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UPS Drones Will Soon Deliver Medical Products Within the UC San Diego Health System
UPS Flight Forward, the company’s drone airline subsidiary, will use unmanned drones to deliver medical products between health centers and labs at the University of California (UC) San Diego Health system. The flights, which will begin in February 2020, will take only minutes to complete and will be monitored by remote operators. Medical professionals at […]
Read MoreThree Track-and-Trace Techniques for Better Transparency
Shipping and logistics remain among the last industries to undertake digital transformation. The highly fragmented nature of international shipping, where a dozen companies (or more) each play a role in getting a product from concept to a buyer’s living room, essentially ensures that there will be a level of complexity beyond that of nearly any […]
Read MoreAmazon, FedEx, and the Customer-Focused Company
More than 2.75 billion packages were delivered in the United States over the holiday season, a staggering number. Remember, there are only 330 million Americans! Watching all these boxes being delivered, it made me wonder: Why did Amazon choose to start shipping its own boxes? If you haven’t been tracking this, you may not know […]
Read MoreWhat Does FMCSA Increase To 50% Random Drug Testing Rate Mean For Fleets And The CDL Clearinghouse?
In December, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has increased its random drug testing rate from 25% of CDL drivers tested to 50%, effective Jan. 1, 2020. So, why was this change made? For the last four years the random drug testing rate has stayed at 25%. Now that more than 1% of drivers […]
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Artificial Intelligence Gets Real
About 90% of respondents to an IFS global research study into the attitudes and strategies towards artificial intelligence (AI) among business leaders report at least some plans to implement AI in various parts of their business. Among the key findings: Industrial automation is the most commonly reported area of investment, with 44.6% planning AI projects. […]
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Drones Make the Medicine Go Down
UPS Flight Forward Inc. and CVS Pharmacy have successfully completed the first revenue-generating drone delivery of a medical prescription from a CVS pharmacy directly to a consumer’s home. This was followed by another delivery of a medical prescription to a second customer in a nearby retirement community. Both flights used the M2 drone system by […]
Read MoreTaylored-Made Expansion
Merger and acquisition activity in the third-party logistics sector continues to grow. In a major expansion, Taylored Fulfillment Services acquired the U.S. operations of Toll Global Logistics, a $8.7 billion Australian logistics company. Brian Southwell, vice president of business development and marketing, and Margaritta Topielski, chief administrative officer at Taylored, discuss the buyout with Inbound […]
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Eating Up Cookies
A cookie shortage is leaving cookie jars empty and taking a bite out of food supply chains. Campbell Soup, maker of Pepperidge Farm cookies, faces supply constraints in its cookie division due to labor shortages and elevated demand as consumers stay home during the pandemic, according to the company’s earnings call. While Campbell ramped up […]
Read MoreTop 10 Manufacturing Predictions
What’s ahead for global manufacturing? "Manufacturing companies are transforming from efficiency-oriented operations to resilient organizations driven by a tighter connection to markets and customers," says Kevin Prouty, vice president, Manufacturing Insights, IDC. Here’s what Manufacturing Insights predicts for the years ahead: 1: By 2023, 65% of global manufacturers will realize a 10% savings in operational […]
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Supporting Women Behind the Wheel
Two U.S. senators, working with Ellen Voie, president and CEO of the Women In Trucking Association, introduced legislation that would require the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to take a formal role in supporting women drivers. Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) and bill co-sponsor Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) are working with the FMCSA to create […]
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That’s a Wrap: Holiday Shipping Tied Up in Knots
During the holiday shopping season, all eyes are on shipping, with more than half of consumers (60%), and nearly three-quarters of millennials (74%) claiming they were disappointed with holiday shopping services in the past. Stats from Pitney Bowes’ 2019 Global Online Shopping Study reveal the top shipping frustrations: 1. Free shipping still reigns supreme, with […]
Read MoreNavigating Your Supply Chain Through the Uncertainty of Trade War
Trade tensions between the United States and China are running high and intensifying with each new week. With no clear resolution in sight, many are questioning the inevitable impact this will have on the global supply chain. While some companies are just beginning to consider changes to their operations, many are deep in the process […]
Read MoreResilient Risk Management in the Face of Hurricane Season
Over a decade ago, the storm surge associated with Hurricane Katrina was 25 to 28 feet above normal tide level. Storm surges of that magnitude have the ability to inundate two-thirds of interstate highways, 29 airports and virtually all ports in the Gulf Coast area, and that doesn’t take into account the damage from waste. […]
Read MoreNoted: The Supply Chain in Brief-Dec 2019
Shovel Ready Food and beverage distributor Ben E. Keith broke ground on its new foodservice distribution center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Expected to be completed in November 2021, the 261,000-square-foot facility will include Dematic Multi-Shuttles, Frick refrigeration and security systems, LED lighting, warehouse management systems, a test kitchen, and a training center. Green Seeds As part of […]
Read MoreIN BRIEF: New Services & Solutions-December 2019
Products Cold chain solutions provider CSafe launched the AcuTemp Plus Series, a temperature-controlled passive packaging solution. With vacuum insulated panels and single temperature phase change material, the reusable product provides reliable temperature performance with minimal components. Supply chain tracking solutions provider Tive unveiled the Tive Solo 5G tracker, a 5G-enabled device that can be single use or multi use. […]
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VERTICAL FOCUS | Paper
Following the Paper Trail Whether paper companies are well positioned for further growth or still earning the right to grow, they can expect demand to increase for paper and board products over the next decade, according to McKinsey & Company. The graphic paper market will continue to face declining demand worldwide, and research has yet […]
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5 Actions to Optimize Logistics Costs
Logistics leaders face pressure from their stakeholders to optimize logistics costs while maintaining service and performance levels. Gartner Inc. identifies the following five actions to help you optimize costs from within your organization. 1. Eliminate costly errors. In logistics, errors occur regularly and often come at a cost. For example, shipments may be non-deliverable due […]
Read MoreChina’s Trade Outlook Declines as Air Drags
Trade tensions between the United States and China have many repercussions, according to the DHL Global Trade Barometer, an early indicator of global trade developments calculated using artificial intelligence and big data analytics. China’s September 2019 trade outlook registered a four-point decline from June to an index value of 45, according to the DHL data. […]
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Great Lakes Ports Stay on Course
U.S. Great Lakes ports are on pace to beat 2018 cargo volumes following a robust September handling road salt, cement, stone, petroleum, and wind energy components, and supporting the region’s construction activity and energy needs. Overall, St. Lawrence Seaway tonnage for the season (March 22 to September 30) reached 24.8 million metric tons, down 6% […]
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