Sourcing & Procurement USA 2025
EFT
JUNE 3, 2025
Entire Month Duration: No Region: North America Architect Resilience. Enhance Impact.
North America Shipping Sourcing 
Decentralizing Supply Chains: How Regional Models Drive Resilience and Flexibility
Logistics Viewpoints
APRIL 2, 2025
Companies that previously prioritized cost-cutting and centralized sourcing quickly found themselves exposed to serious production and distribution risks. In response, many organizations have shifted toward decentralized and regionalized supply chain models, distributing production and sourcing across multiple regions.
Modeling 
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When it Comes to Ocean Shipping, We Have to See Beyond Today’s Squalls and Plan for the Long Term
Logistics Viewpoints
NOVEMBER 2, 2021
When you can barely see beyond the bow of the ship, when extreme wind and waves threaten to throw you off course – or worse, sink you – it’s understandable that long-term thinking can get chucked overboard like so much extra ballast. It’s an apt metaphor for ocean shipping these past many months. And the list goes on.
This Week in Logistics News (June 22 – 28)
Logistics Viewpoints
JUNE 28, 2024
The company said that it has already replaced 95 percent of the plastic air pillows with paper filler in North America and is working toward complete removal by year’s end. It is the company’s largest plastic packaging reduction effort in North America to date and will remove almost 15 billion plastic air pillows from use annually.
The VF Corporation Invested in Supply Chain Agility Before COVID Made “Agility” the New Buzzword
Logistics Viewpoints
JUNE 20, 2022
Mr. Bailey has worked most of his career at VF – as an industrial engineer in facilities, in strategic sourcing, running offshore operations, and now as the person in charge of the company’s entire supply chain. Its best-known brands are Vans , Timberland , The North Face , and Dickies. Achieving Agility with Regional Supply Chains.
This Week in Logistics News (March 20 – 26)
Logistics Viewpoints
MARCH 26, 2021
A lot of this effort comes down to more sustainable sourcing, which tends to make environmental-conscious consumers happy. Egypt’s Suez Canal blocked by huge container ship. Starbucks to improve sustainable coffee sourcing. Port congestion has caused a lot of shipping delays over the course of the last year.
Freight Market Snapshot: Houthi Attacks in Red Sea and Suez Canal News Updates
Freightos
DECEMBER 19, 2023
Suez Canal News Update The Suez Canal is a crucial lane for global shipping, with 50-60 vessels of all types transiting each day for about 19,000 per year, including about 30% of global container traffic and more than a million barrels of crude oil per day. What to expect from shipping in the Suez Canal & Red Sea?
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Unilever’s Relentless Commitment to S-Curve Transformations
Logistics Viewpoints
JULY 31, 2023
This multinational operates 280 factories and 500 warehouses, that source raw materials from 52,000 suppliers in over 150 countries, processes 25 million customer orders annually, that are then shipped to customers in over 190 nations. Unilever started in North America in 2020.
Things Have Changed: What Do We Do NOW?
Supply Chain Shaman
NOVEMBER 10, 2013
The work done by Terra Technology, in my opinion, is one of two accurate sources of benchmark data on forecasting in the industry. In the study, new products represent 17% of total cases shipped. The average MAPE for North America was 36% while the European average MAPE was 45%. Tougher in Europe.
Improved Supply Chain Visibility Requires an End-to-End Solutions
Logistics Viewpoints
MAY 23, 2022
The world’s fleet consists of approximately 6,000 ships. These ships carried nearly 150 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containers last year. Last October, over 100 ships, including 70 container ships, were waiting at anchor or in drift zones to unload at the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
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Editor’s Choice: Ocean Trends for 2021
Logistics Viewpoints
AUGUST 17, 2021
With summer winding down, we take a look back at the major trends that occurred in ocean shipping in the first half of 2021 and reflect on what your organization can do to proactively prevent major supply chain disruption. In June, shipments were up by 32% and 33% for Asia and North America, respectively, compared to January 2021.
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Scaling a FreightTech Business with Mark McEntire
The Logistics of Logistics
DECEMBER 1, 2023
Over 10,000 users in North America manage more than $7 billion of freight spend running through the flexible, user-friendly TMS. Princeton TMX includes the following benefits: TMS for Freight Lanes & Rates Planning: Visualize complex shipping scenarios and optimize lanes, rates, and carriers.
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This Week in Logistics News (July 3 – 9)
Logistics Viewpoints
JULY 9, 2021
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said it was essential to prevent Tokyo, where the highly infectious Delta COVID-19 variant was spreading, from becoming the source of another wave of infections. Container shipping prices skyrocket. As a result, the Olympics will take place without spectators. Descartes acquires GreenMile.
Real Time Container Tracking with Kyle Henderson
The Logistics of Logistics
JULY 14, 2023
Vizion changes the game by providing multiple data sources that are already connected, offering instant-on capabilities. Their API normalizes data from various sources, including EDI, AIS, port-terminal events, and direct connections to Class I railways. With data refreshed multiple times daily, latency is reduced to 6 hours or less.
Building on the Real-Time Visibility Foundation to Eliminate Silos and Achieve Huge Leaps in Efficiency – Use Case by Use Case
Logistics Viewpoints
MAY 23, 2023
Rob is Group Director, Planning & Logistics at Coca-Cola North America. In the case of OTIF, for the vast majority of shippers and their customers today, the actual quantity of goods shipped is a mystery until the truck shows up at a facility and gets unloaded.
Getting Down to Brass Tacks: Can We Really Collaborate?
Supply Chain Shaman
SEPTEMBER 30, 2014
Source Wikipedia. As the bricks and mortar retailer is attacked by eCommerce pure plays—Amazon in North America, Alibaba in China, and Flipcart in India—assortment and excitement in the store become paramount to lure customers. Definition: Brass tacks are a type of pin or nail. In the 1990s suppliers had channel power.
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Ocean Risk Management part 2: Navigating Global Shipping Alliance
The Logistics & Supply Chain Management Society
AUGUST 14, 2023
Ocean Risk Management part 2: Navigating Global Shipping Alliance The shipping industry continues to evolve. In this article, we explore the pros and cons of the alliance model in the shipping industry, compare the solo strategy versus alliance strategy, and provide tips on how shippers can prepare for market swings.
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This Week in Logistics News (November 5 – 11)
Logistics Viewpoints
NOVEMBER 11, 2022
Retailers turning to specific-day delivery over speediest shipping. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic followed by supply chain disruptions around the world has sparked a resurgence of companies bringing sourcing and manufacturing back to the United States or closer to U.S.
Yards Are Hard
Logistics Viewpoints
APRIL 25, 2024
Some have automated, gateless check-in; some direct the drivers to check in with the shipping office. Matt has led high-impact teams that implemented logistics strategies and systems at P&G, Nestle, Kraft, Anheuser-Busch Inbev, Tyco, Argos and Nokia across North America, Western Europe and Latin America.
The Best Supply Chain Company You Have Never Heard Of
Logistics Viewpoints
JULY 18, 2022
of in-stock products ship the same business day from our DCs; that is best of breed for any industry.” The company sources goods from 34,000 suppliers out of 30 nations. Products can be shipped to a work site or a place of business. Deliveries, in turn, can ship out of a distribution center or be drop shipped from the supplier.
Mars Wrigley’s Highly Successful Supply Chain Digital Transformation
Logistics Viewpoints
JUNE 26, 2023
Demand sensing involves the use of the external data sources – particularly the latest sales and market data – to improve short-term forecasting and then be able to use that improved understanding of consumer behavior to improve their supply planning. For the largest retailers, short shipping results in fines and penalties. “I’ll
Ferguson’s Commitment to Supply Chain Excellence Drives Customer Satisfaction
Logistics Viewpoints
APRIL 29, 2024
The company sources goods from 36,000 suppliers out of 30 nations. The goods flow through 3 import centers, 14 strategically located distribution centers in North America, 106 final-mile shipping hubs, and nearly 1,700 branch locations. 22,000 containers move annually through 52 ports. Across the US, Ferguson has 6.5
Net-Zero Commitments Are Reshaping Carbon Tracking in CPG Supply Chains
Supply Chain Brain
JUNE 17, 2025
In North America, 81% of consumers said they would stop buying products from brands they learned were harming the environment. The Demand for Carbon Accounting The push for sustainability isn’t new, but it has reached a tipping point. Retailers are following suit. Yee Chow is global head of strategy and implementation at Zevero.
The Counter to Constant Supply Chain Volatility Is Pervasive Visibility and Industry Collaboration
Logistics Viewpoints
SEPTEMBER 28, 2021
If you’re Home Depot, you reserve an entire ship for your own exclusive use. We’ve seen firsthand the many positive effects of collaboration based on real-time transportation visibility data, as partners and even competitors — working off of one source of the truth — find efficiencies that benefit multiple partners.
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Robots Take Center Stage at MODEX 2024
Logistics Viewpoints
MARCH 27, 2024
MODEX is the leading trade show for supply chain, logistics, and material handling solutions in North America. From autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) to collaborative robots (cobots) to industrial robots, robots are transforming the way goods are moved, stored, picked, packed, and shipped.
Better Inventory Management Requires International Suppliers To Step Up to Digital Transformation and Collaboration
Logistics Viewpoints
AUGUST 9, 2022
Just last year many were chartering their own cargo ships to get all these goods to their destinations.) By integrating order data, load information across modes, yard shipments and the like, internal departments can turn to a single source of the truth and more accurately manage various aspects of the lifecycle.
What Retailers are Saying About Tariffs - Part 3
Cathy Roberson
MAY 11, 2025
Brian Grass - Chief Financial Officer We also began dual sourcing more of our production and are now intensifying those efforts even further. We began to build out our internal Southeast Asia sourcing capabilities to accelerate supplier transitions out of China and in many cases dual source our production. billion to $1.6
HWI Unleashes Continuous Innovation
Logistics Viewpoints
MARCH 29, 2021
They also have 20 sourcing locations across North America from which they can ship make to stock products. The sourcing centers are key to just-in-time, same-day, next-day deliveries. The sourcing centers shipped over 130,000,000 pounds of product last year.
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Why is o9 Solutions Growing So Fast?
Logistics Viewpoints
MARCH 20, 2023
Planners in China rely on different data sources and operate with different business practices than those in North America. For example, for a yogurt company, decision of where to ship a short lifecycle product coming out of a factory is done daily because “demand can shift in very short time frames.”
This Week in Logistics News (July 20 – 26)
Logistics Viewpoints
JULY 26, 2024
Thousands of flights were grounded or delayed at the world’s largest air freight hubs in Europe, Asia and North America. The canal is a key source of revenue for the government of Egypt, and it is one of the country’s top earners of foreign currency. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg broke ground on a $1.6
This Week in Logistics News (April 2 – 8)
Logistics Viewpoints
APRIL 8, 2022
Staten Island workers could challenge the company’s current labor model, which is the backbone of its Prime two-day shipping promise. Chipotle Mexican Grill says its goal to source and sell chicken that’s certified as humanely raised has been delayed because its suppliers weren’t able to make the necessary changes without disrupting supply.
Management of Ocean Transit Time Reliability and Visibility
The Logistics & Supply Chain Management Society
SEPTEMBER 14, 2023
Source: Sea-Intelligence Source: Sea-Intelligence The number of blank sailings are at the lowest we have seen since the pandemic started. Certain shipping lines are investing in the last mile companies. Companies still need to allocate working capital to build safety stocks considering the unreliable transit time.
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100+ Supply Chain Crisis Statistics: Raw Materials, Covid-19, Labor Shortages, and More
ToolsGroup
APRIL 1, 2022
Increased Shipping Costs, Delays, and Transportation Issues. Dealing with the Shipping Container Crisis. 28% of global retailers have tried to find alternative sourcing options due to supply chain issues (RetailNext, 2020). Source: Consultancy.UK. Image source: Fortune. Image source: Financial Times.
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This Week in Logistics News (July 15-19, 2013)
Talking Logistics
JULY 19, 2013
XPO Logistics to Acquire 3PD, the Largest Provider of Heavy Goods, Last-Mile Logistics in North America. Source data is a combination of reference and benchmark data from third parties as well as econometric models and formulas. HighJump Software Acquires Evenex. SAP Announces Second Quarter and First Half Results 2013.
2022 Green Energy Trends in North America and the Future of Transportation and the Green Economy
Freightera
FEBRUARY 4, 2022
Freightera CEO Eric Beckwitt Shares His Insights on the Current Green Energy Trends in North America. Here are 9 green trends apparent in the North American industries: 1) Rapid advancement in automation will increase manufacturing within North America. 2) Nearshoring and sourcing locally is becoming more popular.
Is Your Supply Chain Future-Ready for the New Normal?
The Logistics & Supply Chain Management Society
DECEMBER 21, 2021
As the months continued and the supply chain and shipping industries weathered numerous storms, the maturation of process digitalisation and remote management continued at speed. These include Inventory vs. Service; Local vs Global Sourcing; Multiple Depots vs. Single Distribution Centre. Mark Lau – Chief Commercial Officer.
This Week in Logistics News (April 17 – 23)
Logistics Viewpoints
APRIL 23, 2021
In total, the company will source enough renewable energy in Europe to power the equivalent of more than two million homes a year. As of June 2020, Amazon sourced about 42 percent of its global energy needs from renewables. This is likely to be an ongoing problem as the pace of container shipping trade continues to increase.
ANCA Streamlines Procurement with the QAD Supplier Portal
QAD
MARCH 31, 2020
ANCA builds their machines in Australia but these precision components are sourced from around the world. Machines can’t be built and shipped without having the right parts in inventory , but at the same time, keeping parts on the shelf consumes space and cash.
This Week in Logistics News (February 19 – 25)
Logistics Viewpoints
FEBRUARY 25, 2022
Carriers, freight forwarders, and shippers that were dealing with the China to North America trade lanes were already operating in crisis mode. Those shipments need to go by Ocean or the more expensive Air mode if ship berths can’t be found. Because of this, they are predicting rates will skyrocket for Ocean and Air.
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Dollars Delayed, Suppliers Dismayed: The True Cost of Late Payments
Supply Chain Brain
JUNE 10, 2025
For smaller fashion brands, as highlighted by Glossy , the financial burden of tariffs can be especially acute, often forcing them to absorb higher costs or shift their sourcing strategies entirely. Steve Carpenter is chief operating officer of Creditsafe North America.
Studies Identify Top Supply Chain Disruption Risks
Supply Chain Matters
JANUARY 21, 2025
In 2023 , a worker strike among delivery and logistics workers at parcel carrier UPS was characterized by The Wall Street Journal as being “ the largest collective bargaining agreement involving a private employer in North America.” economy and for industry supply chains.
Way More Than Visibility with Adam Compain
The Logistics of Logistics
APRIL 22, 2021
And for 21 years, Adam has been the Executive Director of the nonprofit he founded to export charitable goods from North America. Value to finding the clean and accurate source of truth. International and global shipping is complex since it considers vast distances, time zones, parties, language, systems, and different vehicles.
Why Financial Reengineering Does Not Equal Supply Chain Improvement
Supply Chain Shaman
MARCH 18, 2018
Financial reengineering focuses on the optimization of short-term results that are usually based on a functional analysis of source, make, or deliver. Few consultants understand the interrelationships between source, make and deliver. I am a big fan of both his leadership and that of Annette Clayton, now COO of North America.
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What Retailers are Saying About Tariffs - Part 5
Cathy Roberson
MAY 25, 2025
Reported May 20 Let me take a moment to comment on our global sourcing strategy. Today, more than 50% of our purchases are sourced in the United States. During that period, the vast majority of our supplier partners developed diversified sourcing strategies across several countries, including the United States.
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