Articles
Commentary
Last Mile Puts Talent, Technology First
Serious changes are happening in the supply chain as the ecommerce market continues to grow. The uptick in more online sales means an increase in the back-end logistics that go into getting a package from an online sale to the customer’s doorstep.
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Back(haul) to the Future
Backhauling is a logistics strategy in which commercial truck drivers transport a load on their trip back to their origin point. It is the opposite of deadheading, which is when drivers make the return trip with an empty truck.
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Team Up to Deter Supplier Fraud
Despite their best technology and efforts, finance leaders continue to battle the ever-evolving tactics of fraudsters. A key reason is that finance’s fraud management strategies are seldom considered in the context of supplier information. Their peers in procurement, meanwhile, manage supplier information daily but the processes they use aren’t designed to prevent fraud.
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Four Steps to Mitigate Risk
Supply chain regulations are in constant flux. In March 2024, the SEC announced new rules regarding climate-related disclosures, and there have been calls to strengthen the enforcement of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. Meanwhile, the EU is also enhancing regulations regarding corporate sustainability, deforestation, ambient air quality, waste, and forced labor.
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Canada Rail Lockout: Will Container Ships Be Diverted?
Will container ships divert to alternative ports in the United States with the worker lockout at Canada’s two big railroads? Here’s the immediate forecast:
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The New Retail Equation: Better, Not Bigger?
In this new retail landscape, companies that innovate and adapt by refining their operational models to be more agile and responsive will be best positioned to thrive.
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How to Become an Employer of Choice
While millions of federal dollars are being poured into rebuilding America’s manufacturing sector, top talent is tough to find and keep.
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The Power of Regionalizing Inventory
Regionalizing inventory and spreading stock across multiple locations near consumers can help mitigate rising shipping costs, expedite delivery, and drive a better consumer experience.
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Wholesale Distributors Put AI to Work
Looming above all the day-to-day business pressures that wholesale distributors face is one overarching strategic imperative: Find ways to grow profitably—without increasing staffing levels. To meet that challenge, companies must attack it from multiple angles.
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What’s the Word? The Language of Logistics
What are the components of supply chain diversification? What’s the difference between GenAI and general artificial intelligence? Here are explanations of some oft-used but not often well-defined supply chain terms.
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How to Build a Sustainable Supply Chain
Climate change, resource depletion, and social inequality are pressing issues, making sustainable supply chains increasingly important. By adopting sustainable practices, businesses can reduce their carbon footprint, conserve natural resources and promote social equity while cutting costs through improved efficiency and reduced waste.
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Increasing Efficiency with Third-Party Transportation
Working with 3PLs can bring challenges, including coordination issues and the need for precise planning and execution. Technology solutions can overcome these obstacles by enhancing coordination between stakeholders.
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6 Steps to Diversify Your Carrier Portfolio
2023 was one of the most disruptive years in supply chain history… except that it really wasn’t. Even with the UPS/Teamsters negotiations, Convoy unexpectedly going out of business, and Yellow declaring bankruptcy—to name just a few—this level of supply chain disruption is starting to feel like Life.
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4 Ways AI Provides Meaningful Impact
In transportation and logistics, the basis for impactful utilization of the full scope of AI capabilities lies with access to and understanding of data, which often is trapped in paper and manual processes.
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What Supply Chain Practice or Belief Would You Declare Dead ?
Is just-in-time no more? Time to put globalization norms to rest? Our readers share the supply chain practices that should be deemed defunct and the strategies that are approaching obsolescence.
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Modernizing U.S. Infrastructure
In a strategic effort to invigorate the foundation of the nation’s supply chain, President Biden’s 2025 fiscal year budget initiative marks a substantial commitment to modernizing U.S. supply chain infrastructure. By prioritizing the enhancement of highways and ports, this initiative directly tackles longstanding infrastructure challenges.
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Is Your Enterprise Flexible Enough To Scale?
Scalability is important. In this annual Third-Party Logistics edition, you will find partners and resources to ensure your enterprise is flexible enough to scale.
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How to Develop an Agile Supply Chain
Businesses need to prioritize building supply chain strategies that can effectively navigate today’s increasingly volatile environment marked by supply chain disruptions, geopolitical tensions, and ever-changing consumer demands. Agility, resilience, and outside-the-box thinking have become critical to protect the customer experience—and the bottom line.
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What Grade Would You Give Brands on Reverse Logistics Operations?
I would give a range of grades from A to F for how brands are handling reverse logistics. There is still a lot of variation in this area—from consumer spending to B2B direct spend. A stellar reverse logistics program can lower the bar to buy. It’s so much easier to make a purchase decision when you know you can send the product back if needed, with no hassle. This is an area for improvement.
–Doug DeLuca
Product Marketing Manager
SAP Business Network, SAP
Tips for Closing the Visibility Gap
With modern supply chains being so intricate and involving numerous stakeholders, maintaining full visibility is becoming increasingly challenging. However, many businesses operate with fragmented and legacy systems where data lives in different silos and across different platforms. This lack of integration makes it difficult to track and monitor the entire supply chain in real time.
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