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Do’s and Don’ts of Hurricane Relief
American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN), an industry-wide organization that provides supply chain assistance to disaster relief organizations and other non-profits, offers a few practical do’s and don’ts to help during a disaster. DO make a pre-offer. If you have warehouse space, trucks, equipment, or expertise to share, offer it immediately. The more advance information ALAN […]
Read MoreBattleBots: Robots vs. Workers
The public is broadly fearful that automation will lead to significant job losses, with many populations skeptical that the technologies will boost economic efficiency, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey of 10 countries. Greece, South Africa, and Argentina express the highest degree of certainty that technology will displace human workers (see chart). But […]
Read MoreApple Seeds Clean Energy Fund for China
Apple will launch a new first-of-its-kind investment fund in China to connect suppliers with renewable energy sources. As part of the company’s commitment to increase the use of renewable energy within its supply chain, 10 initial suppliers and Apple will jointly invest nearly $300 million over the next four years into the China Clean Energy […]
Read MoreRetailers Plug Into AI
Nearly two-thirds of retail supply chain professionals struggle with disconnects between systems, finds Symphony RetailAI’s Strengthening the Retail Supply Chain survey of North American retailers. The majority of retailers surveyed have confidence in their allocation and inventory planning software, but 48 percent rate their forecasting technology as average to very poor. While they would prefer […]
Read MoreIN BRIEF: New Services & Solutions-November 2018
Transportation The Belgium-to-UK lane gains a new dedicated short-sea service with Samskip‘s latest offering. The service connecting Antwerp and Hull is operated by a 508-TEU capacity vessel, sailing from Associated Terminal Operators’ multimodal terminal in Antwerp on Tuesday and Saturday and ABP Port of Hull on Thursday and Monday. Airfreight shippers can take advantage of a […]
Read MoreLaw and Border: 5 Ways to Boost Canadian Clearance Efficiency
To help businesses reach the Canadian market more efficiently, Purolator International offers these tips for minimizing the risk of having a shipment delayed at the border. 1. Don’t underestimate the border clearance process. Successfully moving goods into Canada—which also means exporting goods out of the United States—is a multistep process that requires detailed knowledge. Failure […]
Read MoreIs Your Freight Broker Legit?
Thousands of licensed freight brokers operate in the United States today, and more enter the market every year. With all this competition, it is critical to vet each freight broker you plan to work with. These simple steps will keep your supply chain moving forward efficiently, without harming the bottom line of your business or […]
Read MoreFreight Forecast Stays Sunny
Freight volumes are projected to increase 4.2 percent in 2018 and increase 35.6 percent by 2029, according to the latest edition of the American Trucking Associations’ Freight Forecast. Among the report’s findings: Total tonnage transported will reach nearly 16 billion tons in 2018—a figure that should rise 35.6 percent to 21.7 billion tons in 2029. […]
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What Keeps Compliance and Procurement Professionals Up at Night?
Increasing regulation continues to be the chief concern for compliance and procurement professionals, while the overall outlook sentiment is positive, reports a Dun & Bradstreet study that examines the current state of the compliance and procurement functions, as measured through professional sentiment on related issues such as regulation, fraud, technology, and resources. The Dun & […]
Read MorePeak Season is Coming. Can You Work it Out?
Wage corrections, shift preferences, and more flexible human resource policies are key to attracting and retaining hourly warehouse workers, finds the 11th annual EmployBridge Warehouse Employee Opinion Survey of approximately 16,000 hourly workers. For the 11th consecutive year, pay ranks as the single most important factor among warehouse workers (see chart). For the first time […]
Read MoreGlobal Air Freight in Slow Motion
Demand for global air freight, measured in freight tonne kilometers (FTKs), rose 2.1 percent in July 2018, compared to the same period the year before, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). This was the slowest pace of growth since May 2016, and well below the five-year average growth rate of 5.1 percent. Freight […]
Read MoreExamining the Workforce of the Future
To help prepare Los Angeles County youth for career and college pathways in global transportation, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), has joined with the County of Los Angeles to create a Transportation School. The curriculum will be developed to teach students transferrable industry skills focused on science, technology, engineering, arts and math […]
Read MoreTop 10 Global Supply Chains
Which global companies and industries are leading the way? Which company encompasses the best supply chain practices? Has the same company been leading the way for the past decade, or has an underdog come from behind? To answer these questions, Vero Solutions, a UK-based provider of tracking and safety solutions, analyzed Gartner’s annual list of […]
Read MoreSuper-sized Logistics
Thanks to the Amazon Effect, fast and free delivery is the new normal, forcing other online sellers to keep up. However, there’s one area of e-commerce where online sellers can still compete logistically with Amazon and big box players: delivery of oversized, larger-than-parcel items, such as furniture, sofas, armoires, mattresses, treadmills, and more. But every […]
Read MoreAvoiding or Reducing Increases When Duty Calls
U.S. importers and shippers can mitigate the future impact of additional tariffs on imported goods, including steel and aluminum. Here are some ways to control costs, according to Daily Hernandez of Lilly & Associates. Exclusion requests. The Department of Commerce, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and China, in particular, have implemented a process […]
Read MoreU.S. Businesses Fight Tariff Battle
More than half of U.S. businesses are battling the effects of the unfolding trade war with China; the majority are already feeling the squeeze of the tariffs introduced earlier in 2018, according to a new AsiaInspection report. Notably, organizations on the other side of the tariff war are considerably less disturbed, with roughly one-third of […]
Read MoreNews & Trends Impacting the Food and Beverage Supply Chain
FDA now NAMES NAMES The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will now release the names of retailers associated with severe foodborne outbreaks during recalls. The agency has not traditionally released lists of specific retailers where recalled foods may have been purchased because certain supply chain information is confidential between the supplier and retailer, said […]
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Start Me Up
Here are the categories of startups that are innovating supply chain and logistics, as identified by CB Insights’ new market map: Digital freight shipping. Startups such as iContainers and Flexport leverage data and software to manage end-to-end freight shipping processes. Blockchain. By using blockchain distributed ledger technology, startups such as ShipChain and Provenance bring greater […]
Read MoreIn the Eye of the Storms
As the 2018 hurricane season continues to blow through, DHL Resilience360 offers these risk mitigation measures: Pre-position essential material and stocks. By monitoring storm forecasts in real time, companies can assess potential locations and routes at risk, and initiate efforts to minimize disruption such as increasing inventory to bridge short-term supply shortages; storing fuel reserves […]
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