BluJay's Patrick Maley talks Global Trade Network and transformation

Earlier this year, well-known SCM software providers Kewill and Lean Logistics rebranded to BluJay Solutions and unveiled their Global Trade Network model. 

Designed to help companies shift from siloed operations to a method which focuses on interactive collaboration between all network participants, the Global Trade Network encourages companies to see supply chain management as a constantly evolving network of relationships, rather than the linear process it is traditionally viewed as.

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A month on, we catch up with BluJay CMO Patrick Maley to talk about key features, upcoming news and the need for companies to view their supply chains as competitve assets. 

KB: You rebranded to BluJay to reflect a changing approach to SCM and to reflect your aim to help customers increase global trade. What attracted you to BluJay as a brand?

PM: The blue jay is bold and unmistakable, known for intelligence and adaptability – characteristics of our solutions. For the market, the name BluJay is fresh, unique, and unlike our competition. Blue jays are also steady in flight—a symbol for flying above the noise and complexity of our world, which is how we help customers achieve soaring performance.

We believe that future success in global trade requires transforming to a new strategy that moves companies from a traditional siloed, linear, functionally-optimized supply chain logistics model to a modern, global trade network model.

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With this rebrand, BluJay has launched forward with one vision under a new unified brand, building on the foundation of the Global Trade Network. This fundamentally new model goes beyond automation to harness the full power of the global supply chain ecosystem. BluJay’s Global Trade Network ecosystem spans 40,000 members worldwide – including shippers, carriers, forwarders, suppliers, and 3PLs – making it the largest collaborative supply chain network in the world. At the heart of this network is BluJay’s portfolio of logistics applications, analytics, and services, all delivered through a scalable, single instance multi-tenant cloud.

KB: Given the complexity of modern supply chains (and the possibility that new technologies could add an extra dimension to this) why do you think that SCM solutions have remained so linear in their approach? 

PM: As you point out, supply chains are becoming more fragmented and complex – due to increased outsourcing of manufacturing to low-cost areas, fluctuations in available capacity, political/trade uncertainties, expansion into global markets and other factors that create a drag on supply chain velocity. Supply chain execution is today’s battleground for success, yet the billions of dollars spent each year on supply chain technology yield only incremental improvements. This is because the focus has been on automation and micro-optimization.

BluJay's Global Trade Network introduces a new model for supply chain logistics and trade management that enables organizations to harnesses the full power of the global supply chain ecosystem. It’s all about macro-optimization or “the network effect”.

KB: What effect do you think the Global Trade Network will have on the current warehouse, supply chain and transportation management software markets?

We think our industry is on the verge of major changes, and we’re excited about working with our customers to take supply chain technology to the next level. Our customers are coming to us and asking for us to help them stay relevant in an industry that has the potential to leave many of them behind.

We view this as an opportunity to influence the way the market changes, as well as to survive and thrive in the “new economy.” E-commerce has changed not only the way we shop, but also the complexity of how goods are transported as a result of these new models. The old model of bulk shipments going to DCs and then distributed in bulk to retail locations don’t apply when the consumer orders products that come right to their doorstep, sometimes from the other side of the globe, meaning it has to go through several borders to get there.

"The effect of this on software markets is a shift toward managing supply chain logistics as a competitive asset rather than the traditional cost center"

The BluJay Global Trade Network is really about a shift and a transition from very siloed, fragmented, isolated execution systems into a complete living ecosystem that is able to take information as it comes in, no matter where it comes in or how it comes in, and adapt to that information and make better decisions because it’s being viewed as part of an ecosystem as opposed to separate, isolated systems.

The effect of this on software markets is a shift toward managing supply chain logistics as a competitive asset rather than the traditional cost center, and connecting markets using data and speed, with greater visibility as part of a dynamic ecosystem.

PM: Global Trade Network has been described as 'going beyond automation to help companies harness the full power of the global supply chain ecosystem'. Could you expand on this, and the software features that will help customers benefit?

With the BluJay Global Trade Network (GTN), companies unlock the power of the first collaborative supply chain network in the world to transform their supply chain economics for disruptive advantage, achieve greater trade velocity, and see beyond the horizon to optimize their future in the global economy. Here’s how:

"The BluJay Global Trade Network is really about a shift and a transition from very siloed, fragmented, isolated execution systems into a complete living ecosystem"

• The universal connectivity afforded by the GTN enables organizations to easily manage goods and services, rapidly onboard services, carries, customer and business units; and actively collaborate with trade participants to optimize logistics.
• Organizations can fuel the top line by accelerating growth opportunities and streamlining access to news markets. The GTN also improves the bottom line by wringing out operational efficiencies across all processes, optimizing fully landed cost while balancing the cost/service equation.
• BluJay’s GTN also offers extensive customs and compliance capabilities allowing for more efficient movement of goods across any border. Organizations can adapt quickly to dynamic market forces and customer demand fluctuations with easy-to-revise workflows and the ability to quickly onboard new customers, markets, and business units. Additionally, real-time data analytics fed by data streamed throughout the GTN allows for faster decision-making.
• True end-to-end collaborative visibility also means organizations will always know how their world is changing and why. The GTN’s embedded analytics drive better decision making, with the ability to adapt proactively and respond in real-time to unanticipated disruptions. Future-proofed workflows can also be adapted on the fly to manage change, and carrier benchmarking gives insights for continuously optimizing network costs and performance.

KB: How has the Global Trade Network approach affected your software development plans? Any new or updated features in the pipeline?  

PM: In addition to the ecosystem approach mentioned earlier, BluJay recently acquired an industry-leading mobile platform that expands our offerings and customers’ visibility into the supply chain. New features include comprehensive shipment tracking and proof-of- delivery capture. The platform connects the shipper, operations, management, the driver, and the end-customer with real-time data and automated workflows that uniquely address last-mile delivery. Customers can take advantage of mobile workforce management, track and trace, and workflow capabilities.