Supply Chain Now: “Toys, Tech & TMS – How A & A Global Plays to Win”

Podcast: Supply Chain Now
Episode: Toys, Tech & TMS: How A & A Global Plays to Win
Date: September 10, 2025
Host: Scott Luton
Guests: Brett Johnson (IT Director, A&A Global), Shannon Vaillancourt (Founder & President, RateLinx)

Episode Overview

This episode dives into how A&A Global, a leading toy and novelty distributor, tackled rapid growth and operational complexity post-COVID by rethinking its shipping technology. The discussion centers on A&A Global’s transition from a rigid, off-the-shelf Transportation Management System (TMS) to a flexible, integrated solution provided by RateLinx. The hosts and guests explore actionable strategies for achieving scalable, quality-driven supply chain growth—without increasing headcount—and share practical lessons for technology selection, process improvement, integration, and cost savings.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. A&A Global: Rapid Growth and Modern Supply Chain Challenges

• Company Background:
  • Founded in 1938. From vending machines to major distributor in toys, electronics, candy, etc.
  • Services amusement/redemption markets, major retailers, and has international candy brand (Cocos).
  • “We’ve grown into a large distributor... and our own candy brand, Cocos, is actually distributed internationally now.” – Brett Johnson [03:00]
• COVID as a Catalyst:
  • Post-pandemic, experienced a 2-3x surge in package volume.
  • Expanded warehouse by 100,000 sq. ft.; more space planned.
  • Prior TMS could not scale: system instability, lag, and growing operational friction.
  • “...the previous TMS solution just couldn't keep up with us. In fact, the performance actually got worse as things got busier.” – Brett [04:44]
• Signature Product Shout-Out:
  • A&A supplies the rubber duckies popular in Jeep culture. [03:42]

2. Pain Points with Off-the-Shelf TMS Solutions

• Rigidity and Bottlenecks:
  • Off-the-shelf TMS lacked flexibility—couldn’t adapt to bespoke workflows as volume grew.
  • Too many manual data entry steps, risk of user error, and slow interface:
    • “We found that our shippers were forced to enter too much data manually… would click the button and stand there for a minute.” – Brett [08:45]
• Reporting and Visibility Deficiencies:
  • Limited, generic reports; required custom SQL work.
  • Inaccurate sales rate quoting, leading to customer friction.
  • Pay-to-play for carrier options: fewer choices in rate shopping.

3. The Power of Integration & Customization with RateLinx

• Toolkit over Off-the-Shelf:
  • “The previous TMS was off the shelf...we outgrew what it offered. That's a lot different than RateLinx, which is more of a toolkit.” – Brett [06:08]
• Integration as a Core Requirement:
  • Needed a TMS that could interface with existing tech stack (ERP, ScanForce WMS, Cubiscan, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, etc.)
  • Enabled cohesive workflows across warehouse, shipping, and sales.
  • “We didn't want the tail to wag the dog here and replace a bunch of components that were working well for us just to fix something that wasn't working well.” – Brett [18:10]
• Lean Six Sigma Mindset:
  • Companywide adoption of Lean Six Sigma in 2024–25 for continuous improvement and process review.
  • “You have to measure the performance of your current state. You have to be honest with that evaluation.” – Brett [45:45]

4. Real-World Technology Solutions and Automation

• ScanForce (WMS) and Mobile Printing:
  • ScanForce drives warehouse picking/packing, integrated with RateLinx for shipping.
  • New mobile label printing (inspired by another RateLinx customer):
    • Order pullers can print FedEx labels at the shelf, bypassing packing lanes—improves flow, frees up space, increases speed. [20:30]
    • “It makes the order processing faster and it's going to free up a ton of space on the lanes and reduce traffic jams.” – Brett [20:30]
• Cubiscan Pallet Dimensioner:
  • Automates pallet size/weight capture; data feeds into TMS for more accurate LTL rate calculation.
  • Integration enables automatic emails w/ photos, accurate BOLs, and significant reduction in carrier disputes.
  • “We've already seen a pretty significant reduction in carrier reclassifications due to choosing the wrong freight class.” – Brett [22:30]
• Salesforce Commerce Cloud Integration:
  • Transitioning e-commerce, leveraging RateLinx API for real-time, accurate live shipping quotes.
  • “That new platform...is also going to be able to leverage the RateLinx API to do the shipping estimates for customers live as they're shopping online.” – Brett [24:34]
• Customization = Speed:
  • RateLinx integrations completed in days-to-weeks, not months.
  • “We're able to deploy a lot of this stuff in weeks, man, not months.” – Shannon [29:10]
  • Legacy TMS would take months or be impossible to achieve similar results.

5. Game-Changing Labor & Cost Efficiencies

• No Headcount Increase Despite Volume Growth:
  • Achieved objectives without new hires:
    • “... able to eliminate early shifts and late shifts and weekend shifts and, you know, overtime isn't just a normal standard occurrence anymore.” – Brett [41:00]
• Massive Temp Labor Reduction:
  • “We have reduced the number of temporary warehouse employees by about 36% since January. Overall, about a 34% reduction in temp labor expense. It's saving us over $550,000 a year.” – Brett [42:57]
• Freight Audit Automation:
  • Automated matching of freight bills, reducing time spent on manual audits and exceptions.
  • Revealed root causes of mistakes—justified investments (e.g., Cubiscan).
  • “Freight Audit is...going to give you the tools you need...The data automatically goes into our ERP, it's queued up for payment, nobody has to enter anything manually and that saves us a ton of time.” – Brett [35:26]

6. Choosing and Implementing the Right TMS Partner

• Non-Negotiables for Selection:
  • Stability, scalability, reliable technical support, ease of integration, and accurate, user-friendly reporting.
  • “We needed a partner that was there when we needed help.” – Brett [13:59]
  • “With RateLinx, Shannon himself was involved...approached it with an engineer's mindset trying to solve a problem, not as a salesman trying to close a deal.” – Brett [30:38]
• Implementation Philosophy:
  • “It's about gathering the requirements correctly, being very transparent...our functional specs have screenshots, step-by-step direction...That just speeds everything up and makes it easy.” – Shannon [32:40]
  • Detailed documentation enables continuity and long-term support.

7. Advice for Supply Chain Leaders

• Measure, Involve, and Don’t Be Constrained by Today’s Limitations:

  • “You have to measure the performance of your current state. You have to be honest with that evaluation...In addition, you have to have input and...address the concerns of your stakeholders, your end users...” – Brett [45:45]
  • “Don’t let the limitations of your environment today put any restrictions on the potential of your environment tomorrow.” – Brett [46:35]

• Find Collaborative, Solution-Oriented Partners:

  • “Are you looking for a collaborative relationship to help you with solutions?...That’s what we do.” – Shannon [47:29]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Manual data entry...all the rework. Man who likes rework? No one.” – Scott [11:03]
• “It’s all about speed and efficiency...when they hit ship, it’s got to print the label NOW. Nobody likes to wait for anything.” – Shannon [12:00]
• “You know, moving from analog to digital. I like that. I like process props.” – Scott [14:20]
• “We joke about it, but with software, it’s the opposite. Nobody wants the new software—new software is not great...our reusability allows Brett and his team to ... be confident with whatever they dream up because we’ve probably come across something like it.” – Shannon [27:00]
• “You have to measure the performance of your current state...If you don’t do that, it will come back to haunt you.” – Brett [45:45 & 00:00]
• “Don’t let the limitations of your environment today put any restrictions on the potential of your environment tomorrow. That is supply chain and technology poetry, my friend.” – Scott [47:06]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:00] — A&A Global’s history, business overview (Brett)
• [04:44] — COVID’s impact and the need for new TMS
• [08:45] — Specific operational pain points with legacy TMS
• [13:59] — Non-negotiables for system selection
• [18:10] — Integration as a business imperative
• [19:28] — ScanForce, Cubiscan, and process automation explained
• [20:30] — Impact of mobile label printing
• [22:30] — Cubiscan & LTL shipment enhancements
• [29:10] — Implementation speed with RateLinx
• [35:26] — Automated freight audit: before and after
• [42:57] — Labor savings: 36% reduction in temps ($550k/year)
• [45:45] — Advice: honest baselining and stakeholder involvement
• [46:35] — “Don’t let today’s limitations limit tomorrow”
• [47:29] — Mythbusting: solution-focused vs. transactional vendors

Conclusion / Takeaways

• Technology—when paired with the right partner—should empower growth without increasing headcount, make jobs easier, and enable continuous improvement.
• Honest self-assessment, stakeholder involvement, integration across systems, and continuous process evaluation are critical for supply chain transformation.
• Customer-focused, collaborative technology partners provide ongoing value, while off-the-shelf, rigid solutions may stymie growth and agility.
• The conversation underscores the importance of measuring success, engaging stakeholders at all levels, and thinking beyond the constraints of current systems—backed by real-world, measurable business gains.

For more insights, resources, and action-oriented stories in supply chain, connect with the Supply Chain Now community at supplychainnow.com.