Articles
Inventory Management
2023 Inventory… Too Much? Too Little?
Inventory. That was the theme unifying both attendees and exhibitors at the 2023 National Retail Federation (NRF) convention in New York City. More precisely, everyone I spoke to was interested in load balancing inventory to serve new retail fulfillment approaches striving to catch up with the blindingly fast evolution in consumer buying habits. For retail […]
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5 Ways Logistics Managers Can Battle Inflation in 2023
With inflation at 40-year highs and a challenging macroeconomic situation, here’s how you can find stability in your operation.
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10 Tips: Matching Inventory To Demand
Demand is a constantly changing variable in any supply chain. Each time the demand tides change, retailers, wholesalers, distributors, and manufacturers must align inventory levels to meet customer expectations. Here are tips for doing it successfully.
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How Macy’s Avoids Inventory Glut
Retailers across the country are struggling with inventory pileup due to 2021’s massive supply chain delays. Unloading these previous-season goods has become a top priority for the upcoming holiday and winter season. But Macy’s is singing a different tune: the retailer managed to avoid most of this inventory glut, and reported to the Wall Street Journal that more than half of its offerings for the holiday season will be new.
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Consignment Inventory: Definition, Advantages, and Disadvantages
Talk to any retailer and they will tell you without a doubt that there is a certain amount of risk that results from purchasing traditional inventory. This is because when retailers stock their products, they usually hope that they will sell enough to get a profit before their stock expires. However, this will not always […]
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COVID’s Impact on Warehouse Management Outsourcing
Q: In today’s market, what are the key benefits of outsourcing warehouse management? A: The COVID pandemic has companies reassessing their distribution networks. Many are looking for solutions that improve flexibility and capabilities, while still retaining control and transparency. With the right commercial model, outsourcing warehouse management provides those benefits, and more. Warehouse management companies […]
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Grocery Shortages: The Worm in the Apple
It started with toilet paper. Spurred by the onset of the pandemic, consumers bought toilet paper rolls in droves. Sales of the product rose 60% annually in March 2020, according to the Statista Consumer Market Outlook. On April 19, 2020, toilet paper was out of stock in nearly half of U.S. grocery stores, estimated NCSolutions, […]
Read More10 Tips: Optimizing E-Commerce Fulfillment Operations
E-commerce sales are projected to continue rising steadily. In this environment, it is more important than ever for retailers and brands to fill orders quickly, seamlessly, and cost-effectively. Here’s how your fulfillment operations can optimize performance.
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Say Yes to the YMS
Companies sometimes overlook how important the yard is to their success. Without proper management, facilitated by a yard management system (YMS), pile ups can lead to delays, fees, and a full shipment of stress.
Read MoreVertical Focus: Electronics
The electronics industry has seen price hikes, supply chain shortages, an increase in global demand, and much more. Here’s the latest Vertical Focus on what’s happening in the electronics industry.
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Designing a Soft Goods Supply Chain
Forecasting demand for soft goods can be difficult because demand changes due to fashion trends, weather patterns, and other factors. But artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies are changing the way soft goods manufacturers and retailers manage their supply chains.
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Lean Isn’t Mean and Agile Isn’t Cheap
Back in 2014, I wrote a column extolling the benefits of a lean and agile supply chain, also known as a hybrid strategy. Depending on your product or service, your supply chain may tilt more one way or the other, or it might be segmented but still exhibit characteristics of both. For example, if you […]
Read MoreManaging the Amazon Effect
Whether online or in-store, customers expect an immediate and frictionless shopping experience, thanks to Amazon. To compete, you must level the playing field with experiences that keep customers coming back to your branded e-commerce site.
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How can retailers compete with the logistics dominance of the e-commerce behemoths?
Don’t view this as a competition with e-commerce behemoths, but as another sales channel in your omnichannel strategy. Treat it as such and develop your strategy to provide differentiation on customer service and trust to be able to drive direct sales, while still leveraging other channels to build brand awareness. —Scott Hebert CEO SYSPRO USA […]
Read MoreConsumers Have the Last (Mile) Laugh
While the use of last-mile delivery has increased in the pandemic era, the process has experienced various growing pains. A new consumer survey shows customers have encountered regular delays and would like to have greater visibility of their deliveries. The survey, conducted for Anyline by Researchscape, examines the extent to which consumers have turned to […]
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Rowenta Irons Out Inventory Challenges
Where do I go when it is too painful to watch TV? To my garage workbench. As it happens, my daughter had a project for me. Her pricey Rowenta iron was staining and scorching clothes. I can’t fix what’s going on in the world, but I’ll try my hand at this! Having broken several appliances […]
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Cargo Security: Have a Safe Trip
From leveraging bottlenecks to launching malware attacks, criminals are targeting the supply chain. Here’s how to keep your freight—and information—safe.
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Retail Inventory: Old Method, New Tricks
Toshifumi Suzuki led 7-Eleven Japan’s spectacular rise from small licensee to the highest-grossing retailer in Japan. At the heart of his strategy was a simple management framework called Tanpin Kanri. The idea is simple: Take an active, rather than reactive, approach to restocking shelves.
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Evaluate Risk Before Critical Decisions
Disruption across global supply chains has always been present, but the ongoing pandemic has magnified the risks supply chain leaders face, while simultaneously limiting response options in an already high-pressure environment.
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Vertical Focus: Consumer Packaged Goods
Green Things Come in Small Packages The Sustainability Consortium, a global nonprofit focused on transforming the consumer goods industry, formed a new recycling coalition to address small-format packaging, which is commonly used in cosmetics and food supply chains. Small-format packaging consists of items such as beverage bottle caps, lip balms, travel-size shampoo bottles, and other […]
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