Inventory Planning/ Optimization

Trump’s Next Round of Trade Limits Could Hurt the U.S. Tech Industry He Wants to Help

May 24, 2018

Housed in a 19th-century meatpacking plant in Somerville, Massachusetts, Formlabs boasts all the accoutrements of American high-tech success: exposed brick walls and ductwork, a morale-boosting pool table and plenty of young employees hammering away at laptops.

In Congo Outbreak, Ebola Vaccine Faces Cold-Chain Reality Tests

May 23, 2018

Reuters

An experimental Ebola vaccine to be deployed in an outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo has conquered some major scientific hurdles in giving high protection, but it now faces extreme real-world tests including heat, humidity, language barriers and lack of roads.

Getting Bangladesh’s Apparel Industry on the Map

May 21, 2018

Robert J. Bowman, SupplyChainBrain

It’s been just over five years since the collapse of a Bangladeshi factory complex took the lives of 1,135 workers. How can manufacturers and apparel brands ensure that such a tragedy never happens again?

Target Tests Retail ‘Flow Center’ for Faster, Nimbler Distribution

May 18, 2018

The Wall Street Journal

Target Corp. is testing a new distribution strategy aimed at speeding up its restocking and making the retailer more nimble at stores and online as it competes with rivals like Amazon.com Inc. and Walmart Inc.

FedEx Sees Blockchain as `Next Frontier' for Logistics

May 17, 2018

Material Handling & Logistics

Convinced that blockchain is on the brink of transforming the package-delivery business, FedEx Corp. is testing the technology to track large, higher-value cargo.

Making Order Consolidation Work for the Mid-Market Omnichannel

May 16, 2018

Nick McLean

One of the biggest challenges of ship-from-store fulfillment is order consolidation, or the ability to bring an online order with multiple products into a single shippable package. When inventory is located across multiple stores and distribution centers across the country, it is quite the logistical feat, especially for mid-market retailers, to determine the quickest, most efficient way for product to be shipped to the customer.

This Guy Reinvented the Shipping Pallet, Making It Safer, Stronger and Smarter

May 16, 2018

Forbes

When Johnson & Johnson heard complaints in 2009 about a musty odor coming from Tylenol Arthritis Pain caplets, it retraced its entire supply chain to find the source. The culprit: shipping pallets.

U.S. Retail Imports Are Growing Despite Tariff Threats

May 15, 2018

Maritime Executive

Imports at U.S. major retail container ports are expected to grow steadily throughout the summer despite the prospect of heavy tariffs on goods from China, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released last week by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

U.K. Just Now Asks Business to Map Supply Chain Ahead of Brexit

May 15, 2018

Bloomberg

The U.K. government has asked business groups to map their supply chains to flag the areas of the economy most at risk if Brexit imposes additional trading costs on exporters, two people familiar with the matter said.

U.S. Farmers Are Already Suffering From Lost Chinese Orders for Corn, Soybeans and Pork

May 14, 2018

The Wall Street Journal

The U.S.-China trade spat is cutting into the flow of soybeans, pork and other commodities from U.S. farms to one of the world’s biggest markets.

Inventory Planning/ Optimization

The latest news, analysis, trends and solutions regarding inventory planning and optimization and its impact on supply chain management. New technologies in inventory planning and optimization are transforming the way companies operate - and allowing them to stay ahead of the competition in their industries. As these solutions continue to evolve, businesses are discovering new ways to increase efficiency and cut costs. Learn how companies around the world are using inventory planning solutions for supply chain optimization.