Key Takeaways
- Flexe enables true supply chain flexibility through fractional warehousing.
- Agility drives critical CFO KPIs reducing costs, improving margins, and accelerating revenue.
- Real-time data transforms the supply chain into an intelligent, interconnected network.
At the recent Prologis Groundbreakers event, we explored the future of logistics in a rapid-fire panel called "Port to Plate Intelligence in Motion." It was a powerful discussion featuring our CEO and co-founder, Karl Siebrecht, and Crisp CEO, Are Traasdahl.
We agree that the supply chain has moved past mere speed. Today, it demands a new level of intelligent agility. The moderator framed this perfectly: Flexe handles the physical reconfiguration of logistics—what we call Capacity in Motion—while Crisp provides the data-driven insights that complement that agility.
Here are the core takeaways from the conversation, showing how Flexe is driving the most essential change in logistics: supply chain agilitization.
Flexe: Offering Fractional warehousing for a Flexible Future #
For years, the freight industry has relied on a mature "spot market" for trucking, allowing companies to react quickly to demand. Yet, the warehousing space lacked this critical component. At Flexe, we’ve created the equivalent: fractional warehousing exactly when and where our customers need it.
As Karl explained, "All companies who are moving stuff have these two tools in their toolkit; contract and spot to apply to the given scenario." By building a spot market for warehousing, we give our customers the agility to respond instantly to unexpected demand or major opportunities.
How We Drive Critical CFO KPIs #
Our platform delivers value that goes far beyond simple cost-cutting, focusing instead on significant margin improvements through fractionalized purchasing of capacity.
- Savings on Seasonality: We helped a customer with highly seasonal needs save 65% on their total cost per pallet. They initially planned for 200,000 sq ft for peak but, by paying on a fractionalized, pay-for-what-you-use basis, they only paid for what they actually needed—saving hundreds of thousands of dollars.
- Speed to Revenue: Agility directly drives top-line growth. We recently enabled a beverage distributor to win a new brand and a new product launch by leveraging the Flexe network to inbound thousands of pallets of promotional material in a rapid three-day turnaround.
In a final reflection, Karl suggested we retire the generic term "supply chain digitization," replacing it with a more descriptive focus on "supply chain agilitization." We believe this captures the dynamic, future-focused capability that Flexe provides.
“For customers, what we provide is flexibility, agility and resilience across their supply chains. We found that 80% of shippers out there said this is one of their top challenges. Supply chain is 8% of GDP; 8% of GDP is like $1.6 trillion, and one of the single largest bottlenecks to making that as efficient as possible is the warehouse.”
Crisp: From Waste to Profit with Real-Time Data #
The physical agility provided by Flexe is optimized when paired with real-time data from platforms like Crisp, which provides the Insights and Signals in Motion.
Crisp CEO Are Traasdahl noted that by syncing data across retailers, distributors, and brands, their platform helps to optimize decisions and prevent the massive amounts of food waste that plague the industry. By using AI to act on real-time data—sometimes updated hourly—retailers are seeing major reductions in waste and substantial increases in profitability.
As Traasdahl argued, the system is too complex to be called a "chain." Instead, he sees it as a "very complex web of interconnected companies" that collaborate to deliver products to consumers.
The panel concluded with a rapid-fire round on technology and the future, highlighting a key point: The modern supply chain is characterized by the intelligent interplay between physical and digital elements. As Flexe enables the capacity to be in motion, Crisp provides the signals to ensure the right product is placed at the right time. Together, this is the future of Intelligence in Motion.
Rapid Fire Q&A: The Future is Fast, but Human #
Fractional Warehousing is The Future #
Flexe is the leader in flexible, asset-lite warehousing solutions. Replace the rigidity of traditional, long-term leases and fixed costs with Flexible Warehousing Infrastructure. By utilizing fractionalized warehouse space and transactional pricing, instantly scale warehousing up or down—from managing seasonal peaks to dealing with excess or bulky inventory—without the constraints of fixed-term agreements or specific locations.
Watch The Full Prologis Groundbreakers Event Discussion
