VERTICAL FOCUS: Pet Supplies

VERTICAL FOCUS: Pet Supplies

Biofuels: A Pet Peeve A proposed EPA rule has the pet industry howling. The rule would establish required Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) volumes and percentage standards for 2023, 2024, and 2025 (see chart). The EPA also recommended a series of modifications to strengthen and expand the RFS program. The pet food industry’s response was swift […]

Inbound Logistics: Definition, Examples, and Process

Inbound Logistics: Definition, Examples, and Process

Logistics is an essential aspect of any business, as it involves planning, organizing, and managing the flow of goods, services, and information from the point of origin to the point of consumption. It encompasses the entire process of sourcing raw materials, assembling products, and delivering finished goods to customers. Logistics can be divided into two […]

Most Read Articles of 2022

Most Read Articles of 2022

The challenges of the past few years did not ease up in 2022. Here are some articles covering practical strategies that readers turned to for advice last year.

E-Commerce Evolves

E-Commerce Evolves

E-commerce companies carve out success through a unified approach to omnichannel order management and distribution, along with a focus on demand planning.

Carrier Success Stories

Carrier Success Stories

The road to a successful partnership with your transportation provider can be long. But with the right mix of dedicated service, innovative strategies, advanced technology, and old-fashioned work ethic, carriers go above and beyond to meet shippers’ unique needs. Here’s how they get the job done.

Warehouse Safety  First

Warehouse Safety First

Keeping employees safe is every warehouse operator’s responsibility. Collision-avoidance systems, wearable solutions to improve ergonomic safety, and virtual reality training programs help reduce the risks.

Retailers Come Closer to Home

Retailers Come Closer to Home

E-commerce companies are reworking the twists and turns in their distribution networks to get closer to their customers and speed delivery times by shortening the last mile.

Industrial Real Estate Keeps the Pace…for Now

Industrial Real Estate Keeps the Pace…for Now

U.S. industrial leasing activity will decline in 2023, but demand will keep pace with supply for the 13th consecutive year of positive net absorption, predicts CBRE in its U.S. Real Estate Market Outlook 2023 report. Vacancy rates that remain below the 10-year average, however, will lead to double-digit rent growth, finds the report. As of […]

Polish Up That Crystal Ball

Polish Up That Crystal Ball

Making informed decisions that impact all aspects of the supply chain requires access to quality, actionable information. While it’s not possible to accurately predict the future, BlueGrace Logistics’ Logistics Confidence Index (LCI) examines expected revenue growth for upcoming quarters and how shippers can adjust based on those expectations. The LCI shipper survey measures expected industry […]

California Here We Come

California Here We Come

Nearly one-third of logistics managers polled in a CNBC survey do not know how much trade they would return to West Coast ports after an International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) labor deal is reached. Negotiations between the Pacific Maritime Association and the ILWU, which represents 22,000 West Coast port workers, began on May 10, […]

Last-Mile Deliveries Grow Bigger and Bulkier

Last-Mile Deliveries Grow Bigger and Bulkier

Big and bulky last-mile delivery will be one of the fastest growing third-party logistics (3PL) segments for the next three years, driven by expanding e-commerce product categories that include furniture and appliances, predicts Making it Count: Big and Bulky Last-Mile Delivery in the United States, an Armstrong & Associates report. The report estimates the 3PL […]

Robotics Demand Skyrockets

Robotics Demand Skyrockets

Robots are seeing a population growth. By 2027, more than 4 million robots will be installed and operating in warehouses and distribution centers. Shipments of mobile robots jumped 53% in 2022 when compared with 2021, driven by increasing e-commerce, labor shortages, and shifting manufacturing methods, finds research from Interact Analysis. The market will experience compounded […]

South of the Border Imports Boom

Driven by demand for boats, vehicles, vehicle parts, computer parts, and oil, Mexican imports to the United States rose 19.5% year-over-year in 2022 to reach $479.6 billion according to Mexico’s ​​National Institute of Statistics, Geography, and Informatics. Some segments, such as motor vehicle parts, are returning to pre-pandemic levels. Additionally, data from project44 shows that […]

Walmart Takes to the Skies

Walmart Takes to the Skies

Retailers continue to look for new ways to meet consumer demand for fast delivery. Many, including Walmart, are banking on drones. For a cool $3.99, Walmart customers who live within one mile of a participating store can now have thousands of eligible products delivered to their home via same-day drone delivery. Walmart expanded its DroneUp […]

Reviewing 2022 Shipping Challenges

Reviewing 2022 Shipping Challenges

How did shippers respond to challenges in 2022 and how do they plan to respond in 2023? That’s what Averitt’s eighth annual State of the North American Supply Chain Survey set out to discover. The survey asked 1,800 shippers about supply chain challenges in 2022 and measures their interest in various supply chain services moving […]

Many Supply Chains Still in the Dark

Many Supply Chains Still in the Dark

Although technology innovations help shed light on additional insights into supply chains, some knowledge gaps remain. Up to 80% of executives responding to Verusen’s 2022 State of Supply Chain Management report say they can’t digitally track the movement of direct and indirect materials across their enterprise, which suggests that many companies may lack the technology […]

Managing Supplier Risk: It’s All About the Information

Managing Supplier Risk: It’s All About the Information

What was once “nice to have” information has been defined by law. As social and environmental concerns grow, governments and related third parties are demanding, with regulatory backing, that businesses manage ethical supply chains. What can large organizations with complex supply chains do to help mitigate supplier risk?

The Costly Consequences of Bad Data

The Costly Consequences of Bad Data

A majority of sourcing and procurement leaders say they were inadequately prepared for supply chain disruptions in 2022. This lack of preparedness is partly due to continued and overwhelming reliance on manually updated source-to-pay platforms, which seriously limit operational efficiency. Worse, inaccurate supplier data inhibits business continuity, especially as disruptions continue.

Solving the Talent Crisis

Solving the Talent Crisis

The greatest untapped talent pool in manufacturing, logistics, and the supply chain sector in the United States is women. Even though women make up almost half (47%) of the entire U.S. labor force, they make up only slightly more than one-quarter (27%) of the manufacturing workforce. This needs to change if the manufacturing industry is to have any hope of addressing the enormous talent chasm that has opened up in recent years.

Design Time: Leveraging a WMS to Furnish Homes Sustainably

Design Time: Leveraging a WMS to Furnish Homes Sustainably

By offering minimalist, modern design and quality materials, home furnishing company Oliver Space has grown to more than 100 employees over the past three years, expanding from its headquarters in San Francisco to serve six cities along the West Coast and in southwestern United States. Along the way, it has helped furnish thousands of homes.

Is Your Business Ready for Intelligent Document Processing?

Is Your Business Ready for Intelligent Document Processing?

The world has seen the damage a slow supply chain can do—it stunts economic growth, negatively impacts revenue, and leads to customer frustration, or worse, customer loss. Technology has been touted as the end-all to supply chain woes, but it can be difficult to determine the most beneficial solutions. Yet, one AI solution can lay the foundational groundwork for implementing future technologies: Intelligent Document Processing (IDP).

Innovation Takes a Turn at the Wheel

Innovation Takes a Turn at the Wheel

When it comes to meeting supply chain goals, many companies want to take a breather and buy a vowel. But with some innovative thinking, they can boost visibility, increase fulfillment operation efficiency, and streamline transportation, without losing a turn.

2023 Inventory… Too Much? Too Little?

2023 Inventory… Too Much? Too Little?

Inventory. That was the theme unifying both attendees and exhibitors at the 2023 National Retail Federation (NRF) convention in New York City. More precisely, everyone I spoke to was interested in load balancing inventory to serve new retail fulfillment approaches striving to catch up with the blindingly fast evolution in consumer buying habits. For retail […]

Overcoming Global Trade Barriers

Overcoming Global Trade Barriers

Lockdowns, land wars, and rising costs had companies scrambling to keep sourcing intact in 2022. Is reshoring the key to unlocking international trade challenges?

3 Ways Digital Transformation Enhances Capacity

3 Ways Digital Transformation Enhances Capacity

After consecutive pandemic years, supply chains are a mess. As a result, businesses are running out of stock just as surging consumer demand drives up prices for remaining goods, contributing to record inflation and further disrupting consumer markets.

5 Ways to Strengthen and Future-Proof Your Supply Chain

5 Ways to Strengthen and Future-Proof Your Supply Chain

In recent years, environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) practices have become a critical aspect of any company’s reputation and success. Consumers don’t care just about what they are purchasing; they also care about how the product or service gets to them. For instance, an Edelman study shows 64% of consumers worldwide will buy or boycott a brand solely because of its position on a social or political issue.

Resolving the Driver Retention Crisis

Resolving the Driver Retention Crisis

While the trucking industry has been put under further pressure by current supply chain issues, the real problem started long before the pandemic. Driver shortages were being felt as far back as 2005, according to a 2019 American Trucking Associations report.

Powering Up a Better Supply Chain

Powering Up a Better Supply Chain

Aggreko ensures business is always on by delivering energy anywhere it’s needed so that businesses can grow and communities can thrive. The power company found an ideal partner in RedStone Logistics.

Optimizing Customer Service and Corporate Value

Optimizing Customer Service and Corporate Value

Q. How can a company maximize customer service and corporate value? A. The first interaction is often with the customer service department. This team makes the first impression, setting the tone for the relationship and the perception of how your brand can fulfill their needs. Suppose the experience is pleasant and productive; your credibility increases. […]

Automation: From Benefit to Necessity

Automation: From Benefit to Necessity

Even prior to the pandemic, consumers were demanding. Since the rise of e-commerce, end users expect the ability to order what they want, when they want it, via the channels they want. Brands are adapting to this demand by offering curbside pickup, third-party delivery services, direct-from-social media purchasing, and a variety of other channels to cater to different consumer preferences.

2023: A Year of Opportunity for U.S. Manufacturing

2023: A Year of Opportunity for U.S. Manufacturing

Despite the global economic turmoil of the past two years, we are amidst a once-in-a-generation shift of global manufacturing footprints, and 2023 should continue to be a year of opportunity for manufacturers in the United States. This translates to a lot of sustained site selection activity in the market.

How to Avoid Paying Ransom

How to Avoid Paying Ransom

It is no great secret that cyberattacks are on the rise, and recent data suggests supply chains are no exception. A 2022 NCCGROUP survey shows that supply chain organizations experienced a 51% increase in attacks within the six months preceding the survey. The first step in addressing this risk is acknowledging that it exists. The good news is this should be a relatively easy step, especially compared to what comes next.

Get Closer to the Action With Onshoring

Get Closer to the Action With Onshoring

Supply chains are the lifeline of globalization. In the years leading up to the pandemic, western companies routinely outsourced production to suppliers in lower-cost economies around the world. However, the seemingly never-ending string of supply chain disruptions over the past two years highlighted the fragility of complex and dispersed supply chains.

Gaining Better Visibility: Where to Start

Gaining Better Visibility: Where to Start

While the business-to-consumer (B2C) market has embraced sophisticated technology tools to enable a digital transformation across the supply chain, the business-to-business (B2B) industry has been slower to adapt, steadfast in a reliance on spreadsheets, phone calls and email.

3 Top Emerging Automated Solutions

3 Top Emerging Automated Solutions

Within the four walls of distribution centers (DCs), more automated alternatives are replacing traditional labor-intensive process and material handling strategies. Operations leaders are beginning to automate and upgrade specific aspects of their DC operations that are bowing under the weight of e-commerce pressures.

The Supply Chain: It’s Alive! It’s Alive!

The Supply Chain: It’s Alive! It’s Alive!

In some ways, the supply chain of today is a living, breathing organism. It’s not just links and nodes on a map, but a blend of digital and/or analog data, machines, and yes, real people who are constantly moving and adapting.

Three Considerations for Choosing a Cross-Border 3PL

Three Considerations for Choosing a Cross-Border 3PL

Whether to solve existing supply chain issues or to make good supply chains even better, many companies are now cultivating shorter supply chains that boast greater agility during disruptive circumstances. As a result, North American warehouses and distribution centers are increasingly shifting to Mexican and Canadian-based suppliers, rather than overseas counterparts, to simplify supply chains and improve fulfillment processes. While this is a step in the right direction, companies are finding that shorter and simpler doesn’t mean easier.

The Evolution of Container Chassis Provisioning

The Evolution of Container Chassis Provisioning

When Malcom McLean introduced the world to container shipping in 1956, it not only touched off a seismic shift in the way cargo was handled but also the equipment and infrastructure needed to support containerized operations.

Dangerous Goods: Definition, Regulations, and Classes

Dangerous Goods: Definition, Regulations, and Classes

Companies ship various goods by land, sea, and air daily. Some are hazardous substances and pose severe effects if not handled properly. The dangerous goods regulations and guidance are strict and enforced by various government agencies and international organizations, such as the United Nations, to minimize the risk of accidents or ensure safe transport. Let’s […]

Agile Supply Chain: What It Is, Benefits, and Applications

Agile Supply Chain: What It Is, Benefits, and Applications

Supply chains can be complex and sensitive. A company can’t survive without a supply chain because it needs everything from raw materials to the final product.  Many companies have established an agile supply chain to manage supply better, move goods quickly, and deliver them on time. This process is fundamental to those who produce physical […]

What Is an ELD? The Benefits, Purpose, and Features of ELDs

What Is an ELD? The Benefits, Purpose, and Features of ELDs

Many businesses that operate a fleet of trucks or vehicles are required to have ELD or electronic logging devices installed in each vehicle. ELDs are intended to enhance the safety of professional truck drivers. ELDs are a convenient way to manage, track, and share data during driving and downtime. As technology continues to evolve, it […]

Transloading: Meaning, Benefits, and Challenges

Transloading: Meaning, Benefits, and Challenges

Transloading is a crucial component of supply chain management, as it helps to optimize the movement of goods and reduce transportation costs. It allows logistics companies to adapt to changes in demand and unexpected logistical challenges while shipments still reach their final destinations quickly and cost effectively.  Let’s look at the meaning, benefits, and challenges […]

What is a Straight Truck? Definition, Types, and Uses

What is a Straight Truck? Definition, Types, and Uses

Wondering what a straight truck is? A straight truck refers to a type of vehicle with a tractor-trailer in a fixed position. In other words, all the axles in a straight truck attach to a single frame. Usually, straight trucks look like do-it-yourself moving trucks and, in most cases, move housing supplies, boxes, furniture, refrigerators, […]

Preparing for a Holiday Surge in Cybercrime? Secure Digital Logistics Workflows

Preparing for a Holiday Surge in Cybercrime? Secure Digital Logistics Workflows

The holidays have become primetime for cyberattacks as more businesses shift to digital-first. Given the sensitive nature of supply chains, your logistics data could be at risk if managed across disparate channels. Here are three ways client portals can effectively manage vendor relationships while prioritizing security.  360-degree VIEW Between 2018 and 2020, ransomware attacks increased […]

Logistics Planning: Definition, Types, Importance, and Strategies

Logistics Planning: Definition, Types, Importance, and Strategies

Have you ever been to a business that looked neat and orderly at first glance, but behind the scenes it was a different story? It’s easy to present as a well-oiled machine in the front office, but if you neglect business processes at other levels, you’re in trouble. Logistics planning can help you fire on […]

Drayage: Meaning, Importance, and Types

Drayage: Meaning, Importance, and Types

Large container ships move cargo from port to port across the continent. Trucks and railways move cargo within countries. Consider, however, the smaller, more intricate steps that allow freight to move between transportation modes.  These smaller national movements are collectively called drayage and are crucial to shipping logistics.  What Is Drayage? Drayage is a form […]

Taking the Temperature on Sustainability

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

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?

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

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

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

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 SMBs Can Re-evaluate Risk

How SMBs Can Re-evaluate Risk

Supply chain disruption has been a major issue since the onset of the pandemic, affecting consumers’ ability to get everything from toilet paper and pharmacy items to cars and houses. At the same time, porch-pirated theft is on the rise, with around 210 million packages disappearing from porches across the United States in 2021, according to a Safewise study.

Attacks on Energy Attack You

Attacks on Energy Attack You

Can you walk and chew gum at the same time? Leaders in the United States and globally cannot when it comes to balancing green energy initiatives with common sense energy requirements.

10 Tips: Matching Inventory To Demand

10 Tips: Matching Inventory To Demand

Demand is a constantly changing variable in any supply chain. Each time the demand tides change, retailers, wholesalers, distributors, and manufacturers must align inventory levels to meet customer expectations. Here are tips for doing it successfully.

Stay Chill

Stay Chill

Shippers face many challenges when maintaining the cold chain for food transportation. Chill out! These solutions can help.