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NOTED: The Supply Chain In Brief-Apr 2021
Good Works PLS Logistics Services, a third-party logistics provider, raised more than $5,000 to benefit the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank by hosting a virtual fund drive, providing more than 26,900 meals to those in need in the community. Local PLS employees also volunteered at two food bank distribution locations (pictured). Energy manufacturing and logistics […]
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USPS Steps Up Its Fleet Game
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) invested in the most significant modernization of its fleet in three decades. It recently awarded a 10-year contract to Oshkosh Defense to manufacture a new generation of U.S.-built delivery vehicles as part of a multi-billion-dollar effort to replace the entire fleet. The new vehicles will be equipped with either fuel-efficient […]
Read MorePRODUCT SPOTLIGHT | Tracking Solutions
HasciSE Backhand Scanner: This lightweight wearable device from ACD Group integrates a 2D scanner into the housing. Supporting fast product tracking, the configurable infrared proximity sensor, scan button, and hand strap finger switch trigger the scanning function. The scanner can be combined with mobile workstations for easy asset tracking throughout warehouses. CL6NX Plus: This thermal […]
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Vertical Focus: Healthcare
Vaccines Prepare for Liftoff Ghana is the first country in the world to use drones to deliver the COVID-19 vaccine to healthcare facilities. COVAX, an initiative led by UNICEF, shipped 600,000 doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine from its facility in India to Ghana, using Zipline’s national drone delivery service. The goal is to deliver at […]
Read MoreStord Closes $65 Million Funding Round, Expanding Its Cloud Supply Chain
Stord, a cloud supply chain services provider for retail and e-commerce brands, raised a $65 million Series C round led by venture capital firm Bond, bringing its total capital raised in the past six months to $100 million.
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Nonautomotive Robot Orders Rove Ahead
Supply chain disruptions and workforce challenges are causing industries to accelerate their automation strategies (see chart). For example, yearly robot orders from nonautomotive sectors surpassed automotive robot orders for the first time, with sales of robotic units in North America increasing 3.5% in 2020 from 2019, according to the Robotic Industries Association. Growth was driven […]
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Walmart Goes Local
Walmart plans to increase the number of local fulfillment centers across the United States, which it will build inside or near existing retail locations. This localized approach mirrors Amazon’s strategy, as both companies face off amid surging demand for online orders. Walmart opened its first fulfillment center in 2019 in New Hampshire when the retail […]
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Port of Long Beach Loads Up on Business
As cargo volumes surged in the second half of 2020, essential workers at the Port of Long Beach in California moved 8.1 million cargo containers—its busiest year on record. The port ended the year with a 6.3% increase from 2019. Imports rose 6.4% to more than 3.9 million TEUs, exports increased 0.2% to 475,888 TEUs, […]
Read MoreNeiman Marcus Splurges on Digitization
Luxury department store Neiman Marcus is banking on a digital future, investing $85 million to make immediate changes to its supply chain and technology operations after erasing more than $4 billion in debt with a successful bankruptcy. To help improve its digital customer service, the retailer hired Apple veteran Bob Kupbens as its new chief […]
Read MoreYou’ve Got Drone Mail
Many drone delivery services involve dropping packages on the ground outside of homes and businesses, making them vulnerable to theft and bad weather. That’s where the smart drone mailbox comes in. These new mailbox concepts, developed by startups Valqari and DRONEDEK, involve a technology-enabled container that receives and stores packages in a secure, climate-controlled box […]
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