Current Features

Feature Retailers, manufacturers and distributors are increasingly leveraging Artificial Intelligence-powered software to aggregate and analyze data for forecasting, allocation and replenishment planning. BY CAROL MILLER, CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER, MHI If you’ve ever been frustrated because your favorite brand of ketchup is sold-out at the grocery store or had to postpone a home improvement project because some of the key materials ...

Feature Does the customer remain at the center? BY FIONA SOLTES ISTOCK.COM/IPOPBA Action and adaptability, said speaker and author Garrison Wynn, create opportunity. After years of experiencing the former, it’s surely the time for the latter. With pandemic-related disruptions and reactive solutions increasingly in the rearview mirror, has there ever been a better season for re-evaluating overall supply chain strategies ...

By The Numbers BLUE PLANET STUDIO/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM It’s an increasingly common refrain: 83% of supply chain practitioners surveyed by Gartner say they’re being asked to improve customer experience as part of their organization’s digital business strategy. The most common priority is developing a customer-centric culture. According to the Gartner for Supply Chain Report “Four Steps to Becoming a Customer-Centric Supply Chain,” ...

Feature BY MARY LOU JAY ISTOCK.COM/METAMORWORKS When companies introduce new automation and digital technology into their supply chains, they anticipate it will provide benefits like lower costs and increased production. But they’re also concerned about the potential for business disruption during transition. Will they be able to get their products out the door on time? Can key staff members support ...

Feature Autonomous mobile robots can cut time out of labor-intensive fulfillment tasks. When combined with warehouse software, AMRs can improve an operation’s productivity even more. BY SARA PEARSON SPECTER MONOPOLY919/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM With operations increasingly unable to staff adequate labor to achieve their goals for higher throughput and productivity, more companies are turning to autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). These intelligent mobility platforms ...

Feature As pressure ramps up on companies to cut their carbon footprints, more businesses are looking to the circular economy business model, a sustainability approach that focuses on decoupling economic growth from resource consumption. For companies that are serious about meeting their net-zero emissions goals, it might be time to start thinking circular. BY DAVID H. COBURN MIHA CREATIVE/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM Here’s ...

By The Numbers NANNA45/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM The 2022 Gartner Circular Economy Survey interviewed 258 respondents from June 1 to July 21, 2022. The survey found that: IFS conducted a survey to better understand the views of manufacturing companies worldwide around sustainability and the circular economy. Respondents of the IFS survey said top drivers of sustainability initiatives are: In April-May 2022, RRD surveyed ...

Feature Now is the time to prioritize data and visibility BY NICOLE NELSON BLUE PLANET STUDIO/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM Autonomous planning is increasingly being embraced as a supply chain solution to augment the ongoing worker shortage. Requiring a closed-loop planning approach utilizing a fully automated technology platform, autonomously integrated systems have the ability to oversee and control supply chains from end to end, ...

Industry Focus BY TOM GRESHAM ISTOCK.COM/1933BKK The third-party logistics (3PL) industry is a complex and varied one that includes a wide range of operators. 3PLs serve as crucial partners in the supply chain for manufacturers who opt to outsource some, or all, of their logistics operations, such as warehousing, fulfillment and distribution. The role of 3PLs can differ greatly, but ...

Feature BY JASON SCHENKER, PRESIDENT OF PRESTIGE ECONOMICS AND CHAIRMAN OF THE FUTURIST INSTITUTE® BILLION PHOTOS/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM The call for sustainability in business has been growing in recent years. If your company hasn’t yet been called on to share sustainability metrics, it likely will be soon. In fact, sustainability is poised to become a key part of almost every business. Sustainability ...