Technology Protection: Today & Tomorrow

AT THE END of September, we hosted the successful in-person 2021 TIA 3PL Policy Forum and our first in-person Board meeting in over 18 months. It was wonderful to see those I have met only through Zoom and engage with all our very talented Board members about their thoughts on TIA and the state of the industry.

One of the outcomes of the Board meeting was to revitalize our Technology Committee. Chaired by Ramona Hood of FedEx Custom Critical and co-chaired by Tom Curee of Kingsgate Logistics, the mission of the Committee has remained unchanged

“The TIA Technology Committee will not prescribe technology solutions, but rather will report on technology to all TIA Members, both 3PL and non-3PL. It is not TIA’s intent to offer technology services to the membership. The TIA Technology Committee will provide a forum for business owners, chief technology officers, chief information officers, and those holding similar technical expertise positions. The Committee will discuss and report to TIA membership on technological advancements that are going to reshape the 3PL industry and global supply chains.”

“The TIA Technology Committee will not prescribe technology solutions, but rather will report on technology to all TIA Members, both 3PL and non-3PL. It is not TIA’s intent to offer technology services to the membership. The TA Technology Committee will provide a forum for business owners, chief technology officers, chief information officers, and those holding similar technical expertise positions. The Committee will discuss and report to TIA membership on technological advancements that are going to reshape the 3PL industry and global supply chains.”

What has changed from its original iteration, however, will be the charter and work of the Committee, which will focus more narrowly on three areas:

1. Resources and frameworks focused on technology;
2. Solutions and best practices to address cybersecurity threats; and
3. Developing the content and subject areas for the TIA 3PL Technovations conference.

Ramona has thoughtfully shifted the Committee’s purpose away from a discussion of specific technologies to a more holistic view about how best to integrate existing technologies and how to think about technology in the future. Our members pride themselves on achieving strong relationships with both shippers and carriers; relationship-building is a core function and central to our members’ longevity in the business. But our members recognize that technology can differentiate themselves from their customers, so they are willing to invest in technologies that will make their service product stand out.

And yet, the more dependent we are on technology, the more vulnerable we are to cyberthreats. This Committee will invite speakers who are thought leaders in the field of cybersecurity and who will convey valuable information about how best to protect your systems both now and into the future. The Technology Committee agenda item at the Board meeting spurred a lively and well-considered discussion. It reaffirmed to all of us the value of revitalizing this Committee and what it will accomplish. We appreciate all the work Ramona has put in so far and the work she and Tom will do in the future as Chair and Co-Chair.

If you are interested in participating, feel free to reach out to Chris Burroughs, who is facilitating the Committee, or of course, Ramona, Tom, or me. We look forward to your engagement and participation. And any ideas you want to share outside of the Committee structure, please do not hesitate to do so. We are excited about the opportunity, but of course, we want to make sure we get it right.

Thanks as always for your membership in the TIA and all you do for us and the nation’s economy.