The most recent McKinsey Global Survey on AI shows a 25% increase in use by companies over the prior year, a trend that shows no signs of slowing. At this pace, have we entered the Age of AI? Do we even need supply chain planners, or can we turn out the lights and go home, because we now live in a world of autonomous planning? The short answer is that planners are more important than […]
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Archive for Logistics Trends
Even though this year will be very different than other years, the Thanksgiving logistics headaches will continue. The turkey supply chain remains a complex balancing act between supply and demand, especially at the fresh turkey level. Smaller gatherings could have an impact on demand for smaller birds, which can throw an added complexity into the mix. For those that enjoy a Black Friday deal after a day of turkey, this will be a different year as well. A pivot to more online-centric deals looms; and for those that do go to stores, the experience will be vastly different. But then again, everything has been different in 2020.
Read More →One thing is certain – there is no normal in 2020. What we have experienced so far this year is either a blip that we will look back at and wonder on, or our lives have fundamentally shifted, and 2020 is really just Year One. Either way, what we understand about this year is that Covid-19 has upended everything about the status quo. The pandemic has exposed all of our weaknesses and all of the […]
Read More →My to-do list has included one incomplete item since mid-September, one glaring blank spot where a big green checkmark belongs. That to-do item is “Start Christmas shopping.” Typically, my efforts toward buying holiday gifts for friends and family begin near the end of November, coinciding with the American Thanksgiving holiday. Rarely have I attended a Black Friday event on the day, but the commercials and promotions really get me into the holiday shopping mood. This […]
Read More →Note: Today’s post is part of our “Editor’s Choice” series where we highlight recent posts published by our sponsors that provide supply chain insights and advice. Today’s article is from Kinaxis. Outdated software isn’t just a headache to manage. It’s a business blocker. In a moment when unpredictable shifts in the flow of goods to consumers has dominated headlines, supply chains have become a driver of competitive differentiation for companies, with 65 percent believing their […]
Read More →The exponential growth of e-commerce in 2020 has brought peak-like levels of order volume for many retailers since as early as March. Looking to the quickly approaching actual peak season, volumes are predicted to hit unprecedented levels, and carriers have been warning shippers for months to expect capacity crunches, increased surcharges/fees and other challenges. Shippers must overcome these challenges without sacrificing customer service, competitive pricing or margins to be successful and satisfy consumers, who still expect […]
Read More →On June 1, 2020, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) revised the hours of service (HOS) regulations for motor carriers. The HOS final rule will go into effect on September 29th, 2020.
The FMCSA HOS final rule is intended to provide drivers flexibility while promoting safety for drivers on the road. As shippers contend with rising freight rates and managing heightened shipment volumes, while at the same time preparing for retail peak season, understanding the potential impact of the new ruling on truckload capacity is critical to success now and through the end of 2020.
While retailers welcome the surge of online orders, the increased sales of big and bulky items pose unique final mile delivery changes. As the name implies, final mile (also known as last mile) logistics is a specialized mode focused squarely on the final leg of a shipment’s journey to its destination. Final mile arose as a standalone mode due to the complexities in delivering to locations that lack loading docks and other receiving and storage infrastructure.
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Supply Chain Brief
Unified Logistics: A New Mindset for a New Era
Success in a post-pandemic business landscape requires that we truly shed the shackles of our traditional siloed thinking and embrace a holistic, customer-centric view of our supply chains. We need to take command and control of our product flow through all supply and fulfillment channels, breaking down functional walls that impede our larger view. And, finally, we need to embrace the rapidly expanding technology ecosystem to fully leverage the benefits of an open platform for ongoing logistics innovation. Unified logistics represents an unprecedented mindset that is imperative for these unprecedented times.
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