Empowering Safety and Streamlining Logistics: She's Birdie's Journey with Flexport

Introduction: A Mission-Driven Startup's Rapid Growth

In the United States, one in three women experiences assault in her lifetime. This alarming statistic fueled the creation of She's Birdie, a modern, tech-enabled personal safety alarm company founded by sisters Amy Ferber and Ali Ferber Peters in 2019. Their mission? To empower women—and men—to navigate the world with greater confidence.

She's Birdie's commitment extends beyond their products. For every purchase, they donate a percentage of profits to organizations supporting women's safety, shelter, and health. This socially conscious approach, combined with their innovative product, led to explosive growth. In just six months, She's Birdie's monthly revenue skyrocketed from $1,200 to seven figures.

However, this remarkable success brought its own set of challenges. With only three full-time employees, including the co-founders and their head of growth, Richie Mashiko, She's Birdie quickly outgrew their initial logistics setup of Excel spreadsheets and garage-based shipping. It was clear they needed a logistics partner that could keep pace with their rapid expansion.

The Search for a Revolutionary Logistics Solution

Despite their combined 20+ years of experience in product manufacturing and operations, the founders of She's Birdie knew they needed more than traditional logistics solutions could offer. When they discovered the capabilities of the Flexport Platform, with its end-to-end tracking and collaboration features, they realized they didn't have to settle for the status quo.

Now, two and a half years into their partnership with Flexport, She's Birdie has achieved remarkable milestones:

• Shipped close to a million Birdies
• Significantly reduced shipping costs
• Improved collaboration with global teams
• Accelerated shipping times
• Gained comprehensive visibility into their entire supply chain

Real-Time Decision Making: A Game-Changer in Logistics

As demand for She's Birdie's products soared over the past two years, the enhanced visibility provided by the Flexport Platform allowed the team to stay ahead of the curve without expanding their workforce. The platform gave them access to crucial information that was previously out of reach, including SKU-level location data.

This detailed insight into shipment locations—whether in transit by sea or air, or safely in port—even enabled them to reroute a shipment mid-journey to Chicago. Throughout this process, they had clear communication channels with the relevant Flexport team members worldwide. This unprecedented level of visibility empowered She's Birdie to make informed decisions confidently at every turn.

Ali Ferber Peters, Co-Founder of She's Birdie, explains the impact: "With Flexport, we have complete visibility. We know exactly when our goods are at the warehouse in Asia, when they're on a ship or in flight. We know which airport they'll land at before being transferred to a train bound for Chicago. We're aware of the mode of transportation used for each leg of the journey and the estimated delivery date. Plus, we can communicate with anyone at Flexport involved in this process, every step of the way."

Transparent Quoting: A Unique Advantage

The She's Birdie team particularly valued the unique transparency in the quoting process that Flexport provides. Unlike their previous experiences, Flexport allowed them to receive multiple quotes with clear and transparent pricing information. This increased level of engagement in the quoting process continues to make a significant difference for their team, even two years into the partnership.

Ali elaborates on this benefit: "Our product is compact, which allows for air shipping. With Flexport, I can easily get quotes for different air freight speeds. Simply knowing what options are available and having a voice in the process is unusual for this industry. Flexport has reduced our shipping costs beyond what we could have imagined."

This high level of visibility, both in the quoting process and throughout their supply chain, generates cost savings that keep She's Birdie loyal to Flexport.

Navigating Critical Decisions with 24/7 Support

The Flexport platform offers several key advantages that enable the She's Birdie team to navigate critical decision points with ease:

• Real-time visibility to track and trace their complex, global supply chain
• A single platform to manage all communications
• 24/7 support from expert teams
• Dependable in-house expertise

Ali praises the accessibility and user-friendliness of the Flexport platform: "With Flexport, all the information is at my fingertips. I love the platform and the ability to correspond at any time of day and get a prompt response. Particularly during the pandemic, I've been able to receive information from Flexport in China and relay it to our team in Europe. This has significantly improved our response time and made us more agile."

The founders credit their Flexport team—especially their accessibility, proactiveness, and willingness to join last-minute calls—for making a substantial difference in how they manage their supply chain and overall business operations.

Beyond Visibility: Tangible Business Impacts

By partnering with Flexport, She's Birdie has achieved additional wins beyond improved visibility and communication. For instance, Flexport helped them find the right trucking partner, which ultimately resulted in faster delivery times—a critical advantage in today's congested supply chain environment prone to delays.

Ali summarizes their experience: "I can confidently say that we received our product faster than others I know who haven't had the pleasure of working with Flexport."

The Digital Logistics Revolution: Lessons from She's Birdie's Success

The success story of She's Birdie and Flexport illustrates the transformative power of digital logistics platforms in today's fast-paced business environment. Here are some key takeaways for businesses looking to optimize their supply chain:

1. Embrace Digital Transformation: Traditional logistics methods may not suffice for rapidly growing businesses. Digital platforms can provide the scalability and flexibility needed to keep pace with expansion.
2. Prioritize Visibility: End-to-end visibility across the supply chain enables proactive decision-making and helps businesses stay ahead of potential disruptions.
3. Seek Transparent Partnerships: Look for logistics partners who offer transparency in pricing and processes. This openness can lead to significant cost savings and more informed decision-making.
4. Value Responsive Support: In the fast-paced world of logistics, having access to 24/7 expert support can make a crucial difference in navigating challenges and seizing opportunities.
5. Leverage Data for Decision-Making: Access to detailed, real-time data about shipments and supply chain operations can empower businesses to make more informed, strategic decisions.

Conclusion: Empowering Growth Through Digital Logistics

She's Birdie's journey with Flexport demonstrates how the right digital logistics platform can be a catalyst for growth, especially for mission-driven startups with limited resources. By leveraging Flexport's comprehensive digital platform, She's Birdie was able to streamline their operations, reduce costs, and improve their overall supply chain efficiency—all while staying true to their mission of enhancing personal safety.

As businesses continue to navigate the complexities of global trade and rapidly changing consumer demands, the adoption of advanced digital logistics solutions will likely become increasingly crucial. The success of She's Birdie serves as an inspiring example of how embracing digital transformation in logistics can empower businesses to achieve their goals and make a positive impact in the world.

For companies looking to optimize their supply chain and logistics operations, the lessons from She's Birdie's experience are clear: seek out partners who offer comprehensive visibility, transparent processes, responsive support, and data-driven insights. With the right digital logistics platform, businesses of all sizes can unlock new levels of efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and growth potential in today's dynamic global marketplace.