Integrating NFC and Blockchain
Counterfeit supply chains cost U.S. manufacturers upwards of $131 million, and the problem is growing amid supply chain shortages. This crisis is also exacerbated by a time of technological advancement—not only are supply chains carrying in-demand products, but they also house incredible amounts of data that are susceptible to breach. Of the many security threats […]
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Data-Driven Supply Chain Optimization
Q: What is data-driven supply chain optimization, and why is it important? A: Data-driven supply chain optimization applies prescriptive analytics in mathematical programming and operations research (OR) to provide decision support for supply chain decision-making at the strategic, tactical, and operational levels. By properly capturing the decisions to make (decision variables), the performance metric to […]
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Pop Quiz: Supply Chain Educators Answer 6 Pressing Questions
For much of the decade prior to the pandemic, the number of students in supply chain programs couldn’t match industry’s need for supply chain professionals. “The biggest challenge was convincing students it was a real career path,” says Brian Fugate, chair of the department of supply chain management at the University of Arkansas. As the […]
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Grocery Shortages: The Worm in the Apple
It started with toilet paper. Spurred by the onset of the pandemic, consumers bought toilet paper rolls in droves. Sales of the product rose 60% annually in March 2020, according to the Statista Consumer Market Outlook. On April 19, 2020, toilet paper was out of stock in nearly half of U.S. grocery stores, estimated NCSolutions, […]
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10 Tips: Optimizing E-Commerce Fulfillment Operations
E-commerce sales are projected to continue rising steadily. In this environment, it is more important than ever for retailers and brands to fill orders quickly, seamlessly, and cost-effectively. Here’s how your fulfillment operations can optimize performance.
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Block and Tackle: How to Choose a Freight Bill and Audit Payment Provider
Interest in freight bill audit and payment (FBAP) providers has gained momentum in recent years as the demand for experts to manage transactions between shippers and carriers grows. FBAP providers can help shippers contend with complex transportation processes, while also bringing fresh tools and expertise that can add strategic value to shipper operations. The freight […]
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The Evolution of Audit Gave Rise to an AI-Driven Smart Audit
Q: What’s in a freight audit? A: It depends on who you ask. Some say a freight audit is a simple process that ensures shippers pay what they’re supposed to. Others consider an audit a vital resource for understanding and making more informed decisions around every shipment. We’ve transformed the traditional freight audit into something […]
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Chick-fil-A Strikes Oil
Have you ever gotten a whiff of french fries as you pass an 18-wheeler on the highway?
Read MoreIN BRIEF: New Supply Chain Services & Solutions
Stay up to date on the latest transportation, supply chain, logistics and technology solutions. Transportation The Lufthansa Group is expanding the capacity of Lufthansa Cargo’s freighter fleet. The airline has ordered a total of 10 freighters, including three Boeing 777F freighters and seven 777-8F freighters. Boeing’s next-generation aircraft lowers fuel consumption and has 17% more […]
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Wooden Pallets Can Play a Crucial Role in a Sustainable Supply Chain Today
Pallet companies can play a vital role in the sustainability of the supply chain. Kamps has placed an emphasis on reducing its environmental footprint, while aligning with its customers’ sustainability goals and offering solutions that provide positive environmental value to their supply chains.
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Vertical Focus – Electronics
Robots Traverse New Terrain South Korean technology company LG Electronics unveiled a new delivery robot that can serve both indoor and outdoor environments, which could be a game-changer for contactless delivery and services. The four-wheeled robot can adjust the gap between its wheels to self-adapt quickly to uneven terrain for a smoother ride. Food delivery […]
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Saving Green While Going Green
Commercial operators around the globe—not just those in the supply chain—are currently grappling with a new reality. Gone are the days when businesses could solely worry about dollars and cents; now business leaders need to consider the environment and how their business is impacting it.
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Thriving on Change, Growth, and Opportunity
Fresh out of grad school, Thad Bedard moved to the San Francisco Bay area hoping to become a professor of American literature. But teaching jobs were scarce. “To make ends meet, I started working as a warehouseman,” recalls Bedard. “I enjoyed the industry. The work challenged a lot of my preconceived notions about business.” He […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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.
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Say Yes to the YMS
Companies sometimes overlook how important the yard is to their success. Without proper management, facilitated by a yard management system (YMS), pile ups can lead to delays, fees, and a full shipment of stress.
Read MorePaul Bippus Bets on U.S. Operations
Paul Bippus GmbH, a Germany-based manufacturer of precision parts, is launching new production operations to supply Robert Bosch LLC in Dorchester County, South Carolina. The company’s $16.1-million investment is projected to create 45 new jobs. Founded in 1958, Paul Bippus GmbH produces precision turned parts for automotive manufacturing applications, including starters, braking systems, fuel injection […]
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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.
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Now Is the Time to Automate the Middle Mile
We 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 […]
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