The Top Ten Logistics Viewpoints Posts of 2015

Just like last year, the Logistics Viewpoints team thought our readers would be interested in seeing what 2015 posts obtained the most views over the year. It’s nice to see posts written throughout the year (not just the beginning of the year) on this list. It’s also nice to see articles written by Logistics Viewpoints contributing authors as well as our sponsors. The most popular article so far this year was my article “E-Commerce Growth Brings Last Mile Headaches.” Although this article was written in April, it certainly resonates today, considering Black Friday and Cyber Monday are in our rearview mirror, and the continuing holiday rush is right in front of us. This article examines the way in which companies are handling the last mile, including traditional courier services, private fleets, and the rise of crowdsourced options. It is a topic I will certainly be watching closely in 2016.

And now, without further ado, here are the top 10 most popular articles, with a link and brief description of each.

1. E-Commerce Growth Brings Last Mile Headaches by Chris Cunnane
   Last mile delivery is the final leg of the supply chain. It is the moment the customer finally receives their order. And it is generally the most expensive, least efficient, and most problematic part of the overall delivery process. In the US, last mile deliveries have their own unique set of challenges..
2. Procter & Gamble’s Supply Chain Control Tower by Steve Banker
   Procter & Gamble (P&G) has one of the best supply chains in the world. But when their top supply chain executives talk about supply chain management, it can be hard to understand what they are talking about.  P&G has rather forgone talking about supply chain systems and instead talks about their investments in analytics…
3. 5 Supply Chain Predictions for 2015 by Steve Banker
   Very often any predictions you can make for a one year period are not about a brand new thing that will occur, the prediction is really part of a larger megatrend that has not only been going on for some time but will also continue for many years to come. Some of the megatrends affecting supply chain management include: Omni-channel, Relentless Competition, Robotics, The Industrial Internet of Things, Big Data…
4. M&A Supply Chain Strategies: Lessons from the Office Depot-OfficeMax Merger by Steve Banker
   When two companies merge, the supply chain organizations also must merge. That means downsizing that department, making personnel choices, converging IT systems, and meeting the supply chain synergies promised to Wall Street.  Mergers can go badly wrong, or they can be a new source of competitive advantage…
5. Walmart Has One of The World’s Most Sustainable Supply Chains? Really? By Steve Banker
   There are various lists that include the world’s most sustainable companies: Corporate Knights, the Climate Performance Leadership Index, and others. Walmart does not make those lists.  None of them. Walmart is doing more in sustainability, particularly in the supply chain area, than they are given credit for…
6. Combating the Driver Shortage Problem with Transportation Optimization by Rebecca Koke
   North America is facing a huge shortage of truck drivers, and the problem is expected to get worse. In order to continue moving product, trucking companies are pushing more and more freight onto the rail system, but that solution is not sustainable as it is also showing signs of being at capacity.  Service in both modes is getting worse…
7. The Smart Factory, Industrie 4.0, and Supply Chain Optimization by Steve Banker
   In North America, the Internet of Things (IoT) is getting a great deal of attention. In one definition of the term “Internet of Things,” almost all objects have sensors, connectivity to a broader environment, and intelligence. Sometimes the object has just a sliver of intelligence; but it can be much more substantial. Objects can be products, production or material handling equipment, containers, or other things as well…
8. The profound impact of the Internet of Things on supply chains Matt Yearling
   The Internet of Things (IoT) is the catalyst in creating more responsive supply chains by providing real-time, autonomous insight into your operational execution. DHL and Cisco recently published a report that indicated the Internet of Things will deliver a $1.9 Trillion boost to Supply Chain & Logistics Operations. The report estimates that there will be 50 billion devices connected to the Internet by 2020 compared to 15 billion today…
9. Finding and Keeping Quality Supply Chain Talent amid the Staffing Shortage by John Ames, Jr.
   What types of supply chain roles are on your company’s career webpage? What skills are important for new hires to possess in order to manage this increasingly critical area of the business? Many of the best practices LLamasoft has advocated related to supply chain design as a repeatable, sustainable process within the business have been highlighted in a recent article…
10. The Key Attributes of Supply Chain Leadership by Steve Banker
    Let us look at a few critical projects many supply chain leaders would like to initiate to save money and improve service, but can’t, because they can’t muster the necessary corporate support…

And there you are, the Top 10 Most Popular Articles as determined by your clicks. Let us know your thoughts on your favorite articles of the year or additional topics you’d be interested in reading about. And remember, the best way to get Logistics Viewpoints on an ongoing basis is to subscribe by email.