To succeed in today’s Amazonian environment, we must keep strange bedfellows. We just love the Amazon example of innovation – partnering with the U.S. Postal service – known as one of the least-innovative organizations out there. But it works! Who ever thought you’d see a U.S. postal service mail truck delivering on Sunday for Amazon?
At the Southern California E-Commerce and Logistics Summit, there were several intriguing collaborations:
- Union Pacific and BNSF Railway – Although there was a healthy competition over resources (not surprisingly since both are experiencing a skills gap), there was also much collaboration over issues.
- The AQMD and Staunch Opponents of Indirect Sourcing – Although there is little compromise in the widespread concern over indirect sourcing, there were panelists who are working to bridge the gap.
- Political leaders and Business Owners – Working together for progress, even with the distractions and disruptions that occur on a daily basis.
- Amazon and their Latest Partner – Doesn’t it seem like there is a new intriguing partner announced every week. Kohl’s could be considered a foe but partners for win-win results but it is ‘old news’. Recently, Amazon announced another competitor partnership with Best Buy. Who will be next? Are you thinking about how to partner with competitors?
- Technology companies and all others – In the era of data and technology, people like Google, Microsoft and Apple are collaborating with everyone – car companies, IoT devices and machinery manufacturers, systems providers and many more.
Are you taking a hard look at your collaborations and partners? Perhaps take a more innovative approach to what you might have “assigned” to procurement last year, so you’ll be around next year.
