May, 2020

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Ecommerce Growth Requires Robust Fulfillment and Logistics Infrastructure

Amware Logistics and Fulfillment

The folks at Lincoln International recently published an interesting article about retail disruption since COVID-19. The whole piece is well worth a read. But we’d like to share a few of its key takeaways here – the primary one being the need to ensure your fulfillment and logistics infrastructure is adequate to support sustained growth in eCommerce sales.

eCommerce 296
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3 Strategies to Improve your Logistics Recruitment Process

Cyzerg

Logistics recruitment is becoming increasingly difficult. You probably don’t know it yet, but you are in the middle of a talent war in logistics and supply chain management. The transportation industry is working with a scarce pool of talent that is educated, qualified, and willing to work. According to a survey conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), the largest professional services company in the world, logistics companies of all sizes are having issues recruiting talent.

Strategy 370
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Final Mile Trends to Watch in 2020

GlobalTranz

While companies devoted vast resources to the use of technology since the rise of the internet, the final mile continues to be a tech-lacking aspect of supply chain management. However, the rise of software-as-a-service (SaaS) and cloud-based transportation management systems (TMS) are creating new opportunities for using technology and uncovering waste.

Trends 104
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COVID-19 Survival Guide: How to lead your brokerage through this crisis

Parade

Co-authored by Ryan Schreiber and Anthony Sutardja. Ryan is the Director of Engagement at CarrierDirect, a transportation strategy consulting firm. A nthony is CEO at Parade, a freight technology company providing the industry-leading capacity management platform. The COVID-19 crisis has been a devastating public health crisis, and repercussions have expanded into the economy -- tipping the world into recession.

How To 125
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Rethinking warehouse work culture: Can automation create better workplaces?

Heico Sandee, CEO of Smart Robotics, explores how automation redefines warehouse culture. By shifting repetitive tasks to skill-based roles, automation improves safety, fosters collaboration, and makes warehousing more appealing to today’s workforce.

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The Food Industry Needs Visibility In The Supply Chain

Trinity Logistics

Of all industries, the food industry needs data and visibility in the supply chain readily available when it comes to their shipping. Many food products are perishable and need to deliver in a specific timeframe to be able to be used. Recalls and claims can cost a lot to a manufacturer, causing them to lose revenue. The technology to keep data easily accessible can also cost quite a bit.

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The logistics of autonomous systems – the consequence of transformed logistics

Logistics in War

By David Beaumont. ‘Logistics and autonomous systems – the promise of transformed logistics’ concluded that the prospective use of autonomous systems for military logistics was a matter of the imagination. Western militaries, including the Australian Defence Force (ADF), have been exploiting semi-autonomous systems for years. It is only a matter of time before robotics and other associated technologies revolutionise warfare to the point the militaries must transform.

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Upgrading to One Integrated Suite for all Logistics Operations with Naval Sabharwal

The Logistics of Logistics

Naval Sabharwal and Joe Lynch discuss why using one integrated suite for all logistics operations is the best approach for driving logistics and supply chain efficiency and effectiveness. Utilizing fragmented systems limits logistics companies from fully leveraging the data in their systems. Data equals dollars and the 3PLs that best harvest the data (dollars) in their systems will be the most profitable.

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Print on Demand: An Earth-Friendly Printing Strategy

Amware Logistics and Fulfillment

Decades ago, futurists predicted that widespread use of computers would usher in a paperless society. They were wrong. In this digital age, businesses still use some 21 million tons of paper each year, and 50 percent of all business waste is paper.

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Digital Transformation in the Supply Chain

Logistics Viewpoints

Digitalization is accelerating the pace of business and transforming global supply chains. In a freewheeling discussion at the ARC Industry Forum in Orlando, I spoke with Richard Howells, Vice President Marketing Digital Supply Chain at SAP about the trends, customer expectations, the challenges, and imperatives of digital transformation in the supply chain.

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Load Optimization: A Sustainable Way To Reduce Transportation Costs

Discover strategies to optimize load building and achieve significant transportation cost savings. Plus, learn how load optimization can help reduce CO 2 emissions and align with climate regulations and consumer expectations. Finally, discover best practices for sustainable load optimization.

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Making a Difference: Supply Chains for a Better Tomorrow

Talking Logistics

A few years ago, I interviewed Tony Martins, former VP Strategic Services at Halo Pharmaceutical. He raised an interesting question during our conversation: Are you a “Company of Yesterday” or a “Company of Tomorrow”? I’ve been thinking about that question recently, along with Billy Beane’s comment that “You can’t run your business in 2020 like. Read more Making a Difference: Supply Chains for a Better Tomorrow.

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FedEx and Microsoft partner up for supply chain collaboration

Logistics Management

Two global companies with household names—freight transportation and logistics bellwether FedEx and software and technology services giant Microsoft—announced they have partnered up for a multiyear collaboration, with an emphasis on meshing their respective key elements, including the FedEx global digital and logistics network, with Microsoft’s intelligent cloud power.

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10 Most Effective Tips for Optimizing Your Supply Chain

GlobalTranz

Supply chains are complex ecosystems of people, tools, and strategies that are getting increasingly difficult to manage efficiently. With so many stakeholders involved in the process, only a comprehensive supply chain management plan can help you improve business results in the long run. It’s not a feat you can achieve with only one major tool.read More.

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Supply Chain Data Visibility Paramount as Industry Lurches into Next Chapter

IoT World Today

Key Takeaways from This Article: COVID-19 has unveiled the fragility of a global supply chain predicated on lowest-cost principles. Increasing supply chain data visibility is a priority for logistics organizations looking to improve resilience. Supply chain recovery hinges on incorporating robust data analytics and other data-driven tools into business operations to increase efficiency, reduce costs and proactively manage risk.

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Autonomous AI Agents Are the Future of Procurement and Supply Chain Operations

As early as next year, procurement and supply chain operations will begin to adopt AI agents, often called “agentic AI,” to work alongside employees to make and execute decisions with precision across procurement and even the most complex global supply chains. Unlike LLM-based generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, these AI agents do not require prompts from humans.

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Is it the Right Time to Invest in a TMS?

Kuebix

It might seem counter-intuitive to spend money during the present climate, but the companies that invest in technology now are going to have a competitive edge tomorrow when the economy recovers. It’s a simple combination of direct, dollar-for-dollar ROI and customer satisfaction – in other words, more business with fewer expenses. Instead of trying to […].

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Near Term Forecasting powered by AI

Logistics Viewpoints

One thing that I find interesting in the AI movement is the creative use of data and algorithms to solve old problems in a new way or to solve new problems. My colleague, Vikram Srinivasan talked about one such new problem in a previous blog post: AI is Changing Everything We Thought About Forecasting Demand. Vik discussed how AI is helping improve demand forecasting with additional data and new algorithms.

Blog 171
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Making A Difference: Feeding America & Transplace

Talking Logistics

Today’s post is part of our “Making a Difference: Supply Chains for a Better Tomorrow” series that focuses on the supply chain capabilities that will separate the leaders from the laggards in the years to come. This episode features Blake Thompson, Chief Supply Chain Officer at Feeding America, along with Frank McGuigan (CEO at Transplace). Read more Making A Difference: Feeding America & Transplace.

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Aiming to lock down truckload capacity, Amazon goes nationwide with its freight brokerage

Commercial Carrier Journal

Amazon this month rolled out its freight brokerage operation nationwide, a strategic move that not only brings the company into competition with other large digital brokerages like Uber Freight and Convoy, but that also is intended to give the company leverage over its retailer and shipper rivals during peak shipping seasons.

Freight 141
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Freight Procurement Simplified: Bids from Hours to Minutes

Speaker: Eric Berdinis, Ran Sun, & Chris Chmielewski

Procuring freight can be cumbersome, time-consuming, and error-prone. If you’re frustrated with the complex and manual processes for obtaining bids for your contract and spot freight, you’re not alone. In today’s fast-moving supply chain environment, optimizing these processes is critical to staying competitive and cutting costs. Join this exclusive webinar with experts from Uber Freight to learn how the latest digital tools and automation can transform your freight procurement strategy by strea

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U.S.-bound shipments see April gains but concerns remain, says Panjiva

Logistics Management

April shipments—at 1,126,970—saw a 13% annual increase, well ahead of March’s -10% reading, and on a year-to-date basis through March, U.S.-bound shipments—at 3,836,078—were off 1.6% compared to the same period a year ago, an improvement over the -6.8% year-to-date drop through March. Even though there was clear improvement in April shipments, Panjiva reported containerized shipments lagged, down 5.1% annually in April to 2,243,208 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units) and down 5.2% year-to-date th

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How COVID-19 Is Impacting Blockchain and Cryptocurrency

Supply Chain Brain

Out of the coronavirus pandemic will emerge a new digital society status quo — one that will accelerate major technological advances that are already underway.

Digital 142
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Preventable, or not: How to DataQ for FMCSA’s crash review program

Overdrive Online

Having a crash determined to be non-preventable in the FMCSA's newly permanent review program could pay insurance and other dividends with its removal from carrier safety scoring in CSA. Here's what to consider in the DataQs process for submitting the review and more.

How To 135
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Amazon, FedEx, and UPS Prepare for the Post COVID World

Logistics Viewpoints

On Monday, my home state of Massachusetts announced the official details regarding the state’s four-phase plan to re-open the economy during the coronavirus pandemic. Phase 1 comes in a two-wave approach, with some business opening immediately and others opening on May 25. One group that found the approach disappointing is retailers. Many Massachusetts retailers see this plan as potentially too little too late.

Groups 164
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How to Drive Cost Savings, Efficiency Gains, and Sustainability Wins with MES

Speaker: Nikhil Joshi, Founder & President of Snic Solutions

Is your manufacturing operation reaching its efficiency potential? A Manufacturing Execution System (MES) could be the game-changer, helping you reduce waste, cut costs, and lower your carbon footprint. Join Nikhil Joshi, Founder & President of Snic Solutions, in this value-packed webinar as he breaks down how MES can drive operational excellence and sustainability.

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Battling Medical Device and Equipment Supply Chain Disruptions During Covid-19

Kuebix

Medical devices and equipment are tantamount to tactical gear and weaponry in the war against Covid-19. Without the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) like disposable gloves, masks and gowns, our healthcare workers are entering the battlefield without the assets they need for success. It’s not only PPE and products like ventilators that are essential during […].

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9 of the Most Useful Tips on How to Negotiate Freight Rates

GlobalTranz

Editor’s Note: This is a guest article from Laura Jelen with negotiations.com who discusses some useful tips on how companies can negotiate freight rates a bit better. Shipping costs are a significant part of the supply chain expense. It’s in your best interests to reduce these costs where possible without compromising the value of the.read More.

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U.S. rail carload and intermodal volumes are down for week ending May 16, reports AAR

Logistics Management

Rail carloads—at 184,415—plunged 30.2% annually, which marked the lowest weekly annual percentage decline, for total carloads, going back to 1988, when the AAR first started tracking railroad volumes. This tally trailed the week ending May 9, at 184,144, and the week ending May 2, at 189,100.

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Can a ?Monorail? for Containers Solve Port Congestion?

Supply Chain Brain

At a time when ports are suffering from severe congestion and scarcity of land, one designer of cargo-handling equipment is proposing a radical new way of moving ocean containers between ship and shore.

Handling 136
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How To Set Up Innovation So That It Aligns With And Enables Corporate Strategy

Speaker: Paul Heller

Most innovation work proceeds independently from company strategy. As a result, the products that arrive in the market are not well aligned with the company’s goals. This challenge is particularly significant in organizations with transformation-oriented strategies, where innovation must directly support growth, scalability, and strategic pivots. In this session, we will discuss why innovation in large companies is so often not aligned with the company’s strategy and what innovation leaders, pro

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Commentary: How drivers can avoid identity theft

Commercial Carrier Journal

In times of considerable uncertainty, such as an economic crisis or global pandemic, crimes of opportunity like identity theft become more commonplace. In some cases, this is because people are worried about keeping food on the table. ID theft tends to be inversely proportional to overall economic stability.

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Voice Technology – The Bridge Between Today and Tomorrow’s Logistics Systems

Logistics Viewpoints

When you think about future and modern technologies, or digitization in supply chain, what comes to mind? Robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), drones, self-driving trucks, and exoskeletons all carry a “futurey” feel—even if many of them are quickly becoming common. But, instead of these incredible new technologies, it might be a technology with over 30 years of history creating the bridge to the future of warehouse operations.

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Hazmat warehousing: Is your 3PL audit-ready?

West Coast and California Logistics

When you partner with a third-party logistics (3PL) provider for chemical and hazmat warehousing, there’s a lot to consider during the vetting process. Among other steps, you’ll want to take a tour of the facility, interview management and associates, and ask for referrals. However, there is one other crucial component you don’t want to overlook: the auditing process.