Articles
Logistics
3 Ways to Reduce Food Waste in the Supply Chain
The UN Food and Agriculture organization estimates 30-40% of food production is lost before it reaches the market. While a great deal of this is lost in agriculture, there is a significant amount of food waste in the supply chain. In 2012, food waste costs in the EU alone were estimated at 143 billion euros. […]
Read More7 Tips to Driving a Strong Safety Culture
A USA Today article reported that Tesla’s worker injury rate was 31% higher than the industry average in 2015. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has pledged to change this, and in an email to his employees, he stated that he will personally carry out the job of an injured employee to assess the dangers first-hand. He […]
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High Value, High Risk: How to Make Sure Your Cargo is Protected
If your company is shipping a load valued at $100,000 or more, you should take every step possible to make sure your cargo is protected. Here are five ways you can greatly lower the risk of losing hundreds of thousands of dollars from a failed shipment. 1. Check your insurance coverage. First, you need to […]
Read MoreReport: Retailers are Hemorrhaging Costs from Premium Delivery Services
2017 brings unprecedented competition for retailers. Not only has Amazon set the standard for how to do retail well, it’s set the new consumer standard on shipping. Prime-like shopping is the new benchmark with Americans demanding ultimate convenience and immediacy at a low cost. Temando’s, a shipping and fulfillment software platform for commerce, 2017 State of […]
Read MoreNo-show Fine Could Cause Nightmares for Freight Forwarders
The recent implementation of no-shows fine by shipping liners could potentially cause ‘nightmares’ for freight forwarders, says online freight forwarding company iContainers. In recent months, shipping liners including Maersk, CMA CGM, and Hapag-Lloyd have begun implementing no-shows fines on shipments that fail to show up on vessels. iContainers warns that such a fee, while the […]
Read MoreSafety and Shipping Report: Cyber Security, Regulation, and Cost Cutting Impacts Global Shipping
Large shipping losses have declined by 50% over the past decade, mostly driven by the development of a more robust safety environment by ship owners, according to Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty SE’s (AGCS) fifth annual Safety & Shipping Review 2017. There were 85 total shipping losses reported in 2016, down 16% compared with a […]
Read MoreReport: New York Maintains, Improves Most Grades in Manufacturing, Logistics Sectors
New York retained or improved its grades in a report on manufacturing and logistics from Ball State University. The grades that remained the same were manufacturing (D), logistics (C), human capital (C-), benefits costs (D), global position (C), tax climate (F), and diversification (B). The state improved grades in productivity and innovation (C+ to B) […]
Read MoreHow Will Amazon Buying Whole Foods Affect The Delivery Industry?
It’s hard to imagine now, but Amazon used to be nothing more than an online bookstore. That was back in 1994. Since then, Amazon has started selling DVDs, clothes, furniture, and just about everything else you can imagine. They do more than just sell stuff online now, too. Amazon has become a big player in […]
Read MoreManufacturing is Returning to the United States
In 2016, leading technology brands collectively announced billions of dollars in investments in US manufacturing, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs and supporting reshoring. But manufacturing today is not the same as when it left: Gone are many of the large steel mills, auto plants and computer factories and in their place a greater volume […]
Read MoreSupply Chain and Logistics Services Delivery: Study Reveals Future Trends
KPMG and HfS Research recently released their annual market study on the State of the Outsourcing, Shared Services, and Operations Industry. This study examines topics such as changes to organizational operating and service delivery models and adoption levels, challenges, and opportunities related to process and cognitive automation. The report also provides some interesting insights into […]
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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An Inside Look at Freight-Based Development in Kansas City
CVS Pharmacy, Amazon, and others have invested more than $456 million in warehousing and distribution centers in the KC region, adding 4,700 jobs since 2015.
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President Trump’s Trade Policy To-Do List: Top 10 Priorities
President Donald Trump’s early days in office have been busy ones for trade policy. It is too early, however, to assess the impact of these changes, according to global trade data company Panjiva. Here’s how Panjiva prioritizes the President’s trade policy task list. 1. Light up Lighthizer. Senate approval for Robert Lighthizer’s appointment as U.S. […]
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Top 5 Things to Know About IoT
The Internet of Things is still in its infancy, and can be confusing to supply chain and logistics managers. Greg Braun, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Montreal-based logistics IT company C3 Solutions, shares some advice. 1. IoT technologies promise vastly improved visibility into supply chain operations. The ready availability of connected devices […]
Read MoreSupply Chain Visibility: Closer Than You Think
Running a sustainable company isn’t as simple as it looks. "Compliance and recycle/reuse is about knowing what’s in your product—materials, chemicals, substances," says Christoph Wilfert, CEO of London-based everycs, developer of a technology solution—currently in beta testing—that screens global supply chains for risks and impacts. "But suppliers, like chemical companies, hate formula or percentage composition […]
Read MoreTransportation Industry Leads the Way in Preventive Maintenance
Trucks need to keep rolling. Conveyor belts aren’t much good if they don’t convey anything. Cargo planes don’t move freight if they can’t fly. Ships don’t deliver from under the water. Business logistics managers can’t ignore the importance of preventive maintenance because the costs of reactive maintenance can have a heavy impact on the bottom […]
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Intermodal Bounces Back in Q1
Intermodal freight volumes returned to growth in the first quarter of 2017 following declines during 2016, according to the Intermodal Association of North America’s (IANA) Intermodal Market Trends and Statistics report. International and domestic containers rose 2.9 percent and 1.3 percent respectively, and intermodal trailers posted minimal gains of 0.3 percent. "All intermodal market segments […]
Read MoreE-commerce Fulfillment Survey Finds Evidence of Retailer Growing Pains
Business is booming for e-commerce retailers according to a new global market study by Peoplevox, an e-commerce Warehouse Management System (WMS) provider. Peoplevox’s “The 2017 E-Commerce Fulfillment Report” found sales of 82% of the e-commerce and multichannel businesses taking part had increased in 2016, with only 6% reporting a decrease in orders. While many voiced […]
Read MoreCommentary: What Uber Freight Will Mean for Shippers
Uber recently announced the launch of their newest service, Uber Freight, which allows trucking companies to automatically match with loads in need of transportation. While reviews of the new service are mixed, Uber executives claim that their shift toward infiltrating the trucking industry is in full force and that they already have a network of […]
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