As we kick off the summer of 2024, four years past the emergence of COVID-19, we are still seeing the effects of the pandemic on the world’s supply chains. As supply chain professionals, COVID-19 made us recognize that disruption is a given. From production shutdowns and material shortages to blocked shipping lanes, we now accept […]
In today’s fast-paced, hyper-competitive, omni-channel world, warehouses play a critical role in maximizing service and fulfilling the ambitious customer promises that are required today. Warehouses also represent an enormous cost center. Companies annually spend about $325 billion on warehousing — and 85% of that cost goes to operating expenses that include labor, space and equipment. […]
Logistics digitalization – A new generation of advanced solutions, enabled by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) – has created new supply chain models and new work processes that are purpose-built for today’s extreme uncertainty. These intelligent, strategy-driven solutions help the entire end-to-end value chain enact a fast, coordinated response not only across functions but also across multiple trading partners. For example, a North American retaile digitized its freight order management system, creating two-way integration with its existing digital transportation management[…]
Already upended for two years by the COVID-19 pandemic, the worldwide logistics industry is facing new challenges. With gasoline prices reaching record highs, transportation managers must make smarter decisions that minimize road miles and associated costs. While demand is high, ongoing product shortages continue to cause supply chain disruptions, create unpredictable shopping behaviors and drive […]
If 2020 and if 2021 proved anything, it’s that the omni-channel selling environment is here to stay. As physical stores opened, shut down and re-opened again, consumers became more flexible in the way they shop for, and purchase, just about every product. Consumers have gotten used to the convenience and ease of online shopping, home […]
After experiencing an incredibly challenging two years in the global logistics industry, I think we can let go of any expectation that the supply chain landscape will ever return to “normal.” By that, I mean that extreme uncertainty on both the demand and the supply sides will continue for the foreseeable future. There’s just no telling what the new year will bring in terms of emerging logistics challenges. But, whatever happens, there are three certain imperatives for logistics teams, based on our shared experience over the past two years.
Five Forces Reshaping Logistics as We Know it Because warehousing and transportation represent significant cost centers, intelligent logistics decisions are critical. And, more than ever, these decisions have to be made on the fly, in real-time. As logistics managers grapple with their own challenges, including labor shortages and emerging commodity marketplaces, the logistics function has […]
Many companies were in the midst of digitally transforming their supply chain when the Convid-19 pandemic hits. During that time, with great volatility, many companies struggled to keep pace with increasing customer expectations around delivery on-time. In my Logistics Viewpoints article in January 2021, “The New Definition of Supply Chain Agility and Resilience in an […]
Natural disasters. Geopolitical events. Tariffs and trade regulations. The rise of ecommerce. The growing influence of social media. Prior to 2020, every supply chain in the world was challenged by increasing levels of demand unpredictability and market volatility. The sudden onset of COVID-19 only reinforced a lesson that supply chain professionals had already realized: uncertainty […]
As I highlighted in a previous posting, without accurate and timely information about the location and integrity of needed parts, equipment, tools and supplies, Oil and Gas owner/operators and their partners face a number of major risks, including environmental and safety risks, operational risks as well as economic and compliance risks. Today, I want to […]
Global oil and gas supply chains – upstream, midstream and downstream – are large, complex, and asset-intensive and require a number of interdependent logistics partnerships. Except for perhaps the military in times of conflict, few if any other sectors must rely so heavily on their supply chains to ensure that operations are flowing smoothly. Increasingly, […]
