As an Account Management Representative with UPS Capital, UPS’s supply chain insurance and finance service company, Kyle Laflamme uses his several years of experience and knowledge to protect customers’ supply chains, assist with claims and provide the best possible service.

His international trade journey began as an Algonquin College student, studying international business through the college’s FITT-accredited program.

“That’s what really peaked my early interest in international trade. I’ve always found the prospect of exploring new markets fascinating, from learning different languages to negotiating logistical challenges, so it’s just been a natural fit for me from then on.”

Thanks to his Algonquin professors and the FITT course content, Kyle built the foundation he needed in international business to launch his career.

“My professors were all very knowledgeable, approachable, and professional. Much of what I was taught I still actively use today years later, so they’ve had a direct result on my success thus far.”

The International Market Entry Strategies course was the most intriguing to me because it encompassed so much of what it takes to get a project off the ground (logistical considerations, laws and regulations, social norms and working conditions, finance, etc.).

“This not only prepares one for international market entry, but also crosses over into many other facets of business as well, from project management to cross cultural negotiations. I’d absolutely recommend FITT’s courses to anyone interested in international trade, they’ve been very beneficial.”

Quickly building an impressive list of career accomplishments

After graduating and working in financial advisor and quality assurance roles in Ottawa, Kyle moved a couple of years later to Montreal to take a position as an Account Specialist, working primarily with business owners in the U.S.

“I ended up moving to Montreal and later accepted a position in a company that needed someone with my theoretical knowledge of international trade. I was responsible for many different sorts of tasks at this company, but the international trade aspect was what interested me the most, so that’s where the majority of my focus was directed.”

Building upon that experience, he next took a job with Wholesale Payments Direct, a new payment processing company at the time. Within a few months he worked his way up from Lead Generation Manager to Director of Operations. Taking on a multitude of challenges, from acquiring new customers, creating sales strategies and handling logistics to building new internal policies and procedures, overseeing payroll and improving data management practices, the position allowed Kyle to stretch his wings in a way he’s continued to do ever since.

“I’ve always been a firm believer in coming up with solutions for complicated challenges as opposed to finding reasons what things can’t be done. Many of my favourite moments stemmed from applying this philosophy to scenarios when logistics and/or communications seemed to have broken down. Reassuring the client that I will fix their problem and then actually pulling it off always produces a great sense of achievement for me, especially when you consider that deadlines are always that much tighter when you have to factor in international time zones and different customs regulations for each country and whatnot.”

In his next role as a logistics specialist and customer service representative with Diebec, he also had the opportunity to help the company improve how it approached acquiring new business, which he found professionally fulfilling and an exciting chance to apply his knowledge to something new.

“One of the most interesting projects that I’ve been involved in was working with senior management to come up with pricing proposals to acquire international business. I’ve always had a knack for Excel, so on one hand I was brought onto the projects for being able to design pricing solutions for our prospective clients, but also because I was the resident expert on the additional costs we faced for shipping internationally as well as what the costs were when a mistake was made. Factor in the tight deadlines and the amount of money that hung in the balance, and that made these project right up my alley.”

“The senior management really took me under their wings and helped actualize my theoretical knowledge by mentoring me and encouraging me along the way.”

The continuous process of professional training and achievement

Even with his many years of career experience and success, Kyle makes an effort to keep learning and expanding his horizons and appreciates how much he’s learned along the way.

“When I first started my career, I wish that I properly understood how fast things can take a turn for the worst if you haven’t prepared adequately for the task at hand. In domestic business, if a simple mistake has been made, it’s usually easily fixed with a phone call or an email.”

“With international business, a simple mistake can mean a package gets held up at customs, a disagreement arises over where the responsibility of risk transfers over in the event of a damaged shipment, possibly losing a client because of a language barrier, etc. It’s much more important to do your research beforehand because there are so many little details to consider that can have a huge impact on your company’s bottom line and your reputation.”

In 2018, he graduated from Concordia University with a BA in philosophy, and intends to pursue a Master’s degree in the future, either in business analytics or business administration.

He also recently met a goal several years in the making by earning his CITP (Certified International Trade Professional) designation, and is excited to see his hard work come to fruition.

“The CITP®|FIBP® designation was a big pull-factor for our college program, so upon graduating I had always intended to apply. Once I found my way into a company that allowed me to gain the necessary experience and knowledge to develop and serve their international market, applying for the CITP®|FIBP® designation was the next logical thing to do, since this is the direction that my career is heading in. It’s very pleasing to see my work and study throughout the years come to fruition.”

He now sees a great deal of value in his designation moving forward, both in his current work and as a potential avenue towards exploring the myriad opportunities available at a company the size of UPS.

“I’m excited to see what doors will open, and what value can be generated from leveraging this designation.

I foresee the CITP designation opening a lot of doors for me internally within my company, given that we’re such a large international transportation company, and also will help provide our clients with confidence knowing that my advice and work is backed by knowledge attained from pursuing accreditation from a recognized international organization like FITT.

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With e-commerce taking an increasingly bigger chunk out of retail sales, (currently about 10%), the last mile has grown in importance as a competitive advantage. Shippers and carriers alike are eagerly looking for ways to please customers while keeping costs down. In fact, according to some estimates, 30% of the total cost of all goods delivery is in last-mile.

Customers get even more demanding

Today’s customers are on the go and not as willing to sit around waiting for a delivery. Thanks to Amazon’s Prime subscription service, the accepted 5-7 day delivery time period has been reduced a new norm of 2 days. Even that is quickly being reduced further to same-day, and in some locations, one hour delivery.

According to the UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper  survey and analysis, speed is important with 77% of survey respondents willing to pay for expedited shipping. Forty-one percent of survey respondents indicated they had ordered a product for same-day delivery. The importance of same-day delivery is evident in that 58% of those surveyed said the ability to search by items available for same-day delivery is important when selecting products online. In addition, 36% said same-day delivery is important when deciding to shop with a physical store. This was up from 31% in 2016.

Shippers and carriers alike are addressing the ever-shrinking last mile by offering options besides the traditional home including lockers, in-store pick-up and pick-up in third-party stores. In fact, UPS’ study found that 52% of online shoppers were interested in shipping to alternative locations.

“Ship-to-store” is a popular choice with 50% of online shoppers having used this option and noting that speed and convenience are important success factors.

Getting there faster

In some situations, the delivery person is being replaced by a robot or even a drone. For example, Starship Technologies is launching 1,000 delivery robots on U.S. and European university campuses for food delivery. A number of carriers, shippers, and others are testing drone deliveries. 7-Eleven has partnered with Flirtey for drone deliveries in the state of Nevada. In addition, Zipline has deployed drones in Africa to deliver medicines in remote locations. Also, Chinese e-commerce providers, Alibaba and JD.com are using drones to deliver in rural areas of China.

Not only is the delivery person being replaced by a robot or drone, but the traditional delivery companies such as DHL, FedEx and UPS, are facing increasing competition from firms such as Amazon and JD.com. These e-commerce providers are building out their own global logistics network and could potentially rival the integrators, DHL, FedEx and UPS.

The growing number of delivery options definitely indicates the importance of the customer. Indeed, the customer is in the driver’s seat and expects customization – not only in the products that are purchased but also in delivery decisions. Customers now expect to have options from the delivery time, to where the product is to be delivered to even tracking and managing the shipment while en route.

Tracking technology grows up

Gone are the days in which a customer was expected to phone a customer service representative to ask the status of an order.

With the advent of the internet, tracking technology made it easier for customers to know more about their shipment status. But still the technology lagged in timing. Today, tracking is available in real-time with little if any lag time. Some carriers such as DPD and even Amazon offer customers the ability to view actual delivery stops in real-time, online.

Apps from FedEx and UPS allow customers to not only track shipments but also offer a host of other options, including the ability to change delivery locations to leave with a neighbor or a different location while the package is out for delivery.

The customer is in the driver’s seat

The customer is in control of their shopping experience, from selection to purchase, all the way through final delivery or pick-up. Carriers and retailers will need to monitor customer behavior as well as their own costs in order to stay one step ahead of expectations and to remain competitive in a tight industry.

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