556: Discover AI Applications for Global Supply Chain Management and The Role of Total Landed Cost, with Trade Facilitators
Dan Gardner is the founder and president of Trade Facilitators (TFI), a consultancy specializing in global supply chain management and trade compliance with over three decades of experience. He transitioned from logistics to a broader supply chain focus to better serve clients, a journey that culminated in developing TFI's innovative Total Landed Cost engine. Gardner is a strong proponent of education, serving as an adjunct professor, and believes that while AI has fundamental power, it must be balanced with human experience or 'organic intelligence.' He cautions against AI hype and over-reliance, advocating for continuous upskilling to navigate the future of work.
Today I’m joined by Trade Facilitators, a company creating value by trading in two currencies: ‘Know How’ and ‘Know Who.’
Trade Facilitators specializes in global supply chain management, logistics, and import/export trade compliance consultancy. With over thirty years’ experience, TFI combines in-house talent with an international network of experts to design integrated, customer-centric operations that maximize product sales, drive down landed costs, compress cumulative lead times and optimize inventory investment.
Today, Dan Gardner, Founder and President at Trade Facilitators, joins me to talk all about AI – tackling challenges, managing security and data sharing, and whether or not we should believe the hype. We’ll also be exploring TFI’s ‘Total Landed Cost’ engine, what it does, and why it’s driving big impact for US importers.
Guest bio:
Dan Gardner is President of the Los Angeles-based global supply chain consulting firm, Trade Facilitators, Inc., and co-founder of the tech-enabled freight forwarder and customs broker, Trade XCelerators (successful exit 11/25). Prior to his current role, Dan served as President of the NVOCC Ocean World Lines, President of Latin America with Exel Global Logistics, and SVP USA for DHL Global Forwarding.
Dan is a licensed U.S. Customs Broker and holds an MBA from the University of Miami in Coral Gables, FL. In addition to his professional endeavors, Dan is a multi-award-winning professor of international business at institutions that include Cal State Long Beach, Florida International University, and Georgia Tech, and has written five books on global trade. A native of Lynn, MA, Dan has travelled to over seventy-five countries during his career, having lived in Colombia and Mexico for a total of five years.
Dan’s collection of currency notes, and what they say about his career journey.
How, and why, Dan transitioned from logistics to global supply chain management.
Dan’s experience as an adjunct professor of global trade, and his perspective on the future of trade-related education in the ‘Age of AI.’
The hype around AI, and how much we should all be buying into it.
Why TFI focuses on Machine Learning, and some of the best applications Dan currently sees in the market.
The issue of job displacement alongside the rise of AI, and how individuals need to think about upskilling at all career stages.
From cost to over-reliance, the key pitfalls of AI that supply chain professionals need to keep an eye on.
Why TFI developed the Total Landed Cost engine for U.S. importers, and why it matters.
What makes TFI’s Total Landed Cost engine different.
How TFI’s Total Landed Cost engine navigates constantly changing tariffs.
The data security issues around AI, and how companies can address the ‘oversharing’ of data and still achieve their goals.
From ‘hyper-scalers’ overwhelming power grids to heavy water consumption, how sustainability concerns around AI data centers are driving innovation.
