Trucking Companies Need to Flex in the Face of Disruption

This is an unprecedented time of disruption and volatility. The pandemic is showing the need to be more diversified. Trucking companies built around a specific customer base shut down when that industry shut down. Oversaturation in one market or customer base means disruptions hit harder. Companies supporting the food and beverage supply chain saw traffic […]

How Shippers Are Handling COVID-19

Shippers are quickly responding to the COVID-19 outbreak, according to a survey by Echo Logistics. Shipping volumes demonstrate the resilience of companies and their ability to produce essential products during disruption, and highlight the important role transportation plays, according to Echo. Shippers’ responses shifted during just a two-week period: 28% of shippers said the virus […]

6 Keys to Pandemic Preparedness

Companies that have handled supply chain disruption the best to date did the following 6 things well in advance of the pandemic.

What Is a Continuous Delivery Experience and How Has COVID-19 Increased Its Importance in the Supply Chain?

As the country and global economy begin to recover, the question on everyone’s minds, is “what will re-entry into the business world look like?” More specifically, how do companies fortify their supply chain, fulfillment functions and relationships with logistics providers to bring everyone back online smoothly? It’s difficult to imagine going back to business as […]

Creative, Agile Leaders Look to Technology for Answers in a Post-Pandemic World

These are trying times as the current healthcare crisis affects us in ways never imagined. This is certainly the case in the supply chain, logistics and transportation sectors. What hasn’t changed, however, is the importance of strong, agile, creative leaders. These are the ones able to pivot their companies in response to anticipated lower volumes […]

Adapting Supply Chain Strategies Amid COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an enormous strain on global supply chains as they rush to complete and ship orders as quickly as possible. With tightening budgets and a need to stay connected using technology, it is more important than ever for transportation and logistics companies to have an effective mobility strategy in place. To […]

Life After COVID-19: New Realities, New Thinking, New Approaches

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a worldwide impact—economic standstill, stalled goods movement and disruption of the global supply chain. Most essential goods and services are delivered via heavy-duty trucks, and today we have new appreciation of our reliance on these vehicles to keep grocery stores stocked, health care worker supplies replenished and fuel in our […]

How Machine Learning Solves the COVID-19 Supplier Discovery Dilemma

Machine learning, in addition to a large amount of data, is a critical tool that can help manufacturers and supply chain professionals find, qualify, and use new suppliers for personal protective equipment (PPE) and raw materials during the COVID-19 pandemic. As stated in a recent Inbound Logistics article, “Companies need to first quickly develop transparency […]

Distributors, Shippers Eye Surcharging to Stay Afloat Amid COVID-19 Outbreak

Logistics is one of the many sectors currently grappling with the impacts of COVID-19 on the bottom line. The need for seamless supply chains is paramount, with much of the world looking to the industry to feed families, maintain infrastructure, and even deliver essential medical equipment to front-line healthcare workers. Although the industry is among […]

Supply Chain Cleanliness Matters—During and Beyond COVID-19

As the world grapples with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, global supply chain leaders are busier than ever and working hard to keep workers and customers safe—even as they keep millions of products moving. Of course, the threat of COVID-19 has dominated the national dialogue. But responsible warehouse managers know that safeguards to protect workers, drivers, […]

2020 Logistics IT Market Research Survey

What are the must-have logistics technology solutions? What challenges do software vendors and users face? Find the answers in our annual logistics IT market research report.

Quantifying the Impact of COVID-19 on the Supply Chain

With dynamic updates on missed transits, rollovers, arrival notification, and port congestion during COVID-19, shippers can make decisions proactively and avoid inefficient costs due to detention and demurrage, expedited freight, and buffer stock.

IN BRIEF: New Services & Solutions-May 2020

Products Southworth Products’ Model GTU-500 Gaylord filter moves parcels from gaylords and large containers onto conveyors and automated sortation systems. The filter tilts loads to provide controlled emptying, and its pan-style platform sits flush with the floor when lowered, allowing hand pallet trucks to place and retrieve gaylords. Materials handling products manufacturer Steel King Industries released the SK […]

Noted: The Supply Chain in Brief-May 2020

Good Works Fresh Del Monte Produce donated 919,000 pounds of fresh fruit to the Houston Food Bank to help those affected by COVID-19. The company has donated more than 1.1 million pounds to the food bank in 2020. Agriculture equipment maker Deere & Company is producing protective face shields for healthcare workers in Moline, Illinois, […]

Carbon Neutrality Is Shaping the Fleets of the Future

Achieving carbon neutrality is becoming an increasingly popular goal. Between countries announcing carbon neutrality goals in the next decade and some of the world’s largest companies like Lyft, DHL, Ikea, BMW, John Deere, and Daimler making bold commitments about achieving carbon neutrality, reducing carbon emissions is becoming an essential part of operations. According to TheClimateGroup.org, […]

Supply Chain Movers and Do-Gooders: Companies Step Up in Response to the Pandemic

Companies in the logistics space are responding to the crisis by providing free goods and services: Pierbridge offers a free one-year subscription to Transtream Home Office, its cloud-based multicarrier management solution, to help companies equip employees with enterprise-level shipping capabilities from their home offices. Scandit created a contactless proof of delivery web app using its […]

Peak of Perfection

An authentic leader with an open-door policy, Juliann Larimer chooses justice over peace when fighting for her company and employees.

COVID-19 Supply Chain Resources & Strategies

Redefining Global Supply Chain Management The traditional ways of managing the supply chain may have changed forever as COVID-19 brings heightened awareness of its fragility. Every shipper, carrier, and logistics manager appreciates there could be a significant paradigm shift for future sourcing and inventory management. While just-in-time shipment delivery with tight inventory-to-sales ratios were the […]

How Can Trucking Companies Navigate COVID-19-Driven Regulation Complexity?

The coronavirus pandemic is upending logistics and the trucking industry. With many government offices closed, authorities are relaxing some regulations, such as for CDL license renewals and medical certifications. Hours-of-service regulations are temporarily suspended for drivers transporting loads of essential supplies, such as medical devices, protective equipment, food, and petroleum. SHIFTING GUIDELINES Organizations are also […]

10 Tips | Managing Inbound Freight

Inbound freight can be challenging to analyze or control, but it significantly impacts operational results and costs. Traverse this “final frontier” of supply chain management by collaborating on the following strategies across departments.

3 Ways to Mitigate Supply Chain Slowdowns

As the supply chain faces factory closures and limited access to employees and logistics to move goods amid the COVID-19 outbreak, leaders can help ease disruption by focusing on their workforce, products, and costs. Gartner recommends: 1. Support Your Workforce To limit the impact of COVID-19, governments and employers instructed many employees to stay at […]

Labeling Is Key in Keeping Up with Today’s Supply Chain

COVID-19 has created unprecedented challenges for supply chain and logistics management. Products like canned food, toilet paper, and cleaning supplies have seen a significant rise in demand, while the demand for oil and refined products has slowed down. At the same time, e-commerce is booming, and some companies are struggling to meet the demand. Multiple […]

U.S. States Reopen During COVID-19 Pandemic

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, a Republican, is allowing her state to start reopening on April 30, 2020, after her stay-at-home order expires. “As of this week, we no longer believe our hospitals will see an overwhelming amount of ICU patients who need ventilators, as we once believed, and that is sure good news,” Ivey said. […]

COVID-19 Pandemic: Do Your Shipments Have the Right Protection?

Despite the many events that can disrupt today’s complex global supply chains, shippers too often don’t make cargo risk-management planning a priority for their business. But now, with the emergence of the coronavirus and its disruption of global trade, many shippers are seeing the value in such planning. Shipping delays are a very real possibility […]

How IoT Can Optimize Overwhelmed Supply Chains

With more and more brick-and-mortar shops temporarily closing their doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s immense pressure on retailers to deliver much-needed supplies to individuals at home. More packages—including crucial deliveries of food, medications and sanitation supplies—need to be shipped, which increases the pressure on supply chains to perform as efficiently as possible. At […]

COVID-19 Is Supply Chain’s Wake-Up Call

The power of centralized organizations must harness and unleash the strengths of decentralized communities to help beat this crisis.

4 Ways to Safeguard and Stabilize Your Supply Chain

Stabilizing core business operations, managing risk, and taking steps to perfect and enforce rights under existing agreements and insurance policies should be key priorities at this stage of your company’s response to COVID-19. Here are four strategies for supply chain professionals, in-house counsel, and risk managers to keep in mind as they work with their […]

Logistics Lexicon for the Times

Always responder Logistics professional who keeps goods moving at all times, including crisis situations.       Replenishment algorithms If-then inventory scenarios that can be adjusted to ensure grocery supply chains can respond to surging demand.         No-contact or contactless delivery Completing transport to a prearranged location without any face-to-face interaction.   […]

SPOTLIGHT | Materials Handling Innovations

Senergy Motor Drive Rollers (MDRs): Senergy MDRs from PULSEROLLER can move materials at different speeds—designed for both lower-speed, heavy-duty applications such as pallet handling and high-speed carton or tote handling. The rollers can reach speeds up to 1,000 feet per minute, with a starting torque up to 215 in/lb. They’re also quieter than a typical […]

Amazon Shoppers Won’t Abandon Ship

Many U.S. consumers have negative feelings toward Amazon’s impact on the retail industry and the environment, according to a recent consumer survey by Convey. The negative sentiment, however, doesn’t translate to lost sales. The key to Amazon’s success is its industry-disrupting shipping. Major findings include: 25% of Americans have negative feelings about Amazon’s impact on […]

5 Operational Actions Shippers Can Take to Build Resilience

As the COVID-19 crisis and focus spreads, specifically in the United States—leading the world in reported confirmed cases north of 124,000 as of March 29, 2020—businesses and supply chains continue to come under increased pressure and are put to the test on a daily basis. As shippers apply current lessons learned from the pandemic to […]

Noted: The Supply Chain in Brief-Apr 2020

Green Seeds The Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor and South Shore Clean Cities reduced diesel emissions throughout the port and started several sustainable projects, such as constructing a trucker lounge and paved truck-marshalling yard. H&M is sharing its sustainable supply chain expertise—in everything from product development and sourcing to production and logistics—with smaller brands. The fast-fashion […]

Ahora todos lo saben

Keith Biondo es publisher de la revista norteamericana Inbound Logistics. Algunas categorías de búsqueda en la plataforma Inbound Logistics han subido más del 108%. ¿Qué buscan las empresas? Soluciones de logística, transportistas, ayuda de cumplimiento, soluciones de almacén, tecnología de gestión y soluciones 3PL, por nombrar algunas. La lucha por soluciones logísticas y experiencia está […]

Replenishing the Fuel Supply Chain During COVID-19

When we head to the gas station, we rarely think twice about whether there will be fuel at the pump. Fuel supply management is never really a concern for consumers until there is a shortage or a pandemic, such as COVID-19. But for supply chain managers, the coordination and smart replenishment of fuel are monitored […]

What supply chain insight would you share with your younger self?

Supply chains are more straightforward than they appear. All the acronyms and industry-specific terms seem confusing, but they’re all in service of moving things from origin to destination. —Ethan Frisch Co-founder Burlap and Barrel Take emotion out of your decision making and always be forward thinking with your long-term strategic plan in mind. Take care […]

How Supply Chain Managers Can Help Their Business Recover from COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic is negatively affecting the global economy, and supply chains are especially affected. The Institute of Supply Management’s survey assessing the short- and long-term impacts of the outbreak shows that nearly 75% of businesses report supply chain disruptions due to transportation restrictions related to COVID-19. The survey further highlighted that 16% of these […]

10 Ways to Prepare for Global Trade Disruption

Finished goods importers are especially vulnerable when unexpected disruptions take place. These suggestions can help you through what is shaping up to be a trying 2020.

5 Crucial Ways Warehouse Managers Can Improve Warehouse Efficiency

If one thinks of today’s Amazon-era supply chain as a sports car, warehouses would most definitely be the engine that makes it “go.” If you’re a manager or warehouse operator, however, you know that there is a single all-important element that fuels that engine, and it makes all of the difference between smooth, supercharged performance […]

Cultivating Raw Talent

Stephanie Benedetto is co-founder and CEO of Queen of Raw, an online marketplace that makes buying and selling unused fabrics efficient and transparent. Responsibilities: Developing and enhancing Queen of Raw’s blockchain-enabled marketplace for unused materials, hiring and managing staff, attracting both customers and suppliers. Experience: Associate, Baker Botts; associate, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft; legal assistant, […]

Supply Chain Labeling and Logistics: How to Deal with Customer and Regulatory Requirements

When it comes to logistics, the speed and convenience of e-commerce has led to changing expectations in the business-to-consumer sector. Many leading third-party logistics (3PL) groups say their customers expect the same level of speed and convenience that they’d get from an e-commerce platform. Customers want the ability to see their cargo in near-real time […]

Blockchain Pilots Aren’t Landing

A majority (80%) of supply chain blockchain initiatives will stay at the pilot stage through 2022, according to new Gartner research. Many organizations pushed to create robust use cases for the supply chain; however, most were inspired by banking and insurance pilots, and didn’t translate to supply chain. This should not discourage supply chain leaders […]

2020 Global Trade Management Guide

Global trade management (GTM) systems connect sourcing and logistics to make global trade transparent, efficient, and cost effective. From resource planning and transportation management to analytics, these top 30 GTM companies can help take the stress out of managing your global supply chain.

Employee Engagement Is Your New Success Metric

Globally, 85% of employees report that they’re either not engaged or are actively disengaged within their jobs, according to a 2019 Gallup study. This is a big factor in employee turnover, because disengaged team members often feel underequipped, underdeveloped, and underappreciated. Logistics leaders who recognize and further engage their employees will reap long-term and short-term […]

COVID-19 Supply Chain Resource Hub

Is Your Supply Chain Resilient? How Manufacturers Can Map Dependencies and Minimize Risk During COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically disrupted many global supply chains, and there is no way of knowing when the disruptions will peak or begin to return “normal.” Presently, the focus on public health and welfare is paramount—the ability of nations to contain the pandemic comes first. But the health of the global economy is also […]

Streamlining E-Commerce Fulfillment

Creating an efficient e-commerce fulfillment strategy isn’t easy. Here are tips every digital retailer needs to know to simplify the process.