Articles
Supply Chain

Advanced Optimization Techniques For Enhanced Solutions – Hub Group
Hub Group’s technology improved efficiency in a leading retailer’s network, maximizing capacity in constrained markets.
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Leading a Supply Chain With Dogged Determination
Matt Cantatore is chief operating officer of Ollie, a national service that sells healthful, high-quality pet food direct to consumers. Responsibilities: Oversight of day-to-day operations, including sourcing, supply chain management, fulfillment, logistics, and customer service. Also an executive team member responsible for recruiting, goal-setting, and managing the P&L. Experience: Director of operations, Blue Apron; analyst, […]
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5 Insights to Industry 4.0
Nearly all middle market manufacturing executives are at least moderately familiar with Industry 4.0, according to BDO’s Middle Market Industry 4.0 Benchmarking Survey. But while more than half (54%) have either developed or are in the process of developing an Industry 4.0 strategy, only 5% are currently implementing one. Another 25% plan to develop an […]
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Alaska: The Last Frontier
Successfully tapping into Alaska’s growth depends on the perseverance, innovation, efficiency, and resources of logistics providers whose experience has withstood the test of time and travel in this most extraordinary state.
Read MoreThe World Wide Web Turns 30: Can the Supply Chain Emulate its Technological Feat?
This year, the World Wide Web celebrated its 30th birthday. In honor of the milestone, we take a look at some of the most fascinating parallels between what launched the Internets success and what the supply chain must do to fulfill the same ambitions.
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Don’t Gamble With Trade Compliance
Recent trends in tariffs, enforcement, and e-commerce shipping complicate the international trade landscape. To avoid significant fines, businesses must learn to dot every i and cross every t in the compliance process. Even existing allowances and privileges are being threatened, challenged, or taken away from shippers who violate trade regulations, creating an immediate threat to profitability.
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Technology Lifts Global Forklift Market
The global forklift truck market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 6.4% during the forecasted period of 2017-2024, according to Research and Markets’ latest report. Technological advancement to help improve forklifts where they are integrated with sensors and other components, growth in manufacturing industries and e-commerce, along with rising demand in the construction […]
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Planning for Unplanned Spend
2017 and 2018 saw an uptick in unplanned spending as companies struggled with new trucking regulations, brutal weather, and tariff changes. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have high expectations of suppliers, pushing them to comply with production requirements. But because life is unpredictable, suppliers may fall behind on component production. If suppliers don’t meet their deadlines, […]
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Bernice Cannon: Shooting for an Optimized Supply Chain
Bernice Cannon is supply chain manager for Nouryon, a global specialty chemicals company, formerly AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals. Responsibilities: Oversight of logistics and supply planning; liaison between the business and the production plant. Experience: Supply chain manager, North America, and customer service manager, both with AkzoNobel; account service manager, FMC Corporation; management trainee, Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Education: […]
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ERP Drives ROI
In the past, studies have shown a lack of success in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementations. But those statistics may be out of date, according to a survey conducted by Mint Jutras and published by Ultra Consultants. Sixty-seven percent of manufacturers and distributors responding to the survey rate their ERP implementations as successful or very […]
Read MoreThe 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 MoreNo Light at End of Retail Tunnel
The decline of physical retail stores isn’t expected to slow down any time soon, finds a Coresight Research report. U.S. retailers have announced 2,187 closings to date in 2019, including 749 Gymboree stores, 251 Shopko stores, and 94 Charlotte Russe locations. Payless ShoeSource also is reported to be considering its second bankruptcy. Online retail growth, […]
Read MoreGOOD QUESTION | What advice would you give someone just starting out in logistics/supply chain?
Ask every question you can. Figure out the "why" and not only will you learn more about the overall process, you’ll understand how a seemingly small change could create significant problems for someone else. Mary O’Connell Pricing Analyst Sunset Transportation Make what it means to be emotionally intelligent a priority and embrace the principles as […]
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Let’s Get Digital
Transitioning to a cloud-based platform with real-time visibility and automation capabilities is crucial for retailers to maintain full control of their supply chains. Yet 85 percent of U.S. retailers haven’t digitized their supply chains, finds research from Gravity Supply Chain Solutions. Although only 15 percent of U.S. retail businesses have digitized their supply chains, 60 […]
Read MoreAMH Equipment Gets a Lift
The Automated Material Handling (AMH) equipment market is expected to reach $53.59 billion by 2024, according to a Research and Markets report. One major motivator behind the market boost is a growing presence of start-up companies that employ robotic solutions for warehouse automation. The increasing popularity of AMH equipment among leading industries, significant recovery in […]
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Southeast Asia Connects
Southeast Asian nations Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam are among the most connected companies in the world, beating expectations by the widest margins. That’s one finding of DHL’s Global Connectedness Index—an analysis of globalization as measured by international trade flows, capital, information, and people. Improved supply chain networks within the region and ASEAN policy initiatives […]
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2019 Global Logistics Guide
Inbound Logistics’ 15th annual Global Logistics Guide provides an around-the-world look at the issues, opportunities, and concerns likely to affect global supply chain networks. Supply chains don’t thrive on uncertainty, but that is what they are getting in 2019. Uncertainty regarding the U.S.-China relationship is motivating many companies to spread their manufacturing and logistics bets […]
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