Established in 1976 with a single office in Chicago, SEKO Logistics (SEKO) has grown into a global logistics leader, offering comprehensive solutions in ecommerce, forwarding, and warehousing.
As a valued CargoWise customer for nearly 20 years, SEKO has long recognized the importance of mastering CargoWise to optimize their operations and enhance service delivery.
With a growing global footprint of 150 offices across 60 countries, ensuring consistent knowledge and effective use of CargoWise across its teams has become a top priority.
To deliver on this, SEKO launched an ambitious initiative to certify all team members in CargoWise, starting with its U.S. branches. This commitment to system-wide expertise has not only improved operational efficiency but also positioned SEKO for sustained growth in a competitive market.
Overcoming training challenges
Like many businesses, SEKO faced challenges during the rapid transition to remote work necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
As the world shifted almost overnight, the company needed to ensure its employees were proficient in CargoWise – a vital tool for ensuring smooth shipments and adapting to the evolving market demands during this unprecedented time.
Before the pandemic, SEKO relied on traditional, in-person training sessions. However, with COVID-19 mandates making such coordination impossible, the company found itself at a crossroads.
“The biggest challenge was just finding the time,” explains Nicholette (Nikki) Jonas, Corporate Support Manager at SEKO. “Many branches only have five or six people. For smaller teams, where employees juggle multiple roles, maintaining consistent training was particularly difficult.”
In this new reality, SEKO recognized that it could no longer depend on legacy training methods. The urgency of the situation demanded a fresh approach – one that could equip team members with the necessary skills while accommodating their busy, remote-first schedules.
Streamlining training with WiseTech Academy
To address this, SEKO launched a structured certification initiative, targeting branches with five or more CargoWise users. Participation was incentivized by making certification a key performance goal.
“We were pushing for every branch to have at least one person certified at the second level as a CargoWise Certified Specialist, and for everyone else to achieve the entry-level CargoWise Certified Operator accreditation,” explained Nikki.
As the program gained momentum and expanded globally, SEKO recognized the need for a more efficient solution to manage training. Transitioning to the WiseTech Academy platform became a pivotal step. The platform provided SEKO with enhanced tools to track progress, manage exams, and set clear, measurable goals for team members.
WiseTech Academy’s user-friendly interface made it easier for employees to retake exams and track their progress using visual indicators like progress bubbles. This transparency motivated team members and fostered a sense of accomplishment as they advanced through the certification levels.
Boosting personal productivity and company efficiency
Within the first year of launching its structured certification initiative, SEKO successfully certified its U.S. branches, reaping significant benefits that emerged almost immediately.
As Nikki highlights, “After more certifications were coming in, the questions changed; they became more detailed. Instead of simply saying, ‘I can’t do this,’ there’s more comparison and analysis among team members.”
Driving global standardization
This shift reflected a deeper understanding of CargoWise functionalities, fostering a collaborative learning environment.
The impact on operational efficiency was substantial, particularly in terms of standardization and workflow consistency. The certification process laid a solid foundation for SEKO’s larger “One Job” initiative, ensuring that every team – regardless of location – utilized CargoWise in a uniform manner.
This standardization was crucial for cross-branch communication, particularly when employees needed to seamlessly pick up tasks or collaborate remotely. The consistency in processes not only boosted productivity but also strengthened teamwork and morale across the organization.
“Previously, there wasn’t necessarily a process in place as people did things their own way. The pandemic forced us into standardizing, as well as working with our company owned branches to streamline our processes in CargoWise and improve our productivity. We now have more visibility and greater milestone tracking for our clients," noted Jacquelene Manfredini, Director of Process Innovation at SEKO.
As the company continued to roll out certifications to its global branches, it maintained the same rigorous checks and balances, ensuring that every employee could operate at a high level of proficiency, no matter where they were located.
As Nikki summarized, “Knowledge is power. Just knowing that you're a little bit more well versed in the different aspects and modules of CargoWise, helps you to understand how the system works and then how you can blend that all together.”
By committing to comprehensive training and certification through WiseTech Academy, SEKO has empowered its team to fully leverage the capabilities of CargoWise, establishing a strong foundation for future growth and success.