The Latest
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Brian Tucker / Supply Chain Dive
Coronavirus: A lesson in supply chain risk management
A quarantine put supply chains' risk management strategies to the test as it left manufacturing facilities without workers needed to reach full production, reduced demand for ocean freight and cut air freight capacity.
UPDATED: April 1, 2020 at 12:15 p.m. -
iStock.com/Magone and vitpho
Sponsored by OpendockImpossible dock scheduling?
Impossible Foods improves operational efficiency with online dock scheduling.
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"IKEA Anderlecht self-serve warehouse" by Trougnouf is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Inventory, network optimization among most widely adopted supply chain technologies
More than half of survey respondents said they think inventory management technology has the potential to disrupt the industry or provide a competitive advantage to users.
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H&M
H&M pledges to accept orders in production from suppliers
The move demonstrates a rare level of concern for the health of garment manufacturers, amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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Lululemon
Lululemon leverages RFID, supplier relationships to manage inventory amid coronavirus demand drop
On top of advantageous technology investments, Lululemon has several inherent qualities that give it a somewhat easier path through the COVID-19 crisis most non-essential retailers are facing, executives described.
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Retooling facilities to produce ventilators could strain supply chains, medical device manufacturers warn
The U.S. invoked the Defense Production Act and is "working to sign contracts immediately" with GE, Medtronic, ResMed and other major manufacturers.
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Edwin Lopez / Supply Chain Dive
2M Alliance announces blank sailings on 21% on Asia-Europe trade
MSC will create a seasonal blank sailing program to match shrinking market demand due to the coronavirus.
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Ocean carriers blank sailings on Transpacific, European routes as importer demand drops
Maersk announced three new blank sailings this week that would have served trade on European, Mediterranean and Transpacific routes.
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Getty Images
As coronavirus spreads, reliance on foreign sourcing strains pharma supply chains
With India on lockdown and China still ramping back up production, experts worry about the pipeline for importing critical drugs into the U.S.
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Courtesy of Ceva Logsitcs Media Gallery
Ceva Logistics declares force majeure, citing possible rate changes and surcharges
Just three weeks ago, CMA CGM touted Ceva as an important tool in bolstering service continuity in light of the COVID-19 disruption.
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Brian Tucker/Supply Chain Dive
Deep DiveWhat procurement managers should expect from a 'bullwhip on crack'
Slight variations in demand at the retail level grow larger until they reach the manufacturer. This bullwhip effect is playing out in real-time in the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Courtesy of Nationwide Children's Hospital
Digital procurement marketplace connects hospitals responding to coronavirus outbreak
The Exchange tosses out standard allocation models in favor of connecting procurement professionals through a global network.
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"No Toilet Paper in Walgreens" by Raed Mansour is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Survey: 59% of US companies would have 2 weeks of stock after halting production
The key is not only surviving the COVID-19 pandemic, but preparing for a "double wave" of significant demand shifts once production resumes, Rapid Ratings CEO James Gellert said.
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CSX says leaner operations, more tech will help reduce emissions 37% by 2030
The railroad seeks to meet this target by employing technology and operational strategies to increase fuel efficiency.
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India, Bangladesh close factories amid coronavirus lockdown
The Indian government called for a complete lockdown, which was followed by multiple factories announcing closures. Factories in Bangladesh face a cascade of canceled orders.
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Permission granted by American Bakers Association
Food manufacturing will stay healthy during coronavirus, trade groups say
Leaders of the Consumer Brands Association and the American Bakers Association say their members are rising to the challenge and see no shortages of the basics.
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Nike optimizing supply and demand daily to weather coronavirus storm
Previous investments in digital tools will allow the company to snap back whenever consumer demand returns while keeping and paying employees, executives said Tuesday.
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jotoler. (2016). [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://pixabay.com/photos/worker-industry-man-manufacturing-4395772/.
IHS Markit: March Flash PMI posts steepest decline since 2009
Manufacturers reported the first contraction in new business and orders in over a decade amid sharp declines in supplier capacity and customer demand due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
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U.S. Centers for Disease Control. "CDC 2019-Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) test kit". Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/testing.html.
How health systems are responding as COVID-19 squeezes the medical supply chain
Procurement of supplies will become more difficult if cases surge and federal stockpiles don't trickle down to the state level quickly enough.
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Emma Cosgrove/Supply Chain Dive
Amazon suspends deliveries of nonessential goods in France, India, Italy
Third-party sellers on Amazon's marketplace that do not use Amazon fulfillment and logistics services to process and deliver orders can still ship to customers, but delays may result.
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As stay-at-home orders spread, deliveries speed up
Less congestion means faster and more predictable deliveries, according to data from Convoy.
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The apparel industry had an inventory problem before coronavirus. What now?
With such an unprecedented set of restrictions and uncertainties, universal recommendations are hard to come by for "nonessential" retailers and wholesalers, but some trends are starting to surface.
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Column
Today's supply chains are too lean
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the dangers of just-in-time principles and lean inventories.
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Gorodenkoff via Getty Images
So only 12% of supply chain pros are using AI? Apparently.
Low-level AI implementation could be the result of the difficulty hiring technology talent and the inability to properly manage enterprise data streams, according to experts.
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Moody's: Transport faces 'high exposure' to COVID-19 disruption
A slump in cargo demand or viral outbreak among drivers puts trucking at risk.
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'We're putting out fires': Companies adjust to online grocery surge
Retailers are adding servers, hiring fulfillment workers and trying to better sync inventory with their online platforms.
