If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that change can really happen overnight. Within days of the first coronavirus shutdowns, stay-at-home orders, and physical businesses closing their doors, Americans were forced to change how they purchased goods like toilet paper and groceries.Those new habits

Digitally-enabled supply chains have been great for helping food and agriculture companies pivot and make changes as a result of fluctuating demand. Unfortunately, they also leave companies highly vulnerable.The food and agriculture industry has seen a 56% increase in vulnerabilities from 2019 to 20

It's hard to overstate how massive a year 2020 was for e-commerce. Consumers spent more than $860 billion online with U.S. merchants, up 44% over 2019’s figures. It was the largest year-over-year growth for e-commerce in at least twenty years, and nearly triple the 15.1% gro

The authenticity and traceability of products is now taking place at the molecular level. Do we finally have a technology that’s 100% secure?Manufacturers, distributors and retailers are forever on the lookout for methods to ensure product integrity, quality and sustainability throughout the s

For centuries, paper has been trusted to deliver important information. Much like doctors once depended on written prescriptions to properly medicate their patients, the supply chain relies on physical documents to communicate shipment details among shippers, carriers and retailers. Unlike the medic

In recent years, a cascading series of political and pandemic-related forces have wreaked havoc on global supply chains. Things started getting complicated in 2018 when tariffs on China and other U.S. trade partners were imposed, with escalating actions eventually causing a full-fledged trade war. T

The past year has been both blessing and curse for supply chains. During a period of unprecedented demand, fueled by a newly at-home public’s reliance on e-commerce, all aspects from production to shipping were stretched to their limits.While an increase in demand is certainly a good problem t

More than 66% of procurement professionals say that navigating supply chains was the biggest point of strain in the procurement process throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an ongoing survey. It’s no surprise that navigating supply-chain shortages emerged as a common theme, consideri

Although sustainability has become a core element of corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs, a lot of work still remains to be done for many organizations. One of the key challenges is that sustainability can quickly become a broad and overwhelming topic. To remedy this and help drive result

Massive winter storms this year have caught many off guard, blanketing two-thirds of the U.S. in snow and preventing the safe transportation of goods.This type of weather event is more than a major headache for third-party logistics companies. It can be a financial disaster for those that rely on an

With President Biden assigning a high priority to funding the development of infrastructure, the time for a substantial buildout of U.S. rail capacity might finally be here — at least on the passenger side.Released last week, the Biden Administration’s $2 trillion infrastructure plan wou

A year into the pandemic, and the new reality that's come with it, the need for reliable warehousing and smooth distribution has become greater than ever before.Widespread in-store closures have accelerated online shopping full throttle, and businesses across industries have shifted to meet

The evolution of supply-chain networks over the years has largely been driven by technology. Organizations of all sizes are moving to the digital space, some compelled by the disruptions in the last year. While businesses build cybersecurity fortresses for themselves, there are several vulnerabiliti

"By taking orders of $2 million, I have to prepare cash flow requirements for $6 million."This is the common dilemma of many small- and medium-sized businesses (SMB) in the supply-chain world today. They are facing pressure from each tier in the supply chain: The amount of inventory is inc

COVID-19 reshaped e-commerce in 2020, rapidly accelerating a revolution already in progress. Brands integrated online, in-store, curbside and home delivery via omnichannel logistics solutions at lightning speed, meeting the challenge and, in many ways, successfully engaging with changed consumer beh

The outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic has drawn the world’s attention yet again to what should have become evident well before now: the fragility of our increasingly inflexible global supply chains.The automotive sector, for example, has been brought to its knees by reduced microchip delive

Elon Musk plays the long game. Back in July of 2011, his Tesla, Inc. announced the launch of a localized website for Germany. Ten years later, the innovative maker of electric vehicles is just months away from opening a Gigafactory outside Berlin, employing some 40,000 workers and with plans to prod

Recently I set out to acquire a new Ford Bronco. Ford Motor Company’s marketing department had done a masterful job at whetting the appetite for pre-orders of the vehicle, and making the launch a draw for thousands of potential buyers. But could it deliver on the wish fulfillment?In December,

One of the biggest challenges with vaccine distribution is temperature control. Health are organizations in virtually every state have made local headlines after their vaccine doses spoiled when they failed to keep them sufficiently cold. COVID-19 vaccines must be kept at extremely low temperatures

The era of uneducated consumers is coming to an end. Modern shoppers use the internet more than ever before to research, not only the products they plan to buy, but also where those products come from, who makes them, and if they’re made humanely. Also on the rise are alarming news reports and