Articles
Technology
Twinning Your Supply Chain from Google
Google once again is helping to democratize business solutions that were previously available only to the Fortune 1000. Its two new supply chain management solutions—Supply Chain Twin and Supply Chain Pulse—provide a powerful business tool for small and mid-size enterprises. “Siloed and incomplete data is limiting the visibility companies have into their supply chains,” says […]
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Supply-Side Accuracy and Timeliness in Volatile Times
While improved demand accuracy in your supply chain is critical, it is equally important to have supply-side accuracy and timeliness, especially now. The disruption the pandemic caused for global supply chains is getting worse, creating shortages of consumer products and making it more expensive for companies to ship goods where they’re needed.
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3PLs Drive Logistics IT Solutions
Massive shifts in consumer expectations and e-commerce acceleration signal a new direction and new challenges. Shippers are turning to 3PLs’ technology expertise to meet service expectations in an ever-changing marketplace.
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Network Analysis Reveals Supply Chain Optimization Opportunities
A network optimization study with Odyssey Logistics & Technology gave a global manufacturer, which spent more than $1 billion annually on shipping, the insight to optimize its global supply chain network.
Read MoreIN BRIEF: New Services & Solutions-October 2021
Technology Arvato Supply Chain Solutions deployed the AutoStore order fulfillment system in a new facility in Dortmund, Germany, to support international customers in the fashion industry. The system has a capacity of approximately 180,000 bins and 280 robots, automating processing, storage, and picking of incoming goods. DAT Freight & Analytics introduced Loadsure, a pay-as-you-go digital insurance solution […]
Read MoreWhen Every Product Tells a Story
What makes Amazon so successful? How has the company turned retail (and logistics, for that matter) on its head? The answer is intelligence. Thanks to digital technology and an expansive network infrastructure, Amazon knows more about the demand chain it’s built between brands and consumers than most traditional companies can possibly grasp. But that’s changing. […]
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IL Exclusive Report: 5 Significant Service Trends
Which services are shippers buying, and what does that say about the current supply chain landscape? Take a look at five significant trends based on data from shippers responding to Inbound Logistics’ audience survey from July 2016 to July 2021: 1. Drop in site selection: The number of respondents making site, port, and facility selection […]
Read More10 Tips for Improving Packaging Performance
The packaging used throughout the supply chain, and its management, plays a crucial role in optimizing your operation. Reusable packaging can’t be considered on its own, and it must be evaluated in the context of the entire supply chain system.
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3 Ways AI Can Reap Benefits
Set to generate more than $550 billion in revenue by 2024, arguably no sector in the technology world is growing more rapidly than artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). And while AI may be experiencing well-known impacts on industries such as healthcare and retail, it’s also quietly affecting logistics and shipping, particularly freight procurement.
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Eastman Alert: What’s Your Emergency?
October 4, 2017 was a scary day at Eastman Chemical Company’s Kingsport, Tennessee, headquarters.
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Efficiency Lives Where Technology and Human Intelligence Intersect
Technology can make a difference in every aspect of the supply chain when used correctly. The combination of quality talent, technology, and the human touch quickly brings about improved efficiency, increased transparency, and limited freight damage.
Read MoreHow Preventive Business Models in Logistics Can Add Value to Companies
In business, it is always better to be proactive than reactive. In logistics, this is even more vital, as unanticipated reactions quickly become costly outcomes—making or breaking supply chains in today’s fast-moving world. Let’s take a look at how preventive business models on the front end and back end of the supply chain can help […]
Read MoreChoose Empathetic Technology: Frontline Tech that Cares
The art of empathy isn’t easy to master. Neither is finding the right tools for your team. Now, these might seem like two disconnected statements but in my experience, they’re closely linked. Historically, the rollout of business software was largely down to whether a boss alone saw the value. We’re increasingly seeing the decision-making power […]
Read MoreIN BRIEF: New Services & Solutions-September 2021
Technology CPG and brand manufacturers can more accurately predict supply chain trends with developer Deacom’s enhanced enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. Its new forecasting methods allow users to take into consideration market volatility by weighing specific variables, measuring short-term demands, and applying multiple variables to a forecast. FourKites, a real-time supply chain visibility platform, released new capabilities […]
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Vertical Focus | Agriculture
Unearthing the Land of Cotton You can sell unwanted cotton clothes at a garage sale or donate them to avoid landfills, but what about burying them in soil? The Goondiwindi Circular Cotton Project in Australia recently found that old cotton textiles can improve soil quality on farms, potentially unearthing a large-scale circular solution for textile […]
Read MoreJennifer Lyons: Just Keep Paddling!
Jennifer Lyons is deputy manager, NASA Deep Space Logistics Project.
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3 Ways to Bolster Your Supply Chain
Organizations across industries have spent decades optimizing supply chains for maximum profit, but the pandemic highlighted almost overnight how little attention these companies have paid to resilience. As production and mobility of goods experienced historic disruptions, demand quickly exceeded supply and forecasts have failed to produce reliable information for months.
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What is the secret to a successful shipper/3PL partnership?
Three fundamental pillars define a successful partnership: a direct application programming interface (API) integration, a shared target customer, and a partnership mentality focused on solutions. When any one of these pillars falter, the client suffers and that is unacceptable. As a 3PL, it’s our responsibility to help clients mitigate pain points and enable growth.
Read MorePRODUCT SPOTLIGHT | Robotics Solutions
AutoStore: The scalable storage and retrieval system from Swisslog uses robots and bins to quickly process small parts orders. In one use case, Arvato Supply Chain Solutions processes e-commerce orders for Rituals Cosmetics Enterprise (pictured). In 2020, Arvato scaled up as needed by adding 65 new robots to its initial deployment of 36 robots. Bolt: […]
Read More10 Tips for Ensuring Trade Compliance
Many companies do not prioritize regular trade compliance check-ins until they’re dealing with a problem. Here’s how to manage and improve your international trade processes so you can catch a problem before it arises and remain compliant.
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