The modern, amazingly connected world and its economy are heavily dependent on global trade. As businesses look to expand to new shores and consumers have the world’s best marketplaces literally at their fingertips, freight forwarding serves as the vital link between manufacturers, suppliers, and consumers worldwide. Although freight forwarders don’t physically move cargo, they act as intermediaries, orchestrating the movement of goods across various transportation modes—such as cargo ships, air freight, trucks, and rail.
Companies that specialize in freight forwarding, streamline shipping processes, allowing businesses to focus on core operations. Their carrier connections lead to better rates, benefiting client businesses of all sizes. From negotiating rates, and handling documentation to consolidating and tracking shipments, they make sure that the freight keeps moving. Without freight forwarding, cross-border trade would be hindered, causing delays and increased expenses.
Anne Schaeddel discovered freight forwarding while interviewing for trainee jobs, fresh out of school and unsure about her next career move. She knew that she didn’t want to take up university but was undecided about the industry she would like to take up next. She thought of freight forwarding as an interesting profile that could give her an opportunity to work with the world, as she’d always wanted to travel and get to know different cultures. She took a trainee job in Hamburg, Germany and that was her entry to the world of logistics, which she has never left.
From Exploring to Establishing Her Firm
Anne has been working in logistics for over 20 years, starting in Germany, then for several years in Brazil, and now for the last decade in the US. She has always been very passionate about logistics, especially ocean transportation. When she came to the US, she loved the business culture here and the variety of customers she was able to work with.
“For me, my priority was always the customer and the needs of their specific projects. Breakbulk logistics is incredibly interesting as no two projects are the same. Some companies in the industry focus on short-term profits, while my belief has always been that treating customer’s right and growing long-term relationships should be the focus. Quite simply I wanted to do it better, so I started Project One. The word “ONE” stands for our customers being our number ONE priority,” shares Anne.
When she started Project One, Anne also wanted to build a great workplace where people could feel comfortable and have their thoughts, ideas, and input to the company heard. She strongly believes that this is how you grow a successful business and that the people inside the company are the most important asset. “We built up our company culture on mutual respect and we value each other’s knowledge and experiences so we can grow together,” she asserts.
Navigating Choppy Waters
Being global also means that Anne and Project One have to navigate the complexities pertaining to legal, cultural, and other aspects to ensure successful delivery. Each country has its regulations, laws, and cultures. Anne learned very quickly when working with people around the world that each country has its own challenges, but with a good and reliable network, one can overcome these challenges together and make the customer’s transportation as smooth as possible.
“It’s important to understand and respect regulations as not doing so can lead to extra charges and delayed cargo, something we and our customers are obviously keen to avoid. For example, import duties from China can be a costly challenge for our customers, so we always work with our beforehand to help them understand what charges may apply to them,” she explains.
Project One currently has challenges with both the Suez Canal and the Panama Canal which potentially can cause heavy delays in ocean freight leading to it declining certain vessel sailings due to these issues. Instead, it needs to identify new routes for its customers’ cargo. Project One focuses on being as open and upfront as possible with its customers about potential challenges and charges. “While we can’t foresee every potential issue, we find being honest about costs and timelines reduces our customer’s stress levels and allows them to properly plan,” says Anne.
An Evolving Industry
The world is changing so quickly and to stay competitive Project One has to keep track of the newest software and other technologies. It utilizes artificial intelligence to check for possible new routes, although the team of course reviews them and works with the DOT who always have the final say. It also uses AI for initial rate estimates so we can quickly estimate what rates may be for a specific route.
“At Project One, all of our work is cloud-based, so we can have access anywhere in the world and all of our systems were built with cyber security front of mind to ensure our and our client’s data remains safe. We talk to our worldwide partners about possible solutions and have been able to identify solutions on the cutting edge of technology,” shares Anne.
A Holistic Leadership Approach
Anne’s approach to leadership is focused on hearing the views of everyone in the organization as they all come from different backgrounds and experiences and thus have different perspectives. She also nurtures her employees to grow as logistics professionals. Many of Project One’s team joined with specific experience (for example in finance or truck brokerage) and the goal is to help grow each team member’s knowledge and experience across adjacent areas so they can become well-rounded logistics professionals. “We focus on professional development and want to see team members take on increasing responsibility over time,” says Anne.
In the project logistics business problem solving is perhaps the most important skill! Every project has unique problems, so one has to systematically identify and solve these problems. Project One starts team members out by letting them focus on the areas where they have experience and then continuously expose them to other areas by involving them in an ever-growing share of a given project. Giving people the tools to succeed while letting them know that support is always available helps them become better problem solvers.
Innovation has always been a focus of the company; it is constantly searching for new solutions and technologies. The key from a cultural perspective is that everyone knows that if they present a new solution or technology everyone will be open to listening and discussing.
“I find that most people want to innovate and the main factor that stifles innovation is organizations that don’t listen to team members who try to innovate and aren’t open to change. One of the benefits of working with a smaller nimbler organization is that everyone has a voice and we have less bureaucracy that slows innovation,” shares Anne.
Differentiating Factors
One of the key points of differentiation for Project One is its focus on understanding its customers’ needs and transparency. It is always reachable and based on its knowledge and experience, it lays out its views to the customers regarding the best ways to transport their cargo in a timely, cost-effective manner.
“It’s important to understand what the customer is focused on, sometimes the transit time is more important, sometimes a specific route is more important, and sometimes costs are more important. We provide options, explain how these options differ, and empower our customers to make decisions that fit their needs based on accurate information,” explains Anne.
Service is always Anne and her team’s number one focus. If they can’t provide a good service at a price point that works for the customer, they will not take the cargo! In this business their reputation is everything. They are open with their clients about their options, in some cases costs are not as important and speed is everything.
“For example, in some cases, we work with mission-critical components where delays could lead to millions or tens of millions of dollars of extra costs if a plant was unable to start on time. In other cases, the schedule is slightly less critical so cheaper options are available. We are upfront about the tradeoffs with our clients but no matter what the case is service is always number one. We are available 24 hours a day 365 days a year to speak to customers and vendors, receive cargo in ports, and solve any issues that may arise,” asserts Anne.
Looking Ahead
Anne envisions the future of Project One to be a very bright one. Their customers like working with them, and this gives them the opportunity to continue to grow their share with current customers and continue to on-board new customers. The primary threat, feels Anne, is the economy itself in the US and globally as reduced economic activity leads to reduced capital expenditures which drive project logistics. She doesn’t see for example AI being a major threat to project logistics as for now projects are too complex.
“We will continue to grow at a manageable pace and evolve within the logistics industry to keep up with all new trends that arise. We will continue to provide the best customer service experience for all our clients and that alone will allow us to keep climbing to the top. Our goal is to continue to grow the team and perhaps to open a few more office locations in the US,” concludes Anne.
Opportunities don’t happen, you create them. -Chris Grosser