Most procurement teams find themselves on a digital journey of some kind right now. Usually, this means investing in technology, automating as many processes as possible, and enabling distributed buyers to independently get what they need with minimal fuss. While these steps are all important, they

Growing up, I would make friends with kids who moved into my neighborhood. The initial stages of the relationship were always positive. Invariably, though, the amicable atmosphere would turn into conflict because of turf struggles or vying for domination. Then the conflict would cease, resulting in

The new buzzword in coronavirus containment is "social distancing." What is it, and what does it mean for logistics?China has popularized the application of "social distancing" in a bid to control the runaway coronavirus, or COVID-19. After a slow start, China has moved aggressiv

It’s no secret that today’s supply chains have become more complex than ever, with socioeconomic and market dynamics underscoring organizations’ need to respond to an outside-in, demand-driven world.But companies must now factor in a host of new variables, such as rising protection

The growing threat of the coronavirus has created a serious risk to supply chains, as manufacturers and retailers face the possibility that suppliers will halt production, and they won’t be able to replenish run-down stockpiles.According to Logistics Manager’s Index Report for February,

As bad as things might seem right now, the situation is temporary — and retailers must be prepared for the flood of consumer demand that will be released by economic recovery.Of course, there’s still a crisis of the moment to be weathered. A recent study by the National Retail Federation

At some point, nearly every software infrastructure experiences the law of diminishing returns, as it strives to meet customer-service levels, achieve on-time and in-full delivery, and strengthen both inventory and overall cost-performance objectives.The lack of visibility and control is thwarting o

Same-day delivery isn’t a novel idea. Businesses routinely need an item that’s critically important right away — not tomorrow, not next week, but within hours.Take the retailer that runs out of stock of a hot-selling, highly profitable item, and needs to restock immediately&nb

By mid-March, it had become difficult to keep track of what seemed like the high-speed unravelling of the world’s economy and its means of social connection. Abrupt governmental decrees, designed to contain the rapid global spread of COVID-19, were being matched by equally unsettling private-s

Through the use of sophisticated enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, companies can view the aggregate shipping locations of each distributor, wholesaler, and in some cases large resellers. Most of the time, though, the tracking of products ends there.By serializing products at the primary pa

The trade war between the U.S. and China already had American companies rethinking their relationships with manufacturers in China. Then came two additional nails in the coffin. The first was the signing of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) into law on Jan. 29, and the second was the

Global businesses are having to work harder these days to get in line with a voluntary standard on the reporting of greenhouse gas emissions.ISO 14064-1, first issued in 2006, now requires companies to report on GHG emissions throughout their supply chains, not just those they generate directly.For

The use of information systems in healthcare has accelerated dramatically over the past decade. Just seven years ago, most physicians had yet to meet the Centers for Medical and Medicaid Services’ (CMS’s) meaningful use standards for electronic health records (EHRs). Today, over 95% have

Twelve years after its resurgence, bitcoin is still one of the hottest topics. In 2020, the first ever cryptocurrency is expected to pass its all-time high price. All-digital “alt currencies” such as Bitcoin, Ripple, and Ethereum have created an entirely new industry, with investors and

We are in "unchartered territory" with the coronavirus, or COVID-19, according to the the World Health Organization's Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.The virus has been documented in more than 70 countries and territories across the globe — with over 90,000 documented

Many worry that the much-ballyhooed gig economy is merely a stepping stone to a time when all of those jobs will be performed by robots. But don’t tell that to Brett Helling.It’s hardly surprising that Helling would reject that bleak vision of the future, given that he’s the founde

Three major innovations have shifted the global supply chain into hyperdrive.In the 1950s, the advent of container shipping made it easier to move large volumes of goods in ocean vessels. More recently, the internet, the cloud and easier ways to communicate have made business processes more efficien

We’re all familiar with the consumer “one-click” digital experience. More likely than not, however, logistics teams face a daily work experience that’s nowhere close to digital.Operations at major ports and container freight stations are still filled with paper manifests, gre

It’s not an overstatement to point out that supply chains are essentially running the industrial world.The supply chain is vital to the global economy. A year-long study by the World Economic Forum points out that if every country in the world were to improve two key barriers — border ad

The U.S. Department of Defense is banning the purchase of telecommunications equipment and services from suppliers with ties to China and Russia — even though the prohibition was already part of a broader rule issued last August, involving all government agencies.Effective on December 31, 2019