Logistics

Click and Collect: Opening the Door to Competitive Advantage

March 7, 2016

Analyst Insight: Retailers are seeing new opportunities afforded by omnichannel commerce to leverage brick-and-mortar assets as more than just nodes in the distribution network. They are taking advantage of customers' desires for low or no shipping costs to drive additional in-store spend and seamless returns that make customers happy and ease the burden on distribution. -- Rob Dold, Retail Industry Leader, Fortna Inc.

Sharks vs. Jets on the West Coast Waterfront?

March 7, 2016

Robert J. Bowman, SupplyChainBrain

Here's a question for U.S. exporters who were grievously harmed by the West Coast longshore labor slowdown in late 2014 and early 2015: Would it make you feel any better to learn that you were the victims of "a street brawl"?

Maximizing A Shrinking Margin In 2016?

March 4, 2016

SupplyChainBrain

Analyst Insight: In 2015, I predicted that the healthcare industry was finally sharpening its focus on profitability and efficiency. While I was writing this Walgreens moved on Rite-Aid and further consolidated the retail pharmacy market, but more importantly strengthened their negotiating leverage on price breaks. If the cost of the supply chain from sourcing to production to distribution was not a priority, it just became critical to profit margins and customer service. - Brian Hudock, Partner, Tompkins International

Omnichannel Is Not Just for Retailers

March 4, 2016

SupplyChainBrain

Analyst Insight: Global, web, mobile, catalogs and trunk shows are only a few of the channels by which we sell and buy today. Retailers are investing billions of dollars to upgrade their tech infrastructure as well as their fulfillment processes to respond to customers as well as threatening and clever competitors’ moves. But omnichannel is not just for retailers. - Ann Grackin, CEO, ChainLink Research

Selecting the Right Automation for Your Life Sciences Business

March 4, 2016

SupplyChainBrain

Analyst Insight: Labor costs are rising just as the availability of workers is shrinking and turnover is increasing. According to the Census Bureau, 60 million Baby Boomers will exit the workforce by 2025, but only 40 million new workers will enter. Companies must rethink how they bridge that gap and keep costs in-line. Many life sciences companies are reaching a scale where investments in automation help replace manual, labor-intensive operations. But companies must be careful in evaluating automation investments. - Roger Counihan, Life Sciences Industry Leader, Fortna Inc.

Designing Supply Chain Networks the Right Way

March 4, 2016

SupplyChainBrain

Analyst Insight: Network design, network planning, network analysis, network optimization, or network studies - these terms have been used over the past 25 years to represent the work to determine how to set up logistics networks, how to analyze them for cost reductions, and how to re-plan them when something important changes. - Gene Tyndall, Executive Vice President, Tompkins International

Manufacturing, Healthcare to Drive Global Spending on Robotics to $135Bn in 2019, Study Says

March 4, 2016

IDC

In the latest Worldwide Commercial Robotics Spending Guide, International Data Corp. forecasts global spending on robotics and related services to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 17 percent from more than $71bn in 2015 to $135.4bn in 2019. The guide measures purchases of robotic systems, system hardware, software, robotics-related services, and after-market robotics hardware on a regional level across 13 key industries and 52 use cases.

Customs Automation Is Finally Happening. Really!

March 4, 2016

Robert J. Bowman, SupplyChainBrain

After years of delay, the automation of importer filings, involving multiple government agencies, is upon us. Say hello to the "Single Window."

Trac Intermodal in Joint Venture to Create Intermodal Data Hub

March 3, 2016

Trac Intermodal

Trac Intermodal has joined Gary Chilo, founder of Blocking and Tackling LLC, in creation of the Intermodal Data Hub.

Reshaping the U.S. Trucking Industry

March 3, 2016

SupplyChainBrain

Analyst Insight: The U.S. trucking industry is experiencing unprecedented change that is spurring consolidation in the fragmented market. For shippers, the upheaval can be both good and bad news. Acquisitions can offer shippers the opportunity to expand operations to new areas without the need to change carriers. Conversely, consolidation reduces competition in the marketplace and may have a negative impact on rates or service levels. Throughout this shakeout, shippers will need to determine how the market adjustments will fit into their strategic growth plans. - Brian Broadhurst, Vice President of Transportation Solutions, Spend Management Experts