Why You Need A Geospatial Modeling Partner, Not A Vendor -

Why You Need A Geospatial Modeling Partner, Not A Vendor

In a strategic business relationship, the distinction between a vendor and a partner is much like that of an acquaintance vs. a close friend.

A vendor is familiar with you but doesn’t know the deeper details of your day-to-day life. They’re friendly and provide you with a standard service that fits your current needs. With many vendors, what you see is what you get, like buying a suit off the rack.

On the other hand, a true partner knows what type of boss you have and your favorite snack or drink that gets you through the day. They invest the extra time and effort to learn about your wants, needs, and dreams. A partner will take that suit you pulled off the rack and tailor it to meet your specific needs. Why? Because a partner knows synergy exists when a relationship is rich enough, creating that magical scenario where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Geospatial Partnership

At Flash Global, our supply chain services work just fine “off the rack.” However, what sets Flash apart from competitors is our people, streamlined processes, strategic thinking and an unwavering commitment to helping our customers achieve success. We initiate two-way conversations and tailor our services when needed to ensure a perfect fit. For instance, our service supply chain modeling solutions are customized to your particular business needs and customer requirements. Again — we don’t just sell services. We build solutions.

Conversation + Collaboration = Custom Solutions That Work

Vendors are focused on completing a transaction: “What do you need and how much will you pay?” In contrast, Flash Global experts engage clients in detailed conversations. We take the time to thoroughly understand your needs, preferences, and boundaries.

For example, we ask our prospects and clients:

Are you considering expanding into new regions? Where and when?
What is the maximum number of FSLs you can afford?
Where are the pain points in your service supply chain?
How are you collecting, managing, and utilizing business intelligence data?

This conversation continues through every step of the design and implementation process. Geospatial modeling is one of the tools we use to build a customized strategic network that maximizes coverage while minimizing facilities and expenses.

This is how the process works:

Collect data to provide the best possible analysis of systems.
Identify opportunities to streamline operations and reduce total cost of ownership (TCO).
Explore different solutions and explain how they relate to various data sets.
Incorporate new data sets into the model to expand the knowledge base and highlight new opportunities.

A vendor might turn in a standard report and call it good. The only custom part is where they filled in the blanks with your company’s name. No off-the-rack supply chain modeling system can provide answers for your unique business challenges. Flash Global is a partner, and we value collaboration, conversation, and consensus.

We tailor the service to you, not the other way around.

Geospatial Modeling: Proactive & Reactive

The global business environment is full of variables that change rapidly. It’s not easy to simultaneously react to a current crisis and proactively plan to mitigate the risk of potential problems. A robust supply chain model that incorporates geospatial modeling can help you manage both.

Today: A massive traffic jam caused by a sinkhole on the freeway. What alternate delivery routes can you use to meet a customer’s SLA?
Tomorrow: A wildfire shuts down a warehouse/repair facility. What other locations have inventory and what transportation options are available?
Next month: China imposes new tariffs. How will that affect TCO? Can you ship from another country into a special trade zone?
Next year: The UK will leave the EU — maybe. Is your supply chain modeling system robust enough to help create a comprehensive risk assessment and mitigation plan?
In five years: Your company has an ambitious expansion plan for multiple regions. How many FSLs can you afford? What about service technicians, warehouses, and trade compliance?

Whether you’re reacting to an unexpected emergency or planning for the next one, it’s essential to have all the data available when you need it and in a format you can understand. Our team is always looking for ways to leverage cutting-edge tools and include them in the modeling process.

We Understand the Problems You’re Trying to Solve

The two most common problems that geospatial modeling solves are cost control and performance issues.

Cost: You’re not happy with how much you’re spending. Why does this FSL cost so much? Why are our airfreight costs going through the roof?
Performance: You’re not meeting SLAs, and customers aren’t happy. How can we possibly meet that 4-hour response time? How can I still support customers when dockworkers go on strike and my shipment is buried on a cargo ship?

We help our customers answer those questions (and many others) every day when they use our custom-tailored solutions, such as geospatial modeling, to solve business problems and improve operations.

Just look at the results our partnerships achieved in 2019: Partnership_4

Don’t Hope, Plan!

With service supply chains stretching across the globe, plotting your strategy to meet customer demands shouldn’t be a guessing game. Hope is not a strategy. Flash Global is a partner you can trust to build solid, flexible solutions based on your data that help ensure you reach your install base on time, anywhere in the world.

We don’t just talk about success. We help create it.

Ready for us to create whatever success looks like for you? Schedule a consultation with us today.