Keeping Your Digital Supply Chain Secure

Organizations that are most protected from cyberattacks are ones that understand what threats exist in the first place. This means having a good understanding of their entire supply chain as well as the data they are responsible for and where it is stored. 1. Understand the biggest threats to the digital supply chain, what data […]

Democratizing Global E-Commerce?

Many small and mid-size enterprises (SMEs) report friction due to inflation and COVID. One way to rise above those headwinds is to expand both consumer and business-to-business e-commerce sales. But many SMEs don’t have the spend or techno skills to form a winning strategy to compete with the e-commerce big players who dominate the market […]

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT | Materials Handling Solutions

  Wildeck Delta VRC: The Delta Vertical Reciprocating Conveyor (VRC) from Wildeck moves materials from one elevation to another safely and reliably. It can transfer materials to a mezzanine, rack storage system with catwalks, or an upper floor level. Featuring a side-mount motor for easier maintenance, it has no overhead mechanicals, allowing for a lower ceiling […]

Sachi Thompson: Do The Hustle

Responsibilities: Lead Curvature’s global server, storage, and network hardware business, including running operations, sales, and executing the division’s corporate strategy. Experience: Executive vice president, global supply chain,Curvature; chief operating officer, Curvature (pre-merger with SMS); director of real estate and leasing,Ess-Tee Management; production director,Big Dogs Sportswear. Education: B.A., History, University of California—Santa Barbara In 2007, I joined Curvature […]

NOTED: The Supply Chain In Brief

Sealed Deals Brewing company Carlsberg Group selected Kinaxis’ RapidResponse platform to create a harmonized planning process and improve commercial agility. By using the platform, Carlsberg can glean process insights and improve supply chain decision-making for its portfolio of beer and other beverage brands. Tubby Todd, an e-commerce company providing body care products for babies, selected […]

How Strong Trading Relationships Help Win and Retain Customers

The most effective supply chains are built on a firm foundation of cooperation between suppliers and distributors. Strong trading relationships have a significant impact on just about every measure of performance: customer service, transportation and storage costs, risk, forecasting, lead times, and even product development. The best way to ensure that your supply chain is […]

VERTICAL FOCUS: Perishables

Grain Pain As with many other sectors, transportation disruptions have hit the perishables industry in 2022. The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) released its mid-year status update on transportation systems in the United States—and, as you might expect, the numbers are troublesome. Total grain rail cars loaded and billed dipped slightly, from 381,000 cars in […]

Order Management System+Online Store=The Best Customer Experience

A majority of buyers say they will abandon a brand after just one negative experience. Retailers must look at the entire purchasing process—from browsing and checkout through delivery and returns—as every interaction is crucial to developing a lifelong customer. Here are some pre, during, and post-purchase solutions an order management system (OMS), working in tandem […]

Tips to Overcome Year-Round Labor Challenges

The logistics sector is expanding. The Logistics Managers’ Index, which is calculated using a diffusion index in which any reading above 50 indicates that logistics is expanding, came in at 65 in June 2021 and a record-high reading of 76.2 in March 2022. Continued growth is shifting how companies approach hiring. Continued growth as a […]

Good Question: What’s your best tip for retailers pivoting to direct-to-consumer (DTC) fulfillment?

Successful DTC fulfillment comes down to balancing customer acquisition cost, conversion rate, and average order value (AOV). AOV is critical—if it’s too low, shipping costs will eat up your margins. Keep AOV up by bundling products and using shipping partners who offer flexible fulfillment options that scale with you. –Aaron Galer SVP of Strategic Partners […]

White Glove Delivery Strategies and Techniques

When consumers were sent home to work, big and bulky e-commerce orders took off, along with white glove delivery expectations. The right combination of technology and strategy can help retailers meet them. Saying that e-commerce shipping has had an eventful two years would be an understatement. The pandemic accelerated the shift toward online retail by […]

Florida Rising

The Sunshine State is strategically positioned for increased trade, even as global supply chains undergo dramatic changes. Here’s how two of its ports are supporting Florida’s ambitions and making bold moves. What is it about Florida that makes the state an ideal spot to plant or expand a business? In terms of both logistics and […]

Powering Logistics Development

What energizes logistics development? From access to infrastructure and proximity to a population center, to tax, energy, and land incentives, here are the driving forces behind site selection decisions and major investments. Businesses considering where to expand or move their operations evaluate myriad factors. Among the top considerations, says Jeremy Sowders, economic development manager with […]

Pharma Supply Chains Get Technology Booster

Pharmaceutical and life sciences supply chains receive a healthy dose of innovation and automation solutions—boosting visibility, traceability, and productivity. Until recently, companies planning for resilience and business continuity tended to focus on relatively localized events, like a hurricane hitting the Gulf Coast of North America and disrupting traffic and power, or an Icelandic volcano erupting, […]

Pallet Recovery Keeps the Circular Supply Chain Moving

CHEP is committed to a share and reuse model for pallets that contributes to a regenerative supply chain. The provider increased its focus on pallet recovery—a vital step to ensuring goods continue moving throughout the supply chain and ultimately meet consumer demands. At its core, CHEP, a global provider of share and reuse (or pooled) […]

Improving Healthcare Fulfillment with Traceability and Inventory Accuracy

Pharmaceutical and healthcare distributors can now pick, pack, and ship products accurately, efficiently, and in a timely manner with Locus Robotics’ solutions. How does Locus Robotics help the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry with traceability and serialization? As pharmaceutical and healthcare customers are picking or even putting away different medicines and medical supplies, they’re able to […]

The Effects of Inflation on The Supply Chain

The past few years have brought unprecedented circumstances that are culminating in some significant supply chain challenges. You can safeguard against many of the challenges by partnering with a 3PL. Most organizations face more supply chain challenges now than they did a year ago, research shows. Increases in costs incur higher fees for supplies and […]

The Last Mile: Big Builds

With these infrastructure and supply chain projects, the largest of their type in the world, it’s go big or go home.

Marmon Holdings Improves Performance with Managed Logistics Program

From developing processes to measure savings to creating a dashboard and reporting tools, Echo Global Logistics helped Marmon Holdings manage shipping in a more centralized way. The Challenge Marmon Holdings, Inc. traditionally operates in a decentralized manner, equipping the company’s 100+ businesses with the resources needed to be successful and the autonomy to make their […]

MagicLogic Provides Flexible Customized Cartonization Software for Augusta Sportswear

Augusta Sportswear—the company behind brands such as Holloway, High Five, and Russell Athletic—turned to MagicLogic for a load planning solution that packages orders dynamically and seamlessly. Augusta Sportswear’s story began in 1977 when the company was originally founded. It has since become a byword within the apparel industry for manufacturing high-quality sportswear. The company manufactures […]

Do You Use KPIs Effectively?

Most businesses today collect data to set and track key performance indicators, or KPIs. Logistics companies are no different. And with the industry in turmoil these days from the pandemic and global economic stressors, KPIs may be more important than ever. But do supply chain executives truly understand and fully utilize the KPI numbers they […]

Freight Is Fraught

The double-whammy of skyrocketing fuel prices and out-of-control inflation has put a hurt on the freight industry. So have flattening modal growth trajectories, seasonal factors, and softening demand. So says the new edition of the Cowen/AFS Freight Index, which provides predictive pricing tools for such sectors as less-than-truckload (LTL), truckload (TL), and parcel shipping (separately […]

What Is a Freight Embargo and Why Do Carriers Set Them?

Embargoes are common in less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping. LTL temporary service outages are particularly relevant in today’s carrier market, when demand for freight is at record highs and resources are still lean for many carriers. Q: What is an LTL freight embargo? A: A freight embargo is when a carrier stops accepting loads from shippers. LTL […]

Are Labor Shortages Straining Your E-Commerce Business? Strengthen Operations with an Automated Returns Management System

These days, returns have become a non-negotiable standard part of the e-commerce experience for B2C and B2B customers alike and are a key factor for vendors looking to maintain customer satisfaction and increase loyalty. While they can be costly and laborious, successful returns processes can showcase customer service, achieve long-term consumer loyalty, and provide invaluable […]

Project Logistics: The Basics of Anything But Basic

Moving big, bulky, unconventional freight around the globe precisely and effectively in the face of myriad challenges is not for the faint of heart. Here’s how project logistics experts get it done. It’s not every day in transportation and logistics that you are involved in a star-studded movie premiere with both Hollywood royalty and actual […]

Calling in the Troops

The ingenuity of America’s fighting forces has been the deciding factor in the greatest challenges the world has ever seen. Could history’s best-trained military men and women provide the answers to the supply chain workforce challenges we face today? Military leaders’ claim on logistics is pervasive throughout history. Everyone from Patton to Sun Tzu acknowledges […]

What’s the Word: the Language of Logistics

Load Balancing To load balance inventory means to distribute inventory across a network of warehouses with the main purpose of positioning inventory closer to the end customer prior to purchase. Retailers load balance inventory to reduce last-mile costs and ensure faster delivery. When leveraging a well-balanced network, it also allows for redundancy in their supply […]

2022 Inbound Logistics Perspectives: 3PL Market Research Report

Our 17th annual 3PL market research report takes a deep-dish dive into the dynamics of logistics partnerships in 2022. Rampant inflation, including high transportation costs. A tight labor market. Commodities shortages. Uncertainties tied to the war in Ukraine and the pandemic. There seems to be no end to the obstacles ready to frustrate shippers as […]

5 Phases of Disruption Response

While supply chain problems appeared at first to be temporary ramifications of the pandemic, research now suggests that restoring previous supply chain functioning will take more than time. New solutions will have to be developed, and innovation in the tech space will have to be part of these solutions. In a recent presentation, Palash Barandwaj, […]

Maritime Challenges: Ports Sea It Through

Ports ease rough supply chain conditions with new services, technology, and other initiatives. Even as many books, music, and movies travel electronically, physical goods still need to move, well, physically. More than four-fifths of global merchandise trade by volume travels by sea at some point, according to The Container Port Performance Index 2021, a publication […]

AMRs Move Dock-to-Stock Metrics in the Right Direction

Manufacturers, 3PLs, distributors, and retailers are under pressure to get goods picked, packed, and shipped faster than ever. Here’s the thing, though: it will be difficult to get orders out the door on time if raw materials or pass-through inventory aren’t processed efficiently. That’s why any conversation about improving outbound processes—especially when exploring automation as […]

Full Steam Ahead, Don’t Let Ocean Costs Detain You

With rising ocean and detention costs, controls and analysis are more important than ever to protect profitability.

Loup Transloading Network: Creative Shipping Solutions Expand Market Reach

Learn how Loup creates seamless transportation solutions by combining the economics of long-haul rail service and the flexibility of over-the-road shipping to reimagine supply chain opportunities. The Challenge One of the leading roofing manufacturers in North America moves locally manufactured roofing shingles from a non-rail-served facility in the Inland Empire to Utah. This business moved […]

Shifting Gears to Drive Improvement

National Oak Distributors, an automotive paint, body, and equipment warehouse distributing company founded in 1995, reaches more than 95% of the country with next-day delivery. Because timeliness lies at the heart of its business model, supply chain visibility and accurate reporting are key. THE CUSTOMER National Oak Distributors is an automotive paint, body, and equipment […]

Scaling E-commerce Operations to Meet Social Media-Driven Sales Spikes

When digitally native, fashion-forward company Edikted experienced exponential growth after trending on TikTok, it turned to Ryder Ecommerce by Whiplash’s technology-forward solutions. THE CHALLENGE In today’s digital age, the influence of social media can expand a brand’s reach and boost sales in a matter of minutes. When an e-commerce brand goes viral, they’ll need to […]

Situational Awareness in 3PL Warehousing

Only with a WMS supporting the rapid onboarding of new customers can a 3PL expand its operations exponentially.

How Location Intelligence Improves Supply Chain Management

The effects of the pandemic have strained the global supply chain, resulting in manufacturing and shipping delays that impact nearly every business that receives goods or ships products. It’s clear that supply chain management now requires an increasingly digitized strategy. That’s why companies should use real-world data, like location intelligence, to enhance their supply chains. […]

NOTED: The Supply Chain In Brief

Sealed Deals CEVA Logistics signed a five-year, omnichannel logistics contract with Sephora in Brazil to provide logistics services for stores and e-commerce fulfillment. In addition, CEVA will provide climate-controlled infrastructure to meet Sephora”’s product requirements. Gummy candy brand HARIBO tapped ODW Logistics to help streamline distribution capabilities and scale operations. ODW now provides warehousing and […]

Steering the Future of Autonomous Vehicles

Autonomous vehicles could reshape the trucking industry, presenting a solution to improve safety and can be a freight mobility multiplier to support supply chain efficiency and reliability. But a patchwork of state laws creates a hindrance to implementing emerging technology. Currently the United States has no federal guidelines for how autonomous trucking vehicles should operate. […]

Should You Build to Suit or Lease Your Next Distribution Center?

As shippers redesign their distribution center strategies to embrace e-commerce, automation, and other trends, the typical short-term response is to lease available space as soon as possible, often at a premium. A strategic assessment of business needs over the long term could take network planning in a different direction. Q: What factors should I consider […]

The Music Man

Phil Rich brings strategy, patience, fundamentals, focus, positive feedback, corrective direction, and celebration of achievements to everything he does—from playing guitar to flying planes. One way or another, Phil Rich was destined for a music career. His military service included nearly seven years as a guitarist and sound engineer in the Navy Band. Back in […]

Cut Carbon Emissions With Multi-Modal

The transportation industry is responsible for almost 30% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, making it the largest contributor in the country. It’s also one of the largest opportunities for improvement. While many worry that going green might be expensive, sustainability and cost savings go hand in hand for shippers. Moving freight with a mix […]

Overcoming Challenges and Increasing Supply Chain Efficiency with Rail Transloading

Rail transload facilities allow shippers to realize supply chain benefits from a combination of rail and truck. Here’s how to choose the right one.

10 Ways KPIs Combat Disruptions

It’s essential to measure performance to create a competitive advantage and prepare for unpredictable events. Therefore, I have put together my “10 commandments” of key performance indicators (KPIs) to mitigate supply chain disruptions. 1. Make Sure KPIs Align with Overall Business Goals. What are your specific goals? Are those goals limited by staff hours or […]

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 […]

6 Ways Shippers Can Add Confidence and Clarity to the RFP Process

The request-for-proposal process can be an opportunity for shippers to manage network costs and enable new business opportunities. Below are 6 tips for a successful RFP. For shippers, the RFP is an opportunity to manage network costs and enable new business opportunities. Analytics bring confidence and clarity to the process, ensuring you’re diversifying your network […]

Magic CarParts Ride

Responsibilities: Sourcing, including partnering with merchandising to expand product assortments; working with the inventory planning and forecasting team to execute the company’s buy plan; collaborating with CarParts.com’s logistics partners and distribution center teams to deliver goods and ensure trade compliance. Experience: Senior director of purchasing, director of purchasing, product manager, assistant product manager, and buyer/inventory […]

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. THE CHALLENGE Seeking to optimize its Northwest omnichannel supply chain operations and having outgrown its existing 204,000-square-foot distribution center, one Holman Logistics client needed a new facility. The major consumer lawn and garden products supplier […]

Managing the Successful Delivery of Autoclaves and Work Tanks Using Multiple Modes of Transport

Logistics Plus once again finds a way to say “yes” by managing the transportation, delivery, and installation of two autoclaves and work tanks from Houston to Little Rock. THE CHALLENGE Logistics Plus (LP) is a leading worldwide provider of transportation, warehousing, fulfillment, global logistics, business intelligence, technology, and supply chain solutions. In early 2022, the […]

Responding to Capacity Needs in the Life Sciences and Pharmaceuticals Industry

With its latest warehouse expansion in Garner, North Carolina, MD Logistics is meeting the needs of life science and pharmaceutical companies seeking to secure warehousing space. The Challenge In recent years, as the life sciences and pharmaceuticals industry has grown, it has also experienced a shortage of compliant, cGMP warehouse storage space, which was exacerbated […]

3PL Outsourcing Beyond the Initial Goals

RedStone understands that cost savings are just a part of each client relationship; a 3PL must provide more if the relationship is to withstand the demands of an ever-changing supply chain. The Challenge Outsourcing logistics operations to a 3PL isn’t new. Unfortunately, disillusionment after a year or two isn’t new either and can result in […]

Zuum Transportation Zooms Into High-Growth Mode with Valoroo’s Help

When logistics platform provider Zuum Transportation experienced rapid growth, the company turned to Valoroo for its staffing needs. Valoroo provided qualified representatives who enabled rapid growth. THE CLIENT Zuum connects shippers, brokers, carriers, and drivers on one logistics super platform. Zuum delivers shipments reliably at a lower cost for shippers and at a higher profit […]

Transportation Solution Opens Doors to Eliminating Product Damages

Providing a transportation solution that delivers reliability and quality, Verst unlocks significant supply chain improvements for a $2.7-billion global company that specializes in doorway security products. THE CHALLENGE One of Verst’s transportation customers, a $2.7-billion global company with 30+ brands, specializes in security around the doorway with everything from residential and commercial locks, door closer […]

Rinchem Solves Complex Supply Chain Issues

When a semiconductor manufacturer faced possible shutdown, Rinchem reorganized logistics assets and coordinated all moving pieces within a tight timeframe to ensure the on-time delivery of a critical chemical. THE CHALLENGE Semiconductor manufacturer supply chains are some of the most complicated and demanding in the world. Part of what makes things so complex is the […]

Offering Turnkey Solutions to Support Transload Customers

When a chemical distributor needed to get their products to non-rail-served locations, RSI Logistics’ transloading operations and value-add services provided the solution. THE CHALLENGE A chemical distributor recently presented RSI Logistics with a challenge. They were awarded a contract for regional distribution of chemicals used in the water treatment process; however, they had a problem. […]

That’s the Spirit! Partnership Brings Supply Chain Visibility Into the Mix

Non-alcoholic spirit company, Lyre’s, turned to SEKO to gain access and visibility into every part of their supply chain and root out inefficiencies. Here’s how SEKO delivered. THE CHALLENGE Operating in a rapidly expanding market, the Lyre’s team found themselves leveraging multiple shipping channels across multiple states, leading to a very inefficient supply chain. Not […]

E-Commerce and Warehouse Expansion: It’s in the Cards

When MJ Holding Company, LLC, the largest North American distributor of trading cards and novelties to retail stores, set out to build a new warehouse in 2019, it decided to augment its ability to ship directly to consumers. THE CUSTOMER MJ Holding Company, based in Bedford Park, Illinois, is the largest North American distributor of […]

Starborn Industries Fastens on Visibility and Automation Solutions

Starborn Industries—its name reflects the era of the space race—has grown to become a national distributor and one of the largest importers of drywall screws in the country since its launch in 1961. It has also created its own fastener and product lines for the deck construction market. The Customer Starborn Industries, Inc. started as […]

E-Commerce: The Complete Package

Smart and Sustainable is the only way to go. Two and a half years after the pandemic caused e-commerce to accelerate, packaging and shipping methods continue to evolve. Consumers’ heightened awareness about sustainability and waste within the shipping industry, as well as economic pressures, lead the charge. The writing was on the wall. Of the […]

COVID’s Impact on Warehouse Management Outsourcing

Q: In today’s market, what are the key benefits of outsourcing warehouse management? A: The COVID pandemic has companies reassessing their distribution networks. Many are looking for solutions that improve flexibility and capabilities, while still retaining control and transparency. With the right commercial model, outsourcing warehouse management provides those benefits, and more. Warehouse management companies […]

Revealing the Hidden Advantages and Lesser-Known Facts About Automation

Q: How has the changing e-commerce landscape affected demand for customized automation? A: Many have seen firsthand the effects of widespread e-commerce growth, and companies continue to find increased volume across the board. While the rate of growth is slowing from 2020—sales are forecasted to globally top $6 trillion in 2023. The pandemic, of course, was […]

Ensuring Customers’ Supply Chains Run as Smoothly as Possible

Q: What are The Logistix Company’s (TLC) core business units and areas of focus? A: TLC got its start working closely with distribution companies moving liquid bulk chemicals. After time, we expanded our business to moving a multitude of commodities in bulk tankers, dry vans, intermodally via rail, repackaging, warehousing, and international freight forwarding. Q: […]

Freight Audit and Payment Solutions Bring Immediate and Long-Term Benefits

Q: Why do companies need visibility to compete in today’s environment? A: Companies that do not have visibility across their whole logistics operations are likely to miss out on opportunities to work more efficiently and deliver cost savings. For example, a customer told me they spent around $95 million on a single lane from the […]

Leveraging Freight Brokerage to Solve Supply Chain Disruption

As shippers deal with capacity issues, rate volatility, and service disruptions, a freight broker can help mitigate challenges so shippers can focus on their core strengths. Aligning your organization with a reputable freight broker with robust solutions and real-time visibility can solve many transportation disruptions. There are many types of brokers in the market—the key […]

Fighting Crime with AI

The pandemic has exacerbated the risks of these crimes in the past two years. There has been an explosion of new risks and challenges as fraudsters and traffickers have become increasingly skilled at falsifying documents, submitting false insurance claims, and finding funding to carry out crimes wherever they can. Organizations large and small are hard […]

Why Company Culture Has Never Been More Important

The Great Resignation has shone a fresh spotlight on company culture and how it needs to evolve. A recent survey of 31,000 workers across the globe found that 41% of employees—almost half of the global workforce—are considering quitting their jobs. With so many valued employees considering a change, a standout company culture is critical to […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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, […]

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.

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 […]

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 […]

Chick-fil-A Strikes Oil

Have you ever gotten a whiff of french fries as you pass an 18-wheeler on the highway?

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.

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 […]

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.

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 […]

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 […]