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Manufacturing is on the cusp of an explosion in growth and innovation in 2018. Regulatory reform has been top-of-mind for supply chain executives and political leaders in the US since the 2016 election. The US energy industry is also awaiting changes in basic operating procedures, which are expected to dramatically reduce energy costs. These facts set the stage for exponential manufacturing growth in 2018.
This month, I traveled the globe helping companies understand the potential impact of technology innovation on the future of supply chain processes, I find the term “digital innovation” is a bit like tulip mania. How so? It is a fad sweeping across supply chain leadership teams. I am trying to help teams manage the hype and drive value. CIOs are rebranding as Digital Innovation Officers, and consultants are knocking down doors to sell digital innovation projects.
I hate prediction articles. However, this morning over coffee, my fingers hunger to write this post. I am not sure why. It may be that I am growing tired of hubris and market hype. I writhe in my seat at most conferences and count the number of times the word “digital” is used in presentations. I am often uncomfortable. Consultants and technology leaders are rebranding under a “digital umbrella” without clear definition.
Prices Set To Ramp Up For Chinese New Year: Freight Rate Update Wk 2. By John Edmonds, Research & Marketing, Freightos. Weekly update article on the Freightos International Freight Index exploring rate trends and their driving forces. 2018 started with China-US ocean freight prices increasing by 27% as supply chains came back into full swing. Following brief dips last week, ocean and air freight prices will likely rise in the run-up to the Chinese New Year closedown.
“What should we do about the tariffs?” There’s no straightforward answer — every leader has a different expectation. CFOs want numbers. COOs want action. CEOs want strategy. And supply chain and procurement leaders need to be ready with the right response — fast. That’s why GEP has created a simple three-part framework that will help CPOs and CSCOs brief the board and C-suite with clarity and confidence.
Over the next two years, manufacturers are set to invest more than $250 billion in the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), and the use of technology to improve manufacturing will only increase. It is almost impossible to define the exact amount manufacturers will invest in technologies over the coming year, but they are moving toward more sustainable, cost-effective practices.
Forecasting demand in the long tail is much different than in the head. Items with intermittent, unpredictable demand are a growing part of business. You don’t have to be an internet retailer like Amazon to see it. Companies are dealing with more slow moving items with unpredictable demand patterns, which is making demand forecasting and inventory management more difficult.
Forecasting demand in the long tail is much different than in the head. Items with intermittent, unpredictable demand are a growing part of business. You don’t have to be an internet retailer like Amazon to see it. Companies are dealing with more slow moving items with unpredictable demand patterns, which is making demand forecasting and inventory management more difficult.
The term “control tower” has been around for a long time in the supply chain and I recently had a great conversation on the common misconceptions of what control towers are with Tom Nightingale and Adrian Gonzalez (you can watch the video here ). The consensus was that supply chain leaders’ expectations of a control tower are much different than what control towers can now do for their business.
If you’re back from your year-end holiday, welcome back! If you couldn’t take a break, you’re probably working in express logistics. Year-end is the busiest time for retailers and express logistics service providers as bargain-hunters snap up coveted items on Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Boxing Day. In China, Singles Day (November 11) brings out online shoppers in full force.
Warehouse managers face many challenges. Customers need to get the products they order. Employees deserve an enjoyable, rewarding work environment. Vendors need to have access to the latest inbound freight routing guides and more. These challenges can be overwhelming, but supply chain executives and managers can simplify the process by tracking these top warehouse management KPIs (key performance indicators).
We already find ourselves at 17 th January so not many days left to ensure your monthly top and bottom lines are on target. Good luck with that if your business (& body!) is only just shaking off the holiday excesses. What is top of mind? The sagging month to date sales rate? The slow return to normal of the S&OP meeting schedule? The upcoming corporate audit?
Speaker: Andrew Skoog, Founder of MachinistX & President of Hexis Representatives
Manufacturing is evolving, and the right technology can empower—not replace—your workforce. Smart automation and AI-driven software are revolutionizing decision-making, optimizing processes, and improving efficiency. But how do you implement these tools with confidence and ensure they complement human expertise rather than override it? Join industry expert Andrew Skoog as he explores how manufacturers can leverage automation to enhance operations, streamline workflows, and make smarter, data-dri
Trade flowing across the United States-Mexico border has grown exponentially since the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was enacted in 1994. It has been further spurred by the trend of nearshoring over the last decade, as American companies have relocated their manufacturing facilities to Mexico to take advantage of a skilled workforce, improving infrastructure, and proximity to the United States.
As food logistics become more complex, a transportation management system (TMS) is more important to food companies than ever before. In this episode of Talking Logistics with Adrian Gonzalez, our own JP Wiggins discusses the reasons and results of this complexity: Food companies have put a lot of resources into modernizing their infrastructure and a […].
As a supply chain professional, we need to consider how actions in one part of the supply chain affect both upstream and downstream operations. This is especially true for those that work in and manage the demand planning process. Sometimes demand planners focus too much on forecast accuracy and miss seeing the forest for the trees. I was guilty of this from time to time when I led a demand-planning group because we were evaluated on forecast accuracy as one of our key metrics.
In 2017 drone deliveries went from rumor to reality. Online retail continued its steady eclipse of brick-and-mortar outlets, forcing big brands to reassess the importance of seamless last-mile delivery in nurturing customer relationships. And companies had the painful realization that, faced with an empty shelf or “out of stock” notification, most customers will drop a purchase entirely and head for the next best option.
Retailers know the clock is ticking–legacy SAP Commerce support ends in 2026. Legacy platforms are becoming a liability burdened by complexity, rigidity, and mounting operational costs. But modernization isn’t just about swapping out systems, it’s about preparing for a future shaped by real-time interactions, AI powered buying assistants, and flexible commerce architecture.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) was certainly one of the most talked about technologies in the industry last year and there’s no doubt that it will continue to have an impact on supply chain and logistics processes in the months and years ahead. Where are we today with AI technology and its use in the industry? What have been the biggest lessons learned to date?
If you are looking to improve your supply chain management systems in 2018, you most likely have asked the common question: How do I assess my current efficiency? This is a good starting point for anyone looking to add functionality or identify loopholes within current processes. There is no single perfect method that meets all needs and has no flaws.
When you consider just how popular logistics outsourcing has become over the last few years, you could be forgiven for thinking that success is a foregone conclusion. However, as some companies have found out the hard way, there are certain pitfalls to avoid in logistics outsourcing if your partnership with a 3PL provider is to be successful. Avoiding Logistics Outsourcing Mistakes.
Introduction. California’s Prop 64 marks a sea change in the effort to bring an entire industry out of the shadows, and everyone from pharmaceutical companies to big investment firms and app developers has been racing to cash in. Twenty-nine US states have already legalized the drug in some form. However, as the sixth largest economy in the world and the country’s cannabis capital , California is in many ways poised to lead the development of the burgeoning legal industry, with expected sales of
Incorporating generative AI (gen AI) into your sales process can speed up your wins through improved efficiency, personalized customer interactions, and better informed decision- making. Gen AI is a game changer for busy salespeople and can reduce time-consuming tasks, such as customer research, note-taking, and writing emails, and provide insightful data analysis and recommendations.
Some of the best moments from this year’s NRF Expo highlighted the opportunities retailers have to grow and reinvent the industry in 2018. At Retail’s Big Show, attendees learned from engaging speakers, experienced new innovations in retailing and left with insights that’ll help their brands refocus on customer needs, building experiences that will build business and drive loyalty not only this year, but for years to come.
In my last few posts, I’ve focused quite a lot on what can go wrong when outsourcing, the pitfalls to avoid, things that can drive companies to return to in-sourcing, and similar points which, while I don’t consider them negative (they simply reflect the reality of learning from mistakes), have perhaps taken a glass-half-empty perspective on the outsourcing topic.
Introduction. California’s Prop 64 marks a sea change in the effort to bring an entire industry out of the shadows, and everyone from pharmaceutical companies to big investment firms and app developers has been racing to cash in. Twenty-nine US states have already legalized the drug in some form. However, as the sixth largest economy in the world and the country’s cannabis capital , California is in many ways poised to lead the development of the burgeoning legal industry, with expected sales of
Tariffs are no longer just policy noise. They’re driving real, bottom-line impact. One policy shift and your sourcing strategy is upside down. This bulletin cuts straight to the point. How Market-Leading Companies Are Navigating Tariff Chaos with GEP’s AI-Powered Procurement Platform breaks down how procurement teams are staying ahead of the chaos with real-time insights, smarter sourcing moves and AI-powered agility.
A.P. Moller - Maersk and IBM have announced their intent to establish a joint venture to provide more efficient and secure methods for conducting global trade using blockchain technology.
As the holidays approached this past year, consumer spending hit a three-year high and truckload capacity neared 100 percent, which many shippers considered to be uncharted territory 1. Although the surge from the holidays has since subsided, the capacity challenges will continue well into 2018. This coming year, the dedicated transportation market across North America will.
It’s that time of year again, when the snow covers the mountains, the piste bashers come out to play, the chair lifts are running and the ski season comes into…
In 2025, the Supply Chain continues its evolution toward “Logistics 4.0,” inspired by Industry 4.0. Two major characteristics define this transformation: automation, driven by robotic solutions, and prediction, paving the way for an era of planning and simulation powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI).
By working with FedEx Critical Inventory Logistics, companies can streamline and drive costs out of their aftermarket service supply chains, consistently meet customer service level agreements, and grow their bottom-line revenues.
Millions of small, family-operated retailers known as nanostores are the main source of consumer packaged goods (CPG) for many consumers in Africa, Asia and Latin America. These mom-and-pop outlets have thrived by offering affordability as well as the right mix of items and convenience, and by gaining the trust of their customers. At the same […].
| By Pieter Bauwens | Principal, Europe | Chainalytics | How the new policy presents an opportunity for more fact-based decisions when interacting with retailers. Walmart signaled their new On-Time-In-Full (OTIF) policy in 2016, communicated its details in July 2017, and now requires full truckload (FTL) suppliers to comply with the policy 95% of the … The post Is Walmart’s OTIF Mandate Good News After All?
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