Digital Transformation: The Experience is King
A survey among supply chain leaders reveals that two-thirds of staff struggle to find the information they need to do their job. Alarmingly, 73% waste up to eight hours each week just trying to find data—leading to delays (46%), errors (28%), and bad customer experience (24%).
Drained Lithium Batteries Get a Life
A team of scientists from the Department of Energy and Stanford found a way to revive dead lithium-ion batteries, extending their battery life up to 30%. The lithium-ion batteries found in most modern electric vehicles (EVs) tend to lose energy capacity as they get charged, spent, and re-charged. That happens because small bits of lithium […]
Expedited Shipping Can Save Money
As shipping delays and supply chain issues pile up across the country, more businesses struggle to ship and receive products on time. When companies fail to meet important deadlines, the results can be costly, leading to the loss of valuable customers and vendors.
Winter Reading Guide 2022
Get cozy and boost your logistics knowledge. These latest resources cover everything from textile supply chain tactics to strategies for dominating in the digital age.
What is the biggest supply chain lesson you learned from the past two years?
The fragility or brittleness of a global marketplace so deeply dependent on just-in-time inventory. Any event, whether a pandemic, hurricane, or a container ship stuck in the Suez Canal, creates immediate disarray. In response, retailers have reverted to “just-in-case” practices, building up large safety stocks. It has become a choice between risking a stock-out or keeping costly excessive inventory. Where is the balance?
Managing Transportation: Insider Tips and Winning Strategies
Transportation management has become increasingly complex and challenging. To help you cope, Inbound Logistics asked the experts to share their brightest advice.
What’s The Word? The Language of Logistics
Upstream vs. Downstream Some organizations divide the supply chain into two parts to simplify management: upstream and downstream. The upstream supply chain includes all activities related to the organization’s suppliers, which source raw material inputs to send to the manufacturer. The downstream supply chain refers to activities post-manufacturing, namely distributing the product to the final […]
Is the Dynamic Unified Logical Data Model the Silver Bullet for Disruptions?
Q. Enterprises that are transforming their supply chain are slow to change. What roadblocks are impeding their efforts? A. Our supply chains of today were designed decades ago to achieve data uniformity across the supply chain ecosystems and not to deal with unwarranted supply chain disruptions. All SCM apps are designed for specific business functions […]
Retailers Brush Up on Returns
With increased e-commerce adoption, returns are set to grow exponentially in 2022 and beyond, says a recent report from Incisiv, and retailers’ digital experience plays a big part in both reducing returns and making the return experience seamless. Retailers can achieve significant savings and enhanced customer satisfaction if they look at returns as an integral […]
Most Read Logistics Articles of 2021
Cold Chain Innovations: Keep Your Cool DECEMBER 2021 Items that need to stay cool range from large containerloads of fish to vaccines, and each requires special techniques. Here’s how shippers stay chill. bit.ly/ColdChainInnovations Air Cargo Today: Buckle Up! NOVEMBER 2021 Despite tight capacity and rising rates, air cargo has become an even more critical part […]
Why Should Distributors Move to the Cloud in 2022?
Many distributors are pondering the question: To cloud or not to cloud? Is the disruption of moving my ERP and other tools worth the benefits and rewards? As we look back at the past few years, it is not difficult to find compelling reasons why a cloud move is beneficial. Let’s look at some of […]
Manhattan Active WMS for a Leading USA Retailer
A major retailer sought to modernize their supply chain operations with a cloud warehouse management system and turned to ITOrizon as their system integrator. The result was a seamless integration.
Taking Stock of Inventory Management
Empty store shelves during the pandemic drove many companies to new forecasting tools, added 3PL services, and increased collaboration to inform inventory management.
Building Carrier Relationships That Withstand the Stress Test
Developing mutually beneficial relationships guarantees your partners will be there for you—in good times and bad.
Is There an End to Amazon’s Impact?
The absorption of industrial real estate is setting all-time highs as consumer demand, with COVID-19 as its catalyst, has shifted to a greater dependency on consumers having products shipped to them rather than them visiting brick-and-mortar retailers.
Bright Ideas: 3PLs Manage Growth Through Innovation
By thinking creatively and embracing new solutions, third-party logistics providers support shippers through demand surges, labor shortages, cost increases, and capacity constraints.
NOTED: The Supply Chain In Brief
Good Works Sunset Transportation volunteers worked with the Greater St. Louis Area Boy Scouts, scout leaders, and parents to execute Scouting for Food, the largest one-day food drive in the United States. The 2021 event was the most successful since 2016, collecting 653,026 pounds of donated food in one day. SEKO Logistics is partnering with […]
How to Use Canadian Fulfillment Services to Save on Import Costs
There’s a good reason Canadian fulfillment services have risen to prominence in the import sector over the past decade: They save you money—on import duties and their related costs, which can be considerable. Let’s look at this money-saving tactic that’s changed the importing landscape. Duty-free shipping made easy We can thank Section 321 for duty-free […]
IN BRIEF: New Services & Solutions
Services RK Logistics Group, a provider of warehousing, e-commerce fulfillment, and supply chain management services, opened a new facility in Hayward, California. The facility provides warehousing, product staging, and distribution services for Silicon Valley manufacturers, suppliers, and retail e-commerce shippers. BioCare, a therapeutics distributor, launched LogiCare3PL, a third-party logistics (3PL) offering that provides specialty pharmaceutical […]
TMS Evolution: A Provider’s Perspective
Shippers have numerous Transportation Management System (TMS) options, but they are farther from feature and price parity than you may imagine. While many TMS core tenants are now commodities, there are significant gaps, strengths, and weaknesses across the main players.
3 Ways to Build a Resilient Supply Chain
After nearly two years of pandemic-related disruptions wreaking havoc, business leaders are learning from the past and looking to the future of supply chain management.
The Future of Work in Logistics
To meet growing e-commerce demand, alleviate labor shortages, and build more supply chain resilience, businesses will need to deploy strategies to attract, retain, develop, and motivate workers in a digital era, says a report from DHL. Highlights from the report include: Millennials and Gen Zers seek jobs with more purpose, less repetitive tasks, and more […]
10 Tips for Deploying a Robotics System
Automation is necessary to meet customer demand and companies have no other option but to deploy these technologies in their warehouses and fulfillment centers to remain competitive now and in the future. Here are 10 suggestions to help you get started.
Bridging the Supply Chain Gender Gap
I wasn’t the first and I won’t be the last mom to pull into a parking spot on two wheels, late for a meeting, hair soaking wet and coffee spilled down the front of my shirt. Being a working mom in supply chain isn’t for the faint of heart. But I’m not alone and the growing number of women entering this industry is encouraging.
4 Tips to Master Reverse Logistics
Up to 40% of online purchases made in the past year were returned, finds recent research. Whether you’re diving into e-commerce for the first time or finding your footing after the accelerated industry growth amid the pandemic, mastering reverse logistics is an essential function of your operation, now more than ever.
Last Mile Predictions and Priorities
Since COVID-19 shut down the world, the delivery industry as a whole experienced exponential growth. The rise of e-commerce platforms stretched last-mile delivery to its limits. The pandemic forced more people to consider delivery services and now consumers love the convenience. This preference for delivery over in-person shopping will continue into the future even after the pandemic.
Scalable Automation Boosts Productivity for Peak Season and Beyond
Verst’s partnership with Locus Robotics addresses labor challenges by using system-guided robots, enabling Verst to fill orders faster and with pinpoint accuracy.
Curating In-Transit Visibility for Fine Art Clients with Tive
Tive’s location tracking and real-time condition monitoring capabilities allow Masterpiece International to manage high-value shipments, providing clients with superior service and peace of mind.
How to Combat Logistics Logjams
Nearly two years into the pandemic, today’s congestion issues and logistics logjams are not expected to end anytime soon. It is imperative brands fortify their supply chains to best navigate the current environment and prepare for what unexpected challenges may lie ahead to limit future disruptions.
Reusable Shipping Technology Advances in the Pharmaceutical Industry
Sustainable shipping technologies in the life sciences and pharmaceuticals industry have come a long way, offering significant supply chain benefits.
3PL Leverages LoadDex to Win More Loads and Grow Its Business
LoadDex from Logistical Labs lets Sunset Transportation take a strategic focus when making pricing decisions, improving customer opportunities and fueling year-over-year growth.
Supply Chain Lessons Learned: The Technology Spin
Digital transformation will be fundamental as we tune into a post-pandemic supply chain.
Masterful Moves: Overcoming Deadlines, Pressures, and the Pandemic
Holman Logistics provided its client with Extraordinary Service resulting in seamless execution for a warehouse move done in record time.
You Won’t Get Fooled Again
Sometimes a kick in the pants is a step forward. The past two years have certainly been kicking it, and not in a good way for many of you. Stress of the type we are still going through can be incentive to change business practices. Incremental changes are a normal part of standard business practices. […]
Supply Chain Lessons Learned: The Procurement Groove
16 sound procurement lessons you can tune into moving forward.
When the Rubber Meets the Road: Warehousing Solution Goes on Overdrive
Evans Distribution Systems deployed its warehousing solution to ensure a rubber manufacturer’s tires arrived at its customer locations from Taiwan on time, damage-free, and with costs contained.
Bringing Insight and Savings to a Retailer’s Freight Spend
AFS helped an agricultural supply retailer achieve freight savings through spend optimization and a more flexible carrier mix, as well as gain benefits from an automated shipping process.
We Won’t Be Fooled Again: The Enterprise Perspective
In today’s tough supply chain environment, companies are spinning big-picture solutions that will keep them on the charts now and for the long play.
Why Expedited Is Not a Four-Letter Word
Q. Why is it more important than ever to establish a relationship with an expedited carrier? A. In today’s volatile transportation environment, capacity is king. As a result, securing TL or reliable LTL capacity comes at a significant cost. Even when a shipper is prepared to pay a premium, there is a lingering fear their […]
Strengthening Omnichannel Capability to Address Fundamental Shifts in Consumer Behavior
Q. What have the past few years revealed about consumer trends? A. With the rise of e-commerce came the demand for next-day or same-day shipping with a catch—no added cost. Consumers crave the instant gratification they would have experienced from going to the store, without leaving their house, and as large online retailers began offering […]
Right-Sizing and Leveraging Fulfillment Automation
Q. How can right-sizing automation addresslabor shortages? Does it lead to increased employee engagement? A. Automation, when correctly applied, should have two benefits: performing tasks with fewer people, and increasing the value of (remaining) employee tasks. Consider automation as a tool, doing the heavy lifting with repetitive tasks and the heavy thinking that goes into […]
Addressing Supply Chain Pain Points for Shippers
Shippers must navigate a daunting array of complex challenges when operating in today’s often turbulent supply chain landscape. Potential pain points are rampant. Fortunately, shippers can turn to a variety of solutions and tools that can help drive capacity, control for rates, enable visibility, manage inbound and outbound execution of shipments, and improve the freight […]
Reducing Small Parcel Shipping Costs: Here’s Where to Begin
Q. The cost of shipping small parcels is constantly increasing, so how can I reduce and control these expenses more easily? A. Global supply chains are still being impacted by COVID-19, and will likely remain volatile for the foreseeable future. Unprecedented volume is also a huge contributor to these costs. According to Statista.com, the global […]
DDC Sync Q&A: Supply Chain Efficiency Through Smart In-Cab BOL Capture
Q. DDC FPO just launched DDC Sync, which leverages intelligent automated capture. Why? How can companies gain supply chain efficiencies by automating data capture? A. We’ve been in this industry working with a large portion of leading motor carriers for a long time. One of the common, recurring challenges that we are always helping our […]
The Relationship Between Supply Chain Resiliency and Sustainability
Companies with robust sustainability programs learned supply chain resiliency is an inevitable side effect of those initiatives. Here’s how sustainability supports resiliency.
Transportation Spend Management in 2022
Shippers using data intelligence can often insulate themselves from transportation management challenges and at the same time, reduce logistics costs. Here’s how:
Fortune 500 Company Takes Control of Inbound Program
Tucker Company Worldwide provided a petroleum refiner oversight and control of its shipments—reducing freight costs, increasing flexibility, and ensuring safety compliance.
Parcel Is a Crucial Value-Add in the Evolution of the TMS
The growing requirements and demands placed on shippers and logistics service providers have pushed transportation management systems to become more agile and able to support greater service levels and cover multiple modes—especially parcel. Q. Why is parcel gaining attention now? A. Shippers and LSPs want to streamline connectivity and communications with their parcel providers. Accurate […]
Key Habits of Highly Effective Cold Chain Shippers
Maintaining optimum conditions for temperature-sensitive cargo takes experience and know-how. Here are four attributes of effective and reliable cold chain shippers.
S&OP: Bringing the Outside In
Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) is an integrated business management process through which the leadership team continually achieves focus, alignment and synchronization among all functions. This ensures that supply meets demand while the organization meets general business objectives, including profitability, productivity, competitive customer lead times, and others.
Achieving Exponential Growth with Your Warehouse Management System
A warehouse management system provides business agility in an unparalleled manner—integrating all aspects of the supply chain to allow companies to scale.
Is Labor Status Quo Crippling Your Operation?
Discover the ways your normalcy undermines business success and how to fix it.
Girding for Supply Chain Turmoil in 2022
Despite the expectation that this year will be a difficult one regarding supply chain management, strategies exist to ease the burden. Companies can minimize disruption by implementing specific tools and best practices that will enable clearing logistical, transportation, and technological hurdles. Those include modernizing your business’s supply chain management processes—adopting artificial intelligence, for instance—enhancing visibility […]
Taking a Fresh Look at Brazil’s Transportation Sector
International investors may have had hesitation about moving into new markets amid the myriad changes of the past year. However, as the economy continues to rebound, many are taking a fresh look at one emerging market in particular: Brazil. Indeed, the Brazilian government has been working to establish new regulations that open doors for foreign […]
How Manufacturers Can Navigate Global Supply Chain Upheaval
Supply chains have been teetering on the brink of downfall for many years from issues such as labor shortages, and the pandemic has only highlighted this problem further. When lockdowns started around the world, many empty shipping containers remained where they were. However, in early summer 2021, many countries loosened restrictions around COVID, unleashing pent-up […]
2022 Supply Chain Predictions
What’s in the supply chain cards for 2022? From limited transportation capacity to skyrocketing material costs to continuing supply chain disruption, learn what’s on deck and how to deal.
Things Go Better with Bulk
Due to shortages delaying—and even halting—transportation, big brands get creative to keep their product and materials moving. For example, Coca-Cola now transports materials in bulk shipping vessels, which are typically used for raw materials such as grain and coal. The beverage company chose the bulk carriers because it could not access containers and cargo space, […]
The Manufacturing Workforce in 2022: Restraints, Predictions, and Implications
Manufacturers are not immune from the impact of the worker shortage that shows little to no sign of ceasing. Heres how to rebuild the talent pipeline.
Vertical Focus: Pet Supplies
Pets Get Their Paws on Table Food With 89% of dog and cat owners saying it’s important for their pets to eat the highest-quality ingredients, a Chewy.com survey reports, dog and cat food manufacturers shift their products from pet food facilities to human food supply chains. Two examples: The Honest Kitchen recently launched a 100% […]
4 Steps to Building Cyber-Resiliency
Cyber-exploitation through contractor networks is becoming more prevalent. Cyber-insecure suppliers and contractors provide covert backdoor access to more prominent corporations.
Latest Fashion Trend? Sustainability
Sustainability is more important than ever as fashion supply chains become more environmentally conscious, says a report from intelligence platform Edited. The biggest shift has been the number of products labeled "recycled" or "containing recycled materials" (see chart), which now account for 51% of sustainable products versus 29% in 2019. Highlights from the report reveal: […]
BREA Wine Company Raises a Glass to Logistics
BREA Wine Company runs on a lean staff—just one full-time employee. Yet since its launch in 2013, sales at the Berkeley, California-based company have grown by a factor of more than 13. The company’s founders, Tim Elenteny and Chris Brockway, both are employed full-time elsewhere. Elenteny is co-founder of Elenteny Imports, headquartered in New York; Brockway owns Broc Cellars, a winery based in Berkeley, California.
Planner Blueprint
Creating the 2022 Logistics Planner issue was as interesting, as challenging, and as much fun as publishing our first Planner nearly a decade ago. The sheer size of this issue gives me the ability to cover a wide variety of topics impacting your job. I hope this issue provides the information you’ll need to help […]
Early Amazon Story Explains How to Create Resiliency
Early in Amazon’s history there is a famous story about a renegotiation of its UPS contract. It is one of the first examples of Amazon realizing its scale and utilizing and leveraging it for growth.
Star Power
Amy Davis is vice president and president of the New Power segment of Cummins Inc.
Sideways Ships and Missing Chips: Overcoming E-Bike Blockages
Most businesses were impacted by the pandemic and the e-bike supply chain was no exception.
Old Processes Impede New Inventory Strategies
Few businesses use new technologies to tackle supply chain issues caused by the pandemic due to tighter costs and dependence on legacy work processes, says a recent survey from intelligence platform Verusen. This results in lost revenue and increased inventory costs. Global supply chain executives responding to the survey cite poor data quality, siloed materials […]
Cultivating Supply Chain Talent
2021 was notable for labor challenges and shifts in thinking about employee engagement. Here’s how to attract supply chain talent and increase job satisfaction.
10 Tips for Advancing Your Supply Chain Career
Career opportunities in supply chain are practically limitless. To avoid career stagnation and advance with your evolving interests and desires, take a proactive approach.
Robots Do Yardwork, Too
Efficient warehouse operations provide the levels of service that customers demand as America’s economy scales up. In many instances, yard operations impede that efficiency. Safety, driver facilities, cooperation, and consideration for truckers’ time are ongoing challenges. One driver tells us that a yard he regularly serves is "like a moonscape." The confluence of e-commerce growth […]
Food Logistics: Let’s Eat!
The pandemic and shift to home dining and takeout changed the recipe for the food supply chain. Here’s how food companies are devouring new challenges.
How would you summarize the supply chain in 2021 in five words?
A never-ending game of whack-a-mole.
Cold Chain Innovations: Keep Your Cool
For some products, a few degrees more or less can spell the difference between successful delivery and catastrophic spoilage.
Choose a 3PL with a Culture and Vision that Match Your Own
Transportation has often been considered a commodity. Equipment, fuel, software, and wages are all very similar from a cost perspective. A 3PL’s culture can be a competitive advantage. Q: Why does culture matter? A: Today, cost is just one of many factors to consider when selecting a 3PL. A low-cost provider may produce short-term savings […]
What to Expect and How to Prepare for Peak Season
Expect a longer and more unpredictable peak season. Here’s how companies can get their logistics operations prepared for what’s to come.
Balancing Just-in-Time with Just-in-Case
Supply chain leaders must balance efficiency and cost, with inventory management strategies that incorporate the Lean efficiencies of Just-in-Time with the higher inventory levels of Just-in-Case.
Making Decisions and Adapting Warehouse Operations with WMS + MES
Q. How does adaptability in warehouse operations allow for a quick response to consumption changes? A. In the past two years the way consumers shop has changed. We witnessed 10 years’ worth of e-commerce growth in 3 months. It also caused a drastic change in consumption patterns where some products saw a 75-85% increase in […]
Improving CX: Going the Extra Mile
From e-commerce fulfillment strategies to warehouse layout to inventory approaches, here are the supply chain moves that go above and beyond to improve the customer experience.
Logistics Management & Chain of Custody: Securing IT Assets
Proper logistics management can be one of the most critical aspects of a successful IT asset disposition (ITAD) program.
Groceries Give Warehouse Automation A Lift
The global warehouse automation market will grow from $29.6 billion in 2020 to $69 billion in 2025 (see chart), says an Interact Analysis report, largely driven by e-commerce retailers that sell groceries and general merchandise, such as JD.com, Amazon, and Target. Fixed automation, such as automated storage and retrieval systems, conveyors, and conveyor-based sorters, will […]
Noted: The Supply Chain In Brief-Dec 2021
Good Works Participating in the Pink October global breast cancer initiative, Bollore Transport & Logistics provided free screenings to employees in Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, and Italy at partner health centers or in their workplace. The company is also working with Florida Mobile Mammography to offer 3D mammograms to employees. Ruan and Bobcat accepted an Outstanding Disability Employer Award from the […]
IN BRIEF: New Services & Solutions-December 2021
Technology TMS provider Axele upgraded its software to include new factoring and loadboard integrations and new dispatch and settlement features. The latest upgrades enable the software to optimize driver schedules with the most profitable loads. Shippers of all sizes get access to real-time supply chain data with the latest updates from Centerboard. The neutral, shipper-centric transportation management solution’s […]
Big Transportation Impacts Small and Mid-Size Businesses
One often overlooked budget item in growing companies is transportation and logistics. As companies focus on growth, the oversight of logistics programs frequently becomes a complimentary duty of employees whose primary focus might be in other company disciplines.
Follow the Sun
Arch Thomason basks in a mentor list 33 names long, lean principles, servant leadership, and a talented team to keep Sunland Logistics Solutions shining bright.
Vertical Focus | Home Improvement
Pre-Orders Build Up Home Improvement Inventory Many manufacturers have discontinued their less-popular products or increased prices across product categories as ships wait off the California coast, truck drivers face long wait times, and rail yards remain backed up. AAA Distributor, however, has all its kitchen cabinetry, shower doors, vanities, and flooring products ready to ship […]
6 Reasons You Should Control Inbound Logistics
If the pandemic has taught us anything it’s this—supply chains are brittle. If raw materials or parts don’t get to where they need to be on time, manufacturing plants grind to a halt, orders are not fulfilled, customers are unhappy, and the bottom line suffers. A pandemic—and its knock-on effects of shortages—is not something companies […]
What’s the most challenging time-critical shipment you ever pulled off? How?
I worked for a 3PL in Holland that distributed surgical products. A Luxembourg hospital contacted us after hours, after realizing they did not have the right-size heart valve for a patient needing immediate surgery. One of our employees delivered the valve there in his car, saving the patient’s life.
The Role of IoT in Keeping Vaccines Safe
The pandemic made clear the need for equity in access to vaccines. In fact, G7 leaders met earlier this year to discuss just that. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “leaders recognized that no country can be safe until every country committed to develop and distribute effective tests, treatments, and vaccines around the world.” […]
Pulling Levers and Finding Value in Transportation
Value is not always easy to measure. It’s the same when discussing transportation costs. Lowest cost is not always the best, as poor quality can cost you much more. Corporate supply chain managers need to understand which levers to pull so they can get the best value for every transportation dollar spent.
Is the Healthcare Supply Chain Ready for the Netflix Effect?
Have you ever marveled at how Netflix seems to know what you want to watch, when you want to watch it, and sets expectations with a high percentage of likelihood that you’ll enjoy their recommendation? What if we could apply that same degree of accuracy to the healthcare supply chain? Armed with the right information, we could know who needs which supplies and when, down to the patient level. The result would be a more resilient supply chain and better patient outcomes.
Unleash Short Sea?
The ports around the Great Lakes would love to help offset some of the pain of the horror show called the "shipping crisis." Guess what. They can’t by law. Thank the Harbor Maintenance Fee (HMF), a well-intended policy perfect for the 1980s, along with related regulations, for sidelining port capacity around the Great Lakes. The […]
Air Cargo Today: Buckle Up!
Experts offer tips and advice for riding out the turbulent airfreight market.
Survival of Companies Depends Entirely on Managing Supply Chain’s 5 V’s
They include: visibility, volatility, velocity, vulnerability, and viability.
10 Tips for Optimizing Your Routes
This list of tips covers three critical phases: planning (1 to 3), implementation (4 to 7), and program optimization (7 to 10). Each phase calls on different teams to be involved and pursues discrete goals.
Expedited Transport Quick Tips
How to keep freight moving when it seems like the whole world is conspiring to slow it down.
Expedited Carriers Guide 2021
In today’s e-commerce-driven supply chains, speed is practically a given. Whether same-day, next-day, two-day, express, expedited, priority, or standard, consumers want their orders fast. That demand has accelerated even quicker during the pandemic, motivating shippers to find ways to optimize transportation to be fast and affordable. To help make sense of the expedited delivery options, […]
Boosting DC Productivity
Faced with increasing e-commerce complexity, distribution centers have to balance flexibility with efficiency. Here are the products, equipment, and systems that streamline DC operations.
Driving Growth Without Boundaries
When Advanced Drainage Systems needed to expand its distribution footprint amid a building boom, DHL Supply Chain helped the company scale its supply chain and position itself for future growth.