30 DC VELOCITY JULY 2015 www.dcvelocity.com
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At 28, Chris Ricciardi is another member
of the post-deregulation generation with
specific ideas about what the logistics field
should look like and how information technology can turn those ideas into reality.
As co-founder and chief product officer of
Chicago-based Logistical Labs, Ricciardi’s
objective is to take mountains of data companies accumulate every day, synthesize the
data into a format that’s easy to understand
and analyze, and allow customers to execute based on
the data presentation. Ricciardi said Logistical Labs differs from companies supplying business intelligence (BI)
because his platforms deliver actionable solutions, not just
insights. “What’s the benefit of getting insights if you can’t
do anything with it?” he asked.
Q You have said that you want to position Logistical Labs as the “Priceline of freight.” Can you elaborate?
A We live in a connected world where consumers have access to more options than ever before in all spaces,
which is overwhelming. Technology that ropes all those
options into a single easy-to-use platform makes people’s
lives easier, which is our goal. Logistical Labs wants to do
what Priceline, GrubHub, Amazon, and Match.com have
done, but for the logistics industry.
Q What do you see as the biggest change coming down the pike in IT over the next one to two years?
A I see more small companies building technology that is disruptive to the large legacy players. In the shipping world, we’re seeing companies start to
“unbundle” FedEx and UPS. Rather than
trying to do everything, these smaller companies are doing one thing really well—like
managing pickups or tracking—and they’re
growing fast.
Q The supply chain field is experiencing a shortage of IT people to service and
maintain advanced technology. The problem
is becoming more acute because the technology changes so
rapidly. What steps would you take to address this?
A If you’re building innovative technology that solves big problems, the IT resources will flock to it. If you’re
focused on putting Band-Aids on old technology—as the
supply chain industry has done for years—I don’t blame
[people] for not wanting to come over. For example, look
at Uber. It brought exciting technology to a non-tech-savvy
taxi industry and has gotten a ton of software engineers and
IT people interested in working for it. My advice is to focus
on innovation, rather than maintenance of the status quo.
Q How did you get started in the field, and what inter- ested you about it?
A I began my career as a sales representative at Echo Global Logistics and eventually moved on to running
the business analyst division at LoadDelivered Logistics.
I recognized it’s an industry ripe for innovation, and the
opportunity to improve the way businesses operate was
exciting to me. I also want to help draw other young people
into the industry with products they are excited to use.
Chris Ricciardi
Mary Holcomb, associate professor of logistics at the University of Tennessee, has an
intense interest in figuring out, “Why did
that happen?” This question has been a
key driver of her professional life, first as
a research associate at Oak Ridge National
Laboratory, a science and technology laboratory managed for the U.S. Department of
Energy, and then as a professor of logistics
and supply chain management.
Holcomb is particularly well known for
her work on the annual “Trends and Issues in Logistics and
Transportation” research study. That research study has
spawned numerous articles and papers that have appeared
in the Journal of Business Logistics, Transportation Journal,
Supply Chain Management Review, and CSCMP’s Supply
Chain Quarterly.
While research may be her vocation, Holcomb’s passion is teaching. She
counts the numerous teaching awards she
has received as her proudest professional
achievements. “The ability to instill an interest and excitement about the field of logistics
and supply chain management is something
I feel blessed to be able to do,” Holcomb says.
QHow did you become interested in researchinlogisticsmanagement?
A My introduction to the field was through my first career, which was working as a research associate at
the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Oak Ridge,
Tenn. As a part of the newly formed Energy Division, we
focused on freight and passenger transportation policy and
energy use.
Mary Holcomb
