean, you have the technology. So you can tell as a trucking company freight forwarder that the cargo is there. It’s has actually arrived. You can tell how many pieces of arrived, whether or not it’s damaging. You know, does it need some extra security check? All of that is on the information. And then so truckers no longer have to show up, you know, kind of gamble of whatever cargo is there. Waste a lot of time, waste a lot of fuel, waste a driver because the date and time out waiting in long lines and congesting the roads.

[00:22:09] So for when you say Tom out. So for folks, it may not be familiar about the hours of service that that truck drivers have. Donna Sheer more about them. Why does that was timing out and why is the waiting such a critical part of the trucking world?

[00:22:24] Well, you know that the difference of being able to pick up in 30 minutes versus three and a half hours is does that importer get their shipment today or do they get it tomorrow? So. So from a manufacturing standpoint and from a retail standpoint, if I can get cargo a day earlier at the same rate that I’m going to get it tomorrow, I’m obviously this digitization is going to be fabulous for me now. Now I’m a license broker and compliance geek.

[00:22:52] So I.

[00:22:55] I really like the checks and balances that are in this system because there’s a lot of checks and balances. And, you know, without giving away any SSI, that’s what I lovingly call super secret information. But it’s really sensitive security information through TSA. This system actually allows driver information to be transmitted to the ground handler who is going to be receiving export cargo 90 minutes, at least 90 minutes in advance of that truck or arriving.

[00:23:24] And that’s so important because, you know, each driver can only drive a certain amount of time. These, what, 10 hours and 10 hours. And that those hours are like gold bars, right? Absolutely. Got to protect him. And to your point, because of some of the waiting involved, it may stop that shipment because of the window of time, right? Absolutely. So same day versus next day, that’s huge. We see it from a commerce standpoint, you know, even though we don’t necessarily need it same day or next day, we’re trained now.

[00:23:52] We want to have it even set pair of socks that you can wait for years to get. We want to get the order at this point. And you want it delivered to state. Yeah, it’s it’s unbelievable.

[00:24:01] And in industry in particular, you mentioned manufacturing production lines are waiting and maybe holding up parts for automotive or airspace or medical pharmaceuticals or medical devices. You know, 24 hours is an eternity. Critical. Yes. Credit. Absolutely. All right. So, Omar bringing you back in. Have you seen these systems? Have you been a part of implement implement implementations? I mean, in the cup of coffee of these types of systems internationally, elsewhere?

[00:24:30] Oh, yeah, absolutely. In fact, I would like to go to the genesis of Fair. This game from Jur Mumbai Airport is like what is most constrained airport on a single runway. They handle close to twelve hundred flights a day. Right. And it’s it’s incredible. And the city is just crawling around the airport. So there’s no place to expand cargo. And if you just take a Google Earth view of Mumbai airport cargo complex, you will understand that this small. Facility processes close to a million tons of cargo, and the only reason it does is this kind of system. Because let me explain this to you. You know, in the absence of such a system, the trucker is going to the airport. He’s parking the truck. He’s going to the documentation counter. And, you know, the documentation is happening there. Those 20, 30 minutes, you know, five, six more trucks are building behind it. Now, these kind of systems saying at lon’s information to the handling company so they can plan. So the daytime time, time is eliminated. That’s one thing.

[00:25:32] But they can plan their operations. They know between 11:00 to 12:00, I’m expecting so many trucks, this much cargo. This is going to be the special handling requirement. And they can be better prepared. So that element. So I think globally we see tremendous, you know, growth in these kind of systems. We ourselves are doing this in about seven, eight countries now.

[00:25:54] Ok. Wow. So what is the. And just a question to the panel here. What is the biggest challenge is one of the biggest challenges kind of bringing together the community in the shareholders, the stakeholders with the right term is to see the light and then work together to implement. Is that the number one challenge, you’d say, Eliot?

[00:26:16] Probably, yes. That, you know, trying to get everyone onboard on the same system sometimes is a bit of a challenge because, you know, you like any you know, like any technology, you know, like people who like what we’ve been doing forever.

[00:26:31] And once you insert change.

[00:26:33] But there’s like some people who by the you know, the iPhone that the debate comes out and others who will wait to see what bugs are there to to join later on. So it’s the same thing with the system. You have some people who had they have a big challenge. They have a big problem with control, congestion and efficiency. So they they want it. Any solution that they that’s they see logically works for them. They want to sign on today. Others want to wait to see, you know, does this thing really work? A little bit skeptical. They want to see others use it first and then hear their opinion on it. And so we have some some of those. And then you have others who are stragglers who, you know, they’ve been doing it this way for 30 years. It’s worked. We’re not going to change our system until they see everyone else has signed on. And they kind of want to jump on the bandwagon maybe, you know, a while later. Yes.

[00:27:22] So, Donna, what’s your take on what’s the baseball? Elliot shared some what you’ve observed in this project now you’ve been privy to plenty others. But what’s your take?

[00:27:31] I agree 100 percent about the onboarding. That is that is probably the challenge. And I think one of the challenges is, is not that everybody wants to be a guinea pig number one, but number two is a big concern, which is data security. Right now, we hear the biggest buzz word in what we’re doing. Anytime we’re digitizing anything is cybersecurity, cyber security and data is is gold these days. And so people are very concerned about what’s happening with their data, who has their dad, who can see their data, what are they going to do with their data? So one of that’s that’s to me is one of the challenges. And I’ll I’ll get back to me being a kind of a compliance geek is, you know, that’s one of the things that we have to take a look at. Because when we’re integrating these types of systems, we’re using private sector data as well as we have to use government data advising us entry numbers, release situation statuses, I.T. and when we’re doing exports. So we have all kinds of data that’s integrating into this to make a true digitization system that is a digital infrastructure.

[00:28:37] So, you know, like other industries are trying to do, create that digital twin of their operation and the information flow and all the different players that take me a massive project. Right. And and to your point, not only do you have cybersecurity concerns, which for everything these days. Right. But yet there’s a change management factor you’ve got going back to what you’ve told me, how you got early adopters, Elliott, in those folks have to kind of convince all the others to move along so that you can make progress as a as a group and as a community. Not knows. No. Sure. Shortage of challenges. AMAR Based on your experience with these systems worldwide, what are we not talking about? That can be some of the maybe just below the surface level challenges to making these things happen.

[00:29:24] I think it’s education. You know, having developed these systems in so many countries, what we realized is harder to do to Dorna spine. Yes, cybersecurity is a major concern because people, you know, they feel that they’re sharing the data.

[00:29:40] But but let me tell you that, you know, there are solutions available that, you know, there are seven layers of security. You know, for somebody to get to your data, it’s highly encrypted. And that’s what we found a winner for our community system. Second very important thing, we are not talking of the data that. Not exchanging today, just the means of exchange has moved from paper, which is causing all the delays and, you know, all the other issues to digital. So, you know, so it’s not that you’re providing some more confidential information here. It’s just more efficient ways of gathering information. So so it’s education, as you know. Yeah.

[00:30:22] Okay. Let’s shift gears before we go abroad. And we’ve just taken kind of the world in an supply chain biggest benefits. What we’re projecting with the Atlanta Air Cargo Community System is innovative. It is collaborative. It is the first of its kind in the Americas, North and South America. What are the some of the bottom line results?

[00:30:44] Elliott They were expecting to have your well, basically cargo cargo volume increases and being able to handle higher higher value cargo. Similar to what the example that I used in Mumbai. You know, we’re also we’re getting to the point where we’re gonna be space constrained.

[00:31:03] The airport cannot grow infinitely. You know, we we’re running out of land around the airport. Cargo needs to have access to the runways until a taxi way. So, you know, there’s a limit to how much of that we can do. I mean, we’re building we have about four big warehouses, around one hundred thousand square feet. And where we have a new project that’s we have an RFP coming out soon to build a whole new facility. And we call it a modern air cargo terminal. And after that, we’re stuck for a number of years. But this region and this airport is going to continue to grow for cargo. And the question is, how can we do that with limited space? So we need to improve our technology and the technology has to help us to move faster.

[00:31:48] And, you know, the big driver of this is us. Yes. Consumers. That’s right. We won, as you see to your point earlier, we wanted. Today we won it. We want to go on our phones and make our orders. And we wanted to appear on our doorsteps. You know, the same day when we get home from work. And for that to happen, all of that that single window that Donna keeps talking about, that has to work efficiently. We have to have all to the ground handling and all the operations on the ground and the truckers operating it up to optimal.

[00:32:19] And the way to do that is to use that goal and that goal of information that’s going to work itself into the title of today’s episode.

[00:32:27] We’re all thinking about it. All right.

[00:32:31] So, Donna, your take some of the bottom line benefits of this innovative Vetlanta air cargo community system.

[00:32:38] Well, some of the immediate benefits is efficiency, an expedition of cargo movement. It also is you know, the government is very large proponent of advanced data. And that’s exactly what the system does, is it give it it gives it data to all stakeholders. And probably the best thing is the upstream ability of the fact that the trucker doesn’t just show up at the dock and say, surprise, I have 20 airway bills to drop off or surprise I’m here to pick up. There is there is that advanced notification of what the trucker will be delivering or what the trucker will be picking up. Therefore, enabling the ground handler to make sure that they have the information that is needed if it’s a next port shipment to to receive the cargo, we need special equipment. If it’s an import shipment is being picked up, they can go ahead and in advance confirm that any of the handling terminal handling charge has been paid, that we do have the government authorization to move it and then they can pre-poll and start staging that cargo in advance. So the benefit more efficient and more effective cargo movement after it arrives or upon departure.

[00:33:41] Okay. So as we wrap up the segment, a more different question for you, because since you’ve been a part of these efforts internationally, other airports, I’d love to get your. If it’s. ABC Airport and ABC Country somewhere, and they have not invested and made a community system like this happen. Challenge them of why you do this? Well, I mean, what would you say to this airport that’s considering something like this?

[00:34:08] All right. So there’s several reasons. You know, airports generate a lot of economic activity. As you know, you introduced and Eliot also mentioned. Right. So they have a responsibility of growing cargo because you grow cargo to the airport, to the city, then, you know, there are more jobs created, you know, in the freight forwarding trucking industry, so on and so forth. Right.

[00:34:30] So any airport, one wanting to go, the cargo, you know, they really need to understand, you know, who are the largest shippers in consignment. Let me give you this example. One of these airports where, you know, we built it. One of the unintended benefits, because most airports have landlord structure here. You know, they’re not deeply involved. Unlike Atlanta. But when you build a community system like this, you understand who are the top importers and exporters. And then you go to them and make sure that, you know, you’re delivering their cargo to the terminal in three and a half, four hours. That’s what one of these airports did. And you know what happened? The exporters and importers redirected their cargo from other airports into this airport. And that that helps grow cargo business. Right. That’s a good thing. Yeah. Absolutely. Who doesn’t want to grow business?

[00:35:23] Fascinating story. I can’t wait to see. So it sounds like it’s been about two and a half months, I believe, up and running and already some early, early wins, early benefits. We look forward to having you all back in to talk about just the impact, especially in the first full year in 2020 that it’s making not just for the airport, but the global community, business community that uses the Atlanta airport to make business happen. So let’s take the scope back out for a second here and let’s let’s talk less as we kind of start and move towards the finish of this interview. I would love to get your takes on some of the other issues or trends or developments or innovations, whether it’s a world of air cargo or who will take a lot broader. You know, think about global Indian in Supply chain in that industry. What what’s most intriguing to you or what do you keep in your finger on the pulse of here lately in L.A.? We’ll start with you.

[00:36:18] Well, I’m paying a lot of attention to trade agreements. And you notice there’s some things that that impacts trade, which we can’t help. You know, you take unrest in Hong Kong and the impact that that has. We have flights from Hong Kong. The situation with coronavirus in China, we get a lot of cargo from China. A lot of our stuff that we order online are made in China and sent to us via our airport. So, you know, we I pay a lot of attention to any unrest that impacts an airport or a city anywhere in the world. Now, we’re connected to it because it’s going to have an impact on trade. For us, it’s going to have an impact on our manufacturing sector because they depend a lot on stability of these routes, stability of these cities and inefficient airports to get, you know, what is car parts when you know, when you when you take your car for you to get the engine checked and they tell you it needs a part, they have to order that from from somewhere. And that comes through our airport. And the longer it takes for us to get that part to you, to your dealer, your garage, you know, the longest in your Chevrolet.

[00:37:32] Yeah. Yeah. You’re walking. You’re walking everywhere. You know, you don’t have your car.

[00:37:37] So. So something is as personal as that is the way to bring it home.

[00:37:42] You know, we we have to pay attention to all of these these events and and try our best to alleviate the impact that they have on on movement of goods and cash.

[00:37:55] So many things. I’d love to pick up the dotted with you right there, what you shared. But for the sake of time, what we’re going to keep moving right along. So, Donna, same question to you. When you look at the global air cargo community or the global Indian supply chain industry, what are some other topics that really are fascinating to you?

[00:38:13] Well, you know, being a consultant for both Logistics and trade, we have to kind of keep our eye open on everything. You know, there’s there’s so many different free trade agreements, as as Elliot mentioned, that we have to pay attention to three a one tariffs, that we have to pay attention to such things that things that happen within trade that affect Logistics. So, you know, I mean, right now we’re looking at additional tariffs out of some of the nicest things that you can get out of France, you know, which obviously that trade deal will have an a barrier on Logistics. So we have to kind of look at a broader brush of a little bit of everything, really, because if a trade deal is going to have an effect, then it’s going to have an effect on Logistics as well, which we we service both the trade and the Logistics world. So we have to. Help them sort of forecast. OK. What do we need to do? How do we need to do it? Why do we need to do it from.

[00:39:07] Excellent. Ma.

[00:39:10] I think one thing that we need to keep our eye on is World Trade Organizations Trade Facilitation Agreement. OK. About 200 more than a hundred and sixty seven countries have signed. And this the gist of that agreement is removing the tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade. No tariff barriers, a political question, but non-tariff barriers is exactly what we’re talking about. You know, making the supply chain more efficient, you know, removing the unnecessary paperwork. I think that’s happening globally. So some of what we spoke about during the hour, he’s not going to be a value added. Ah, you know, you know, something like Alexievich, it is going to become a necessity because airports and boards have to create that digital infrastructure, you know, to make movement of goods faster. So I think that’s important. And as you mentioned, you know, visibility and the speed, you know, that the customer is expecting.

[00:40:04] These are two things, you know, that are going to drive the supply chain professionals crazy in near future.

[00:40:10] Yeah.

[00:40:11] And we don’t need anyone else being driven crazy with the fact that we have to be crazy to be in. I think believe it.

[00:40:20] You know, I think so many folks, you know, present company excluded and love our listeners are in supply chain leaders and practitioners and whatnot. But I think a lot of folks that might be outside of supply chain. And but folks that use obviously e-commerce, they may not be. Not all of them, but a lot of may not realize just how many problems there have to be solved every day. Some expected, some unexpected to make things happen and make things move and get things on your doorstep so that, you know, you can enjoy those socks after 48 hours. What have you. Right. That is supply chain. Right. It’s just ongoing problem management. Almost change management. Is that right?

[00:41:04] I kind of joke and say the Reader’s Digest version of what we are is where travel agents for car get, you know, your travel agent. Make sure that you’ve got all your necessary papers, all necessary shots that get you set up on the airline, that get you set up on that vessel or off or wherever you’re going. And they make sure that you get to point to point to point and pass to all the governments that you need to to get there. And so I say that we really are that we’re travel agents for cargo when we work through all those points. We work through diversions. We’ve worked through changes. Oh, gosh, the boat’s not gonna call this port. Now, what am I gonna do? I have to reroute. Or that the aircraft to the airline canceled this week’s flight. Now, what do we do? So that’s just things that we have to do. And like you said, expected and unexpected. You know, some things we know it’s gonna happen, it’s going to happen. But then if for whatever reason, the flight has to be canceled because of some unrest or whatever. But then you have to find another way to still land.

[00:41:57] They got plan B and C, sometimes you get to the end of the alphabet. Agreed.

[00:42:05] Agreed. Omari, any. So you know, what I want to do here in a second is make sure that we understand our audience knows how they can reach back out each of y’all and learn more. I’m sure they’ve enjoyed this. Hopefully they’ve enjoyed this conversation as much as I have. Any final thoughts, Ma, before we do that?

[00:42:21] Well, I think, you know, there’s going to be disruption in Supply chain. You know, for too long we have been and this I always make it a quiz question. You know, the first day of cargo shipment. How many documents it towelhead to swap.

[00:42:39] So. So I think I think you’re going back there.

[00:42:42] I think, you know, in the next few years, we will see a lot of unnecessary documentation going of a we will see the speed that this e-commerce consumer is demanding. It has to be made. And I think, you know, technology is a big role to play and it’s proven it works.

[00:43:01] So, you know, some of these things in fact, we received two awards from United Nations for, you know, developing this kind of digital infrastructure.

[00:43:08] Really? Yeah, absolutely. Congrats. That’s big news. Absolute. OK.

[00:43:13] And that’s because you saw an unintended problems, for example, in India. There was a big taxation law that came in and back city funds were getting delayed. But because you had this integrated infrastructure and the same data was being reused, most exporters started getting the tax refunds we were getting earlier, four months later, the next day. Now, that’s millions of dollars of a label the next day. Nice. So talk about business expansion, right? Absolutely.

[00:43:40] Ok. So, Eliot, one final thought from you before we wrap up here.

[00:43:45] Well, I’ll say the word. The words global marketplace. And I think that’s kind of the business that we’re in at the airport. We’re in the business of telling manufacturers globally that we can help you connect. Globally, especially in the U.S.. So, you know, we’re on the passenger side, we’re connecting, you know, people across the world for both business travel as well as pleasure leisure travel. But we’re also moving goods across the world for small manufacturers. So you might be an SMB, a small and medium sized enterprise making a widget. And we can assure you that the world is your marketplace. True. Our our efficiency. And what that does is it creates global trade. It creates global prosperity for everyone who’s involved in production. And, you know, being being an economist by background, I I love the idea of creating jobs, creating growth, creating success for people who who, you know, who want to produce.

[00:44:55] Well put, well put. Everyone wins, you know, by advancing the industry and in and implementing things like the Vetlanta Air Cargo community system. So and so on that note, it will stay right with you will go round. How can folks learn more about the airport, about shipping through the airport and get in touch with you while you can?

[00:45:16] Our website is W W W Eighty Outcome. If you look for a service development on that website, you’ll find some information about what we do. You can also get me and I’m on all the social media linked in Facebook so you can always just look for Elliot. Page two. Well two TS and you’ll get in touch with with with me. And I’m you know, all our email addresses is basically our name. And yet that page at 80 AL.com and you know, feel free to send me an email with any questions. I do get a lot of questions about cargo and you know, just about anything related to the airport. You know, we try to answer them as efficiently as we can.

[00:46:00] Outstanding. Donald, how about yourself?

[00:46:02] They can find me on social media as well. I’m on LinkedIn, then Facebook. Mullins International Solutions. My email address is Donna at Mullin’s I a.l Solutions. That’s plural with an ass because we solve more than one problem.

[00:46:18] So Dan, I feel like we sit here a couple more hours. I’m going to fill up a book of things. I’m still filling the news. Always a pleasure. Thanks. Scott, appreciate it. Okay.

[00:46:32] Amarr more’, tell us more.

[00:46:34] How can folks get in touch with you and shewn so people can look up on our web site? W w w dot com Logistics dot com for more information on this kind of systems and other trade facilitation solutions that we’re working. I’m on social media, Facebook, Linked-In. They can find me on Facebook and LinkedIn and if they want to reach out to me on email, they can reach out on Amada Moody at Collee Logistics dot com. And obviously, if somebody wants to, you know, know more about this and we’ll call someone, they can always call my colleague Donna here.

[00:47:07] Absolutely. Yes.

[00:47:10] Outstanding. Well, I have really enjoyed this discussion with the three of you. Elliot Paige with the airport director, air service development with Hartsfield Jackson, Atlanta International Airport, Donna Mullin, CEO of Mullin’s International Solutions and a MA Maureen CEO of Collee Logistics Solutions. Thanks so much for the discussion and your your insights and congratulations on standing up. What’s going to be a outstanding transformational project for not just the airport with all the folks that do business with airports. So good stuff. So we’re gonna wrap up to our audience in just a few final announcements here. If you heard something today, you cannot quite find to be a Google could imagine or any of the resources that there are panel shared, feel free to shoot us. Note to Amanda, our CMO. Amanda at Supply Chain Now Radio dot com. We’ll try to serve as a resource for you as often as we can and come check us out in person. We’re gonna be in Vegas next week flying out the world’s busiest airport with the Reverse Logistics Association conference and expo. I’ll look forward to that. Reverse Logistics and returns a growing aspect of of in supply chain management. I’m sure we could have probably another couple our discussion on that topic alone. Learn more are l a dot org. That organization happens. We based in Atlanta global organization doing its stuff there. mutex. Of course 35000 of our friends neighbors coming to Atlanta for want for the western hemisphere.

[00:48:42] Hemisphere’s largest supply chain conference has been Hiers like to put it March we could March 9th and not only is it gamemode X, but on Tuesday, it clearly deals are getting happened just downstairs here. Vector Global Logistics. Love it. 20-20 Atlanta Supply chain Awards me host. mutex. On Tuesday the 10th. We are glad to be partnering with the airport in a variety of other business leaders to celebrate everything that can take place, everything that takes place in the global into in Supply chain community right here in metro Atlanta. CHRISTIAN FISHER, PRESENSE CEO Georgia-Pacific is our keynote and registration nominations and sponsorships are all open. There is free to attend Moto X, by the way. Some Modoc Shoko MDX Sherkin. And if you will learn more about the Supply chain Awards. Atlanta Supply chain Award WSJ.com. One last event the Association for Manufacturing Excellence is coming to Atlanta once more. Bringing their Lehne Summit. So here you heard three leaders talk about continuous improvement. Innovation, pushing the envelope, making things better. Dealio all the change and all the the skeptics that go with that, I’m sure. Well, Amy deals with all of that, especially in the manufacturing sector. So they are bringing their lean summit to Atlanta the week of May 4th. We’ll be there streaming live that first day. You can check that out on our Web site or A.M.E., dawg.

[00:50:05] Donna Scott, before we log off here, if if I could give a plug for the NCB F.A.A., you know where a big acronym world. That’s the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association. Their annual conference will be Las Vegas, April 19 through 22. And I am the airfreight subcommittee chair for the Transportation Committee. And we intend to have a panel on air cargo community systems. So we’ll be doing some some more exploration and discussions about these systems and how they work out there.

[00:50:34] Is there a u._r._l where folks can go or.

[00:50:36] Yeah, in NCB FAA dot o. RG Your yes. They can reach out to me. Awesome. Perfect. Thanks a lot.

[00:50:42] Sounds like a great event. Lots of air cargo leadership power here at this table. I’m glad to rub elbows with each of y’all. Big thanks to Elliot Paige. Donna Mullins and Amar Maureen for the conversation here today to our audience. Check us out. You can check out upcoming events, replays over interviews, other resources at Supply Chain Now Radio dot com. Be sure to find us on Apple podcast. SoundCloud, we’re Bielski podcast from but also subscribe. So you don’t miss thing on behalf of the entire team. Scott Luton here wishing you a wonderful day and we will see you next time on supply chain. Thanks everyone.