Imagine that a logistics company learned that a concealed flaw in truck engines was costing up to 100 minutes in lost productivity with every incident – and that the number was continuing to rise.Something like this is already happening, but it isn’t with 18-wheelers. Surprisingly,

The type of forensic techniques that detectives have long deployed to solve crimes can now be used to identify the origin of manufactured goods in the supply chain.Phylagen is a San Francisco-based data analytics company that has developed a platform for tracing goods and materials back to the farm,

Across all industries, drones were a top disruptor in 2018.In the consumer sector, drones are revamping photography and providing a new hobby, among other uses. In the commercial sector, applications of drones are extensive, focusing on a variety of functions and industries. Equipped with enhanced f

Today’s “new retail” — a shopping experience that seamlessly blends digital and offline commerce — is still in its infancy. But it’s already defining the future of technology, business and operational strategies for companies worldwide.  Millennials are now t

Millennials have often been accused of lacking “adulting” skills, but they more than make up for it in tech savvy and innovative thinking. And if you want to reach millennial consumers, millennial employees are your greatest resource.Millennials will overtake baby boomers in population t

Manufacturers lose billions of dollars every year due to lack of visibility into vital shipment data. That’s why more and more shippers are turning to solutions that enable easy data sharing across supply-chain stakeholders.But what does a collaborative, data-driven approach to the supply chai

U.S. agricultural exporters weathered a tough year in 2018, and the forecast looks no better for the remainder of 2019.According to PIERS, the trade statistics service of IHS Markit, total U.S. exports were down by 0.2 percent last year. Results to Asia, however, were worse: a decline of 4.2 percent

Many fleets have already complied with the federal electronic logging device (ELD) mandate, requiring drivers’ hours of service to be captured with ELDs instead of paper logs. However, some early adopters of older e-log systems have been allowed to continue using their automatic onboard record

The soybean industry has been a vital engine of the American economy for years. One measure of its economic contribution is in global trade: soybeans are America’s largest agricultural export, and among the nation’s top 10 exports. In 2017, the U.S. exported $21.6bn worth of soybeans.At

If you’ve recently joined an organization or moved into a new role that is directly related to procurement, it can be challenging to know where to start. Even if you’ve been in the role for a while, the whirlwind of daily activity can distract you from having a strong holistic view of yo

If Amazon materialized today out of thin air, few sane people would feel confident about being able to run it profitably.Globally, the company sells more than 3 billion products through 11 different country marketplaces. In the U.S. alone, Amazon introduced 208 million new products in 2018 —&n

From construction to automotive services, businesses are focusing on ways to become more eco-conscious. Supply chains are no exception. Within the logistics and shipping communities there’s been a significant push toward more sustainable practices over the past 10 years, and industry leaders a

From sourcing to delivery, the last leg in a product’s journey can ultimately determine its success.That’s especially true if a product is manufactured in one country and sold and distributed in another. What happens when it arrives at port of entry, makes its way through the wareho

Supply-chain leaders know the importance of collaboration better than most.A well-ordered supply chain involves coordinating with stakeholders from multiple functions and geographies across and beyond the enterprise. Without cross-functional collaboration, leaders will struggle to solve problems in

Warehouse management is a balance of activities that begins from the moment goods arrive until they’re issued out.Several crucial tasks control the operations within a warehouse. They revolve mostly around materials and assets on one hand, and employee management and maintenance oversight on t

The longer the U.S. economy stays strong, the greater the possibility of a deep recession.Drawing on basic tenets of economics, that’s simply a statement of fact. Experts can argue over the frequency and extent of economic cycles, but they can’t deny their inevitability. And with the U.S

Consumers are more conscientious about their purchases than ever before. They expect organizations to meet a certain set of ethical standards, and supply chains aren’t exempt from scrutiny.To meet these expectations, companies must enact significant changes that ensure environmental stewardshi

The United States boasts one the most robust consumer economies in the world. As an importer, it’s second only to the European Union, receiving approximately $2.4tr in goods and services each year, of which food and beverage accounts for roughly $138bn.Manufacturers and producers around the gl

The automotive manufacturing supply chain has become almost too massive to manage, leaving manufacturers and suppliers with the challenge of finding qualified workers with the skills to identify and prevent quality risks.With distributed plants and locations increasing in number, it has become diffi

In the never-ending struggle for advantage between shippers and ocean carriers, the latter appear to have the upper hand for the moment.For extended periods over the last decade or more, major container lines have struggled to keep freight rates at profitable levels. Time and again, their attempts t