,


Articles by

Latest Fashion Trend? Sustainability

Sustainability is more important than ever as fashion supply chains become more environmentally conscious, says a report from intelligence platform Edited. The biggest shift has been the number of products labeled "recycled" or "containing recycled materials" (see chart), which now account for 51% of sustainable products versus 29% in 2019. Highlights from the report reveal: […]

BREA Wine Company Raises a Glass to Logistics

BREA Wine Company runs on a lean staff—just one full-time employee. Yet since its launch in 2013, sales at the Berkeley, California-based company have grown by a factor of more than 13. The company’s founders, Tim Elenteny and Chris Brockway, both are employed full-time elsewhere. Elenteny is co-founder of Elenteny Imports, headquartered in New York; Brockway owns Broc Cellars, a winery based in Berkeley, California.

Planner Blueprint

Creating the 2024 Logistics Planner was just as engaging, challenging, and rewarding as publishing our very first edition. The scope of this issue allows us to explore a broad range of topics that impact your role, equipping you with the insights needed to tackle today’s most pressing supply chain challenges. Is this the year you’ll […]

Jason Murray

Early Amazon Story Explains How to Create Resiliency

Early in Amazon’s history there is a famous story about a renegotiation of its UPS contract. It is one of the first examples of Amazon realizing its scale and utilizing and leveraging it for growth.

Star Power

Amy Davis is vice president and president of the New Power segment of Cummins Inc.

Old Processes Impede New Inventory Strategies

Few businesses use new technologies to tackle supply chain issues caused by the pandemic due to tighter costs and dependence on legacy work processes, says a recent survey from intelligence platform Verusen. This results in lost revenue and increased inventory costs. Global supply chain executives responding to the survey cite poor data quality, siloed materials […]

Cultivating Supply Chain Talent

2021 was notable for labor challenges and shifts in thinking about employee engagement. Here’s how to attract supply chain talent and increase job satisfaction.

Keith Biondo

Robots Do Yardwork, Too

Efficient warehouse operations provide the levels of service that customers demand as America’s economy scales up. In many instances, yard operations impede that efficiency. Safety, driver facilities, cooperation, and consideration for truckers’ time are ongoing challenges. One driver tells us that a yard he regularly serves is "like a moonscape." The confluence of e-commerce growth […]

Food Logistics: Let’s Eat!

The pandemic and shift to home dining and takeout changed the recipe for the food supply chain. Here’s how food companies are devouring new challenges.

Marty Wadle

Choose a 3PL with a Culture and Vision that Match Your Own

Transportation has often been considered a commodity. Equipment, fuel, software, and wages are all very similar from a cost perspective. A 3PL’s culture can be a competitive advantage. Q: Why does culture matter? A: Today, cost is just one of many factors to consider when selecting a 3PL. A low-cost provider may produce short-term savings […]

Balancing Just-in-Time with Just-in-Case

Supply chain leaders must balance efficiency and cost, with inventory management strategies that incorporate the Lean efficiencies of Just-in-Time with the higher inventory levels of Just-in-Case.

Ann Yates

Making Decisions and Adapting Warehouse Operations with WMS + MES

Q. How does adaptability in warehouse operations allow for a quick response to consumption changes? A. In the past two years the way consumers shop has changed. We witnessed 10 years’ worth of e-commerce growth in 3 months. It also caused a drastic change in consumption patterns where some products saw a 75-85% increase in […]

Improving CX: Going the Extra Mile

From e-commerce fulfillment strategies to warehouse layout to inventory approaches, here are the supply chain moves that go above and beyond to improve the customer experience.

Groceries Give Warehouse Automation A Lift

The global warehouse automation market will grow from $29.6 billion in 2020 to $69 billion in 2025 (see chart), says an Interact Analysis report, largely driven by e-commerce retailers that sell groceries and general merchandise, such as JD.com, Amazon, and Target. Fixed automation, such as automated storage and retrieval systems, conveyors, and conveyor-based sorters, will […]

Noted: The Supply Chain In Brief-Dec 2021

Good Works Participating in the Pink October global breast cancer initiative, Bollore Transport & Logistics provided free screenings to employees in Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, and Italy at partner health centers or in their workplace. The company is also working with Florida Mobile Mammography to offer 3D mammograms to employees. Ruan and Bobcat accepted an Outstanding Disability Employer Award from the […]

IN BRIEF: New Services & Solutions-December 2021

Technology TMS provider Axele upgraded its software to include new factoring and loadboard integrations and new dispatch and settlement features. The latest upgrades enable the software to optimize driver schedules with the most profitable loads. Shippers of all sizes get access to real-time supply chain data with the latest updates from Centerboard. The neutral, shipper-centric transportation management solution’s […]

Stephen Aborn

Big Transportation Impacts Small and Mid-Size Businesses

One often overlooked budget item in growing companies is transportation and logistics. As companies focus on growth, the oversight of logistics programs frequently becomes a complimentary duty of employees whose primary focus might be in other company disciplines.

Follow the Sun

Arch Thomason basks in a mentor list 33 names long, lean principles, servant leadership, and a talented team to keep Sunland Logistics Solutions shining bright.

Vertical Focus | Home Improvement

Pre-Orders Build Up Home Improvement Inventory Many manufacturers have discontinued their less-popular products or increased prices across product categories as ships wait off the California coast, truck drivers face long wait times, and rail yards remain backed up. AAA Distributor, however, has all its kitchen cabinetry, shower doors, vanities, and flooring products ready to ship […]

Anne Sexton

6 Reasons You Should Control Inbound Logistics

If the pandemic has taught us anything it’s this—supply chains are brittle. If raw materials or parts don’t get to where they need to be on time, manufacturing plants grind to a halt, orders are not fulfilled, customers are unhappy, and the bottom line suffers. A pandemic—and its knock-on effects of shortages—is not something companies […]

What’s the most challenging time-critical shipment you ever pulled off? How?

I worked for a 3PL in Holland that distributed surgical products. A Luxembourg hospital contacted us after hours, after realizing they did not have the right-size heart valve for a patient needing immediate surgery. One of our employees delivered the valve there in his car, saving the patient’s life.

The Role of IoT in Keeping Vaccines Safe

The pandemic made clear the need for equity in access to vaccines. In fact, G7 leaders met earlier this year to discuss just that. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “leaders recognized that no country can be safe until every country committed to develop and distribute effective tests, treatments, and vaccines around the world.” […]