540: Discover Why Visibility Isn't Fixing The Last Mile, with OneRail

Bill Catania of OneRail talks about why visibility isn't fixing the last mile, simplifying complex tech stacks & translating AI investment into outcomes.  IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [02.49] An introduction to Bill and OneRail, and how their commitment to innovation and collaboration has seen many of their customers become investors. "About a third of our capital has come from our partners – and there's no greater compliment." [05.38] OneRail's attendance at Manifest over the years, and the current conversations dominating the show, from AI to partnership. "AI is the topic of the day. I don't want to say it's an over-used term, but we have to be specific. Is it AI-native, agentic AI or AI optimization?" [07.51] How OneRail has evolved alongside their customers needs, the current landscape of last mile, and how the big factors impacting it are translating into challenges for businesses. "Wholesalers have to solve problems further up in the order stream." "When you have a start-up, you learn more about yourself as you grow. Our early positioning was last mile orchestration. That's not what we are any more. We're a transformation enabler for the whole order lifecycle." [12.21] Visibility alone doesn't solve problems – why execution is key. "Visibility is a great thing, there's a lot of growth from a tech standpoint. But the industry is looking at visibility and saying: 'Now what?'" [14.39] Why visibility is only a starting point, how OneRail future-proofed their platform by building with AI from the ground up, and how companies should be using AI now. [22.43] Why early AI investments aren't necessarily driving the expected outcomes, the importance of simplifying complex tech stacks, and why AI is making SaaS solutions work harder. "There's a lot of experimentation, but it all comes back to working with solutions that are natively producing primary data. And you need to narrow your stack." [25.34] Turning AI and visibility into outcomes. "The problem is not having a clear vision of what the outcomes need to be… Be an expert in your outcomes. If you can't work backwards, I don't see how you can even implement an AI solution." [26.58] How OneRail implemented an AI delivery support solution, where AI answered 41% of calls for faster customer response times and increased profitability, and the importance of finding the balance between people and technology. [28.38] The opportunities for growth when you work with OneRail, how continuous improvement is critical to success, and why OneRail is putting a focus on profit-per-stop to turn transportation from cost center to revenue driver. [33.11] Bill's advice for making your next steps with AI a success. [36.40] The intersection of shopper marketing, payments and supply chain – what excites Bill about the future of the industry, and his predictions for 2026. RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED: Head over to OneRail's website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with OneRail and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook or X (Twitter) or you can connect with Bill on LinkedIn. If you enjoyed the show and want to hear more from OneRail, we have plenty more great content for you. Check out: 496: AI-Powered, Human-Led – Discover the Future of Routing, with OneRail 481: Combine the Power of In-House and Outsourced Fleet Management, with OneRail 461: Go Behind the Scenes of a History-Making Partnership, with OneRail and PepsiCo 440: Level Up Your Fulfillment Capabilities, with OneRail 419: Discover OmniPoint Inventory Visibility and Tackle Shrinkage, with OneRail 393: Get 100% Visibility Over Your Final Mile, with OneRail 349: Deliver a Frictionless Last Mile, with OneRail Check out our other podcasts HERE.