Articles

Labor Management

Cold Changes

Cold Changes

Most cold chain businesses say that taking extra measures to protect the workforce is their No. 1 issue (see chart), according to the Global Cold Chain Alliance’s survey studying the ripple effects of COVID-19. Other key findings include: Common challenges. More than 50% of respondents say that supply chain disruptions, such as keeping up with […]

Read More

Reading the Room

Annette Danek-Akey is executive vice president of supply chain at multinational publishing company Penguin Random House. Responsibilities: Manage distribution, transportation, customer service, fulfillment, reverse logistics, and remainder sales. Oversee 1,700 employees in three distribution centers that ship 1.5 million books per day. Experience: EVP and SVP, supply chain, Penguin Random House; SVP and VP, fulfillment, […]

Read More
Keith Biondo

Let’s Not Forget

Virus Times has reminded us that we have the capacity to quickly adopt "new" technologies, adapt to new working conditions, and remain highly productive. Certainly the "new" technologies for collaborative work are not really new. They are new just to a large swath of workers who had no reason to Zoom under pre-COVID-19 working conditions. […]

Read More

Five Keys for Turning Challenge into Opportunity

To capitalize on what they’ve learned, transform, and thrive in a post-COVID world, supply chain leaders should focus on the five core pillars: People. Leaders must reassure, clarify, protect, encourage, motivate, recognize, and reward people they manage. Each of these actions can make a fundamental difference in a successful post-COVID-19 transformation. When the crisis hit, […]

Read More

The True Value of Supply Chain Transformation

Lyndsi Lee is senior vice president of supply chain with True Value Company, a leading hardware and home improvement wholesaler. Responsibilities: Drive end-to-end supply chain optimization, develop integrated planning and logistics strategies, and build best-in-class sourcing programs. Experience: Division vice president, inventory management and global sourcing, also with True Value; principal, project leader, Boston Consulting […]

Read More
Making the Move to Warehouse Work

Making the Move to Warehouse Work

Soaring demand for warehouse space creates a highly competitive labor environment in many markets, especially during the pandemic, says Newmark Research. The following factors are driving employees to leave their jobs and enter the warehousing and transportation sector (see chart), the report says: More space. In the second quarter of 2021, a record 423.7 million […]

Read More
Uncorking Automation Bottlenecks

Uncorking Automation Bottlenecks

Although 57% of organizations say they’re piloting automation processes and 93% of employees are optimistic automation will make their jobs easier, digital transformation efforts often fall apart, according to a new McKinsey survey. Many companies rely on IT to drive transformation without engaging other departments, creating bottlenecks. Company size and the structure of automation efforts […]

Read More

Employee Engagement Is Your New Success Metric

Globally, 85% of employees report that they’re either not engaged or are actively disengaged within their jobs, according to a 2019 Gallup study. This is a big factor in employee turnover, because disengaged team members often feel underequipped, underdeveloped, and underappreciated. Logistics leaders who recognize and further engage their employees will reap long-term and short-term […]

Read More

Why Talent Management Is Business-Critical

As traditional approaches to hiring and maintaining talent have gradually evolved, so has the importance of supporting and investing in people within a company. The results from a recent McKinsey Global Survey confirm the positive effects of talent management on business outcomes. According to respondents, organizations with effective talent management programs have a better chance […]

Read More

The 8th M for Supply Chain Success

In the competitive world of business, every organization is seeking an edge—a catchy marketing phrase, an innovative product launch, improvements in efficiency and productivity—something to create a little separation to provide that illusive competitive advantage. Companies with a strong Continuous Process Improvement (CPI) program constantly use analytics to evaluate their processes to ensure maximum efficiency […]

Read More