In 1934, when Congress passed the Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) Act and established the FTZ program, the U.S. economy faced a policy environment similar to today’s: high (and prevalent) tariffs and heightened concern for protecting domestic industries and encouraging domestic investment. Then, as now, policymakers sought mechanisms to help U.S.-based companies stay competitive in the […]
For many Chief Financial Officers, direct spend – the money spent on direct materials and services that go into a company’s products – remains an underappreciated lever. Historically, direct spend has been viewed as a cost of goods sold to control, largely managed by procurement and operations. Yet this perspective is changing, and for good […]
A container ship arrives at Long Beach two days late. Inside are goods tied to dozens of purchase orders. Some are carrying basics that can wait, while others are holding seasonal items for promotions starting in three weeks, and a few are high-velocity SKUs that are already running thin at stores. Which containers do you […]
Across manufacturing and process industries, supply chains are operating under intense pressure. Demand and market volatility, disruptions in materials, and a persistent need to “do more with less” have made supply chain agility critical. Manufacturers have quickly embraced automation on the shop floor, including drones, robots, and sensors optimizing production lines. Yet when it comes […]
Shipping costs are climbing faster than ever, and they’re hitting profit margins hard. According to a 2024 report by Statista, the global shipping and logistics market has surpassed $11 trillion, with transportation costs making up more than half of total logistics expenses. For U.S. companies, that means every mile, inch, and ounce matters more than […]
Customer expectations and market volatility have surpassed the limits of traditional supply chains. Legacy execution systems optimized efficiency within silos, but those gains came at the cost of visibility and agility. The consequences show up where they matter most: delayed orders, stockouts, broken promises, and frustrated customers. Intelligent Supply Chain Execution changes this equation. Instead […]
In August 2025, U.S. container imports eased modestly from July but remained elevated in the 2.4M–2.6M twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) range, underscoring continued strong performance even as China-origin volumes declined. China’s pullback reflects a cooling after July’s rebound, but overall demand remained resilient in the face of ongoing tariff uncertainty and geopolitical risks. While the […]
