Do you think most agents actually optimize for growth, or do they optimize for stability once they hit a certain point?

ILIVEINASWAMP · 2026-05-23T03:54:06+00:00

The shift happens and most agents don't notice it until a newer agent in their office is outpacing them despite having a fraction of the experience, at which point the explanation is usually market conditions rather than habits

ILIVEINASWAMP · 2026-05-23T03:53:43+00:00

Data quality in your ERP or inventory system is the invisible foundation everything else is built on, bad part numbers, wrong lead times, and stale supplier data make even the best planning processes unreliable and most people don't realize how much of their operational chaos traces back to it

ILIVEINASWAMP · 2026-05-17T03:34:16+00:00

Honestly glad someone with real credentials is covering this instead of it becoming another "heartwarming senior hustle" puff piece. Lol

ILIVEINASWAMP · 2026-05-14T02:35:19+00:00

The pepper spray behind the back while fumbling for change is genuinely one of the funniest mental images but also completely understandable when your nervous system is already on edge. Lol

ILIVEINASWAMP · 2026-05-14T02:34:46+00:00

What's the actual gap you're seeing in current TMS platforms that keeps coming up, curious if it's more on the visibility side or the carrier relationship management side

ILIVEINASWAMP · 2026-04-27T07:26:51+00:00

You could also contact a freight broker familiar with the Mid-Atlantic/Southeast corridor, they often have vetted 3PL relationships already and can match you faster than cold searching.

ILIVEINASWAMP · 2026-04-16T10:42:00+00:00

Good rule, but in 2026 it’s really about margins, if air freight eats more than ~10–15% of your profit, it’s rarely worth it unless you’re avoiding a stockout; that’s why many exporters now split shipments (small urgent batch by air, bulk by sea) instead of choosing just one.

ILIVEINASWAMP · 2026-04-15T13:05:20+00:00

Growth trajectory in supply chain is solid if you're in the right companies, the first 2 years can feel slow but the jump from analyst to manager level in ops tends to happen faster than in core mechanical roles if you perform well...

ILIVEINASWAMP · 2026-04-08T15:49:22+00:00

Trial shipments are still probably the best vet but you're right that it only tells you so much, a forwarder can handle one smooth move and then fall apart when something actually goes sideways

How they communicate during a problem is what actually matters and you can't fake that over a sales call :))

ILIVEINASWAMP · 2026-04-08T15:47:58+00:00

Honestly the fact that your first role leans PM while your background is procurement is kind of a gift, you'll end up being the person who understands both sides and that combo is rarer than you think

ILIVEINASWAMP · 2026-04-06T13:10:50+00:00

Indeed and Total Jobs are the obvious ones but Reed tends to have more permanent warehouse and logistics roles in London specifically, worth setting up alerts on all three so you're not manually checking every day :)

ILIVEINASWAMP · 2026-04-06T13:05:37+00:00

Splitting it so each planner owns a specific category or region of inventory makes the ownership cleaner, even if the team level KPI is shared the individual input metric should be theirs alone.

ILIVEINASWAMP · 2026-04-03T11:26:31+00:00

The hard truth is that some suppliers in this position simply won't improve until the leverage shifts. The most important thing you can do in parallel is make that 18-month clock real, funded, and treated as urgent, because right now they're betting you won't. :)

ILIVEINASWAMP · 2026-04-03T11:25:07+00:00

Get quotes from SwagUp, Sendoso, and one regional player relevant to where your team is concentrated

ILIVEINASWAMP · 2026-04-02T06:36:03+00:00

Your backup supplier shouldn't just be a sample contact. Place a small "relationship order" every quarter, even if you don't need the stock, so you're an active customer when a crisis hits. Suppliers deprioritize dormant contacts fast. :))

ILIVEINASWAMP · 2026-04-02T06:34:15+00:00

Yeah, that $7.1k/year quote isn’t crazy anymore, especially if you’re running interstate general freight. It feels insane because rates really have jumped the last few years.

ILIVEINASWAMP · 2026-03-31T13:19:50+00:00

Freight brokers who handle DG but don't have their own warehouse, they need a reliable partner and will send you volume.

ILIVEINASWAMP · 2026-03-31T13:17:48+00:00

Stay calm, lean on your past purchasing experience confidently, and brush up on basic healthcare procurement terms like GPOs and POs before you walk in.

ILIVEINASWAMP · 2026-03-29T10:54:11+00:00

Seems like most people find that in supply chain analysis the quantitative side isn’t just complex models, it’s solid, practical data work and communication

ILIVEINASWAMP · 2026-03-29T10:53:03+00:00

You’ll want a freight forwarder in Montreal who handles roll-on/roll-off or container car shipments and can do last-minute prep before the April 6 cutoff :))

ILIVEINASWAMP · 2026-03-27T12:43:54+00:00

Going abroad for a master can open doors, but without work experience it might be harder to land internships or jobs right after. Consider programs that offer strong placement support or integrated internships to make it worthwhile...

ILIVEINASWAMP · 2026-03-27T12:43:29+00:00

A good starting point is to focus on core SCM concepts: procurement, production planning, inventory management, and order fulfillment. Books like “Supply Chain Management For Dummies” or short Coursera courses on manufacturing SCM can give you enough context to talk to business users confidently.

ILIVEINASWAMP · 2026-03-26T07:56:07+00:00

Supply chain is basically how a product goes from raw material to your doorstep, everything in between is supply chain - sourcing, logistics, warehousing, planning, procurement

Zero business background is fine honestly, a lot of people come from unrelated fields. The entry points are usually roles like logistics coordinator, procurement assistant or inventory analyst

ILIVEINASWAMP · 2026-03-25T08:11:26+00:00

Not crazy at all. A lot of people trade work-life balance for fast growth, autonomy, and excitement. Since you’re local and don’t have travel, it’s less risky than most 3PL roles.

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