Articles
Inventory Management
Hunger Games: Managing Food Logistics Challenges When Demand Spikes
Since it hit restaurants in January 2019, the Impossible Burger, which is made from plants but offers the taste and texture of beef, has been on a roll. When the company launched in Gelson’s Markets in southern California, the Impossible Burger zoomed to the top spot among packaged goods, outselling the next most popular product […]
Read MoreEnsuring Supply Chain Visibility
In today’s increasingly omnichannel marketplace, good visibility is vital throughout the supply chain. Here’s how to maintain optimal visibility at 10 key touchpoints.
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Hidaka Forges Automated Inventory Solution
Like most manufacturers, Hidaka USA Inc., a sheet metal fabrication company, conducts regular physical inventories of its raw materials, work in process, and finished goods. It had been using a paper-based, manual system that was time-consuming and vulnerable to mistakes, making it difficult for management to be confident they had the materials and finished goods needed to meet customer orders.
Read MoreWhat to Look For When Taking Stock of an Inventory Management System
As e-commerce grows, online retailers can benefit greatly from modern automation tools. Choosing the right online inventory management system, for example, can impact both sales and the entire enterprise, and allow e-commerce retailers to retain their competitive advantage. According to Multiorders, here are five factors to consider when selecting an inventory management system. 1. Centralized […]
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Germany, Austria Retailers Go for BOPIS
Germany and Austria retailers display a balanced market of omnichannel practices, reports OrderDynamics’ Omni-2000 Research: Germany|Austria. Collectively, at 43%, the region falls third behind France (50.5%) and the U.K. (64%) in the number of retailers offering buy online pickup in store (BOPIS) services. Germany and Austria lead in active inventory visibility when compared to all […]
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Planning for Unplanned Spend
2017 and 2018 saw an uptick in unplanned spending as companies struggled with new trucking regulations, brutal weather, and tariff changes. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have high expectations of suppliers, pushing them to comply with production requirements. But because life is unpredictable, suppliers may fall behind on component production. If suppliers don’t meet their deadlines, […]
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Tuning Into Supply Chain Orchestration
In both the B2B and B2C markets, customers demand speedier shipments, greater flexibility, and more transparency in the order lifecycle. Only by innovating to establish real-time visibility with the power to make changes can companies achieve the agility required to meet customer needs and stand out from the competition. Let’s dig into five trends you […]
Read MoreSupply Chain Productivity Boosters: Three Technologies Making Maximum Impact
In today’s perpetually advancing and highly competitive modern marketplace, it is vital for businesses to stay ahead of the industry and maintain an edge, starting by reviewing current processes and identifying what can be automated or require less time, labor, and costs by utilizing technology. Embracing new technological trends will streamline workflow and optimize productivity […]
Read MoreIndustrial Technology and the Supply Chain: Is 2018 the Year We Turn a Corner?
2017 may be remembered as the year we finally figured it out. After years of spending on the components of industrial technology, professionals in the supply chain and manufacturing disciplines should begin to see the fruits of their investments, as new capabilities and efficiencies begin to surface. 2018 won’t be so much about discovering anything […]
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E-Commerce Commentary: Three Ways Shippers Can Improve Customer Satisfaction
The Amazon Effect continues to weigh heavily (pun intended) upon the supply chain. Consumers expect to receive packages at their homes within a few days—or within a day—of placing an order, and the demand for lightning-quick fulfillment coupled with the myriad of small-order additions has led to a complex operating environment for supply chain leaders. […]
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Golf Ball Maker Hits Supply Chain Sweet Spot
Sporting goods manufacturer Acushnet took a swing at a demand-driven replenishment process for finished goods and met peak season demand to a tee.
Read MoreRepositioning Inventory to Better Respond to Natural Disasters
Immediately following a natural disaster that outpaces a community’s ability to respond, various outside organizations rush to provide life-saving commodities to meet health, water, food, shelter, or other needs. That response is expedited by inventory prepositioned independently by governmental and non-governmental organizations. Research co-authored by Jason Acimovic, assistant professor of supply chain and information systems […]
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Caldwell Hospital Gets a Lean Bill of Health
A North Carolina hospital improves patient care by prescribing a lean and healthy supply chain.
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Solving the E-Commerce Puzzle
Inventory is now on-demand, and predicting what consumers will want on any given day is tricky. Add to that the already challenging scenario that consumers want to shop and purchase goods at any time and from anywhere—and supply chain logistics for e-commerce inventory gets even more complex and complicated. Many retailers and brands haven’t solved […]
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Winter Reading Guide 2017
Don’t let winter put a deep freeze on your logistics learning. Keep your knowledge evergreen by cozying up to books on wide-ranging topics, from food logistics to procurement practices.
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Hardware Upgrade Unwraps DC Improvements
Kelli’s Gift Shop Suppliers gets a present: a mobile device that improves inventory control and boosts DC efficiency.
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How Precise Forecasting Tames Item Proliferation
Accurate forecasts enable better planning, lower inventory and manufacturing costs, and improved service levels. By limiting line item proliferation, precise forecasting reduces errors significantly for new product launches. New products lack the history required for traditional demand planning methods. In the same way that the financial industry uses algorithms to sort through masses of market […]
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Alan Sargent: A Sweet Confection Connection
Alan Sargent is supply chain and logistics director with Just Born Quality Confections, the Bethlehem, Pa.-based company behind PEEPS®, MIKE AND IKE®, and HOT TAMALES® candy brands. He has held this position since August 2005. Responsibilities: All logistics and transportation functions. Experience: Plant logistics and distribution manager, customer service facility manager, and logistics operations planner, […]
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Reshape and Refresh Your Product Portfolio for a Streamlined Supply Chain
Organizations embrace periods of strategic portfolio expansion as a lever to improve top- and bottom-line growth. But in the wake of product proliferation, portfolio complexity emerges with unanticipated supply chain consequences that can significantly impact customer service, quality, and cost. The accumulation of products spanning multiple life-cycle stages may redirect the organization away from its […]
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Balancing Inventory for a Better Customer Experience
Q: How is e-commerce impacting inventory management for retailers? A: Inventory is a costly investment for retailers. With the growth of e-commerce, retailers have identified a potential opportunity to reduce working capital by thinning inventory at brick-and-mortar stores—opting instead to maintain major portions of inventory at distribution centers upstream. By adopting this strategy, retailers are […]
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