Articles

Issues

What Grade Would You Give Brands on Reverse Logistics Operations?
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What Grade Would You Give Brands on Reverse Logistics Operations?

I would give a range of grades from A to F for how brands are handling reverse logistics. There is still a lot of variation in this area—from consumer spending to B2B direct spend. A stellar reverse logistics program can lower the bar to buy. It’s so much easier to make a purchase decision when you know you can send the product back if needed, with no hassle. This is an area for improvement.

–Doug DeLuca
Product Marketing Manager
SAP Business Network, SAP

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Tips for Closing the Visibility Gap
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Tips for Closing the Visibility Gap

With modern supply chains being so intricate and involving numerous stakeholders, maintaining full visibility is becoming increasingly challenging. However, many businesses operate with fragmented and legacy systems where data lives in different silos and across different platforms. This lack of integration makes it difficult to track and monitor the entire supply chain in real time.

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What Can Rail Shippers Expect?
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What Can Rail Shippers Expect?

The rail industry finds itself at a critical juncture, poised for transformative progress that extends well beyond individual companies. Building on the progress freight rail companies made in 2023, this year holds the promise of a secure future marked by reliability, resilience, and commitment to sustainability.

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Are Supply Chain Managers Running the Company?
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Are Supply Chain Managers Running the Company?

Supply chain managers are playing a greater role in directing company operations and creating shared enterprise value as silos between suppliers and customers start to come down. Technology plays a part in opening those pathways because it cuts across company barriers. Third-party logistics (3PL) providers promise to do the same by cutting across inter-company barriers […]

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Supply Chains Stabilize, But Risks Ahead
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Supply Chains Stabilize, But Risks Ahead

In 2023, it seemed like the supply chain was finally starting to calm down from the turmoil and instability that the pandemic set in motion. But storm clouds are appearing on the horizon, and manufacturers and distributors should pay close attention to them.

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IN BRIEF: New Services and Solutions
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IN BRIEF: New Services and Solutions

Aloha Marine Lines, part of the Lynden family of companies, added a new barge to its fleet to serve customers in the Seattle to Hawaii trade lane. Constructed at Gunderson Marine & Iron in Portland, Oregon, the Makani Loa joins the Kamakani and Namakani—all Makani Class barges that serve Aloha Marine Lines’ bi-weekly barge service between Seattle and Hawaii. The Makani Class barges are fitted with high binwalls which help to keep freight secure while minimizing the amount of lashing needed.

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Circular Supply Chains Go Round and Round
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Circular Supply Chains Go Round and Round

Circular supply chains can be resilient and sustainable, and can help meet growing demand for environmentally friendly products. But shifting from linear to circular supply chains requires intense research to determine how best to reuse many materials, implement new technology and processes, optimize returned goods, and educate suppliers and customers on circularity’s challenges and benefits.

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