The $600M Mistake UPS Almost Made — and How They Turned It Around | Pulse #30

24/07/2025 50 min Temporada 1 Episodio 30
The $600M Mistake UPS Almost Made — and How They Turned It Around | Pulse #30

Listen "The $600M Mistake UPS Almost Made — and How They Turned It Around | Pulse #30"

Episode Synopsis

In this episode of Pulse by Intuji, Julian Wallis speaks with Jack Levis, former Senior Director at UPS, who led a transformation that saved the company over $600 million a year.Jack shares how a system on the brink of cancellation became UPS’s most successful operational breakthrough — and the critical role psychology, leadership and data played in making it work. He unpacks the hidden risks of ignoring people in digital transformation, and how focusing on outcomes, not features, changed everything.Topics Covered:00:00:00 – Podcast IntroEpisode Highlights & Guest Background00:01:06 – IntroductionJulian introduces Jack Levis and his legacy leading transformation at UPS.00:04:05 – Building the FoundationJack explains why Package Flow Technologies had to come before any analytics.00:07:13 – Initial Failure of Package FlowHow the first rollout failed due to a lack of change management and human focus.00:10:02 – Learning the Hard WayThe “Field of Dreams” mistake and the psychology gap in digital projects.00:13:13 – Orion's Real AdvantageWhy a technically imperfect system succeeded through perfect deployment.00:18:26 – The Test That Changed EverythingEarly pilots shocked the C-suite by doubling savings estimates.00:20:53 – Internal Resistance and DoubtHow Jack faced ridicule, accusations, and pushback from leadership.00:28:30 – Making Transformation StickWhy changing daily conversations and metrics made Orion sustainable.00:32:03 – Focusing on Outcomes, Not FeaturesHow most digital programs fail by solving the wrong problems.00:33:00 – Aligning Digital with PhysicalThe risks when virtual systems don’t match operational reality.00:35:25 – Understanding Analytics LevelsDescriptive, predictive and prescriptive analytics — and why they matter.00:43:26 – The Unexpected DiscoveryHow simulation modelling revealed hidden costs and strategic insight.Key Takeaways from this Episode:Don’t just build tech — build belief and behaviour change around itYou must align your data model with real-world decisions to see impactLearn More About Intuji:Visit our Learning Centre at (https://intuji.com/learning-centre/) for more resources on digital transformation, AI, and business innovation.Connect with Us:Pulse LinkedIn: (https://www.linkedin.com/company/pulse-by-intuji/)Intuji LinkedIn: (https://www.linkedin.com/company/intuji/)Intuji Website: (https://intuji.com/)Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share this episode if you found it insightful!

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