Surge Protector

About 35 years ago, Mark Hogan left a successful career as an accountant to pursue a job in freight transportation. He hasn’t looked back.

Autonomous Ship: Maiden China?

Autonomous Ship: Maiden China?

China’s first unmanned cargo ship completed its test voyage in December 2019, marking a significant milestone in autonomous shipping. The ship, Jin Dou Yun 0 Hao, successfully delivered cargo from Dong Ao Island in Zhuhuai to the No. 1 pier of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. Measuring about 42.2 feet long and 12.5 feet wide and […]

Coronavirus Precautions

Coronavirus Precautions

The Chinese government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak has impacted 280 supplier sites near Wuhan, China, according to Bindiya Vakil, chief executive officer of Resilinc, a provider of cognitive supply chain monitoring and mitigation solutions. Businesses could experience supply chain disruptions for three to six months, which is comparable to disruptions caused by the swine […]

Crossing the Final-Mile Finish Line

Crossing the Final-Mile Finish Line

Total e-commerce revenue in 2020 will reach $3.52 trillion, growing year-over-year at nearly 19%, according to global tech market advisory firm ABI Research. This explosion is forcing retailers to find faster and more convenient modes to reach the final mile. Retailers will likely trade profits to continue investments in the e-commerce explosion. This growth depends […]

3PLs Do It All

3PLs Do It All

Third-Party logistics providers are building future-proof supply chains, filling their toolbox with business insights, predictive capabilities, and other new solution sets.

Jeff Simpson

Incoterms 2020: Embracing the Rules

International Commercial Terms, commonly known as Incoterms®, standardize the responsibilities of the buyer and seller in an international transaction and are now used frequently in domestic transactions in the United States.

I Like Big-Box and I Cannot Lie

I Like Big-Box and I Cannot Lie

Nearly half of small to mid-sized business (SMB) decision-makers involved in distribution, logistics, and/or procurement estimate an increase in shipping spend in 2020 compared to 2019, and big-box retailers are influencing their strategy, finds logistics technology platform uShip’s 2020 SMB Shipping Strategies report. About 25% of decision-makers say the logistics strategies of Amazon and Walmart […]

Bernhard Simon

Can the New Silk Road Compete with the Maritime Silk Road?

The more I hear and read about the New Silk Road, the more grand the expectations. Politically, the trade corridors between China and Europe, as well as Africa, seem to be China’s key to becoming a leading global power in the 21st century. Logistically, infrastructures and networks are emerging on an entirely new scale, taking a gigantic economic area—representing 60% of the world’s population and 35% of the global economy—to the next level. The New Silk Road could act as a high-speed internet for transporting goods.

Small Ports, Big Benefits

Small Ports, Big Benefits

Smaller, lesser-known ports often deliver substantial benefits to shippers, letting them bypass congestion while leveraging advanced technology. Here are seven reasons to consider these less-trafficked cargo destinations.

VERTICAL FOCUS | Fast-Moving Consumer Goods

VERTICAL FOCUS | Fast-Moving Consumer Goods

4 Things FMCG Retailers Need to Know FMCG retailers need to be aware of four key areas as they build their future omnichannel supply chains, finds RSR Research’s Supply Chain Management 2018 report. 1. Change signals. Retailers are increasingly aware that new digitally enabled consumer behaviors are challenging a key operational assumption—that consumers will start […]

Logistics Leaders Into Outsourcing

Logistics Leaders Into Outsourcing

Outsourcing logistics services has become common—85% of logistics leaders expect their outsourcing budget to increase by more than 5% in 2020; 85% reported a similar budget increase in 2019, finds Gartner’s 2019 Logistics Outsourcing Strategy survey. One reason leaders expect budgets to increase is that logistics outsourcing supports their business objectives. About 70% of respondents […]

6 Supply Chain Risks Worth Taking

6 Supply Chain Risks Worth Taking

From technology investments that stretch budgets to supply chain partnerships that share proprietary information, these moves may give small businesses pause. Here’s why they should dive right in.

7 Notable Women in Supply Chain & Logistics

Meet the women who are succeeding at high levels in their companies, driven by a passion for supply chain and logistics, self-confidence, authenticity, and the ability to untangle the spaghetti of information that drives business decisions.

5 Ways to Manage Warehousing Requirements During Peak Periods

5 Ways to Manage Warehousing Requirements During Peak Periods

Managing peak period shipment volume is a structural challenge in the U.S. economy. Those preoccupied with executing order fulfillment services spend much of the year thinking about and planning for it. The surge is a three- to four-month peak in first inbound, and then outbound shipments, with overlap. Shipments to retailers come first, followed by […]

Which ERP Trends Will Catch On in 2020?

Supply chain management involves planning, execution, control, and monitoring, and enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions handle the physical aspects of supply. Next-generation ERP technologies have come to the forefront, and their powerful capabilities are having a great influence. Here are three ERP supply chain trends to watch in 2020. 1. Warehouse operations managers are more […]

Charging the Electronics Supply Chain

Charging the Electronics Supply Chain

Electronics suppliers, distributors, and retailers address high-voltage challenges—from shorter product life cycles to price erosion and unpredictable tariffs—with technology and changing business processes.

How Is Coronavirus Impacting E-Commerce?

How Is Coronavirus Impacting E-Commerce?

The number of people infected by the new coronavirus globally surpassed those infected in China as of February 2020. As the virus continues to spread, new ramifications are revealed daily. How is the coronavirus impacting e-commerce operations, and what can retailers do in response to those challenges?

Taking a Dip Into Supply Chain Management

Frank Armetta is global vice president of supply chain with Sabra Dipping Company, a division of PepsiCo. Responsibilities: Leads procurement, strategic sourcing, manufacturing, warehousing, distribution reports, global engineering, and global quality. Also oversees the Australian and Western Europe businesses. Experience: Vice president, global manufacturing with Sabra; global manufacturing vice president for PepsiCo Worldwide Flavors in […]

3 Big Barriers to IIoT Integration

3 Big Barriers to IIoT Integration

From monitoring air quality in "smart cities" like Chicago and New York City to tracking health data in real time on smart watches, the Internet of Things (IoT) is everywhere. IoT applications look promising for the manufacturing industry as well: European aircraft manufacturer Airbus is developing Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technologies to provide valuable […]

How Green Was My Tally?

Almost one-third of online shoppers are willing to pay more to have their items shipped in environmentally friendly packaging, with those buying health and beauty products leading the way at 33%, according to Macfarlane Packaging, which analyzed packaging performance among e-commerce retailers in the fashion, health and beauty, home and garden, and food and drink […]

Felecia Stratton

Ten Minutes From Now—Do You Have a Plan?

While the publisher is focused on planning for a far-off future, I’m focused on providing practical information that you can use in the here and now. Leaf through this edition for the next 10 minutes, and you’ll find plenty of practical examples to help you navigate 2020. The content we provide is specialized because the […]

Keith Biondo

Ten Years From Now—Do You Have a Plan?

It’s a new decade and time to project and plan for the next one. Ten years from today, what will your market look like? What kind of customers will you have and where will they be located? What will they buy? How will they buy? And how will you adapt your supply chain operations to […]

Kyle Krug

What to Look For in a 3PL

The field of third-party logistics (3PL) service providers has grown fiercely competitive, and the services and capabilities a 3PL can offer become difficult to differentiate.

Most Read Articles of 2019

These Inbound Logistics articles caught your eye and claimed your clicks. From weaving sustainable practices into your supply chain to revealing how Impossible Burger met impossibly high demands, here is the 2019 content that got you buzzing.

Noted: The Supply Chain in Brief-2020

Good Works Truck drivers and other employees at Averitt Express, a transportation and supply chain management company, raised $1 million in 2019 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital through its Averitt Cares for Kids charity program. The donation is the largest-ever employee contribution to the hospital. Up the Chain H&M chief operating officer Helena Helmersson […]

Scale to Meet Your Needs

Scale to Meet Your Needs

Now more than ever before, shippers should consider working with an experienced managed transportation service provider that has a large, dedicated network of carrier partners.

Conviction, Clarity, Compassion

Conviction, Clarity, Compassion

Bob Sappio starts his workday at 4:30 a.m. and sends LinkedIn messages to his team on Saturday night. He’s committed, passionate, and a straight shooter–and gives his all to SeaCube’s technological and cultural transformation.

The Show Must Go On

The Show Must Go On

Leaning on 30 years of experience shipping in Mexico, CFI delivered concert equipment for a well-known pop music group tour in North America.

Formulating a Predictive Flow

Formulating a Predictive Flow

BASF Corp.’s vision for the next six to 12 months is to continue to move from a proactive approach to predictive logistics and shipping operations. It expects operations to be about 80% predictive in 2020.

Modernizing Information Along the Supply Chain for Natural Disaster Response

When Hurricane Maria threatened Puerto Rico, it was already a Category 5 storm. Baxter International, which manufactures saline solution bags in the commonwealth, took a major hit in production. The slowdown crippled the flow of these essential medical supplies to Baxter’s primary hospital consumers in the continental United States. Despite dire forecasts about the hurricane, the medical industry could not react fast enough, resulting in a major shortage of saline bags.

Using Mentors and Technology to Close the Talent Gap

New logistics technologies can lead to major operational improvements. However, few organizations have the personnel—along with the right mindset and skills—to take advantage, much less the ability to adopt new processes and infrastructure.

Noted: The Supply Chain in Brief

Sealed Deals Robotics company Magazino signed shoe manufacturer and retailer Lloyd Shoes GmbH as a new customer. Magazino’s intelligent TORU robots will help employees select and store shoes in shelving racks at Lloyd’s dispatch warehouse in Sulingen, Germany. Magazino can integrate additional TORU robots into an existing fleet in less than half a day. Casio […]

UPS Drones Will Soon Deliver Medical Products Within the UC San Diego Health System

UPS Flight Forward, the company’s drone airline subsidiary, will use unmanned drones to deliver medical products between health centers and labs at the University of California (UC) San Diego Health system. The flights, which will begin in February 2020, will take only minutes to complete and will be monitored by remote operators. Medical professionals at […]

Three Track-and-Trace Techniques for Better Transparency

Shipping and logistics remain among the last industries to undertake digital transformation. The highly fragmented nature of international shipping, where a dozen companies (or more) each play a role in getting a product from concept to a buyer’s living room, essentially ensures that there will be a level of complexity beyond that of nearly any […]

Amazon, FedEx, and the Customer-Focused Company

More than 2.75 billion packages were delivered in the United States over the holiday season, a staggering number. Remember, there are only 330 million Americans! Watching all these boxes being delivered, it made me wonder: Why did Amazon choose to start shipping its own boxes? If you haven’t been tracking this, you may not know […]

Taking the Wheel of GM’s Service Parts

Lisa Veneziano is executive director, global aftersales supply chain, warehousing and logistics, General Motors Customer Care and Aftersales. Responsibilities: Leading an integrated, global team responsible for supply chain planning, warehousing, packaging, distributing, and logistics for automotive replacement parts and accessories heading to GM vehicle owners across the globe. The organization covers almost 100 facilities in […]

Artificial Intelligence Gets Real

Artificial Intelligence Gets Real

About 90% of respondents to an IFS global research study into the attitudes and strategies towards artificial intelligence (AI) among business leaders report at least some plans to implement AI in various parts of their business. Among the key findings: Industrial automation is the most commonly reported area of investment, with 44.6% planning AI projects. […]

Growing a Green Supply Chain

Green is the new black in supply chains. Whether it’s a conscious effort or the byproduct of streamlining your operations, going green can pay off.

Drones Make the Medicine Go Down

Drones Make the Medicine Go Down

UPS Flight Forward Inc. and CVS Pharmacy have successfully completed the first revenue-generating drone delivery of a medical prescription from a CVS pharmacy directly to a consumer’s home. This was followed by another delivery of a medical prescription to a second customer in a nearby retirement community. Both flights used the M2 drone system by […]

Michael Burdiek

Seeing Clearly: The Value of Visibility

Few parts of the enterprise have transformed more radically over the years than supply chain as companies struggle to navigate global sourcing, just-in-time delivery models, and unprecedented customer expectations for product availability and delivery speed.

The CX Files

The CX Files

The truth is out there. Technology tools offer mindbending ways to delight retailers and their customers. And there’s no conspiracy about that.

Taylored-Made Expansion

Merger and acquisition activity in the third-party logistics sector continues to grow. In a major expansion, Taylored Fulfillment Services acquired the U.S. operations of Toll Global Logistics, a $8.7 billion Australian logistics company. Brian Southwell, vice president of business development and marketing, and Margaritta Topielski, chief administrative officer at Taylored, discuss the buyout with Inbound […]

Eating Up Cookies

Eating Up Cookies

A cookie shortage is leaving cookie jars empty and taking a bite out of food supply chains. Campbell Soup, maker of Pepperidge Farm cookies, faces supply constraints in its cookie division due to labor shortages and elevated demand as consumers stay home during the pandemic, according to the company’s earnings call. While Campbell ramped up […]

Ten Most Read Articles of 2020

COVID-19 Resets: Logistics Draws the Line JUNE 2020 How the pandemic brought out the best in many people as well as the logistics and supply chain organizations they work with and for. bit.ly/COVIDResets Logistics Workforce of the Future JULY 2020 As North American manufacturing enters a “new normal,” how will the logistics and supply chain […]

Top 10 Manufacturing Predictions

What’s ahead for global manufacturing? "Manufacturing companies are transforming from efficiency-oriented operations to resilient organizations driven by a tighter connection to markets and customers," says Kevin Prouty, vice president, Manufacturing Insights, IDC. Here’s what Manufacturing Insights predicts for the years ahead: 1: By 2023, 65% of global manufacturers will realize a 10% savings in operational […]

Hunger Games: Managing Food Logistics Challenges When Demand Spikes

Hunger Games: Managing Food Logistics Challenges When Demand Spikes

Since it hit restaurants in January 2019, the Impossible Burger, which is made from plants but offers the taste and texture of beef, has been on a roll. When the company launched in Gelson’s Markets in southern California, the Impossible Burger zoomed to the top spot among packaged goods, outselling the next most popular product […]

Aman Sangha

Four Ways Reusables Benefit the Circular Economy

The consumer-packaged goods (CPG) supply chain is changing. From faster, more frequent deliveries to specialty packaging, the way goods are handled and delivered has adapted and evolved. But change can come with consequences and the amount of packaging waste due to e-commerce has skyrocketed.

Supporting Women Behind the Wheel

Supporting Women Behind the Wheel

Two U.S. senators, working with Ellen Voie, president and CEO of the Women In Trucking Association, introduced legislation that would require the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to take a formal role in supporting women drivers. Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) and bill co-sponsor Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) are working with the FMCSA to create […]

Keith Biondo

What’s the Word?

We asked the experts in our audience for the hot supply chain words or phrases you and your colleagues will be talking about next year. Here goes. Door to floor. Given e-commerce deliveries of larger consumer products, door to floor is a thing, explains Bob Hitt, industry go to market manager for Salesforce. Some call […]

That’s a Wrap: Holiday Shipping Tied Up in Knots

That’s a Wrap: Holiday Shipping Tied Up in Knots

During the holiday shopping season, all eyes are on shipping, with more than half of consumers (60%), and nearly three-quarters of millennials (74%) claiming they were disappointed with holiday shopping services in the past. Stats from Pitney Bowes’ 2019 Global Online Shopping Study reveal the top shipping frustrations: 1. Free shipping still reigns supreme, with […]

Navigating Your Supply Chain Through the Uncertainty of Trade War

Trade tensions between the United States and China are running high and intensifying with each new week. With no clear resolution in sight, many are questioning the inevitable impact this will have on the global supply chain. While some companies are just beginning to consider changes to their operations, many are deep in the process […]

Resilient Risk Management in the Face of Hurricane Season

Over a decade ago, the storm surge associated with Hurricane Katrina was 25 to 28 feet above normal tide level. Storm surges of that magnitude have the ability to inundate two-thirds of interstate highways, 29 airports and virtually all ports in the Gulf Coast area, and that doesn’t take into account the damage from waste. […]

Noted: The Supply Chain in Brief-Dec 2019

Shovel Ready Food and beverage distributor Ben E. Keith broke ground on its new foodservice distribution center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Expected to be completed in November 2021, the 261,000-square-foot facility will include Dematic Multi-Shuttles, Frick refrigeration and security systems, LED lighting, warehouse management systems, a test kitchen, and a training center. Green Seeds As part of […]

IN BRIEF: New Services & Solutions-December 2019

Products Cold chain solutions provider CSafe launched the AcuTemp Plus Series, a temperature-controlled passive packaging solution. With vacuum insulated panels and single temperature phase change material, the reusable product provides reliable temperature performance with minimal components. Supply chain tracking solutions provider Tive unveiled the Tive Solo 5G tracker, a 5G-enabled device that can be single use or multi use. […]

VERTICAL FOCUS | Paper

VERTICAL FOCUS | Paper

Following the Paper Trail Whether paper companies are well positioned for further growth or still earning the right to grow, they can expect demand to increase for paper and board products over the next decade, according to McKinsey & Company. The graphic paper market will continue to face declining demand worldwide, and research has yet […]

5 Actions to Optimize Logistics Costs

Logistics leaders face pressure from their stakeholders to optimize logistics costs while maintaining service and performance levels. Gartner Inc. identifies the following five actions to help you optimize costs from within your organization. 1. Eliminate costly errors. In logistics, errors occur regularly and often come at a cost. For example, shipments may be non-deliverable due […]

China’s Trade Outlook Declines as Air Drags

Trade tensions between the United States and China have many repercussions, according to the DHL Global Trade Barometer, an early indicator of global trade developments calculated using artificial intelligence and big data analytics. China’s September 2019 trade outlook registered a four-point decline from June to an index value of 45, according to the DHL data. […]

Great Lakes Ports Stay on Course

Great Lakes Ports Stay on Course

U.S. Great Lakes ports are on pace to beat 2018 cargo volumes following a robust September handling road salt, cement, stone, petroleum, and wind energy components, and supporting the region’s construction activity and energy needs. Overall, St. Lawrence Seaway tonnage for the season (March 22 to September 30) reached 24.8 million metric tons, down 6% […]

Taking Data on the Road: A New Approach to the Transportation Supply Chain

Consumer behavior is complicating the transport of goods. In the past, shippers would utilize freight carriers to transport finished goods to a single store or a chain of big box locations. Consumers would then take weekly or bi-weekly trips to stock up on whatever goods they preferred. But that long upheld process is now changing. […]

Ensuring Supply Chain Visibility

In today’s increasingly omnichannel marketplace, good visibility is vital throughout the supply chain. Here’s how to maintain optimal visibility at 10 key touchpoints.