“One of the things that we’ve been astounded by is how prevalent barcodes are in supply chain. They power supply chains in just about every way. Everything that gets delivered has a tracking number on it. It’s got a barcode on it.”

– Brad Ruffkess, Founder at BoxLock, Inc.

The explosion of eCommerce in recent years has created a series of additional challenges for the supply chain. The volume of packages, and the complexity and cost of managing the final mile require sophisticated analytics and optimization. But what if, after all that, no one is available to receive the package?

Brad Ruffkess is the Founder of BoxLock, a provider of supply chain visibility and security solutions for both residential and commercial deliveries, the “final yard” of the final mile (and the first yard of the first mile).

In this interview, recorded live at MODEX, Brad Ruffkess talks to Supply Chain Now Co-hosts Greg White and Scott Luton about:

· The positive impact a better managed final mile delivery model can have on traffic congestion and the environment

· Benefits of secure unattended pickup and delivery in addition to security and convenience, such as supporting social distancing while still allowing deliveries to happen

· The multitude of additional uses for the barcodes carriers already use to track packages within their own system

[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’s the best practices and the critical issues of the day. And now here are your hosts.

[00:00:29] All right. Good afternoon, Scott Luton with you here, Liveline Supply chain. Now, welcome back to the show. We’re broadcasting live day from Moad X, the largest supply chain trade show in the Western Hemisphere, being held right here in the hashtag Supply chain City, Atlanta G-A. On today’s show, we’re speaking with a very innovative supply chain and really e-commerce entrepreneur. We’re gonna be discussing a wide variety of items, including the importance of securing that final mile or about that. And just a moment. But stay tuned as we look to increase your Supply chain Tech IQ. Quick programing note. First, you can subscribe to what we do, where we your podcast from. We’d love to have you subscribe so you don’t miss a single thing, including our new subscriber love campaign. We’re just about to kick off the insider. That’s right. Be at this hour even better. So on that note, perfect segue way. Let’s welcome in my fearless, esteemed co-host Heroes on today’s show. Greg White serial supply chain, tech entrepreneur, trusted advisor, Atlanta City Tennis Champion. Need I say more, Greg?

[00:01:33] You need not say more. Thank you. Where’s the gold plate? You’re supposed to bring the gold plated.

[00:01:39] You know what? I’m sorry. Maybe when we get back in studio, I’ll do it. OK. You know, I’m afraid of losing it in a public environment because it’s in very high demand. OK. You’re scared of it. Get a lamp trailer. Yeah. OK. I wanted to compete. Hey, look, all of what we’re doing aside, it’s great to have Brad here. Yes. And talk about some of this cool last mile technology.

[00:02:02] Yeah. You’re going to enjoy this episode. We have Mr. Brad RFCS, founder and CEO of Box Lock, right here in our mobile studio on the show floor, Concourse C of this massive Moad X twenty twenty. Brad Hey. Doing I’m doing great, guys. Scott. Greg, thank you very much for having me. Yeah, it’s a pleasure. We’ve enjoyed our conversations leading up to the show. You’ve had you and your team had a ton of success in some recent big announcements and great to have you here so we can learn a lot more about blackbox box lock and give our audience opportunity as well. So before we talk shop, let’s get to the real stuff. Let’s get to know Brad Ryder. So tell us where you’re from and give us give us an anecdote or two about your upbringing. Let’s see. I grew up pretty simple, grew up in Tampa, Florida.

[00:02:47] I’ve been here in Atlanta for about 15 years. I’ve got a brother.

[00:02:51] Mom was a law firm administrator. Father was in licensed apparel for all of his career. A lot. Harrill Lot license, sports payroll.

[00:03:00] So I bet you have a boatload of football jerseys, not a book stuff. I’ve got a bunch I got I stack a helmet cinched in a look at how would a would an NFL helmet looks like now resources what they would what it did then. They’re pretty simple. Yeah, that’s what we started worrying about. Concussions. Yeah, some of them without a face ad on your Web site, all your license, the peril.

[00:03:21] So interesting background. Interesting. And an ever evolving which, you know, we can relate to here in this in the Supply chain arena. Right. So let’s shift gears now that we know you’re from Tampa. We know you’re a big soccer fan as well, I believe, right? Yeah. Founding member, Atlanta United. OK, the world champion. Or was that two years ago? Was it last year they won at all like that? Nineteen. Yeah. Two years ago last year conference. And we’re getting over a big injury this year. Right. Yosef Martinez, ACL. We’ve got six points. We’ve got to we’ve got two wins. We’re OK. We’ll see. Manziel goes you’re gonna have to train me on soccer. I’m still p I’m slow and you play the game together. I didn’t play but a big fan. I’m a big fan.

[00:04:06] I actually spent 2014 living in Rio and got to go to 10 World Cup matches.

[00:04:12] And then Brad. Man, that is a most people don’t get the experience that much less in Rio. Yeah, one of the coolest cities in the entire world. What were you doing down there?

[00:04:23] I was leading planning actually for for the 2016 Olympics to watch it. Watch an event. A world event, similar world event in the same country. It’s been to leverage those learnings. Pretty bad, pretty invaluable.

[00:04:35] So just four years ago. Yeah, you were working in sports planning and marketing. I mean, I don’t know what you call that space. I’m not even sure what’s called sports planning and marketing.

[00:04:45] Let’s call it that. Mark, marketing. Planning. Wow. Oh. Well, first, Greg. Yeah. There we go.

[00:04:53] But to your point, I mean, these are lifetime. These are bucket list things, right? Yeah. So you got to write a book on your experience. You were down there for a year? Yeah, I spent most of 2014 there, ironically working working on the Olympics and didn’t wasn’t still in that role in 2016, didn’t get to go to the Olympics at all. That figures, doesn’t it? All right. So we’ve got it. You’re foreshadowing. Exactly. We’re going to go we want to get to the point where you kind of high level Readers Digest version. What led to, you know, becoming entrepeneur and founding box lot. Yeah. So I guess I always kind of considered myself an entrepreneur.

[00:05:30] The real young like lending library, rock museums, a kid program at a really young age. I had my first funded startup in the late 90s. OK. Didn’t necessarily work. Led to marketing planning. Spent eight years at Coke and in my last role at Coke. I was the lead cola Coke, Coca-Cola Company. Now not the other coke. I had a in North America team that was focused on marketing futures, building out the capabilities the company was going to need for the next three to five years.

[00:06:00] A lot of that work was was taking into account as more and more people are buying online. What happens and how do you change that muscle memory? Same same sort of time period. My wife and I are moving from a condo to a house. And as we’re going through it, we’re just sitting staring at front porches. And all I can see is packages sitting out there on the front door and no idea what we’re going to do.

[00:06:24] Mm hmm. Well, wow. And making the connection, we’ve all heard where there is the cliche now a porch piracy. We’ve all seen the images of the larger cities like New York City, where, you know, folks are in these big buildings. The lobbies get swamped. Yeah, right. Street corners, street corners, pictures of piles on the street corner. Lots of tickets. Yeah. I forget the number that there’s a staggering the numbers that the carriers are spending in tickets. Realigns each year. Yeah. So it’s interesting. So so that’s a perfect segue. Way into what box locked. So tell us more about the company. In a nutshell. Yeah. And there’s some other questions we will posed to you. Well, go. Yes, we do.

[00:07:05] Supply chain visibility and security of solutions intended for that first and last mile. Part of that business is focused on single family residential homes. Right. Making sure you’re getting your e-commerce shipments, your prescriptions, etc. getting them delivered at home. Right. Working with consumers, carriers and then and then retailers and shippers.

[00:07:30] And so that’s core the part of the business. And the other part we’re here at Mode X talking about is our enterprise solutions, basically taking applications of those same technologies and looking at them for things like off peak deliveries and off hours, optimizing the first mile and then some sense around sort of forward warehousing. Right.

[00:07:52] Being able to leverage our technology edge distribution is what I call it. So many people are doing that sort of thing where there’s these forward warehouses. I can see where that would be a really good opportunity for you. Yeah.

[00:08:08] All right. So I’m going to do something that that’s going to sound dumb. But, you know, I think a lot of folks have heard the phrase final mile. Folks may know what that means. But in a very small nutshell, when we talk about the first man on the Farnam, I’ll explain to our audience, is still piecing together supply chain exactly what you’re referring to. Yes. We look at Final Mile is where something gets to the end point where it’s going to be delivered.

[00:08:31] Right. And that’s farma. And that’s typically the most expensive part of the supply chain that’s into your neighborhood on your front porch.

[00:08:39] Right. Wherever. Wherever it gets delivered to your door.

[00:08:42] Yep. Yep. And our real value proposition is that transition between the final mile and the final yard. Right. So when it’s actually been received right between hey, I was this was handed off and when it was received and on when you when you think about small parcel deliveries where there’s a lot of sort of knock and drop and it’s a blight, it’s a it’s a total black hole. Right. Right. Something it’s put down. You’ve no idea whether or not the recipient actually received it.

[00:09:07] You know, and I’ve got a great question on this on asking. But first and first, biologist’s reverse of that first mile is just getting it to getting it at that main carrier, right? Yeah. So so think think pick-ups. Right. Think of it.

[00:09:20] You know, today you pay u._p._s.

[00:09:21] Fedex USPS to come pick something up at your home or you go drop something off at a U.P.S. store or FedEx store. I think lab Logistics. Right. Think those little white boxes that you see sitting outside your doctor’s office, it’s the first mile. Those samples are being picked up. Yeah. Right. And they’re making it. They’re making it from the doctor’s office to the lab.

[00:09:40] That’s sometime ultimately. Hopefully they are. Because those are largely on.

[00:09:45] Spirit, I do hate to open that, you know, that dirty little secret. But but that’s really important stuff, right? I mean, we had a doctor’s office next to our corporate office.

[00:09:57] At one point and I was always concerned for them about two lab Logistics Falls and one of those areas where we just got the inbound interest of people calling saying, hey, can we use your technology in this application? Yeah. Let the lab Logistics basis. Fascinating. So so 20 to 30 percent of the time those boxes are empty when someone comes pick comes to pick them up on a fixed route. So totally wasted, Rahl. And that’s unlocked, right? You’re looking at a HIPA violation. It’s not necessarily the blood that’s there, the tissue. It’s the patient record that sitting right next to it. Yeah.

[00:10:27] So I want to I want to back up a smidge and then talk applications. Let’s talk your technology first steps up. So paint a picture of how box lot works. So we we are core to our core hardware technologies, a smart padlock.

[00:10:42] There are three key components that make. Are that padlock different?

[00:10:45] And this is it. OK. Right. So watch this on YouTube. Be careful that they had heavy S.V. about how much air. That is a substantial piece of hardware. But it’s it’s got a barcodes.

[00:10:57] So it’s a combination of barcode scanner, connect, connectivity and padlock. And so it’s connected to the Internet, which on the home applications, 2.4 gigahertz Wi-Fi. We announced on Monday at the show that in full in the fall, we’ll be shipping a cellular version of the lock. OK. Big news. That big, big news for us. But so what happens is in the residential application, someone sets it up on their home connected to the Internet. It sets up their account with u._p._s. My choice, FedEx delivery manager, USPS informed delivery puts it on a container outside the house and the delivery driver walks up, pushes the button on the top of the lock, uses the barcode scanner in the lock to scan the tracking number that’s already on the packet.

[00:11:41] Well, does that allow the lock to only open when the barcode is the thing I expect to receive?

[00:11:46] So we see bought we see barcodes as keys. Every parcel already has those barcodes on them. We’ll go back. We’ll check. Is that package really for you? And is it out for delivery? And so will hit the carrier system systems for that.

[00:11:59] So so your customers will provide their own container and then all they need is that lock on it and then it’s turnkey. Yeah.

[00:12:08] And we and we make it really, really easy for people to be able to buy it with containers. Yeah, we partner with a number of companies that make storage containers and it’s available online in bundles with the container from Amazon, Home Depot and Eisai.

[00:12:22] Okay, cool. How do we ensure that that lot gets there safely? So that’s the old chicken or the egg question that’s I just mentioned.

[00:12:31] Well, you know, so just in the last couple weeks, as we have purchased some expensive equipment from a provider, e-commerce was and they sent I want you know, we tropp outrightly scathing one box. I hate all this corrugated. I feel bad whenever I don’t get it in recycling stuff. I’ll try to limit it. In this case, they sent it was a expensive camer. They sent the tripod separately, which is still expensive. Tropp on and left that on my porch while you know they and they took the camera with them because I wasn’t home. The sign for it. So would that create for me? Well, that created a trip to this carrier’s facility on Saturday. Right. We had to have it. We bought order just in time for the Monday event. And you know, versus if I had this sitting on my front porch, whether we’re home or on the road or going to pick up the kids from school, whatever, it’s effectively signed. Yeah. Whether it is a $5 item or if it’s a $5000 item, an our came did not cost Fotouh’s but not have. I didn’t prevent that budgets. This is so so from a consumer or small business standpoint. Clearly this is an easy value prop. But you’re you’re doing as much business I think with consumers as you are to businesses. Be the be. Right. Yes. And there’s two sides on the residential side.

[00:13:49] We see that as being kind of a three sided marketplace. Right. You get your stuff delivered. You want it reliably. We expect it. That carrier, that story you just told that re delivery, they don’t want to happen. Right. Right. They lose a lot of money in that in that in that re delivery. And then on the other side of that, because we don’t want it to happen either.

[00:14:07] Why that they lose a lot of goodwill. That’s right. Also. Yeah, I mean even if you go pick it up there. That’s right.

[00:14:13] But then the shippers. Right. Who actually paid for that to get delivered were able to show our customers are more likely to order online, do so more often and are 10 times more likely to spend over $500 a month. So if you know that camera equipment’s going to be delivered reliably, you’re gonna be more likely to order it and maybe an impulse buy. Oh, yeah. Kind of asking the question, am I going to be there? Oh, I’m not going to order. And then you change your mind, right? You forgot about it.

[00:14:39] Well, and the way that we’ve also had some shows about how complex. Last mile, shipment costs have gotten for shippers re delivery costs them extra money to do absolutely. So you can avoid that cost in the supply chain as well.

[00:14:55] It’s interesting, you know, as Al’s doing, as we were doing our homework, own own box lock, I didn’t really gather the top line of how you can drive revenue because you’re drive behaviors. You’ve got a sense of security around. You’re going to get what you order. Deborah Dull. You’re not going to try to race home and knock three cars out of the way to make sure you’re there. And that and that expensive item or that drug or what have you doesn’t sit on your porch longer than it has to. So crystal clear here. So I want to. Are you good?

[00:15:24] I want to shift into a World Economic Forum, my story.

[00:15:27] Can I ask one, please, question about the enterprise application and that if you had talked about the dynamics of pickup, I could see where this could communicate that they should or shouldn’t stop buying and open that lab quest or whatever box yanick. Can it make that communication through? Well, so I know it. I know Gates with your network, but we would look at the other way around.

[00:15:55] We’ll integrate on the enterprise side will or integrate into route management solutions and we’ll actually fire the trip. Oh, nice. So. So you don’t. Oh, that’s brilliant. So a lot of these companies are on fixed routes where they’re sending someone once, twice, three times a day. Sheer. Now they’re only sending some able to send someone when a roots. fired. There’s actually something in there to go pick out and they didn’t have to do it by placing a call jerai. They were just able to scan in an employee I.D. or sample I.D. and that fire triggered the Routt.

[00:16:25] And so that’s even more efficient than when I was thinking, oh yeah, that’s fantastic. Yeah. Wow. So is anyone doing that with you today? We’re working on it with the catalog companies, and that’s what they’re talking about. Got it. That’s awesome.

[00:16:38] All right. So let’s talk about the World Economic Forum, which has a great Twitter account, by the way. And some great content. And we’re content looking for new content. Right. Yeah, whether it’s supply chain or business related. So they came out evidently and recommended an integrated ecosystem approach to curb congestion and carbon impact in urban areas as a result of increases in last mile deliveries. What we’re just touching on a second ago. So, Brad, speak to that a bit. Why is that? Why is that a problem? And then what Charles role in addressing it? So so they can’t.

[00:17:13] I mean, they basically came out and said, look, you got 60 percent increase in e-commerce shipments on the B2C side, 30 percent increase, 33 percent increase in B2B commerce orders. Our cities are getting congested. And so they they they essentially said, hey, look, the ecosystems got to work together. Right. Every Bramnick in this ecosystem needs to play. We need to this a problem we need to address.

[00:17:34] And so they suggested four they made four recommendations as part of that, an integrated ecosystem. First one being Ivey’s may make sense. Yep. The second one was off hours off peak deliveries. Right. So essentially we make we power that. Awesome. The third one was then Dynamic Routing Solutions, which we just talked a little bit about our lab side. And then the fourth one was Moulty branded parcel lockers and boxes. Right. Which we power the tech for. Wow.

[00:18:04] And so I think we have Adila experience with the convenience of the fourth item he’s talking about. Think we had a trip in Austin and picked up a component at one of these automated secure locations that was at a 7-Eleven I think. Yeah. So you are involved in that space when that you know, that was our first time using we were at at a show in Austin and we we I think we left a piece back at the house or back at studio as we as we traveled cross country, we ordered and we ordered in-transit and as we fueled up at the 7-Eleven in Austin Walkup. And it will do now what you call it.

[00:18:39] Because I got a six pack, a little fuel, a little gogo Jenny.

[00:18:45] I mean, it was a long it was a long stay. They say data fuels supply chain UPS are actually alcohol. It’s actually quite cold. I’m kidding my little kid here.

[00:18:54] But Brad, so it’s really interesting. This is just one application. This was Estuarda, the initial product that really got the company going. And now you’re your Myrt. You’re kind of go in a different direction, different applications, including these secure containers that we might find on our street corner or something. Yeah. So we want lot… locker’s. We won’t do.

[00:19:12] And so that’s that’s a pretty robust space. But you get the value proposition and the Moulty parcel box side of having a lot of multi carrier locker. at your home. Yeah. Right. So that’s an.

[00:19:24] Yeah. Because even with the locker’s I mean some of those lockers are brand specific. It’s only this carrier or that carrier, that marketplace that I go to for those locker. Right. Yeah. And I have to go. That’s the other that’s.

[00:19:38] Well that’s actually a crazy one. So you think you think about the savings, the carrier. Right. Someone goes to a locker and say they’re taking 80 packages to. locker. right line all run. Drop it off five miles, five miles back. They dropped off 80 packages. You now have 80 people who need to go drive half a mile to go pick that up. Our net net results, 90 miles. You go do a delivery route to homes and you’re going six miles and then a tenth of a mild 80 homes. It’s gonna be a fraction from the overall impact of what that looks like.

[00:20:09] So that is where you get the carbon footprint. One aspect of the carbon footprint at impact. The other is if I’m in New York City and I need to drop 80 packages at the floor of the, you know, whatever, people pick a building, right. I just drop them into a box, lock it up and away I go. And everybody has their own code to the very same lock, their own codes.

[00:20:33] I mean, what they’re delivering is essentially the code, right? So A you go out, you go think about. So in New York, they did this whole pilot program on off on off hours deliveries and challenge was shipper benefits a lot cheaper, carrier benefit a lot. Ryder 40 percent convenience game on the receiver side. You had to add someone in off hours to be able to receive it. And so they actually gave incentives, higher incentives to the receiver on that end. With our technology in our solution, you take the labor need out of the receiving end because they can receive it unattended. Wow. So we’ve kind of already walked through. Well, good.

[00:21:11] I just think that’s a great that’s a great Segway into unattended, which was another recommendation that we’ve seen considering the thing that we’re all talking about. Yeah. At at Mode X this week and everybody is talking about at shows that they either are or aren’t attending because of Corona virus. Right. The need for no touch or unattended delivery is a is a another.

[00:21:35] I could see that being another driver towards social distancing, social distancing. It may become, as I say, right next to Sheer ad. You’re almost in his lap. Greg.

[00:21:45] So let’s talk about because this is this is not something that’s gonna go away this afternoon. Next week, scump is gonna be here for a while. So talk about the coronavirus effect and how that factors in all this.

[00:21:57] Well, I think if you as you’ve seen over the last couple weeks, there’s a lot of companies that are focusing on how do they, you know, stay. More people stay at home. Right. Especially high risk patients, particularly those that may have lower immune system or for various reasons underlying health.

[00:22:13] Yeah, the higher they’re just that higher risk. Yeah. Right.

[00:22:15] And it’s an I’ve got a delivery guy walking up to 80, a hundred households essentially being with essentially a spread agent. Yeah. Right. And so a recipient or a recipient which then turns it around this idea that we can do this piece of social distancing. Right. Allow those deliveries to happen. A lot of them may be high value medications where you’re needing a signature. Right. And to be able to deliver those without needing to put them in someone’s hand, it ensures they get there. But it also you’re reducing a contact point, right? You’re reducing a contact point. And then and everybody benefits. And so we think in some of those areas we can we can play a role in helping us eliminate as many contact points as we can.

[00:22:57] Right. So by us here at mutex, we advise all trick here. They approach the doors and handshakes and just being, you know, not. I think this is important point because we were talking about this with Rasyid’s 360. David Shillingford, who MHR flew in basically to talk about what they’re seeing trends wise.

[00:23:17] And, you know, you just can’t be smart. You’re not you’re not feeding into the panic. You just want to be smart about an issue that’s there. And that’s that’s inarguable. You know? Yes, be smart about it. And I love how this there’s so many, you know, as you kind of walk us through these different applications all about your brain. But my brain is thinking about three dozen others. Were the jaba relevant?

[00:23:40] Yeah, that’s interesting, because I’m curious about that question. I was having the exact same thought. Are there other scenarios that have been brought to you here at the show or elsewhere or that you have discovered from talking to people?

[00:23:54] Yeah, I mean, we entered we entered into the to the residential livery solution business. And so what we we started finding through some of the awareness we had on the consumer side was just this overwhelming high quality inbound flow of really innovative supply chain leaders in different organizations are saying, hey, I’ve got a very I’ve got a very specific problem that I’m trying to find a solution to. And we think your technology can play play a role in solving that. And those are all things we never would have we never would have able to imagine that lab Logistics scenario. Right. Some of the Ford warehousing things we’re doing where they’re texting a QR code to someone in the field to be able to get to get access and then scanning inventory out and billing out invoices, all using that device. We some of those things we wouldn’t be able to make. We’ve got some companies in manufacturing quality control that are making sure they’re using a work order and a QR code on the work order to make sure the wrong part doesn’t get taken. Yeah, we never thought of those as critical.

[00:25:00] I mean, think think aerospace. So as a as an Air Force veteran, I’m still in love with, you know, the F-16 and of course, the F-22. Not so much about the F-35. But I can’t Miura which which aircraft it was. But they early, early upstream in Supply chain, they did not get the right parts. Right. It has something to do. We were talking with someone. It may have been in Arizona about some of the metals that can only be found in Ukraine in the Ukraine. Conflict took place not too long ago. And so the metals said so that the supplier compromised solutions that went into this aircraft right. From metal standpoint and come to find out the law of the fleet gets grounded because of the the things turbine fans, because as some of the defects in the part. So. So while for different reasons, I think of other reasons why certain suppliers may look for shortcuts or, you know, and think the items line up and they don’t line up. So this kind of application here prevents those downstream supply chain problems from happening.

[00:26:07] Right. Yeah. Claytor, can I interject? Definitely a venereal view. Yeah. Because I see three things here. Three things. Excuse me. One, Ockham’s Razor. The simplest solution is usually the best one. Right. And what’s more simple and something we all can, you know, can relate to in terms of form factor.

[00:26:29] The other is that that you are seeing and getting feedback from people that that they’re bringing additional applications to you and the other.

[00:26:43] And the final one is that you are both receptive and recognizing that and leveraging that to prudently. It sounds like extend your your marketplace. reach when you’ve got those three things. That is a an incredible recipe for entrepreneurial success when companies are asking the question. You know, I advise companies as well. Right. So when companies are asking the question, could you also do this for us? You are really, really onto something. So I thought that’s really encouraging. This is an exciting, simple and yet very exciting product. Absolutely.

[00:27:20] So you’ve mentioned toward the front end of our conversation here some of the things you’re Sheer showing off here at Moto X. Tell us more about that again. And are you in this concourse here at C or you can be or a what you we’re seeing. So we’re right back here. We’re SCAC 6, 6, 7, 1. Okay. And were shut where we’ve announced two things and we’re showing off three things. So the two things we’ve been 2 and 3, 2 and 3 like Chuck Woolery, just about.

[00:27:47] Yeah, two things.

[00:27:49] We announced one is a press to open functionality that allows remote operators to be able to open the lock without necessarily needing to scan something leveraging the back end date. Wow. And then the other one is the cellular version which we’re started taking preorders for and we’ll ship in the fall. So as the two announcements. And then on the what we’re showing off, we’re showing off first mile, last mile and then forward warehousing.

[00:28:14] And so we’re doing that through a lab Logistics on the first mile and pickup. Then we’re doing it off peak delivery solution. And then we’ve got a solution where you go text, text a phone number and get a QR code to take out parts.

[00:28:28] So the off peak delivery solution, explain that more. Yeah.

[00:28:33] So and one of the things that you know is is we’ve been astounded by, but it’s a reality is how prevalent barcodes are just in supply chain. Right. They power supply chains and just about every way. So you think about everything, it’s gets delivered. It’s got it’s got a tracking number on it. Right. It’s got a barcode on it. And so we’ll integrate in with whatever technology someone’s using on the back end, whether it’s their W-M mass or their their root management solution. And so they’ll be able to come do a delivery scan. What they’re bringing in our lock. We’ll check the back end with whatever requirements the client wants. It’ll open. They confirm it was delivered. They could scan an individual inventory if they want, but then they can deliver in an unintended way. Right. And then you can use employee H.R. badges to receive to retrieve it.

[00:29:20] So can we put this on our pantry at home so that our kids only get the three snacks per day versus the 17?

[00:29:28] They ask us for their application there. Right.

[00:29:33] It wouldn’t be that hard to enable, truthfully. Right. I mean, you could enable the controls for just about any sort of trigger the tools tool like this, right?

[00:29:42] Yeah. So we’ve got the API is in the back end support two concepts. One is packages and one bar is barcodes. Right.

[00:29:49] And so you could essentially give them print out a stack of barcodes and say they’re all one time, they’re all one time use just like it goes, hey, I want to treat you. Yeah. Where’s your take it. Yeah. Here’s your here’s a treat. Go scan it. Love it. I love the mom’s rice and bread.

[00:30:06] And there’s only one code works a day. Right. You literally could discipline your own self. Right. To you know, if you’re on a diet. Yes. I mean. Yeah, we’ll aim for the infinite application. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:30:19] No, I mean no wonder you’re your team is growing left and right. So let’s. What I love what you shared before we came on is this this report that you all did in conjunction with Supply chain that were already big fans of Supply chain dhows I mentioned. We’re always looking for great content, especially with no slant in the crop. Cosgrove is just one of the jewels of Supply chain. She does great reporting, great content. And it gets to the point it’s not seven. It’s not while I’m picking on 17s and it’s not accepted.

[00:30:50] Right? I mean, it’s not an advertorial Ryder or whatever, right? It’s it’s real news. Yeah, that’s great. So do a great job.

[00:30:56] They sure do. So walk us through what this report shares here. Yeah. So we we worked with Supply chain Dives Brand Studio. I take take take copies. We worked with the the brand studio over at Supply chain Dove and really wanted to take.

[00:31:11] And, you know, Art, we’re really trying to figure out how do we scale, scale the quantity of that inbound and maintain the quality of what’s coming in and. And so we did that by working with them to help put out a piece that outlined how do they improve last mile? The last mile was. Shared unattended delivery and asset transfer solutions really intended to further sort of the inspiring supply chain professionals to think about the ways that they could be doing. Using a secured asset transfers within their their their organization.

[00:31:43] Well, here’s so what we’re taught. We’ve talked about that just about every episode, 1.7 million packages are lost or stolen every day. Every single every day. That is unbelievable. I mean, what’s what? I mean, what more reason do you need, you know? All right. So what? So you talked about what we’re doing here at Mode X Lu won’t do. We want to touch on and don’t put you on spot. You’ll have some big wins from what’s going to fuel the growth. Yeah. Release any of that or. Yeah, sure. We just.

[00:32:15] We’ve been fortunate in our story. Right. I mentioned I didn’t come from a Supply chain Bhatt background and we’ve we’ve been very fortunate through advisors and investors to have just an amazing group of individuals and companies who have become part of what we’re doing.

[00:32:31] Yeah. And so we just announced a four and a half million dollar fund raising round led by a number of former DHL executives. Dan McCue taking the chairman role. Dan ran Sothern Air ran Levingston ran DHL in Asia, former chief operating officer and CFO of Pitney Bowes. Mike Moynahan is part of that. And then on the tech side, I’ve got Robert Williams joined the board. Robert, how was Microsoft and then Amazon and help them build the the Amazon App Store, Amazon Fire Store. Wow.

[00:33:02] So it’s quite easy to land those kind of investors.

[00:33:07] I got introduced by a cousin to Hons Hechler, Hons Rande DHL in the U.S. hine’s became an advisor and then an investor.

[00:33:18] And so a lot of those connections have come through sort of proliferating through that that experience separation and celebrate six degrees of celebration. All right. So it’s cold. Well, congrats. This is a this is such a common sense.

[00:33:36] I love common sense models and commonsense solutions. I mean, it it makes even more sense when you bring. I mean, it’s just it’s a beautiful thing. So let’s ask one final question before we make sure folks know where they can go to get more information. When you look at the ever evolving world of India in Supply chain right now, there’s a story a minute. What’s one thing or topic or issue or trend or challenge? What’s one thing that’s got your attention more than others right now?

[00:34:06] You know, I think this World Economic Forum report and what’s happening in urban last mile Logistics, I just. It’s impacting every one of us every day. And it’s it’s you know, as we get coded 1919, we’re getting more and more delivered. Right. Regardless stores. And so this is going to reach a tipping point. And there’s some things that have got to change. And I think we want to play a role in that solution. We think we can we can help and we think there’s a benefit to everybody in it. And so I think that that that’s the stuff that gets us really excited. Gotcha. OK.

[00:34:39] It’s interesting that because when that came around that the reports of those issues came around and it was really just last fall that we really started to hear about it.

[00:34:49] I don’t live in a city center, so I can’t relate. I have a porch that has. It’s able to kind of block the view of the year as your neighbors. I’ve seen your social media try. I have deer as neighbors. And I have part of my porch can block this view from the street. So nobody knows that I’ve got anything on my porch. I mean, I am. But I guess probably the ultimate exception to the rule. And I had not thought about the exposure’s or the the complications and other other people in society essays because of that.

[00:35:21] So Malcolm just reminded me that the pearl of deer is deer, says deer.

[00:35:27] It’s all right where we can. We named one of them deer. So it’s deer’s children. They glow and miss his kid shitters? Yes. Yeah. They’ve got a cat named Mouseketeers. This kid or Hack’s.

[00:35:38] He’s got to say, I did not name it. I got that clear on that point, people.

[00:35:42] He’s got another cat named Shenanigans. Brad Kidder’s. And shenanigans. That’s right. That’s not true. I’ve got a dog named Major. OK, so that counteracts the Mouseketeers thing. All right. So let’s not believe you just did that. All right. So taken up Brad’s time. That’s right. That’s right. Well, all right. So working folks, undoubtedly, they’re going to they’re going to have that epiphany, that Eureka moment like we’ve had. Yeah.

[00:36:10] Where can folks learn more, Brad? Yes, they can. Come visit us on our Web site at at Get Box Larcom. Yeah. We’ve got the report there to to be able to to download contact information, reach out. We’d love to help understand a little bit more about some of the challenges others face and see if there’s ways that we can be able to help them make an impact in the first foulmouthed.

[00:36:32] Love it. Among other things, one of the coolest logos we’ve seen. Greene. Yeah, he really I mean, the whole act, of course, I didn’t realize before he sat down is that you already had entrepot background and the rock museum you talked about. I mean really and its earliest you know, that always fascinates me. You know, even though we’ve got that squat. Scott Schwalbe These other eyeroll that that wait until later in our journey to become an entrepreneur. He retired from Navy and then, you know, after some corporate experience then then kicked off his first venture. But it seems like it’s been in your genes since birth.

[00:37:04] Vincent’s really young and I think my first startup that I did in the late 90s, you learn from your fair failures, right. All teachable moments, some of more timing. But right. You know, some of my own and my and my own mistakes. You learn from those and they make you stronger. And so it’s I think it’s an important lesson overall.

[00:37:23] Love that. I think what’s interesting is in when we were in Austin, we talked a lot to people in Supply chain who were not UPS Supply chain. They weren’t. That wasn’t their original or even true. This this even Supply chain was their first foray as we had talked to them. And I think that was a summit. Yes. And I think that goes to the breadth and diversity of of knowledge that we’re getting into supply chain that is helping us break through. Right. So thank you and welcome, Ella thatching.

[00:37:58] Thank you. Absolutely. This is going to be a who’s who’s got it. Kim on the shark tank and the doorbell. When you when you ring the doorbell, it was a camera in it. Ring the ring. Yeah. And now you’re saying. Yeah, believe it or not. Now it is you. Jeff, this is I mean, buckle your seat. This is this is such a real application in the e-commerce arem and just more recent examples. Now, if I’d had this, it would’ve saved at family time on Saturday. So good stuff.

[00:38:29] Get box law dot com.

[00:38:31] And Brad, I’m sure they keep you busy on keynotes and panels and fireside chats yet we have we’re doing we’re doing pretty well. We’ve got to go. We’ll see our trade show season pans out. All right. Let’s. But we got we’ve got a bunch of good stuff upcoming. OK, awesome. Really is really enjoy things to come. Brad, rough guess, founder, CEO at Box Lock. Greg, what a great, great conversation. I kind of hate to cut it all. There’s so much work going through my brain right now.

[00:38:59] I know you want to just spill every idea out there.

[00:39:02] Maybe we can tell him off line so we don’t give somebody else the idea. That’s true.

[00:39:07] Well, really enjoyed it with Brad. To our audience. Stay tuned as we continue our coverage of Moto X. Twenty, twenty. So many great stories just like this here that there are going places. Also, check out on a separate note some of our upcoming events, both virtual and in-person, only events, webinar tabs. We’ve got upcoming events with E.M.T. By Rorters Events, Automotive Industry Action Group, of course, the George George Logistics Summit and stand up and stand up and sound off a virtual event prescribed by Supply chain now.

[00:39:41] So where we want to hear from you. That’s right.

[00:39:45] And Brad, you might appreciate this. So all the web. Our out there, all the digital forms out there, typically it’s it is one facilitator or one subject matter expert dominating one way communication right now. That’s how the words worked. Would this. Stand up and sound off? We are putting that on its head. We’ll put out two topics, Greg, and I’ll just be quiet and just ask the audience to share their perspective and in their commentary and their experiences and really be the be the Assamese star of the show. I guarantee you, you have at least three names in your head of people.

[00:40:17] You know, we’re going to get input from.

[00:40:20] I love it. All right. All right. I’m hoping I’m hoping that it’s good. Jonathan Townsley a.m. at the A.M.A. Radio of Supply chain. Yeah, yeah, I love that. Right.

[00:40:30] So big thanks to our guests here today about Brad Ruckus with box lot. You can check them out at get box locked com. Be sure to check out our upcoming events, replays or interviews, other resources at Supply Chain Now Radio dot com. Find us and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. On behalf of the entire team here, Scott Luton. Wishing a wonderful week ahead and we’ll see you next time on supply chain Now.  Thanks everybody.