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Automated Materials Handling Gets a Lift
A labor market in which it is increasingly difficult to recruit, train, and retain workers is a major factor driving growth of the automated materials handling equipment market in North America, finds a report by BCC Research. The market expects a compound annual growth rate of 7.1% through 2024 and may be worth $28.7 billion. […]
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Predicting the Future of Consumer Demand
Improving demand forecasting is a priority for manufacturers—61% of respondents to a recent AIMMS report say that improving forecast accuracy is either important or extremely important for their organizations. However, only 2% of respondents are extremely satisfied with their forecasts. Many bet on new technologies such as machine learning and demand sensing to improve forecast […]
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Going in Reverse in the Circular Economy
While 70% of supply chain leaders plan to invest in the circular economy in 2020-2021, only 12% have aligned their digital and circular economy strategies so far, according to a recent survey by Gartner. About 27% of respondents currently use digital technologies to improve reverse logistics, and 39% plan to do so in the next […]
Read More3PL Market Revenue to Cross $1.8 Trillion by 2026
Growing demand for low-cost services and a rapidly expanding e-commerce sector will boost the market valuation of third-party logistics (3PL) to $1.8 trillion by 2026.
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Map Mishaps Throw Last-Mile Drivers Off Course
Nearly all last-mile delivery drivers say they would be more effective if they had better maps, according to a new report from Mapillary, a street-level imagery platform that uses computer vision to automate mapping. The delivery industry is racking up $2.5 billion in wasted salary and $611 million in extra miles due to bad maps, […]
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Shippers Have Hope for 2020
What supply chain challenges did shippers experience in 2019, and what supply chain services held their interest compared to previous years? The Averitt Express 2019 State of the North American Supply Chain survey of more than 1,800 shippers from a variety of industries throughout North America finds: 66.2% of shippers anticipate increased shipping volumes in […]
Read MoreWarehouse Sustainability Doesn’t Measure Up
Only a small number of warehouse operators—18% of those surveyed—currently use sustainability metrics to analyze their environmental impact, finds a new Transport Intelligence warehouse benchmarking survey. Of those who do use sustainability metrics, not one was able to say how much energy they used per square meter or how much carbon dioxide they produced at […]
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Gearing Up for a Bright Supply Chain Future
Logistics providers, retailers, and other large global movers are applying a mix of enabling technologies and innovative business models to drive the efficiency and supply chain orchestration needed to meet tomorrow’s package volume demand and capture market share, finds Deloitte’s recent Future of the Movement of Goods study. With growing e-commerce, shifting trade patterns, and […]
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Building a Case for Blockchain
Asset-tracking and traceability are the top uses for distributed ledger technology (see chart), highlighting the need for improved management as supply chains evolve from linear models to multitiered networks, says a PwC report. About 52% of business leaders say asset-tracking and traceability are the best applications for blockchain technology. Among those respondents, 52% identify trade […]
Read MoreAtlanta Hits the Spot
Atlanta, Georgia, takes the top spot as the easiest market to find spot truckload van freight in 2019, according to a DAT Solutions report. Because spot freight is unscheduled, it can be a useful indicator of economic activity. Take a look at the top 10 markets in 2019 for outbound truckload freight by equipment type. […]
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Autonomous Ship: Maiden China?
China’s first unmanned cargo ship completed its test voyage in December 2019, marking a significant milestone in autonomous shipping. The ship, Jin Dou Yun 0 Hao, successfully delivered cargo from Dong Ao Island in Zhuhuai to the No. 1 pier of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. Measuring about 42.2 feet long and 12.5 feet wide and […]
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Coronavirus Precautions
The Chinese government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak has impacted 280 supplier sites near Wuhan, China, according to Bindiya Vakil, chief executive officer of Resilinc, a provider of cognitive supply chain monitoring and mitigation solutions. Businesses could experience supply chain disruptions for three to six months, which is comparable to disruptions caused by the swine […]
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Crossing the Final-Mile Finish Line
Total e-commerce revenue in 2020 will reach $3.52 trillion, growing year-over-year at nearly 19%, according to global tech market advisory firm ABI Research. This explosion is forcing retailers to find faster and more convenient modes to reach the final mile. Retailers will likely trade profits to continue investments in the e-commerce explosion. This growth depends […]
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I Like Big-Box and I Cannot Lie
Nearly half of small to mid-sized business (SMB) decision-makers involved in distribution, logistics, and/or procurement estimate an increase in shipping spend in 2020 compared to 2019, and big-box retailers are influencing their strategy, finds logistics technology platform uShip’s 2020 SMB Shipping Strategies report. About 25% of decision-makers say the logistics strategies of Amazon and Walmart […]
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Logistics Leaders Into Outsourcing
Outsourcing logistics services has become common—85% of logistics leaders expect their outsourcing budget to increase by more than 5% in 2020; 85% reported a similar budget increase in 2019, finds Gartner’s 2019 Logistics Outsourcing Strategy survey. One reason leaders expect budgets to increase is that logistics outsourcing supports their business objectives. About 70% of respondents […]
Read MoreWhich ERP Trends Will Catch On in 2020?
Supply chain management involves planning, execution, control, and monitoring, and enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions handle the physical aspects of supply. Next-generation ERP technologies have come to the forefront, and their powerful capabilities are having a great influence. Here are three ERP supply chain trends to watch in 2020. 1. Warehouse operations managers are more […]
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3 Big Barriers to IIoT Integration
From monitoring air quality in "smart cities" like Chicago and New York City to tracking health data in real time on smart watches, the Internet of Things (IoT) is everywhere. IoT applications look promising for the manufacturing industry as well: European aircraft manufacturer Airbus is developing Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technologies to provide valuable […]
Read MoreHow Green Was My Tally?
Almost one-third of online shoppers are willing to pay more to have their items shipped in environmentally friendly packaging, with those buying health and beauty products leading the way at 33%, according to Macfarlane Packaging, which analyzed packaging performance among e-commerce retailers in the fashion, health and beauty, home and garden, and food and drink […]
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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 […]
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