A Poppy Muse Project: FL & Co’s (API/EDI Pairing) Supply Chain App

https://www.poppymuse.org/copy...

API/EDI Pairing App for Supply Chain Pro's

This Supply Chain & Logistics pairing app is human centered because of its ability to pair shippers to carriers and employers to trained, certified employees from underserved communities, all while utilizing API, EDI and AI Technologies.

The solution this app provides is the minimization of the workload and costs of freight brokers, owner operators (Truck Drivers) and industry job recruiters. This app will have a desktop version for office/administrative teams and will also be QuickBooks friendly.

Behind the scenes via FL & Co’s (Fostering Logistics & Co) vocational program we will educate and train young men from underserved communities by showing them the vast number of opportunities available to them via Supply Chain and Logistics. Fostering Logistics is about building personal and professional development and success by way of Supply Chain Management, Technology and Entrepreneurship. It will allow the young men served to gain knowledge, education, and certification within the logistics field. Within this field, there’s a wide range of job opportunities i.e. Trucking, Dispatching, Brokering, Distribution, Procurement, Warehousing, Logistics Management, Transportation Management, Independent Courier, Inventory Analyst etc.

According to the bureau of labor and statistics, it’s projected that Logistics jobs will be in high demand as the job outlook for logisticians is expected to grow by 28% between 2021 and 2031, that is 24,800 projected average job openings for logisticians per year for a decade - Bureau of Labor Statistics

https://www.poppymuse.org/copy...

This is an Innovative, Transformative, Solution-Based App and Management Tool that utilizes API, EDI and AI technologies, while helping supply chain industry professionals run a smoother more cost-efficient workflow, that also benefits youth and young men in underserved communities by creating jobs and entrepreneurs.

This will be the first Supply Chain Vocational School that's built from innovative technologies.  See breakdown of the use of technologies below.

API: The application programming interface uploads pickup requests automatically rather than manually and provides more accurate information about customers’ shipping needs. API provides a connection between different systems and continually updates information, data, or other types of content as it becomes available. 

EDI: Standardizes transactions with suppliers reducing the risk of miscommunication, human error, incorrect shipments, and other mistakes. This can is especially helpful for large retailers as they deal with a large variety of suppliers within their supply chain.

AI: forecast demand, predict when trucks need maintenance and work out optimal shipping routes, according to analysts.

AI can help recruit talent, streamline and personalize the application process for candidates, enhance the employee experience through skills matching and job alerts, save recruiters time to focus on other important tasks, and more.

With our app all three technologies will work simultaneously with the start of a scanned QR code that can be placed on cartons, shipping pallets and garment labels.

The FL & Co Pairing App and Vocational Program will contribute to the minimization of the below stats in underserved communities throughout America by educating, creating jobs and training men to become entrepreneurs:

- In 2018 37% of minority men earned a median income of $30,900. Also, in 2021 41% men between the ages of 16 to 64 earned no earnings at all – Black Demographics.com

- The US continues to report high homicide rates. Young minority men are especially at risk, with a homicide rate for men aged 18 to 19 estimated at 46 per 100,000 – far higher than the risk faced by their peers. Firearms are also involved far more often in homicides in the Americas than in -other parts of the world. – United Nations on Drugs and Crime

- Men are over 8 times more likely than women to be incarcerated in prison at least once during their lifetime. A male has a 9.0% (or 1 in 11) chance in his lifetime of going to prison - Bureau of Justice Statistics

Our targeted population are youth from underserved communities. Aged between 14 and 25. This group includes current and former foster youth. They are in High School and may or may not be attending college. Some have little to no work experience.

Youth we serve are individuals that need personal and professional development tools and resources.  They need to learn the importance of having good work ethics, being self-sufficient, responsible, and respectable citizens of today's society. 

We serve all ethnicities with a focus on minority (African American and Latino). This is due to the astounding crime, prison, and death rates within this population. See below.

"Data reveals that Black Americans are imprisoned at a rate that is roughly five times the rate of white Americans." - Sentencing Project.org

"Between 2016 and 2018, the all-cause mortality rate among Black populations was 24% higher than among White populations nationally, resulting in 74 ,402 excess Black deaths annually." Jama Network

"Foster care-to-prison pipeline’ Close to one-fifth of the prison population in the US is comprised of former foster children and about 70% of youth who exit foster care are arrested at least once by age 26. – Cepr.org

We assess their needs via an intake interview rubric. As a former foster youth our founder understands the direct needs of underserved youth in America. 

Our constituents will assist with the creation of the app. We’d like to select a few young men to help us develop the app.  One youth assisted in the development of a demo/prototype that will be attached with our application submission. Additionally, the youth and young adults of FL & Co, will also receive on the job experience as potential full/part-time workers.  FL & Co will be a fully functioning Distribution Center for Dispatchers, Owner Operators, Warehousing and Logistics.

The solution we have designed along with the population we serve align very well with this year's challenge of having innovative solutions that address the challenges faced by small business owners. With this solution-based technology, we are single-handedly able to increase profitability for small logistics companies by condensing processes into one app. This helps small business owners improve their "Business Development & Procurement" processes/procedures. 

Additionally, Due to the all-encompassing yet simple QR code and API merging software, our app can house, capture, analyze and report data regarding the count, accuracy, and satisfaction rating of individual deliveries. This rating system allows all the companies and parties involved to increase their visibility and reputation. It also allows companies to pinpoint areas of improvement internally; and as a result, seek out resources to advance their business, employees, and capability to grow. This aspect of our solution covers the "Data and Impact" challenge for small businesses within the Supply Chain and Logistics sector.

Another perk of being a user of this app, is the option to hire FL & Co’s trained students from underserved communities, post job opportunities and schedule interviews. Employers will have the option to submit owner operator and employee reviews. Employee reviews can be used as resume boosters for program constituents. This portion of the solution covers the challenge of "Employee Advancement" that supports career pathways. Creating career pathways is one of the primary reasons for starting this solution-based project all while helping small businesses within the Supply Chain Industry.

Theory of Change

Vision: Our vision is to provide a solid foundation and workforce of educated and experienced youth, all while minimizing the workload and costs of small business owners i.e. freight brokers, owner operators (Truck Drivers) and industry job recruiters. 

Pathways to Success: Program participants grow and develop along three pathways, representing the journey they take in our program. Poppy Muse/FL&Co believes that all three pathways (Mindfulness, Healthy and Ethical Life Choices, and Education and Career Success) are necessary to create a life of self-sufficiency. Youth and young adults need to develop as responsible adults, residents of a community, and as citizens of the world.

Building a Strong Foundation: This project and all three of it’s pathways involves establishing a sense of self-worth, self-sufficiency and respect for their peers. Once youth and young adults of underserved communities believe that they are received and achieved, and are deserving of success in life, it’s sky’s the limit. This is when they began to visualize a path to success for themselves.

This is our Theory of Change

Currently, we don't have any clients.  This solution will directly affect thousands if not millions of small businesses within the Supply Chain Sector.

The gaps within both the Supply Chain Industry and the death and crime rates amongst youth in underserved communities and finding a solution for all is what Influences our strategy.

Potential stakeholders could include the federal government (use of our technology to distribute goods), local community members and small business that utilize supply chain technology to advance their efforts.

We build trust by engaging and showing them the benefits of doing business with an organization that wants to resolve their issues. 

We plan on finding a solution and transformational impact on both the supply chain industry and underserved communities by aiding in the eradication of the below stats.

- According to the bureau of labor and statistics, it’s projected that Logistics jobs will be in high demand as the job outlook for logisticians is expected to grow by 28% between 2021 and 2031, that is 24,800 projected average job openings for logisticians per year for a decade - Bureau of Labor Statistics

- In 2018 37% of minority men earned a median income of $30,900. Also, in 2021 41% men between the ages of 16 to 64 earned no earnings at all – Black Demographics.com

- The US continues to report high homicide rates. Young minority men are especially at risk, with a homicide rate for men aged 18 to 19 estimated at 46 per 100,000 – far higher than the risk faced by their peers. Firearms are also involved far more often in homicides in the Americas than in -other parts of the world. – United Nations on Drugs and Crime

- Men are over 8 times more likely than women to be incarcerated in prison at least once during their lifetime. A male has a 9.0% (or 1 in 11) chance in his lifetime of going to prison - Bureau of Justice Statistics