Articles
March 2023

The Great Outdoors: Peak Opportunities
As more Americans venture outdoors, apparel and gear makers net more direct-to-consumer sales and embark on the path to a more sustainable supply chain.
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Incoterms: The Good, The Bad, and The Ambiguous
Incoterms are a set of international rules that interpret the most commonly used trade terms. Applying Incoterms to sales and purchase contracts makes global trade easier and helps partners in different countries understand one another.
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Gettin’ Giggy With It
The gig economy’s impact on last-mile delivery and fulfillment expectations has not gone unnoticed by the retail and e-commerce behemoths. Acknowledging that impact, investment activity is spinning up this year. It seems odd but, despite finely tuned distribution systems, e-commerce leaders now feel they have to add to their “legacy” fulfillment infrastructure, technology, and expertise […]
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10 Tips: Optimizing Mobile Devices in Your Supply Chain
Mobile devices are indispensable tools for businesses to stay connected and manage their supply chains—placing them on the front lines of technology transformation. Here are 10 action items to better optimize the use of mobile devices in your supply chain.
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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: Tracking and Labeling Solutions
NB Series Mobile Powered Cart: The redesigned workstation from Newcastle Systems streamlines labeling processes and can be configured for different workflows in the warehouse, production or retail floor. Able to run up to 4 devices for 8 to 12 hours of normal use, the NB Series accommodates laser printers, monitors, testing equipment, and scales. Oyster3 […]
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Shaun Bunch: Best of the Bunch
Shaun Bunch is senior vice president of supply chain with Northern Tool + Equipment, which offers more than 100,000 tools—from air compressors to welding tables—through 130-plus stores, catalog, and website.
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Your Supply Chain Reality in 5 Years: What ChatGPT Can’t Tell You
We asked our readers: How will supply chain management transform in the next five years? Here are the three major transformations supply chain managers can anticipate. 1. Adoption of advanced supply chain technology will be a major source of competitive advantage for companies. Platforms that improve human decision making and asset management will be areas […]
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NOTED: Supply Chain Highlights
Milestone Milky Way, a division of LTI, celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2023. The bulk milk transporter serves producers in Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. Good Works Atlas Air sent a 747-8F aircraft filled with humanitarian and relief supplies from Washington Dulles International Airport to earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria. Atlas Air donated the use […]
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IN BRIEF: New Services and Solutions
Products The new EFFER iQ.950 HP heavy loader crane from Hiab, part of Cargotec, lets operators perform a wide range of vertical and horizontal lifting jobs safely and precisely at high speeds. The multipurpose crane’s dimensions and weight make it suitable for installation on several trucks. The nestable Retail E5.3 order picking pallet from Cabka […]
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Preparing Now For What the Future May Bring
In 2022, it became clear that effective supply chain risk management (SCRM) is not a luxury but a necessity. The year saw numerous disruptions to global supply chains, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Log4Shell vulnerability, and concerns over rail strikes.
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Ukraine War’s Supply Chain Impact
In February 2022, Russian forces invaded Ukraine. While this is a terrible humanitarian event, it also impacts the global economy. There are economic repercussions not only in Europe, but also across the globe, especially since the timing of the war was not ideal.
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You’re Invited To: Bring New Trading Partners to the Party
More U.S. companies are asking a Plus One guest to join China sourcing strategies, inviting suppliers beyond the border of the world’s primary outsourcing powerhouse to the dance.
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VERTICAL FOCUS: Cosmetics
Inventory Management Gets a Makeover From managing ingredient shortages to finding a production plan that delivers the right amount of product when and where it’s needed, cosmetics companies face significant supply chain challenges. Many are turning to automation to meet these challenges. One example is Belcorp, a multinational beauty brand corporation operating for more than […]
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Keeping the Last Mile In Sight
When customers order an item, they want it delivered now. Retailers realize this, but they also have to keep costs in mind. A study FarEye conducted with Researchscape International finds that retailers with more than $100 million in sales seek to improve the top key performance indicators of on-time delivery (74%) and cost per delivery […]
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Gaining Vision in Ocean Freight’s Murky Depths
What you don’t know can hurt you. Half of ocean freight stakeholders responding to a recent report released by FourKites say they have zero visibility into their ocean freight. More than 20% still rely on manual track-and-trace processes to locate their ocean freight in the supply chain. Once that cargo hits land, the numbers get […]
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Air Cargo Gains Altitude
Air cargo levels are showing signs of rebounding to pre-pandemic levels. North American carriers reported a 5.1% decrease in demand in 2022 when compared with 2021, but capacity increased 4.2%, according to the International Air Transport Association. Comparing these figures with 2019 shows demand at 13.7% and capacity at 8.2% above pre-pandemic levels. Here are […]
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Look Ma, No Hands
As autonomous driving gains some traction, transportation companies are building partnerships to bring self-driving trucks from concept to reality. To that end, Ascend, a truckload carrier that offers middle-mile supply chain solutions, partnered with Volvo Autonomous Solutions (VAS) to test autonomous, long distance linehaul options. As part of the pilot, Ascend will pick up customer […]
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War in Ukraine Squeezes Shipping
More than one year after Russia’s initial invasion of Ukraine, global supply chains are feeling the impact. In the months after the invasion, total vessels moving in and out of Ukraine dropped from 109 in January 2022 to just two in June 2022, according to data tracked by project44. Combine the lack of vessel movement […]
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Operating in Style
After working for several years in the field of styling and fashion, Joelle Desaulniers created the eponymous JOELLE Collection. The Quebec-based company offers unique dresses, sweaters, jumpsuits, and jewelry, among other items, through a thriving online business and a boutique in Trois-Rivieres. Another boutique in Place Ste-Foy is slated to open later in 2023.
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Container Shipping Shifts Balance
The East Coast is back in fashion for import supply chains that rely on containerized ocean freight. However, for many small and mid-sized shippers with historic dependency on Southern California distribution hubs, old habits will be hard to break.
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