Articles
Commentary
Staying Productive in Unproductive Times
While driving around my neighborhood, I’ve noticed a lot more people putting items out to the curb. Have you noticed this? I wondered about that for a moment and then realized what was happening. People are using the virus downtime to organize, clean, and take up projects long postponed. The result is an uptick in […]
Read MoreTrucking 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 […]
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The Road Map Out of This Mess
For years, I have been a proponent of operating a lean and agile supply chain, but some now say the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the shortcomings of a supply chain that is perhaps too lean. To be “lean,” however, doesn’t mean maintaining extremely low inventory levels with no coordination or backup plan. It also appears […]
Read More6 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.
Read MoreWhat 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 […]
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The High Cost of Invisibility
The research is well documented and it’s not pretty. Supply chain visibility is a key driver to a company’s success, yet remains a top challenge. Nearly 7 in 10 procurement executives say they do not have full visibility of their supply chains, according to the Business Continuity Institute (BCI).
Read MoreCreative, 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 […]
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Agility On Demand
An instantaneous experience. It’s what consumers expect and the environment online retailers face. When consumers are captured by a product they must have, online retailers have only a few swipes and a few minutes until their brand’s reputation is on the clock.
Read MoreAdapting 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 […]
Read MoreLife 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 […]
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Get RIP-Roaring Results with IoT
Companies are increasingly investing in returnable industrial packaging (RIP) to ship products to customers as sustainably as possible.
Read MoreHow 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 […]
Read MoreSupply 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, […]
Read MoreQuantifying 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.
Read MoreCarbon 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, […]
Read MoreHow 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 […]
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GOOD QUESTION | How should shippers adjust their supply chains in response to the disruption caused by COVID-19?
Keep a daily pulse on supply and customer demand. Daily monitoring on COVID-19 restrictions in supplier and customer locations is essential to understanding when and where to ramp up or down capacity within your supply chain limits. It’s also important to communicate up and downstream projected manufacturing or demand signals so that your supply base […]
Read MoreLabeling 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 […]
Read MoreCOVID-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 […]
Read MoreCOVID-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.
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