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Lost in Translation: When Distribution Centers Misinterpret Overages and Shortages, Suppliers Lose Millions

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Consumers don’t generally consider the logistics and complexities involved in the supply chain when they place an item into their physical or virtual shopping cart. But when shelves are empty or “out of stock” appears after clicking on an item online, people want answers. Big box retailers have rolled out a series of initiatives to keep vendors accountable for delivery times and order fulfillment by issuing penalties based on performance. Despite their best efforts, vendors find themselves losing millions of dollars due to perceived receiving discrepancies. Frank Matarazzo, Owner and CEO of Fusion Transport has witnessed firsthand how critical mistakes on the receiving end, such as misread purchase orders and miscalculated inventory are unduly harming vendors and trucking companies.

RUTHERFORD, N.J., June 10, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Things just aren’t adding up in the world of shipping and receiving. The number of warehouses in the United States has grown from approximately 14,600 in 2007 to 22,000 in 2023 in response to changing dynamics in the commerce and distribution industries, such as economic trends, the surge of eCommerce, and other shifts in consumer behavior. (1) Walmart is the biggest retailer in the U.S., comprising nearly one-fourth of the global retail industry; (2) boasting 210 distribution centers (DCs), each of which is at least one million square feet, with each unloading and shipping a minimum of 200 trailers a day. (3) Amazon and Costco round out the top three retailers in the U.S., with Target coming in ninth. (4) The National Retail Federation predicts retail sales will increase 2.5% to 3.5% in 2024, reaching approximately $5.25 trillion. (5) The logistics of inventory tracking, record-keeping, and billing in such a chaotic and fast-moving supply-chain environment is bound to have its challenges. Frank Matarazzo, Owner and CEO of Fusion Transport, observes, “Purchase order [PO] disputes regarding shipment overages and shortages cost vendors and trucking companies millions upon millions of dollars each year. The industry must first recognize that a problem exists when receiving shipments and reconciling purchase orders to what is actually delivered and then agree upon effective solutions that mutually benefit suppliers and retailers.”

“Purchase order disputes over shipment overages and shortages cost vendors and trucking companies millions each year. The industry must recognize and address these issues to find mutually beneficial solutions for suppliers and retailers.”

On-time and fill-rate compliance is where the rubber meets the road in the supply chain gauntlet. Overages and shortages, as their names suggest, occur when the supplier has delivered too much or too little product when judged against the original retailer’s PO. Many retailers are issuing fines to suppliers when there are perceived PO discrepancies. Walmart’s Supplier Quality Excellence Program’s (SQEP) fine structure is $200 per PO per defect and $1 per unit handled, (5) which can add up quickly, leaving vendors underwater. Aside from excessive fines, vendors also lose revenue when retailers choose to keep any excess product without returning it or reimbursing the vendor.

It is common for retailers to issue multiple types of purchase orders to their vendors weekly. To distinguish them, vendors typically deliver multiple pallets, one for each type of order, and they arrive at the DC on the same date and at the same time. Matarazzo explains, “In the case of a mismatched PO, one pallet from the same vendor might be found to be 100 units over and the other 100 units short due to receiving product against the wrong purchase order. It’s not too big of a deal when you are dealing with cans of soup, but when you are dealing with laptop computers, it can be financially devastating to a supplier.”

Chain of custody monitoring is one method of proactively addressing the root causes of the problem. By using detailed documentation and taking photographs at every stage of the process, from picking the product, building the order, staging, loading, and unloading, vendors have clear evidence of how the shipment was ultimately received. Freight should be transacted on the dock with a bill of lading that confirms the details and accuracy of each shipment. However, truck drivers are frequently not allowed on the dock to oversee delivery leading to a lack of transparency, which corrupts the proper chain of custody.
Many distribution centers are under pressure to meet time constraints when unloading and counting a shipment. If they reach their time limit, one workaround is to sign off on a bill of lading as receiving “0” or “STC, Said to Contain or Subject to Count,” assuring the driver that it will all work out in the receiving process. This is clearly not an ideal situation for anyone.

Fusion Transport has 40 years of experience providing full-truckload and less-than-truckload (LTL) services that save their clients time, money, and hassle when moving freight. As the leader in tech-driven freight management solutions, Fusion Transport’s platform integrates assistance with analytics, tracking financials, managing inventory, and maintaining CRM systems, streamlining and automating processes for faster and more accurate tracking of supplies and inventory to reduce cost and improve shipping performance.
Matarazzo advises, “With better collaboration and communication between retailers, suppliers, and the trucking industry, these shipping and receiving challenges can easily become opportunities to make the supply chain more transparent and less complex.”

About Fusion Transport
Freight industry visionary Frank Matarazzo responded to the complex challenges of shipping logistics, consumer demands, and the need for advanced supply chain solutions by creating Fusion Transport. Emerging from two third-party logistics brokerages and based in Rutherford, NJ, Fusion Transport has become a pivotal force in retail consolidation and is now a leader in technology-driven freight management solutions. With over 40 years of expertise, the company is revolutionizing the North American less-than-truckload (LTL) network through a technology-based approach that not only meets market demands but also reduces the inefficiencies typically seen in traditional LTL carrier networks. This innovative strategy offers a more streamlined and cost-effective option for shipping merchandise in LTL quantities across the country, epitomizing the disruptive, customer-focused ethos of Fusion Transport. For more information, visit their website at https://www.fusiontransport.com/.

References:

Schneider, Will. “Exploring the Number of Warehouses in the U.S. from 2007-2023.” Warehousing and Fulfillment | Find the Best Warehousing and Fulfillment Services, 7 Feb. 2024, warehousingandfulfillment.com/warehousing-and-fulfillment-resources/exploring-the-number-of-warehouses-in-the-us-from-2007-2023/.Marcus Lu Article/Editing: “Ranked: The Biggest Retailers in the U.S. by Revenue.” Visual Capitalist, 24 Nov. 2023, visualcapitalist.com/biggest-retailers-in-the-us/#:~:text=Ranked%3A%20America’s%20Biggest%20Retailers,global%20sales%20crossing%20%24600%20billion.”Walmart’s Supply Chain: A Detailed Look at How They Manage It.” Vector, withvector.com/resource/walmarts-supply-chain-a-detailed-look-at-how-they-manage-it/. Accessed 22 May 2024.Tumisang Bogwasi 2X Award-Winning Entrepreneur | Empowering Brands to Generate Leads, et al. “The Biggest USA Retail Companies in 2024.” Brimco, 14 May 2024, brimco.io/the-biggest-usa-retail-companies/.”NRF Forecasts Retail Sales to Reach at Least $5.23 Trillion in 2024.” NRF, 20 Mar. 2024, nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/nrf-forecasts-retail-sales-reach-least-523-trillion-2024.”Walmart’s New SQEP Program: 3 Things for Suppliers to Know.” Harvest Group, 13 Dec. 2022, harvestgroup.com/walmarts-new-sqep-program/.

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Marquis Who’s Who Honors Rupin Chothani for Engineering Leadership

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UNIONDALE, N.Y., July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Marquis Who’s Who honors Rupin Chothani for his leadership in engineering and project management. With more than two decades of professional experience to his credit, Mr. Chothani leverages a unique expertise in fire and petrochemical solutions to find success in his field. As project manager, project engineer and proposal manager at Technip Energies N.V., Mr. Chothani ensures effective results.

Drawn to Engineering

Coming from a family of engineers, Mr. Chothani was naturally drawn to the profession. This inclination was reinforced by comprehensive aptitude and attitude tests administered at the age of 14, which highlighted his strengths in engineering and architecture. Ultimately, this direction reinforced his determination to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering.

By 2003, Mr. Chothani earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Mumbai. After a brief role as a junior manufacturing engineer at Artech Cooling Tower Pvt. Ltd., he completed a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Bridgeport in 2006. In addition to these degrees, Mr. Chothani later achieved AutoCAD certification.

Following his graduation in 2006, Mr. Chothani joined CB&I Lummus / ABB Lummus Heat Transfer (now Lummus Technology) as a thermal engineer. Though his work at Lummus Technology lasted only three years, Mr. Chothani was greatly influenced by mentor figures at the company. These mentors, including Ken Catala, Peter Harvard, Chin Dang and Miller Alanath Carter, provided essential guidance.

Building a Family

In December 2008, Mr. Chothani married his wife, Cathy. Along with his son and daughter, his family has contributed richly to his success in engineering and they continue to inspire him to excel. In addition to their support, Mr. Chothani recognizes that there is no alternative to hard work and dedicated learning.

From Lummus Technology to Technip Energies N.V.

Following his work at Lummus Technology, Mr. Chothani worked with Maco Corporation India Pvt. Ltd. By 2011, he joined Complete Heat Transfer Solutions – Environ Energy Systems as a thermal and mechanical engineer. By 2013, Mr. Chothani became a part of Technip Energies N.V. as a furnace mechanical engineer. By 2023, he added to this role and became a project manager, project engineer and proposal manager at the company.

In his current role at Technip Energies N.V., Mr. Chothani is responsible for a variety of essential duties. He manages and executes on engineering projects for ethylene cracking furnaces and heaters, and oversees proprietary technologies. Additionally, he actively coordinates with procurement, logistics, mechanical engineering and process engineering teams to ensure effective results.

Plans for the Future

Moving forward, Mr. Chothani hopes to advance his project management skills, particularly within the firejet industry. At the same time, he aims to share his knowledge of the industry with the next generation of professionals. Outside of his professional ambitions, Mr. Chothani intends to prepare his children to find success, inspiring them and their peers with hands-on experiments and full-day events.

About Marquis Who’s Who®:

Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who’s Who in America®, Marquis Who’s Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who’s Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms worldwide. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who’s Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.

Marquis Who’s Who
Uniondale, NY
(844) 394 – 6946
info@marquiswhoswho.com
www.marquiswhoswho.com

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COALITION OF INDEPENDENT INTERNET PROVIDERS ASKS CRTC TO FIX ERRORS IN WHOLESALE FIBRE RATES

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Coalition of competitive ISPs say current fibre rates make competition impossible and threatens to harm millions of Canadian consumers

CHATHAM, ON, July 23, 2026 /CNW/ — A coalition of independent internet service providers (the Coalition) led by TekSavvy Solutions Inc. (TekSavvy) today applied to the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to review and vary Telecom Order 2026-77, which set final wholesale rates for fibre internet services. In that decision, the CRTC approved wholesale rates for fibre internet services that are higher than the retail prices charged by the large carriers. This makes competition impossible, as independent providers are forced to either sell at a loss or set prices above the large carriers, leaving millions of Canadian consumers without competitive options for essential internet services.

The application identifies key errors that led the CRTC to approve severely inflated final wholesale rates, which make it economically impossible for independent providers to compete. The Coalition argues that the CRTC’s incorrect rates negate the very purpose of Canada’s wholesale framework, which is to foster competition in retail broadband markets. Specifically, the Coalition asks the CRTC to make three key changes to Telecom Order 2026-77:

Eliminate one cost factor that is inconsistent with the CRTC’s established costing principles, which artificially increased fibre wholesale rates by an estimated 25% to 30% (the Adjustment Factor).Reduce another element of the costing that is inflated above reasonable levels: The Coalition calls on the CRTC to reduce the markup applied to wholesale fibre services from 30% to 15%, reflecting declining costs, operational efficiencies, and the need to support competition.Correct technical errors relating to certain wholesale fibre speed descriptions.

“Canadians were promised greater competition for fibre internet services, but these rates make competition impossible.” said Andy Kaplan-Myrth, TekSavvy’s Vice President of Regulatory and Carrier Affairs. “The CRTC must correct these errors to ensure its wholesale rates promote broadband competition that challenges the market power of monopoly incumbents, lowers prices, and increases consumer choice.”

About the Coalition

The Coalition consists of competitive telecommunications providers and industry associations advocating for fair wholesale access to fibre networks and a competitive broadband marketplace that delivers affordable, high-quality Internet services to Canadians, including: TekSavvy Solutions Inc., BC Broadband Association (“BCBA”), Canada-Wide Internet Service Providers Association (“CanWISP”), Fibernetics Inc., ISP Telecom Inc., National Capital FreeNet Inc., Novus Entertainment Inc. and Purple Cow Internet Inc.

About TekSavvy Solution Inc.

Based in Chatham, Ontario, TekSavvy is Canada’s largest independent telecom service company. TekSavvy has been proudly delivering award-winning services and fighting for consumers’ rights for nearly 30 years. TekSavvy is committed to providing quality competitive choice and closing Canada’s digital divide.

SOURCE TekSavvy Solutions Inc.

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Monk Launches Voice Collections, Bringing AI Phone Calls and Callbacks to Accounts Receivable

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Monk’s collections agent, Julia, can now place outbound collection calls and answer inbound AR questions from a dedicated business number, so finance teams can use the channel that collects best without adding headcount.

Multimedia: Watch Voice Collections in action: https://youtu.be/w09PoN1yACE 

NEW YORK, July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Monk, the AI-native accounts receivable platform, today launched Voice Collections. Its collections agent, Julia, can now place outbound collection calls and answer inbound customer questions about invoices and payments from a dedicated phone number for each organization. The feature brings the phone, long the most effective collections channel and the hardest one to scale, into Monk’s Intelligent Collections.

Roughly $10 trillion sits in unpaid invoices worldwide, and the average invoice now takes 59 days to clear (Allianz). Most accounts receivable runs on email, and most of it waits. More than half of B2B invoices in the United States are overdue at any given time, and 92% of businesses are typically paid after their due date (Chaser, 2026). Phone calls recover overdue invoices two to three times better than email (Dunwise), yet 91% of finance teams still rely on email as their main follow-up channel and only 56% use the phone, because calling every overdue account by hand does not scale and a single human dunning call can cost $12 to $18 (HighRadius).

Voice Collections gives teams that coverage. Julia can call on the accounts a playbook flags for phone follow-up, and answer when a customer calls the same number back to ask about an invoice, a payment, or a bank detail. Businesses that follow up on 100% of overdue invoices are 76% more likely to be paid within a week (Chaser), and a voice agent is what makes full coverage possible.

Monk’s collections agent is already proven on the accounts it handles by email. Across Monk’s first 100 customers, Julia reaches customers with a 24% higher response rate than standard dunning and resolves 88.2% of collections with zero human intervention. Voice extends that reach to the phone.

“For years the assumption was that customers would not talk to an AI on the phone,” said George Kurdin, Founder and CEO of Monk. “The evidence now points the other way. People engage with a good voice agent, and in AR the phone was always the channel that collected best. We built Voice Collections so finance teams can finally use it at the scale email gave them.”

That assumption is worth retiring. In a University of Chicago Booth field study of roughly 70,000 interviews, people interviewed by a voice AI agent were 12% more likely to receive an offer, 18% more likely to start, and 17% more likely to still be there after 30 days, and 80% chose the voice AI over a human when given the choice. The setting was recruiting rather than collections, but the finding travels: given a capable voice agent, people lean in rather than hang up. A call also does something email cannot, which is secure a verbal promise to pay in the moment.

Built for finance, with the phone agents kept with strict guardrails

Voice in finance has to be constrained, and Monk designed Voice Collections around that from the start. The agent is read-only on the phone. It answers questions, confirms details, and routes the next step. It will not rewrite an invoice, change a payment status, or accept a sensitive payment change by voice.

The agent is also reference-based. If a caller asks about an invoice, Julia asks for both the company name and the invoice number before looking anything up, and it will not search broadly from a single detail. Every inbound and outbound call is kept in the collection record alongside the email history, so a callback is part of the same thread the team already sees, and anything that needs judgment escalates to a person.

“Voice in finance has to be careful by design,” said Joe Zhou, Co-Founder and CTO of Monk. “Julia will not browse across accounts or move money over the phone. A caller has to bring the company name and invoice number before it confirms anything, and every call lands in the record. In finance a 1% mistake is still unacceptable, so we built for that first and added the reach second.”

Teams run autonomous collections on Monk

Monk runs collections for finance teams at companies like Unify, Pump, Siro, and Elate, and Voice Collections extends what those teams already do by email onto the phone.

“We chose Monk to help automate our collections, a process previously demanding several hours a week of manual, one-off outreach,” said Will Stewart, Head of Finance and BizOps at Unify. “Today, our Monk agent is always running in the background and I have a single dashboard to manage AR from.”

At Pump, which manages volume across more than 1,500 customers, Monk has helped collect over $10 million in recent months.

Voice AI is now infrastructure

The timing reflects how far voice AI has come. It has moved from demo to infrastructure: Vapi has processed more than 1 billion calls, Bland handles over 3.5 million calls a week, and ElevenLabs raised a $500 million round at an $11 billion valuation in early 2026. Monk builds Voice Collections on that foundation and adds the part finance actually needs, which is the AR context, the controls, and the audit trail.

Voice Collections is available now as an opt-in feature. Monk configures the dedicated number and call behavior with each organization before turning it on in Collections. See it in action: https://youtu.be/w09PoN1yACE.

About Monk

Monk is the AI-native accounts receivable platform that helps finance teams turn revenue into cash. Its agent, Julia, runs collections, cash application, and forecasting as one connected system. Monk resolves 88.2% of collections with zero human intervention, reaches customers with a 24% higher response rate than standard dunning, reduces DSO by more than 40%, automatically matches 80% of incoming payments with a full audit trail, and gives finance teams back roughly 26 hours a month. Teams onboard in under a week and see results in their first month. More than $1.5 billion in receivables is managed on the platform, including for customers like Profound and ElevenLabs. Monk has raised $25 million and is based in New York.

Media contact
Kendall Warson
kendall@monk.com
+1 415-827-6585

Sources: Chaser 2026 Accounts Receivable research; Dunwise dunning research; HighRadius collection call cost analysis; University of Chicago Booth field study on AI in recruiting; voice AI figures compiled by Enterprise DNA; Federal Reserve data; Allianz Worldwide DSO survey.

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