The Latest
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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 the workers needed to reach full production, reduced demand for ocean freight and cut airfreight capacity.
UPDATED: Feb. 26, 2021 at 9:05 a.m. -
Tracking the speed, dwell and cars of Class I railroads
This dashboard shows the average speed, dwell time and cars online for all of the Class I railroads operating in the United States.
UPDATED: Feb. 22, 2021 at 2:09 p.m. -
Beyond Meat becomes McDonald's 'preferred supplier' for McPlant
The supplier also nabbed a partnership with Yum Brands, which means production may need to keep up with its 50,000 restaurants, as well as McDonald's more than 36,000.
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Wayfair cites ocean shipping disruption, port congestion for in-stock issues
The retailer expects it could take a "few months" to get back to the in-stock levels it usually tries to maintain, one executive said.
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Crocs: Redundancy in ocean freight contracts takes priority over cost
The footwear brand's logistics director said a turbulent market with high consumer demand proves container shipping is a commodity, not a service.
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Cold storage construction heats up amid pandemic
Supply chain disruption, new competition and the need for specialty subcontractors are some of the challenges cold storage contractors face, but they aren't slowing them down.
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Kohl's investor group proposes sourcing, inventory changes to win back margins
The group said the retailer is overpaying for purchases in a sourcing agreement it has with a third-party agent, which accounts for 20% of its total purchases.
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Winter storms squeeze capacity, drive spot rates up 20 cents
Long-haul deliveries and outbound volumes dropped in Texas markets, but analysts said effects may be just a "blip" on the long-term freight market radar.
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Opinion
5 questions to answer when designing a responsible-sourcing strategy
Procurement leaders are tasked with identifying and correcting practices that are not sustainable. But they also must also go a step further.
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Biden orders review of US supply chains after a year of shortages, delays
The review will start with understanding where suppliers are located, but experts say that making big changes could require government assistance.
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Construction group asks Biden for relief from soaring supplier prices
The Associated General Contractors of America urged the president to craft a new lumber agreement with Canada and to urge domestic producers to ramp up.
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Boeing supplier Spirit AeroSystems consolidates warehouse space with digital logistics center
The new Global Digital Logistics Center brings what was 500,000 square feet of warehouse space into a seven-story, 150,000-square-foot facility.
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Deep Dive
Why the automotive supply chain is in a semiconductor jam
A shortage with no quick fix is shutting down production lines around the world, and capacity constraints at tier 3 put automakers' lean operations into question.
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Packaging manufacturers compete for raw materials as takeout shakes up food service
One company has seen its lead times double for the materials it needs to make packaging.
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Walgreens expands same-day delivery with Instacart
Experts say store-based fulfillment partnerships are a good fit for retailers that see modest online demand and don't wish to invest in structural changes to support e-commerce.
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La-Z-Boy ramps production to shorten up to 9-month lead times
The furniture company reported order backlogs and a "long tail" of production and deliveries.
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Amazon hands over delivery data to researchers for MIT route planning contest
Participants will take into account driver know-how for route-planning algorithms that fit modern, last-mile delivery environments.
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No rate relief in sight for ocean shippers as Lunar New Year passes
If consumer spending doesn't fall off during 2021, the ocean shipping industry could be in for a busy and record-breaking year, one analyst predicted.
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The image by Central Texas Food Bank is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
Tyson to use real-time data for visibility in warehouse shipments, volume
Data is helping Tyson identify its highest dwell times by facility — its own and those belonging to customers — as well as informing what mitigation actions to take.
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Unilever finds short-term sustainability costs lead to long-term savings
Company leaders credit savings of $1.5 billion since 2008 to sustainable sourcing and operations, and they say ongoing sustainability practices will produce more cost benefits over time.
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Pfizer set to double weekly production of coronavirus vaccine
The drugmaker will expand its production network and work to reduce manufacturing timelines from 110 days to an average of 60 days.
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JB Hunt partners with Google to provide shippers real-time visibility
Tight capacity has sent cargo owners scrambling to find trucks. And they're turning to digital brokers that provide as much real-time data as possible.
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Walmart says its automated supply chain is 'ready to scale'
There's a limit to how much the retailer can pick, fulfill and ship from stores, the CEO said. Walmart is banking on automation to change that.
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Winter storm slams Texas food supply chains, logistics networks
Even with improving road conditions, logistics managers may experience capacity challenges and delayed shipments.
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Column
Gone fishin': Lack of succession planning is a supply chain risk
Supplier disruptions can happen almost overnight. A buyer could be left with a sourcing nightmare — one that should have been anticipated.