Articles
Commentary
GOOD QUESTION | What Supply Chain Terms Do People Sometimes Confuse?
Carrier vs. broker or 3PL. Shippers often don’t recognize the value difference—and motivations—of an asset owner versus a non-asset player. We’re measured the same, but when the rubber meets the road, it’s the asset provider who has to deliver. The key is to understand where a broker brings value. Greg Orr President, CFI Savings vs. […]
Read MoreThe Global Economic Impact of COVID-19
When the novel coronavirus, now named COVID-19, first crept up in the city of Wuhan, China, in early 2020, no one could have predicted how this new virus would ultimately disrupt the global economy. Now, many around the world are contemplating how global supply chains may be affected and how things will play out in the next few months.
Read MoreLast Mile Delivery Strategies During COVID-19 and Other Supply Chain Disruptions
Supply chains and carriers keep the global economy working amid the unprecedented conditions resulting from COVID-19, but they can seize up under extreme strain.
Read MoreAI Powers Sustainable Manufacturing
One of the greatest potential benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) is helping the world become more sustainable. This includes addressing the three P’s of sustainability—people, planet, and profit—in manufacturing.
Read MoreRobot Return Ratios
More robots are on the way to Walmart, says John Crecelius, the retailer’s vice president in charge of in-store innovations. Walmart will add shelf-scanning Bossa Nova robots to 650 more U.S. stores in 2020, for a total of 1,000 or more by the fall. Either Bossa Nova or Simbe robots will be in “the majority” […]
Read MoreTransporting Cars: RoRo or Containers
The automotive supply chain is global and complex. The integration of smart solutions such as containerization maximizes the safety of the product, no matter how far it will travel to the final destination. Using containerization in place of traditional roll-on roll-off, or RoRo, transportation offers many advantages to the driver, the automotive supplier, and the consumer.
Read MoreHow Supply Chain Drives Business Value
World-class companies such as Apple, Cisco, Amazon, and Unilever have found a way to foster strong collaboration between their supply chain and commercial teams to execute business strategy, and this is a key driver in their success.
Read MoreIncoterms 2020: Embracing the Rules
International Commercial Terms, commonly known as Incoterms®, standardize the responsibilities of the buyer and seller in an international transaction and are now used frequently in domestic transactions in the United States.
Read MoreCan the New Silk Road Compete with the Maritime Silk Road?
The more I hear and read about the New Silk Road, the more grand the expectations. Politically, the trade corridors between China and Europe, as well as Africa, seem to be China’s key to becoming a leading global power in the 21st century. Logistically, infrastructures and networks are emerging on an entirely new scale, taking a gigantic economic area—representing 60% of the world’s population and 35% of the global economy—to the next level. The New Silk Road could act as a high-speed internet for transporting goods.
Read MoreNavigating Amazon’s Move into Freight
Amazon’s quiet but successful launch of a full-service freight brokerage has a number of implications for supply chain professionals—some obvious and some not so clear.
Read More