Supply chain trade & visibility

The extensive size and popularity of Amazon’s marketplace pose unique challenges for its many merchants, from attracting customers and securing conversions, to fulfilling orders and managing your bottom line. source https://www.supplychain247.comhttps://www.supplychain247.com/article/amazon_order_management_explained_plus_9_best_solutions

In this white paper, you will learn what technologies your warehouse must implement to remain competitive and offer a seamless ecommerce experience to your customers. source https://www.supplychain247.comhttp://www.supplychain247.com/paper/the_ecommerce_technology_lifecycle_report

Hey, 2022 was better than you think for supply chain, say Abe Eshkenazi and Bob Trebilcock on their final episode for 2022 source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/say_so_long_to_2022_on_the_rebound

Intelligent supply planning tools will help you gain an edge over your competitors with optimal inventory planning, reduced operating costs, and timely last-mile deliveries. source https://www.supplychain247.comhttps://www.supplychain247.com/article/make_purchase_replenishment_planning_part_of_your_competitive_advantage

Automating your supply chain with the right tools enables seamless collaboration between various teams through inclusive demand plans and better visibility, these tools can make your life easier by automatically adjusting your inventory and safety norms as your demand changes in real-time. source https://www.supplychain247.comhttps://www.supplychain247.com/article/understanding_the_essence_of_supply_chain_networks

For October, the most recent month for which data is available, the TCI reading sank to -11.25, well below September’s -2.35, for its lowest reading since the all-time low of -28.66 in April 2020. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/ftr_trucking_conditions_index_drops_to_lowest_level_in_more_than_two_years

When looking at the current state of the economy, specifically with a freight transportation and logistics focus, it seems like, in different ways, that there may be cause for optimism as well as concern. For one thing, while it remains at a high level, to be sure, inflation is heading down, which is good news. For the month of November, the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that the annual inflation rate headed down for the fifth straight month, coming in at 7.1%, lower than October’s 7.7%. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/inflation_is_trending_down_but_more_work_needs_to_be_done

On this Episode, Rosemary Coates, Executive Director of the Reshoring Institute, and Annie Paredes, Director of Customer Service at CBX Global Central America discuss the apparel industry’s shift to Honduras. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/frictionless_podcast_apparel_production_and_logistics_in_central_america

Rail carloads—at 226,977—were down 3.2%, and intermodal containers and trailers—at 249,255—fell 7.5% annually. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/u.s._rail_carload_and_intermodal_volumes_are_down_for_week_ending_december

Listen in as Rosemary Coates and Annie Paredes, Director of Customer Service at CBX Global Central America discuss apparel industry operations in Honduras. source https://www.supplychain247.comhttps://www.supplychain247.com/article/apparel_production_and_logistics_in_central_america

AI and automation will be key factors to determine who leads the future retail market. source https://www.supplychain247.comhttp://www.supplychain247.com/paper/cracking_the_inventory_planning_code_the_omnichannel_way

In this whitepaper we explore the 10 best practices for accurate demand predictions. source https://www.supplychain247.comhttp://www.supplychain247.com/paper/the_definititive_guide_to_demand_planning

Total November volume—at 1,390,155 units—was down 2.5% annually. Trailers—at 68,551—fell 30.8%, falling short of October’s 30.1% annual decline. Domestic containers—at 656,847—were off 3.6%. And all domestic equipment, which is comprised of trailers and domestic containers, fell 7.1%, to 725,398. ISO, or international containers, was the lone segment to see an annual gain, rising 3.1%, to 664,757. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/intermodal_volume_declines_continue_in_november_reports_iana

Quarterly revenue—at $22.8 billion—was off 3% annually, and net income—at $788 million—fell 25%. Operating income—at $1.176 billion—was off 26%. Diluted earnings per share—at $3.07—dropped 21%, topping Wall Street estimates of $2.83. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/lower_demand_and_volumes_drive_down_fedex_fiscal_second_quarter_earnings

VARGO opened its Mason office in the fall of 2019 source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/vargo_expands_cincinnati_office_to_keep_up_with_continued_growth

Warehouse automation provider awarded six Best and Brightest Companies to Work For designations in 2022 though program hosted by the National Association for Business Resources (NABR) source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/dematic_recognized_as_a_top_employer

The ATA’s advanced Seasonally Adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index, for November, came in at 114.7 (2015=100), down 2.5% compared to October’s 117.6 reading, and eked out a 0.8% annual increase, marking its 15th consecutive annual monthly gain. The ATA’s not seasonally-adjusted (NSA) index, which represents the change in tonnage actually hauled by fleets before any seasonal adjustment and the metric ATA says fleets should benchmark their levels with, came in at 114.6 in November, down 4.6% compared to October’s 120.2 reading. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/truck_tonnage_trends_down_in_october_reports_american_trucking_associations

For the week of December 19, the average price per gallon—at $4.596—dropped 15.8 cents, following a 21.3-cent decline, to $4.754, for the week of December 12. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/national_diesel_average_declines_for_seventh_straight_week_reports_eia

The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) recently announced it published a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for $1.5 billion in grants through its 2023 Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainable and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/dot_issues_nofo_for_1.5_billion_in_raise_grants_program

In this podcast, Jeff Berman, Group News Editor for Logistics Management and the Peerless Media Supply Chain Group, interviews Karl Siebrecht, Co-Founder & CEO, for Seattle-based Flexe. source https://www.supplychain247.comhttps://www.supplychain247.com/article/flexes_siebrecht_looks_at_the_intersection_of_warehousing_and_e_commerce

The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) recently announced it published a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for $1.5 billion in grants through its 2023 Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainable and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/dot_issues_nofo_for_1.56_billion_in_raise_grants_program

With the continuous development of technology comes new opportunities for creating efficient supply chains - especially those which simplify management of information technologies. source https://www.supplychain247.comhttps://www.supplychain247.com/article/simplifying_supply_chain_software_total_cost_of_ownership

Toyota’s commitment through this partnership includes $100,000 in financial support to Anchor House to be paid over the next four years. In 2022, Anchor House provided more than 10,500 nights of shelter to citizens in need and served over 14,000 people through its food pantry. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/toyota_material_handling_formalizes_partnership_with_unique_nonprofit_ancho

Going back to the initial announcement of this program in October 2021, POLA and POLB have seen a collective 92% decline in aging cargo on their respective docks. What’s more, while the ports’ respective executive directors had the authority from their harbor commissions to implement the fee, the fee was never activated, as cargo owners were able to clear their long-dwelling cargo off of their terminals. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/pola_and_polb_set_to_phase_out_container_dwell_fee_program

November’s TVI dry van freight reading—at 218—fell 9.5% compared to October, while falling 4.4% annually. The October refrigerated (reefer) TVI—at 170—was down 4.5% sequentially and off 5.0% annually. And the flatbed TVI—at 218—was down 11% sequentially and posted a 13% annual gain. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/november_tvi_shows_volume_progression_as_rates_decline_reports_dat

For manufacturing, ISM is estimating a 5.5% revenue gain in 2023, falling short of its 6.5% estimate from its predecessor report in May and its 9.2% 2022 growth rate. ISM member panelists are calling for 2023 services-based economy revenues to see a 3.1% gain in 2023, topping 2022’s 2.1% gain, which fell short of May’s 4.9% estimate. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/isms_latest_semiannual_report_optimistic_on_2023_growth_prospects

Join our webinar, hosted by Adrian Wood from Dassault Systèmes, to learn about the key requirements and considerations in the supply chain resiliency evolution. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/how_companies_need_to_evolve_to_achieve_supply_chain_resiliency

For manufacturing, ISM is estimating a 5.5% revenue gain in 2023, falling short of its 6.5% estimate from its predecessor report in May and its 9.2% 2022 growth rate. ISM member panelists are calling for 2023 services-based economy revenues to see a 3.1% gain in 2023, topping 2022’s 2.1% gain, which fell short of May’s 4.9% estimate. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/ism_december_semiannual_report_is_optimistic_about_2023_growth_prospects

Overall, confidence in the equipment finance market reached 45.9, an increase from the November index of 43.7. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/equipment_finance_industry_confidence_improves_in_december

Listen in as Skyler Covington discusses the sourcing strategies making a difference at Sonoco Products. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/are_your_sourcing_strategies_ready_for_what_comes_next_on_the_rebound_podca

Listen in as Rosemary Coates discusses the latest trends in global supply chain management on this episode. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/whats_happening_with_reshoring_nearshoring_and_labor_rates_on_talking_suppl

Located in Round Rock outside of Austin, the Rexroth Customer Innovation Center (CIC) is housed in a roughly 9,200-square-foot building with multiple exhibits and presentation areas where visitors can learn about Bosch Rexroth factory automation and technologies including AMRs for materials transport. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/bosch_rexroth_opens_new_factory_automation_customer_innovation_center

The pressure is building for the U.S. trucking industry to reduce carbon-related emissions from heavy trucks, both long-haul and drayage. At an international meeting called COP27 in Copenhagen, Denmark, in mid-November, the U.S. signed onto a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) that includes an interim target of converting 30% of medium- and heavy-duty vehicle sales to zero emissions by 2030. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/international_domestic_pressure_grows_on_trucking_industry_to_reduce_emissi

A comprehensive guide to compliance risks and pitfalls for modern supply chains. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/compliance_risk_a_significant_impediment_to_the_modern_supply_chain

Big Joe Forklifts will re-enter Canadian market effective Jan. 1, 2023 source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/big_joe_returns_to_the_canadian_market

The "AEC" will promote advanced energy solutions including lithium-ion batteries, hydrogen fuel cells, and other technologies and accessories. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/the_advanced_energy_council_mhis_newest_industry_group_launches

The Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation's report also forecasts sluggish U.S. GDP growth of 0.9%, though 'soft landing' still possible. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/2023_equipment_leasing_4.2_expansion_in_equipment_and_software_investment_p

There is a good chance of a small, quick economic recession early next year. Combined with usual freight capacity surpluses at that time of year, it should mean a softening of freight demand for early 2023. That’s the word from Bob Costello, chief economist and senior vice president for the American Trucking Associations. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/mild_recession_coming_early_next_ata_economist_predicts_for_2023

The purchase price was around $1.99 billion (USD), and it is expected to be made official in the first half of 2023, with Trimble acquiring Transporean from software and services investor and Transporean’s majority shareholder, Hg. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/trimble_acquires_transporean_in_major_deal_for_nearly_2_billion

Transitioning a trucking or logistics enterprise to a virtual work environment was not an overnight process, but as companies gained momentum they also found ways to scale their operations to maximize efficiencies. source https://www.supplychain247.comhttps://www.supplychain247.com/article/transportation_logistics_companies_gain_significant_tech_benefits

In this podcast, Michael Levans, Group Editorial Director for Peerless Media’s Supply Chain Group, is joined by Mark Walker, Vice President of EnerSys Sales, North America, in discussion on the many benefits Maintenance-Free Power—including Thin Plate Pure Lead (TPPL) and Lithium-ion (Li-ion)—can bring to your day-to-day operations as well as your organization’s greater sustainability efforts. source https://www.supplychain247.comhttps://www.supplychain247.com/article/sustainable_benefits_of_maintenance_free_power

With an eye on a multi-phase commercial and technology partnership to deploy Volvo Autonomous Solutions’ (V.A.S.) autonomous transport solution on the its network, San Francisco-based Uber Freight said this week it will be one of Volvo’s first customers to pilot its hub-to-hub autonomous offering, in which Volvo will provide autonomous freight capacity to Uber Freight shippers on select routes, starting in Texas. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/uber_freight_and_volvo_autonomous_solutions_herald_new_strategic_partnershi

Acquisition is second Texas location for pallet provider Millwood, which now has 36 locations nationwide source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/millwood_acquires_red_express_pallet

November’s shipment reading—at 1.201­—was down 0.4% annually, falling short of the 2.9% and 4.8% annual gains seen in October and September, respectively. November expenditures—at 4.476—increased 4.7%, below October’s 11.1% annual increase and was up 50.7% on a two-year stacked change basis. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/cass_freight_index_sees_mixed_november_shipment_and_expenditure_readings

James Rice discusses supply chain resilience and how organizations can prepare for the next big problem. source https://www.supplychain247.comhttps://www.supplychain247.com/article/building_resilience_for_the_next_supply_chain_disruption

Modern's editor sat down with Donna Varner Director of Events for MHI to discuss Material Handling Education Foundation, Inc. (MHEFI) and other industry topics. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/60_seconds_with...donna_varner_director_of_events_for_mhi

Lift truck fleet safety has many facets, including safety at receiving and shipping docks, where the right equipment can prevent accidents while improving productivity. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/making_loading_docks_safer

Logistics Management Group News Editor Jeff Berman recently caught up with Wes Wheeler, President of UPS Healthcare, a subsidiary of Atlanta-based global freight transportation and logistics services provider UPS. Wheeler provided insights on various aspects of the segments UPS Healthcare serces, including: the impact of the pandemic on the cold chain and refrigerated (reefer) logistics; lessons learned from the pandemic; and the impact of global trade on the cold chain and global supply chains, among others. The interview follows below. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/qa_wes_wheeler_president_of_ups_healthcare

It has been a very volatile year, complicated by general political and economic instability around the globe. For logistics and supply chain professionals and carrier executives, it’s time to respond and build a coherent, cohesive, flexible and resilient strategy in the face of rapid and continuous change. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/2022_in_review_whos_most_responsive_to_change

Demand for dry and cold chain warehousing remained strong in 2022 and is expected to continue climbing steadily in 2023. As the sectors continue to evolve, warehouse operators are attracting investor attention, consolidating, and changing their names. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/merger_and_acquisition_momentum_2022_top_20_warehouses

The key to meeting and exceeding inventory efficiency across multiple channels is to improve your company’s omni-channel fulfillment performance, starting with inventory visibility. source https://www.supplychain247.comhttps://www.supplychain247.com/article/increase_inventory_visibility_across_your_supply_chain

According to Verusen's 2022 State of the Supply Chain Research, the top priority of supply chain industry leaders is reducing material supply risk to avoid unplanned production delays and outages. source https://www.supplychain247.comhttps://www.supplychain247.com/article/80_of_supply_chain_executives_cannot_track_the_movement_of_materials_across

The firm said that average tally of parcels delivered per day came in at around 85 million, with OTP ranges for the three largest carriers—FedEx, UPS, and the United States Postal Service (USPS)—in similar territory, at 96.3%, 97.0%, and 96.2%, respectively. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/holiday_season_delivery_on_time_performance_levels_are_back_to_pre_pandemic

Automatic identification & data capture Industry Awards commemorate excellence source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/2022_aim_award_winners_recognized_for_significant_aidc_industry_impact

This Verusen’s annual survey explores supply chain professionals’ current perspectives, activities, and challenges related to the impact of the rapid shift in supply chains and consequent business conditions. source https://www.supplychain247.comhttp://www.supplychain247.com/paper/2022_annual_state_of_supply_management_report

Rail carloads—at 1,162,736—fell 0.9%, or 10,437 carloads, annually. Intermodal containers and trailers—at 1,230,291 units—were off 5.4%, or 70,107 units. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/u.s._rail_carload_and_intermodal_volumes_see_annual_declines_reports_aar

New survey reveals the top pain points that logistics and supply chain management professionals continue to manage through, including higher freight costs, capacity constraints, severe labor shortages, and port slowdowns—all disruptions that are still forcing shippers to re-engineer their supply chain operations. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/2022_supply_chain_disruptions_study

Study reveals high demand for knowing the origin and sustainability level of materials and automotive parts as well as receiving an end-to-end view of the manufacturing process source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/zebra_survey_shows_eight_in_10_millennials_expect_more_transparency_in_auto

Achieving visibility will be the first vital step toward circularity. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/the_supply_chain_of_the_future_is_connected_transparent_and_sustainable

For October, the most recent month for which data is available, import volume—at 2 million TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units)—was off 1.3% compared to September and was off 9.3% annually. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/port_tracker_report_points_to_declining_volumes_in_the_coming_months

Demand modeling and supply chain design are a potent combination of capabilities that will accelerate the ability to manage risk and resiliency-related challenges. source https://www.supplychain247.comhttps://www.supplychain247.com/article/build_resilience_in_supply_chains_by_modeling_multiple_demand_futures

This Harvard Business Review briefing paper examines how leading companies are creating tremendous value by embracing these practices and captures insights from recognized thought leaders on building resilience and agility, which have become strategic differentiators. source https://www.supplychain247.comhttp://www.supplychain247.com/paper/beyond_disruptions_building_the_next_generation_of_resilient_supply_chains

Five key suppliers recently signed on to Project Gigaton to expand the use of renewable energy sources in the supply chain. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/walmarts_and_schneider_electrics_new_ppe_expands_the_access_to_renewable_en

When looking at the current state of intermodal volumes, a few quick themes jump out, observed Larry Gross, president of Gross Transportation Consulting at the last month’s RailTrends conference in New York. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/intermodal_expert_larry_gross_offers_up_market_update_at_railtrends

ODFL reported that revenue per day increased 7.3% annually, driven by an LTL revenue per hundredweight increase, which it said was offset by an 8.6% decrease in LTL tons per day. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/old_dominion_issues_solid_fourth_quarter_update

Supply chain software firm's Elite warehouse management system (WMS) platform bolsters automation integration capability by tapping SVT's SOFTBOT platform. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/tecsys_partners_with_svt_robotics_to_streamline_wms_and_robotics_integratio

Three household names in freight transportation and logistics announced they are partnering up in the name of standardization by establishing what they said is the first set of freight-focused appointment scheduling application programming interface (API) standards. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/scheduling_standards_consortium_set_to_address_needed_freight_api_standards

Fives has been chosen by KEY-4 to integrate the AutoStore technology into a 3,000 sq. meter extension to the existing 8,000 sqm warehouse in Fasano, Italy for a leading distributor of electrical and lighting equipment. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/fives_and_autostores_partnership_grows_via_new_logistics_center_project_in

GreyOrange will be working with Zebra Fetch Robotics to provide the Ranger Assist bots, which will be directed under GreyOrange's GreyMatter fulfilment orchestration software source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/seko_logistics_partners_with_greyorange_to_deploy_assisted_picking_solution

Hyundai Material Handling and OneCharge have entered into a strategic partnership to provide advanced lithium ion (Li-ion) battery technology to Hyundai’s North American dealer network and their customers. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/hyundai_material_handling_and_onecharge_partner_up_on_lithium_batteries

Radar helps product teams build and scale location-based experiences faster. Use Radar’s Trips product to deliver accurate ETAs, reliably detect arrivals, identify inefficiencies, and increase customer satisfaction. source https://www.supplychain247.comhttp://www.supplychain247.com/paper/location_infrastructure_for_logistics

The Services PMI—at 56.5 (a reading of 50 or higher signals growth)—increased 2.1% over October’s 54.4, which was down 2.3% compared to September, growing, at a faster rate, for the 30th consecutive month, with services growth intact for 152 of the last 154 months through November. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/services_economy_turns_in_strong_november_performance_reports_ism

It’s on display at virtually every gasoline station, the price of gasoline in red and the price of diesel in green. It’s as clear as day. But for operators using diesel fuel—including about 3.5 million long-haul truck drivers—it is maddening. There has been an ever-widening gap of as much as $2 or more between the price of gasoline and diesel. While the price of gasoline has plummeted more than 35% from a summer high of just over $5 a gallon nationally to around $3.44 in early December, diesel has remained stubbornly high. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/widening_spread_between_5_diesel_and_lower_gasoline_prices_baffles_truckers

The Logistics Management editorial team presents the top 10 logistics stories of 2022. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/top_logistics_news_stories_of_2022

Nucleus Research interviewed multiple MPO customers and found common benefits such as common multi-tier inventory visibility and improved route selection from a margin and service-level perspective. source https://www.supplychain247.comhttps://www.supplychain247.com/article/mpo_improves_service_levels_by_15_with_multitier_inventory_optimization

This Nucleus Research paper reports on how the MPO cloud platform and how it improved service levels for its customers. source https://www.supplychain247.comhttp://www.supplychain247.com/paper/nucleus_analyst_report_mpo_improves_service_levels_by_15_percent

Rosemary Coates and Kim Keusel discuss Navis software optimized ocean port, and rail yard operations. source https://www.supplychain247.comhttps://www.supplychain247.com/article/optimizing_port_and_terminal_operations

On the heels of the U.S. House of Representatives signing off on legislation aiming to quell the impasse between the remaining railroad labor unions that had yet to ratify terms of the tentative agreement outlined by President Biden’s Presidential Emergency Board’s (PEB) tentative agreement, the United States Senate followed suite yesterday, preventing a freight railroad labor strike that, had it occurred, could have cost the nation’s economy upwards of $2 billion per day. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/freight_railroad_strike_avoided_with_the_senate_following_the_houses_lead_o

Location for high-throughput, high-density system demo is within KPI’s Center of Excellence near Kansas City, Mo. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/kpi_opens_full_scale_demo_site_for_new_four_way_shuttle_from_geek

The project will be deployed at the wholesale apparel manufacturer's DC in Orlando, Florida. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/jerry_leigh_selects_sdi_element_logic_to_implement_autostore_solution

Company officials said that expanding its supply chain services to strengthen routes and transport goods in West Virginia, increases its service commitment to shippers by expanding access to key areas and clients across the state. And they notes that by adding West Virginia to its service footprint, it completes the company’s Northeast/Mid-Atlantic core footprint. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/a._duie_pyle_heralds_west_virginia_expansion

For the week of November 28, the average price per gallon of diesel—at $5.141—fell 9.2 cents, following an 8-cent decline, to $5.233, for the week of November 21, which was preceded by a 2-cent decline, to $5.313, for the week of November 14. source https://www.supplychain247.com/article/national_diesel_average_falls_for_the_third_straight_week_reports_eia