Articles
Commentary
What’s One Supply Chain Problem We Should Address With More Urgency?
We asked readers what supply chain problems need even more attention, and they cited persistent challenges (fragmentation and cargo fraud) and some overlooked risks.
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Self-Healing Inventory?
Self-healing inventory is a phrase that is being used more and more these days. It’s a take-off on the concept of a self-healing supply chain, where inventory comes alive and knows where it has to be without you always lending a guiding hand.
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Trucking Needs Government Actions Now
The precipitous fall-off in trucking capacity needs to be remedied by government actions at the state, local, and national levels. Yes, I know some people say the ebb and flow of market conditions will level-set what’s needed. I disagree and here’s why. Traditional economic cycles sometimes fall off and shipment levels drop. Smart truckers prepare […]
Read MoreTariffs Are Unpredictable – Your Supply Chain Response Doesn’t Have to Be
Tariff management involves a series of tradeoffs. Making the necessary adjustments is rarely simple, but businesses must be proactive.
Read MoreWhat Supply Chain Metrics Should Companies Watch in Uncertain Times?
How many touches an order has. How many resets and changes. How many times we say “uncertain times” (just kidding on this one). Our supply chains are becoming very complicated with IT and automation in an effort to cut cost and improve quality. But the top two show me that we are experiencing more loss […]
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Bad, Awful, Dreadful: Pointing Out the Negatives So Our Industry Can Move Forward
A lifelong intermodalist reflects on the transportation industry, highlighting the flagrantly flawed and the consistently contentious.
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Partnership Fuels Digital Revolution
Container shipping has made significant strides in digital transformation—modernizing processes, improving transparency, and adopting more efficient ways of working. Much of this progress has been driven by major carriers through their involvement with the Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA).
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Building a Future-Proof Supply Chain
For business leaders and supply chain professionals, tariffs—and their impact on the cost, availability, and sourcing of critical parts and raw materials—are top of mind. In addition to tariffs, companies have faced persistent risks and disruptions since the pandemic five years ago. The “new normal” is a business environment defined by variability and complexity, affecting nearly every industry.
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Why Brands Are Breaking Up with Their Multi-3PL Model
In 2025, companies are simplifying their supply chain by moving away from managing multiple third-party logistics (3PL) providers toward partnering with a single, end-to-end provider. This trend aims to solve the challenges that come from a split logistics operation, like inventory fragmentation and varied pricing structures.
Read MoreWhat Is One Supply Chain “Trade-off” That Is Actually Not a Trade-off?
Costs down means performance is up. Not always. Cost control that eliminates waste and duplication is good; but if it squeezes R&D, product quality, etc. it will eventually bring down revenue and profit. Cost and performance (whether operational or financial) are not in a true trade-off like buying vs. saving, or insourcing vs. outsourcing. –Dr. […]
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Real-Time Asset Data: A Game Changer
Too often, supply chain and yard operations rely on outdated systems to track high-value assets, leaving decision-makers without a clear picture of what’s where, when it moved last and how long it has been idle.
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Waste Not, Win More: Smart Sustainability Drives Retail Growth
As the effects of climate change grow more apparent, consumers increasingly hold brands accountable for their sustainability practices. Fortunately, what’s good for the planet is also good for business.
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Pick a 3PL That Evolves
Growth in 3PL solutions is influenced by your demands. Data shared by more than 200 3PLs and thousands of their customers for this year’s 3PL Perspectives survey offers the following key takeaways that can guide demand-driven enterprises as they seek to align with new partners. 3PLs go hybrid. The percentage of pure-play asset-based 3PLs has […]
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Powering Growth Through Insights
Today’s complex business environment is marked by fluctuating demand, supply chain disruptions, cyber threats, changing fiscal policies, and regulatory shifts. Procurement professionals must balance cost-saving measures with a mandate to reduce risk, build resilience, enhance supplier relationships, and drive growth.
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Lean Meets Green: How Smart Supply Chains Cut Waste
Many companies are beginning to realize that Lean and Green are not necessarily contradictory but can be mutually beneficial. Conflicts may arise, for example, when Lean supply chains employ a just-in-time approach involving smaller, more frequent deliveries, which can result in higher CO2 emissions and increased energy consumption.
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Changing Your TMS Isn’t as Painful as You Think
Coming from someone who has been through multiple transportation management system (TMS) transitions, the initial thoughts of it can be daunting: “How will a new system affect my current workflows? How long will it take to learn where everything is? Will it have the same button and perform the same function that I’ve been used to for the past five years?”
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WHAT’S THE WORD: The Language of Logistics
From the difference between a duty and tariff to why you should pay attention to tail inventory, here’s how to speak supply chain.
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6 Ways to Make Must-Arrive-By Dates Work for You
If you’ve shipped into big box retailers in the past 15 years, you’ve undoubtedly encountered Must-Arrive-By-Dates (MABDs), the protocol implemented by Walmart, Target, and others during the early days of retail’s data revolution. MABDs allow shippers to meet time-sensitive demands with confidence, while avoiding unpleasant fines. Additional non-compliance on shipments can also lower your overall scorecard, leading to being downgraded as a supplier.
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How Automation, Data, and Demand Are Reshaping Warehouses
Warehousing and distribution remain a cornerstone of logistics operations. Effective strategies are essential to ensure the timely and efficient flow of goods from manufacturers to consumers. Businesses must constantly adapt and innovate to meet the dynamic needs of stakeholders and customers.
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Can We Jumpstart American Shipbuilding?
In 80 years, U.S. shipbuilding has gone from producing record numbers of hulls during World War II—representing roughly 60% of global merchant tonnage—to just 0.1% today. President Trump’s executive order on “Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance” aims to reverse this decline.
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