44 Lane Logistics in Canada

Team 100 Poster

Team Reflection

As a group, we learned a lot from this cross-cultural exercise. We learned how to work with people from different parts of the world. When there are time differences, especially with the group members from Spain. Which is 5 hours ahead of Guelph, so 10 am EST is 3 pm in Spain. So, we carefully picked days that would work for everyone. Now, I am looking at the story we did in a meeting to discuss which option was the best. There were really two options one was Lane Logistics while the other was Buck or Two Plus London. Both agreed to be interviewed, but we decided to pick Lane Logistics. Which is a third-party logistics centre located in Guelph, Ontario. They are a family-run business that has been around since 1997. Their primary business model is a B2B, which is achieved by having other companies store products at their warehouses. Due to a better story being made for the COIL assignment. When we interviewed Lane Logistics, it was an excellent learning experience on how to prepare and conduct an interview. We concluded that their innovation was technology. The interview led us to gain much more information on 3PLs. Overall, Lane Logistics was a really good choice for us as a group. They were really welcoming and flexible during the interview, which was really great. So, we had a remarkable turnaround on the interview. We were now looking deeper into the COIL assignment, which has allowed us to get a greater understanding of the course material. It made us think about the interview in a really good way. We needed to reflect on course material and prior knowledge as a group. It helped reinforce prior knowledge known from previous courses. The interview had that effect by needing to be prepared in order to look professional. We all used this previous knowledge to craft questions that would allow us to get vital information. So then we can do a good job on the poster and story with really good information. Some gaps definitely formed regarding topics like the triple bottom line and parts of accountability. We then reflected and reviewed the material, gaining a better understanding of the material, which was used when developing the story and poster. The main challenge of this came from having to balance catching up on gaps. With other stuff going on like other classes or personal things for each member. We found time to catch up and get a better understanding of the topics. The people that worked on the story were definitely surprised by the story. More so, the communication part was definitely the biggest challenge of that assignment. Trying to coordinate who does what part and how to split it up was challenging. Especially meeting mid week hurt with assignments due to needing more time to complete the story. Especially during a busy time for school, we definitely caused problems. Another area for improvement with communication was trying to get everyone on the same page for assignments, especially since the massive amounts of different places to find instructions could have been clearer. From all of us, yes to the fact that the Aim 2 Flourish assignment will definitely impact all of us. If one of us continues down the path of business, there’s definitely a chance we will get put into a position similar to the assignment. Ruben Burgha from the University of Guelph has brought up many times in class about one of his jobs after a promotion. He managed people over in Asia while he was in north america. There’s definitely a really good chance that one of us could get a position like this as a manager. So having this experience would be really great. Due to already having experience dealing with different time zones and cultural barriers, this exercise has given all of us new tools like World Time Buddy to help us gain an understanding. For example, World Time Buddy is a really great tool for planning meetings, especially in different time zones. Which is a really great tool we will all use going forward. Especially if any of us work for an international team. In conclusion, we have all learned a lot from the Aim 2 Flourish assignment. We will definitely use all the information about sustainability and group cohesion methods. We will look back on this project as a positive experience that led to growth. Overall making us all better at dealing with people from different part of the world

Individual Reflection

Matthew 

Reflecting on COIL, I definitely learned a lot from the project. Looking back, I definitely took charge right away. I was worried at first that no one would take charge and we wouldn’t achieve anything. So, I took charge to help guide the weekly meetings. At first, I was definitely scared that I was being a bit of a dictator and a bad group mate. Then I stopped overthinking it and reflected a bit more, which allowed me to focus on figuring out what we had to do for each week. Then, I discussed it with the rest of the group. My group members, though, were all really nice people who would respond to important messages. Then also be able to meet constantly and if they are busy, will let us know in advance. I definitely have more experience working with an international-based team. I will use all the skills and experience I have learned in order to be more successful if I ever get put in a situation like this in the future.

Danny 

Throughout the COIL assignment my group mates and I had the opportunity to interview Lane Sales Logistics which was very rewarding for our understanding of sustainability in a practical context. With teammates from Brazil, Spain, and Canada, it had an impact on beliefs surrounding sustainability as our perceptions and values were diverse. Each member’s cultural background brought unique perspectives on sustainability and this enhanced our learning process. Applying knowledge of CSR and pre-existing knowledge of SDGs enriched my understanding as well as helped me form questions and conduct a live-interview.

Alreadying having an understanding (from lecture) of business ethics, CSR, and SDGs, it was very useful in analyzing Lane Sales’ approach to social good and sustainability. Completing the CORE course on research ethics gave me a proper understanding of how to conduct myself, as well as how to ask specific questions during the interview.

I think that every team member was helpful during meetings, and everyone was present for merely all meetings. If members were not, everyone was always ensuring they were checking in and making sure we were on the right track and had all the information required to continue working on the project throughout the week. Interviewing a company from Guelph provided insights into sustainable practices that are happening in the city. It is clear that Lane Sales logistics is socially responsible and contributing to a sustainable business future.

Letícia 

These past weeks in the program have been amazing! The experience of working with teammates from different parts of the world, each bringing unique perspectives on the topic of ESG, has been enriching and truly special. Beyond learning so much about the subject, I’ve built valuable connections with my team, and I’m very grateful for this opportunity. This program has given me a broader outlook and made me feel part of something truly global.

Maximillan  

Regarding participating in the AIM2Flourish task, I enjoyed the uniqueness of the task in regards to having the freedom of selecting which business will be interviewed as well as meeting people from different countries and university institutions. Ultimately, I believe that I participated well in the group task as I attended all calls excluding one due to sickness and creating the AIM2Florish poster with Adrian. Although due to the make-up of the group, mostly consisting of people from Western Countries, there were limited cross-cultural issues that were present when I was working with members from other countries resulting in limited issues except for the timing of meetings. However, this time selection dynamic was easily fixed due to effective communication on the WhatsApp group as all members spoke English at a high level. This resulted in potential challenges being easily resolved due to the effective communication and participation of all group members.