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Are Things Looking Up?
As 2023 began, the global economy focused on inflation and recession fears. Now add geopolitical tensions and domestic challenges in key markets that are slowing return to sustained growth, according to KPMG’s latest Global Economic Outlook report. Pressure on global supply chains has eased in 2023 and shipping costs have dropped, which should alleviate some […]
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Turn Up the Tech
Driven by the need to improve visibility and better manage the workforce, nearly three-quarters of supply chain leaders are increasing technology and innovation investments, finds the 2023 MHI Annual Industry Report, The Responsible Supply Chain: Transparency, Sustainability, and the Case for Business, conducted with Deloitte. Sustainability is also top of mind, as nearly half of […]
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Specialty Retail Hits the Mark
What makes a successful retailer? To answer that question, Manhattan Associates, in partnership with Google Cloud and Zebra Technologies, examined data insight from real purchases, returns, and customer journeys across digital and physical channels to create The Unified Commerce Benchmark for Specialty Retail, a report conducted by Incisiv. The benchmark assesses retailers across 11 specialty […]
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WMS Grows Up
As technology adoption increases and ecommerce continues to grow, companies are looking to smart warehouses to meet customer demands. As a result, warehouse management systems (WMS) are poised to take off. The WMS market will see a 17.3% compounded annual growth rate—culminating in a market worth more than $51 billion by 2030—predicts an Insight Partners […]
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VERTICAL FOCUS: Project Logistics
Tracking 60 Tons Across Two Continents Shipping large, heavy, and irregular sized cargo isn’t simply a matter of getting it from point A to point B. It also requires flexibility to tackle unique challenges. Take the case of a 60-ton autoclave moving from Germany to India. A German machinery and plant manufacturer commissioned DACHSER to […]
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IN BRIEF: New Services and Solutions
Services cargo-partner launched less-than-container-load services from Asia to Western Europe via the port of Rotterdam. Its new weekly sea freight consolidation services from China and India to Rotterdam call on various destinations in Western Europe. TLI, a provider of transportation and logistics services, expanded into Houston, Texas, bringing managed LTL solutions to shippers in the […]
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NOTED: Supply Chain Highlights
Good Works For the fourth consecutive year, Averitt Express donated more than $1 million to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This year’s $1.2 million represents the company’s largest ever donation to the hospital. Redwood Logistics contributed $209,125 to the Danny Did Foundation—a nonprofit organization that advances public awareness of Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy and […]
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The Great Outdoors: Peak Opportunities
As more Americans venture outdoors, apparel and gear makers net more direct-to-consumer sales and embark on the path to a more sustainable supply chain.
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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: Tracking and Labeling Solutions
NB Series Mobile Powered Cart: The redesigned workstation from Newcastle Systems streamlines labeling processes and can be configured for different workflows in the warehouse, production or retail floor. Able to run up to 4 devices for 8 to 12 hours of normal use, the NB Series accommodates laser printers, monitors, testing equipment, and scales. Oyster3 […]
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NOTED: Supply Chain Highlights
Milestone Milky Way, a division of LTI, celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2023. The bulk milk transporter serves producers in Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. Good Works Atlas Air sent a 747-8F aircraft filled with humanitarian and relief supplies from Washington Dulles International Airport to earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria. Atlas Air donated the use […]
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IN BRIEF: New Services and Solutions
Products The new EFFER iQ.950 HP heavy loader crane from Hiab, part of Cargotec, lets operators perform a wide range of vertical and horizontal lifting jobs safely and precisely at high speeds. The multipurpose crane’s dimensions and weight make it suitable for installation on several trucks. The nestable Retail E5.3 order picking pallet from Cabka […]
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VERTICAL FOCUS: Cosmetics
Inventory Management Gets a Makeover From managing ingredient shortages to finding a production plan that delivers the right amount of product when and where it’s needed, cosmetics companies face significant supply chain challenges. Many are turning to automation to meet these challenges. One example is Belcorp, a multinational beauty brand corporation operating for more than […]
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Keeping the Last Mile In Sight
When customers order an item, they want it delivered now. Retailers realize this, but they also have to keep costs in mind. A study FarEye conducted with Researchscape International finds that retailers with more than $100 million in sales seek to improve the top key performance indicators of on-time delivery (74%) and cost per delivery […]
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Gaining Vision in Ocean Freight’s Murky Depths
What you don’t know can hurt you. Half of ocean freight stakeholders responding to a recent report released by FourKites say they have zero visibility into their ocean freight. More than 20% still rely on manual track-and-trace processes to locate their ocean freight in the supply chain. Once that cargo hits land, the numbers get […]
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Air Cargo Gains Altitude
Air cargo levels are showing signs of rebounding to pre-pandemic levels. North American carriers reported a 5.1% decrease in demand in 2022 when compared with 2021, but capacity increased 4.2%, according to the International Air Transport Association. Comparing these figures with 2019 shows demand at 13.7% and capacity at 8.2% above pre-pandemic levels. Here are […]
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Look Ma, No Hands
As autonomous driving gains some traction, transportation companies are building partnerships to bring self-driving trucks from concept to reality. To that end, Ascend, a truckload carrier that offers middle-mile supply chain solutions, partnered with Volvo Autonomous Solutions (VAS) to test autonomous, long distance linehaul options. As part of the pilot, Ascend will pick up customer […]
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War in Ukraine Squeezes Shipping
More than one year after Russia’s initial invasion of Ukraine, global supply chains are feeling the impact. In the months after the invasion, total vessels moving in and out of Ukraine dropped from 109 in January 2022 to just two in June 2022, according to data tracked by project44. Combine the lack of vessel movement […]
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VERTICAL FOCUS: Home Improvement
Building Smarter Homes Consumers love their smart home devices. Spending on smart home hardware that includes individual devices, such as automated lighting systems and controllers, grew in 2022. It surpassed $30 billion worldwide, up 15% over 2021 spending, according to an ABI Research market data report. Manufacturers have taken notice. The largest consumer technology and […]
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With a Little Help From My Friendshoring
For more than 40 years, economic policies encouraged companies in the developed world to move production offshore to reap the benefits of cheap labor and raw materials. But times are changing.
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