Trucking Companies Need to Flex in the Face of Disruption
This is an unprecedented time of disruption and volatility. The pandemic is showing the need to be more diversified. Trucking companies built around a specific customer base shut down when that industry shut down. Oversaturation in one market or customer base means disruptions hit harder. Companies supporting the food and beverage supply chain saw traffic […]
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2020 TMS Buyer’s Guide
Supply chain disruptions created by the global pandemic, shifting capacity, fluctuating fuel costs, and demanding e-commerce customer requirements are raising shipper and carrier interest in transportation management systems (TMS). A variety of solutions are available to meet every company’s unique needs. From cloud-based, on-demand, web-hosted applications to traditional licensing installations, over the road, on the […]
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The Road Map Out of This Mess
For years, I have been a proponent of operating a lean and agile supply chain, but some now say the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the shortcomings of a supply chain that is perhaps too lean. To be “lean,” however, doesn’t mean maintaining extremely low inventory levels with no coordination or backup plan. It also appears […]
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China’s Road to Restoration
After reporting no new cases of COVID-19 in March 2020, people are going back to work in China—but companies still face a slow return to production. Not only do China’s original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) face many challenges in resuming their production capacity, but global manufacturers also feel the impact of shortages in their supply chains. […]
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Bringing End-2-End Efficiency to Your Logistics Operations
With economic consequences from COVID-19 and other resulting challenges, companies are looking for ways to manage more efficiently with less—while reallocating resources to more productive activities and maximizing freight spend value. Logistics operations are a great place to start, as even the smallest percentage savings could mean triple-digit impact to bottom lines. These operations are […]
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Efficiencies and Revenues Skyrocket for Distributor with Digital Order and Logistics Management
MPO’s cloud platform for order and logistics management allowed an agricultural spare parts distributor to streamline fulfillment, obtain full order visibility, and reduce shipping costs for customers.
Read MoreHow Shippers Are Handling COVID-19
Shippers are quickly responding to the COVID-19 outbreak, according to a survey by Echo Logistics. Shipping volumes demonstrate the resilience of companies and their ability to produce essential products during disruption, and highlight the important role transportation plays, according to Echo. Shippers’ responses shifted during just a two-week period: 28% of shippers said the virus […]
Read More6 Keys to Pandemic Preparedness
Companies that have handled supply chain disruption the best to date did the following 6 things well in advance of the pandemic.
Read MoreWhat Is a Continuous Delivery Experience and How Has COVID-19 Increased Its Importance in the Supply Chain?
As the country and global economy begin to recover, the question on everyone’s minds, is “what will re-entry into the business world look like?” More specifically, how do companies fortify their supply chain, fulfillment functions and relationships with logistics providers to bring everyone back online smoothly? It’s difficult to imagine going back to business as […]
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The High Cost of Invisibility
The research is well documented and it’s not pretty. Supply chain visibility is a key driver to a company’s success, yet remains a top challenge. Nearly 7 in 10 procurement executives say they do not have full visibility of their supply chains, according to the Business Continuity Institute (BCI).
Read MoreCreative, Agile Leaders Look to Technology for Answers in a Post-Pandemic World
These are trying times as the current healthcare crisis affects us in ways never imagined. This is certainly the case in the supply chain, logistics and transportation sectors. What hasn’t changed, however, is the importance of strong, agile, creative leaders. These are the ones able to pivot their companies in response to anticipated lower volumes […]
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Agility On Demand
An instantaneous experience. It’s what consumers expect and the environment online retailers face. When consumers are captured by a product they must have, online retailers have only a few swipes and a few minutes until their brand’s reputation is on the clock.
Read MoreAdapting Supply Chain Strategies Amid COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an enormous strain on global supply chains as they rush to complete and ship orders as quickly as possible. With tightening budgets and a need to stay connected using technology, it is more important than ever for transportation and logistics companies to have an effective mobility strategy in place. To […]
Read MoreLife After COVID-19: New Realities, New Thinking, New Approaches
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a worldwide impact—economic standstill, stalled goods movement and disruption of the global supply chain. Most essential goods and services are delivered via heavy-duty trucks, and today we have new appreciation of our reliance on these vehicles to keep grocery stores stocked, health care worker supplies replenished and fuel in our […]
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Get RIP-Roaring Results with IoT
Companies are increasingly investing in returnable industrial packaging (RIP) to ship products to customers as sustainably as possible.
Read MoreHow Machine Learning Solves the COVID-19 Supplier Discovery Dilemma
Machine learning, in addition to a large amount of data, is a critical tool that can help manufacturers and supply chain professionals find, qualify, and use new suppliers for personal protective equipment (PPE) and raw materials during the COVID-19 pandemic. As stated in a recent Inbound Logistics article, “Companies need to first quickly develop transparency […]
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Molson Coors Brews the Right Transportation Mix
Take a look at the loading area of Molson Coors Beverage Company’s breweries, and the word “complexity” comes to mind. It’s not just the vast quantity of beer and beverage products moving out of its seven North American production facilities that turns up the volume on logistics and supply chain operations. It’s also the frequency of trucks being loaded and the pace of activity all week long—including weekends—that add to the challenge of delivering products to its 700 distributors on time.
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Grape Expectations: Wine Quality Control
The global wine industry is complex and interconnected, but lacks the tools to properly optimize its supply chain. To improve transparency for producers, distributors, retailers, and consumers, IBM and eProvenance released VinAssure, a blockchain solution that tracks wines as they move from the vineyard to the end-consumer. By encouraging transparency, accountability, and rapid data exchange, […]
Read MoreDistributors, Shippers Eye Surcharging to Stay Afloat Amid COVID-19 Outbreak
Logistics is one of the many sectors currently grappling with the impacts of COVID-19 on the bottom line. The need for seamless supply chains is paramount, with much of the world looking to the industry to feed families, maintain infrastructure, and even deliver essential medical equipment to front-line healthcare workers. Although the industry is among […]
Read MoreSupply Chain Cleanliness Matters—During and Beyond COVID-19
As the world grapples with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, global supply chain leaders are busier than ever and working hard to keep workers and customers safe—even as they keep millions of products moving. Of course, the threat of COVID-19 has dominated the national dialogue. But responsible warehouse managers know that safeguards to protect workers, drivers, […]
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