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It\u2019s the fourth and final episode of our Driving Your Parcel Performance mini-series, in collaboration with Sifted!

Last week in episode three, I was joined by Elle Brown for an episode called \u201cCheck Engine Light!\u201d We talked all about measuring your contract health; contract compliance; strengthening carrier relationships; and the growing trend in ensuring customer success.

And today in episode four, the final episode in the series, we\u2019ll be jumping into Sifted\u2019s virtual sandbox! I\u2019m joined by Cameron Clark, Product and Logistics Engineer at Sifted, to talk all about contract modeling; its role in providing internal visibility, as well as external carrier management; and empowering businesses to negotiate with confidence in a very challenging environment.

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[01.32] How Sifted\u2019s virtual sandbox complements the other tools within the carrier management suite, to help support shippers in their contract negotiations, aid understanding and simplify the process.

[03.05] The relationship between shippers and carriers, and the challenges in the current environment from a negotiation standpoint.

\u201cIt\u2019s an interesting dynamic out there right now\u2026 you\u2019ve got to really understand where you\u2019re coming from, what kind of shipping profile you have and be able to maximise that for what the carrier\u2019s are doing\u2026 it\u2019s no longer an us versus them, it\u2019s really become a partnership.\u201d

[05.02] How simulation and modeling can give customers a leg up when it comes to difficult contract negotiations in a carriers market.

\u201cModelling is the first step. It\u2019s going to show you, in a simplified way: 'here\u2019s where your spend is, here\u2019s where you can make the biggest impact, here\u2019s where you can make improvements' \u2013 and really give you that roadmap.\u201d

[06.50] How data can help shippers to understand the carriers perspective, make themselves more desirable as a client, have more successful conversations and ultimately give them the confidence to make better decisions.

[10.40] As both a logistics and product engineer, how Cameron uses his passion and expertise to work with clients to help them engineer and execute strategies.

\u201cI get to take all of that information and all of the requests I get and say \u2018we need a software solution for this.\u2019\u201d

[12.13] The many negotiable parts within any one contract, and how Sifted can help shippers model changes.

\u201cWe have an entire engine built to say\u2026 \u2018you have this discount today, but we really think you should be aiming for this discount\u2019 and to help guide you through that process.\u201d

[15.35] A closer look at how the virtual sandbox works.

\u201cIt\u2019s geared towards doing everything in bitesize chunks, rather than being thrown 150 different variables all at once\u2026 you can see those dollar amounts change service by service until you\u2019ve completed your entire contract."

[16.48] How Sifted\u2019s virtual sandbox can support the challenges of dual sourcing, and how that functionality will expand, based on customer feedback.

[17.53] How the virtual sandbox can help with internal buy-in, stakeholder management and team development.

\u201cOne of the first bits of feedback we got when we started to show this tool was \u2018this is the best thing I\u2019ve ever seen to be able to teach my own teams how a contract works!\u2019\u201d

[21.16 ] The ideal client for Sifted\u2019s virtual sandbox.

[22.00] How shippers have been using Sifted\u2019s tools to better understand how contract negotiation works, and shine a light on carrier relationships.

[25.42] Cameron\u2019s final thoughts for the future of the industry.

\u201cThe market today is more volatile than ever\u2026 and if you\u2019re still working from Excel spreadsheets and sticky notes, there\u2019s a better way! There are tools out there to make your life easier and help you get more effective results.\u201d

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Head over to Sifted\u2019s website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Sifted and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, or you can connect with Cameron on LinkedIn.

If you enjoyed the show, why not catch up with the rest of our Driving Your Parcel Performance series: episode 301, Contract Monitoring , episode 303, Better Performance and episode 305 Check Engine Light.

Don\u2019t forget that you can also listen to our Tomorrow\u2019s Insights Delivered Today mini-series in collaboration with Sifted. In episode 286, Ami Bensman took a closer look at the Sifted Score; in episode 288, Kevin Miller talked all about simulation and modelling; in episode 290, Caleb Nelson took us on a deep dive into Sifted\u2019s Parcel Audit solution for shippers; and in episode 293, Adam Moulding introduced us to Sifted\u2019s Contract Management Suite.

Check out our other podcasts HERE.