Articles
Commentary
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 […]
Read More
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 […]
Read More
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, […]
Read More
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 […]
Read More
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 […]
Read More
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.
Read More
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 […]
Read More
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 […]
Read More
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 […]
Read More
Chick-fil-A Strikes Oil
Have you ever gotten a whiff of french fries as you pass an 18-wheeler on the highway?
Read More
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.
Read More
What pandemic-era adjustment will have the greatest supply chain impact?
The acceleration of digital twins. The ability to digitally model a company’s manufacturing and distribution network will allow it to quickly assess the impact of large and small disruptions and take appropriate actions. —Allen Jacques Industry Thought Leader Kinaxis The use of data analytics to help suppliers really understand consumer behavior. Suppliers decided to eliminate […]
Read More
Reshoring? Not So Fast
Reshoring might sound like the solution to the United States’ supply chain woes, but here’s why it is not a cure-all for current and future disruptions.
Read More
Now Is the Time to Automate the Middle Mile
We are facing a state of volatility in the supply chain. Since the pandemic began in 2020, there has not been a steady cadence surrounding the transportation industry’s capacity, timing, or labor. Each individual market can therefore be in a state of over/under supply or demand on any given day, and who moves or what […]
Read More
Why Procurement Is the Key to Preparing for the Next Supply Chain Crisis
There is no clear sign when the global supply chain crisis will end. It began during the COVID-19 pandemic, worsened with the surge in demand that followed the lifting of national lockdowns around the world, and further deepened amid recent global events. Some corporate leaders contend that the crisis, triggered by these exceptional events, could […]
Read MoreThe Importance of Establishing Relationships with Truckload Carriers
Supply chains have been stretched beyond their limits as shippers work hard to ensure inventories are received on time. However, this past year, carriers have struggled to provide the needed capacity due to unprecedented demand and rising costs in their networks. In addition, chip shortages are causing delays in new trucks and trailers entering the […]
Read More
Driver Shortage: Don’t Fall For It
The talking point that states the trucking industry is facing a driver shortage to explain the state of supply chain is a lie. Don’t fall for it. There has been a “shortage” of drivers for well over 20 years so be sure you are getting honest answers when digging into your supply chain issues.
Read More
What’s the biggest supply chain silo?
Readers shine a light on the most significant information lapses and data gaps in the supply chain, from transportation siloes to the lack of visibility into suppliers.
Read More
Designing a Soft Goods Supply Chain
Forecasting demand for soft goods can be difficult because demand changes due to fashion trends, weather patterns, and other factors. But artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies are changing the way soft goods manufacturers and retailers manage their supply chains.
Read More
Managing Working Capital Amid Product Shortages
Distributors can’t seem to catch a break. First they faced a liquidity squeeze when COVID-19 raged onto the scene, triggering a dislocation in the supply and demand for products. Now, as they enter the third year of the pandemic, distributors are grappling with wide-ranging shortages of goods and commodities across the supply chain that show no sign of abating.
Read More