Recent Articles
Creating a Safe, Reliable Pharmaceutical Supply Chain
Learn MorePartnering with MD Logistics—an experienced U.S.-based 3PL—and global freight forwarder Nippon Express can provide a wealth of benefits to your global pharmaceutical supply chain.
Is Industrial Real Estate Recession Proof?
With industrial real estate still going strong, logistics property owners and investors wonder if their warehouses will help them weather the coming storm. Here is what to expect.
Helping Manufacturers Weather the Storm
The manufacturing sector continues to chug along, with demand and production levels hitting new highs. But economic uncertainty and inflation may soon create some clouds on the horizon.
Taking the Temperature on Sustainability
Many companies will continue to take sustainability seriously over the next 12 months. A recent Honeywell survey of 600 business leaders finds that 90% are pleased with their sustainability efforts over the prior 12 months, and 97% plan environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) budget increases in the next 12 months.
Waste Eats Away the Bottom Line
Overproduction and waste may push margins in the wrong direction. A recent Avery Dennison report finds that 8% of stock perishes or is discarded before it reaches consumers–inventory losses worth up to $163.1 billion or 3.6% of annual profits. Of the 8% waste, slightly more than half (53.8%) is lost in the supply chain before products reach store shelves.
AI and ML in Retail: Help or Hype?
Top-performing retailers are bullish on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), with 71% of respondents to a Retail Systems Research report saying AI-enabled analytics will fundamentally change their merchandising forecasting by 2025.
Five Trends That Will Shape Logistics in 2023
Amidst concern over the economy and ongoing geopolitical issues, 2023 promises to pose challenges to managing logistics and supply chain operations. To help companies prepare for the new year, Anaid Chacón, head of product for Nuvocargo, a digital platform focused on U.S.-Mexico cross-border trade, identifies five trends to be aware of.
Turning the Tide on Turnover
The pandemic’s effect on inventory turnover was significant, but more recent data suggests that the situation may be improving for e-commerce brands.
Logistics Technology: The Unsung Hero of Convenience Commerce
As consumers embraced online ordering during the pandemic, e-commerce sales ballooned from $571.2 billion in 2019 to $815.4 billion in 2020—a 43% jump—according to a recent Census Bureau retail survey. Although online sales have cooled since the initial pandemic-driven fervor, consumers continue to drive convenience commerce, with e-commerce sales increasing 6.7% in Q1 2022. More than 20% of consumer spending from January to March occurred online.
How to Develop a Customer-centric Supply Chain
Supply chain variability creates hurdles to customer satisfaction. Prioritize the consumer experience by integrating flexible technologies and processes in your supply chain design.
Sustainability Regulations Call for Increased Visibility
Businesses have become more attuned to social and environmental issues, and it is not just because they believe it’s the right thing to do.
Driving the Automotive Industry Forward with Complete Smart Factory Solutions
Implementing smart factory solutions ensures standardization and integration of the spare parts logistics process throughout the supply chain.
Featured Articles
Now Is the Time to Automate the Middle Mile
Learn MoreWe are facing a state of volatility in the supply chain. Since the pandemic began in 2020, there has not been a steady cadence surrounding the transportation industry’s capacity, timing, or labor. Each individual market can therefore be in a state of over/under supply or demand on any given day, and who moves or what […]
Reshoring? Not So Fast
Reshoring might sound like the solution to the United States’ supply chain woes, but here’s why it is not a cure-all for current and future disruptions.
Reshoring Now: Boom or Bust?
The 2021 Reshoring Index from global consulting firm Kearny reports US companies are relying more heavily on manufacturing from low-cost countries (LCC), but sentiment is quickly changing.
Higher Transport Rates on the Horizon
Fuel surcharges, market forces, and easing truckload growth rates are driving up parcel and LTL rates, says Cowen/AFS’s 2022 Freight Index.
Consumers Want More Action on Sustainability
The 2022 Retail and Sustainability Survey from global business applications firm CGS illustrates the demand for sustainability, even at the cost of losing expedited shipping times.
What’s the biggest supply chain silo?
Readers shine a light on the most significant information lapses and data gaps in the supply chain, from transportation siloes to the lack of visibility into suppliers.
What pandemic-era adjustment will have the greatest supply chain impact?
The acceleration of digital twins. The ability to digitally model a company’s manufacturing and distribution network will allow it to quickly assess the impact of large and small disruptions and take appropriate actions. —Allen Jacques Industry Thought Leader Kinaxis The use of data analytics to help suppliers really understand consumer behavior. Suppliers decided to eliminate […]
NOTED: The Supply Chain In Brief
The latest mergers & acquisitions, logistics contracts, sustainability initiatives, humanitarian logistics efforts and more. Good Works The Coca-Cola Company, based in Atlanta, donated $1 million to the Technical College System of Georgia Foundation’s Commercial Truck Driving Program. The donation funds driver training programs and helps ensure more drivers are in the pipeline to fill trucking […]
Vertical Focus: Footwear
China SC Woes Have Footwear Industry Tied In Knots The impact on the supply chain from lockdowns in China was a major themefor footwear retailers in the first half of 2022. Largely reporting lower-than-expected earnings, many major footwear brands pointed a finger at the lockdowns to explain their disappointing performance levels. Strict and extended COVID-19 […]
Supply Chain Helps Meet ESG Goals
As corporations become increasingly focused on ESG initiatives, their supply chain and logistics partners respond with tools and services designed to help them grow sustainability and other goals.
Chemical Logistics: Critical Challenges Drive Creativity
Chemical shippers and their partners keep critical shipments moving safely and efficiently—refining their strategies and getting creative despite considerable challenges. Here’s how leading providers formulate solutions for the chemical industry.
2022 75 Green Supply Chain Partners
Inbound Logistics editors select 75 companies going above and beyond to prioritize green initiatives and help global supply chains become more sustainable. These companies are dedicated to developing and implementing best practices that leave a positive footprint on the world.
Knowledge Center
Cross Docking: Definition, History, and Process
Learn MoreCross docking is a shipping method that transfers goods from one transportation mode to another to get them directly from the source to their destination. Cross docking is widely used in freight transportation because it helps reduce costs and storage space, among other benefits. This article covers cross docking definitions, history, types, methods, advantages, disadvantages, […]
TEU: Definition, History, and Vessel Sizes
TEU, or a twenty foot equivalent unit, is the standard measure of container capacity on a ship. In other words, it tells you how many 20-foot-long containers can fit on particular container ships. TEU is important because it allows for easy comparison of vessel sizes. For example, if one container ship has a capacity of […]
Freight Forwarding: Meaning, Stages, and Pros and Cons
Supply chain management is an integral part of any company’s efficiency. Transporting goods from one place to another can be time-consuming and expensive. The process can be complex and challenging, but if you approach it correctly, it will go smoothly and leave lasting effects on your overall business. Many companies employ third-party logistics services to […]
Retail Warehousing: Definition, Types, and Benefits
Retail warehousing is an essential part of the supply chain, especially as businesses across the United States face a significant decline in storage capacities, according to the Wall Street Journal. E-commerce ventures are also on the rise, and these online retail shops need space to store, package, and brand their inventory to get it ready […]
Export Compliance: Definition, Controls, Penalties
Export compliance regulations are the rules, guidelines, and procedures that control how goods, services, and technology move across international borders. United States export controls are primarily governed and enforced by the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), and the United States Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control […]
Intermodal vs. Transloading: Definitions and Process
Intermodal and transloading are two methods of shipping products. They are similar, but understanding the difference between intermodal vs. transloading can help you choose the shipping method that works best for you logistically and financially. The key differences between transloading vs. intermodal are the methods of moving products. Intermodal is self-contained, while transloading physically moves […]
