Using AI for Critical Returns Management

In 2021, U.S. returns rose to $761 billion annually, up 10.6% from the year before. And with that, retailers must consider AI-based automated returns solutions to manage the influx. Artificial intelligence (AI) can tackle every aspect of returns processing, from shipping to disposition decisions to recommerce. It can also handle parts of the customer journey […]

Building The Smart Supply Chain

With more objects embedded with sensors, and better communication, decision-making and automation capabilities, traditional supply chains are becoming more intelligent. The new “smart” supply chain presents huge opportunities for reducing costs and improving efficiency. Some refer to this concept as Supply Chain 4.0: the application of the Internet of Things (IoT), advanced robotics, and big […]

Technology for SMBs: No Small Matter

Supply chain technology isn’t just for large companies. It’s possible — and necessary — for businesses to invest in new innovations, no matter what their headcount. It was not long ago when supply chain operations were thought of as a backroom affair, running on paper charts and fax machines. But after nearly two years in […]

Getting Value from Class C Suppliers

Smart purchasing departments focus on their Class A suppliers— the ones they use the most. However, many businesses spend a disproportionate amount of time and money on their larger group of Class C suppliers. Digitizing your supplier relationship management can flip this trend so that purchasing departments instead focus attention where it should be: on […]

It’s Time to Embrace Supply Chain Chaos

As someone who has worked in supply chain and logistics management for more than one decade, I find a duality in watching all the attention cast on our corner of the economy over the past year. On one hand, it’s nice to see society at large recognize the giant global operation behind making and delivering […]

Competing in the Age of Instant Delivery

Much of the instant delivery attention is on startups spending heavily to acquire new customers, while grocery chains and big box retailers also compete for visibility in the space. The one thing they all have in common? Knowing that consumers desire convenience and want their online orders delivered within hours, if not minutes. Serious challenges, […]

GOOD QUESTION: Has the pandemic accelerated logistics outsourcing? Why or why not?

The use of third-party logistics has accelerated since the pandemic, with new opportunities in last-mile e-commerce and carrier collaboration. We have seen tracked orders between network shippers and logistics service providers (LSPs) grow 340% year-over-year. As markets continue to rebalance, shippers still seek flexibility, resilience, and sustainability from LSP collaboration and innovation. –Tony Harris SVP […]

Vertical Focus: Outdoor Retail

Kicking Up Sustainability VF Corp.—parent company of several outdoor gear brands including The North Face and Timberland—has upped its commitment to supply chain sustainability. David Quass, the company’s new senior director of sustainability for EMEA, has signaled a greater commitment to environmentally friendly concepts such as regenerative agriculture and using recycled materials. The North Face […]

Top 10 3PLs: Readers’ Choice Excellence Awards

These third-party logistics providers made the cut, earning your votes by dishing out top-notch customer service and helping you save dough. AND THE WINNERS ARE: 1.   Echo Global Logistics 2.   Hub Group 3.   Kenco 4.   SEKO Logistics 5.   Sunset Transportation 6.   Werner 7.   DHL Supply Chain 8.   […]

3PLs Show Off-the-Chart Growth

What accounts for the explosive growth of the 3PL sector this past year? The results of our 2022 3PL market surveys—through the Top 10 3PL Excellence Awards voting and Top 100 3PL Providers questionnaires—are striking: 84% of 3PL respondents showed significant growth in gross sales year over year, with 90% reporting profits are up. Nearly […]

The Road to the Circular Economy

As the world realizes that the linear economy is unsustainable, companies are under pressure by regulations, investors, consumers, and employees to lower their carbon footprint and transition to a circular economy. 

Record Demand Seems to Be Easing. What Does It Mean? Understanding the Trucking Marketplace Today

Understanding the realities of today’s trucking marketplace means relying on timely data from high-quality sources, combined with an awareness of global circumstances and day-to-day insights from carriers, shippers, and brokers on the ground. So many factors have influenced the transportation industry over the past few years—from COVID-19 “closing” the world, to hyper spending, to supply […]

Leveraging the Spot Market

When your contracted carrier can’t meet your shipping needs, consider the spot market. Using one-time spot rates typically requires a commitment from the customer to ship within a specific time period. Spot pricing fluctuates depending on multiple factors, so shippers often don’t have a lot of control over the spot market rates quoted. Here are […]

The Last Mile: No Small Potatoes

2022 Summer Reading Guide

  Great reads about supply chain and logistics are not all textbooks and white papers. Browse this collection of books, research, and guides that will boost your knowledge and keep you turning the pages. Profit from the Source: Transforming Your Business by Putting Suppliers at the Core By Christian Schuh, Wolfgang Schnellbacher, Alenka Triplat, and […]

Labor Shortages and their Effect on the Supply Chain

Partnering with a forward-thinking 3PL like Taylored Services is crucial to getting your products in the hands of your customers as soon as possible. One of the most pressing issues disrupting the supply chain today are the ongoing labor challenges that have persisted since the beginning of the pandemic. The inability to find the correct […]

The Role of Your 3PL in Dealing With Rapidly Rising Real Estate Costs

As real estate prices rise, it’s critical to look at the entire cost of operations, including drayage, outbound transportation, and labor in distribution network planning. Looking at costs in silos could lead to expensive mistakes. With warehouse vacancy rates at about 4% nationwide, space continues to be in short supply, and shippers must compete for […]

Fast Expansion Into D2C: Top 3 Considerations for 3PLs to Attract New Business

While the e-commerce boom is an ongoing opportunity for B2B companies, they face acute growing pains as they seek to meet B2C/D2C fulfillment demands. Most providers go from worrying about bulk servicing thousands of units on palletized loads, to managing the throughput of multiple orders requiring additional touches for picking and packing.   Not all […]

No Matter How You Slice It, 3PLs Deliver

See the Top 100 3PLs. Whether shippers outsource their end-to-end supply chain by the pie, or just a portion of it by the slice, third-party logistics providers are meeting new challenges with updated and expanded menus. As many supply chain professionals have experienced, “U.S.-based supply chains are out of sync,” according to the 2022 State […]

Canada-U.S. Trade: Seamless & Streamlined

With a vital trade relationship aloft, moving shipments between Canada and the United States remains smooth and collaborative—thanks to reliable and experienced providers. In the view of Kirsten Hillman, Canadian ambassador to the United States, the longstanding spirit of friendship and good will that exists between Canada and the United States goes well beyond the […]