Articles

June 2023

GOOD QUESTION: What one supply chain adjustment would make the biggest impact on ESG?

GOOD QUESTION: What one supply chain adjustment would make the biggest impact on ESG?

Mature your data so you can use it like Google Maps. Sustained ESG marries continuous improvement with reporting and analysis—predicated on trustworthy data. Every company has a different origin, destination, and journey. Equip your organization with dependable navigation skills by building data intelligence and embedding a culture of data-driven action.

–Michael Ochi
Sr. Manager, Sustainability and Digital Manufacturing
QAD

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Shippers Gain Confidence

Shippers Gain Confidence

What can shippers expect next quarter? BlueGrace Logistics’ Q3 Logistics Confidence Index finds these key highlights: Anticipated revenue maintained a positive trend, decreasing by only 4% across all shippers surveyed. Inventory levels measured highest at neutral and therefore are not expected to expand or contract for Q3. Order volume (sentiment) increased by 5%. That suggests order volumes […]

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State of Digitization in Forwarding

State of Digitization in Forwarding

The pace of digitalization in freight forwarding has accelerated since 2020, as companies increasingly invest in technology solutions to streamline operations, finds a Magaya report. However, the industry still has a long way to go to capitalize on evolving technological advancements. Many organizations still rely heavily on inefficient manual processes. The survey’s key findings include: […]

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Industrial Sector Cools, Manufacturing Heats Up

Industrial Sector Cools, Manufacturing Heats Up

Following record high demand and rent prices notched during the pandemic, the industrial sector’s dynamics are shifting and demand is cooling, finds a new U.S. industrial market update from Savills. Some predictions about where things are headed from here: Vacancy rates are on the rise. While the market is still historically tight, vacancy rates are […]

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Reshoring Moves Beyond the Drawing Table

Reshoring Moves Beyond the Drawing Table

Reshoring and nearshoring have finally matured into commercial realities, finds Kearney’s 10th annual Reshoring Index Report. Reshoring initiatives have become so successful that companies that took a wait-and-see approach to locating manufacturing operations in the past are now scrambling to find facilities in Mexico and the United States. But the road to reshoring is harder […]

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Technology Leads the Pack

Technology Leads the Pack

Packaging used to be simply for protecting and identifying a product; now it helps drive sales. Smart packaging—which uses technology to enhance user engagement, product quality, and supply chain efficiency—is the latest iteration, according to Smart Packaging 2023-2033, a new report from IDTechEx. Establishing business models that utilize these technologies to unlock value for brands […]

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Air Cargo Grounded

Air Cargo Grounded

The global air cargo market may have to hang on until October for signs of a recovery. A flood of summer bellyhold capacity on major lanes and a 4% drop in demand in April 2023 indicates challenging months ahead, according to new analysis from CLIVE Data Services, part of Xeneta. Air freight spot rates dropped […]

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Warehouse Location Automation

Warehouse Location Automation

If a robot told you where to go, would you listen? Choosing a domestic distribution site is a well-honed science with several schools of thought. Some supply chain practitioners favor the mega-DC approach, while others use retail locations to do double-duty as efulfillment centers. Other practices include a blended approach to match evolving customer demand.

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IN BRIEF: New Services and Solutions

IN BRIEF: New Services and Solutions

On behalf of Stena Line, Stena RoRo designed and ordered two hybrid cargo ships from shipyard CMI Jinling in Weihai, China; delivery is scheduled for 2025. The NewMax ships can be powered by methanol or conventional fuel and increase cargo capacity by 80%. The vessels have been designed for Stena Line’s route between Belfast and Heysham on the Irish Sea.

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VERTICAL FOCUS: Alcoholic Beverages

VERTICAL FOCUS: Alcoholic Beverages

3 Tiers of the Wine Supply Chain We can’t talk about wine without mentioning the Volstead Act, which made it illegal to “manufacture, sell, barter, transport, import, export, deliver, furnish, or possess” such beverages. Prohibition wasn’t just a temporary blip in alcohol manufacturing; it changed the way the supply chain functions. Prior to Prohibition, the […]

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NOTED: Supply Chain Highlights

NOTED: Supply Chain Highlights

Good Works •  Trailer Bridge and ATS International held a charity golf tournament that raised more than $104,500 for Habitat for Humanity of Puerto Rico, supporting the organization’s efforts to create and preserve home ownership opportunities for low-income individuals and families on the island. •  Technology-driven logistics company TransLoop partnered with Luke Grimes of Yellowstone, Hydroviv, and […]

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