Coronavirus

Opinion

Supply chains can use purchasing power to fight inequity

Spending more on local sourcing mitigates socioeconomic and health disparities, strengthens supply chain resilience and reduces carbon emissions, writes Kaiser Permanente's supply chain and procurement chief.

By Mary Beth Lang • Oct. 29, 2020

DHL Express anticipates 50% volume increase for peak

The carrier is prepping for shipper demands during peak by adding cargo flights, aircraft and thousands of employees.

By A.B. Brown • Oct. 28, 2020

Ocean carriers add 'unprecedented' capacity on Transpacific

Consumer spending is driving high trade volume in the back half of 2020, but it's not clear how long this will last as unemployment levels remain elevated.

By Matt Leonard • Oct. 28, 2020

How COVID-19 changed warehouse management and design

Warehouse managers are adjusting workflows to keep employees safe and distanced while also handling the new demand for e-commerce.

By Jen A. Miller • Oct. 27, 2020

Maersk partners with COVID-19 vaccine developer on distribution plan

A variety of factors make vaccine distribution a difficult undertaking — ranging from temperature requirements to the tight capacity in the freight market.

By Matt Leonard • Oct. 27, 2020

Coca-Cola works with bottlers to convert operations as it cuts 200 product lines

A dedicated team has largely finished SKU-cut decisions, and changes at bottling plants will roll out over the next year.

By Emma Cosgrove • Oct. 26, 2020

DSV adds Transatlantic airfreight capacity to match demand for peak

The freight forwarder sees room to grow on Europe-U.S. routes, with belly capacity at half of what it was at the same time last year.

By Matt Leonard • Oct. 26, 2020

Demand for temp workers to lose momentum for remainder of 2020, report finds

The pandemic created an initial demand for temp workers, but uncertainty is causing a slowdown in hiring, according to the Palmer Forecast. 

By Sheryl Estrada • Oct. 22, 2020

CSX nabs intermodal shippers from tight trucking market, says it has room to grow

The railroad's network may have been squeezed by the recent unpredictability — as seen in the slower speeds and longer dwell time — but it assured analysts it still has plenty of capacity.

By Matt Leonard • Oct. 22, 2020

Prologis: Warehouse rental prices are trending upward

Companies thriving during the pandemic, such as e-commerce and food businesses, are driving demand. But Prologis' retention rate fell, highlighting the "world of haves and the world of have-nots," executives said.

By Matt Leonard • Oct. 21, 2020

Retailers face operational, logistical hurdles in pandemic-driven switch to ship from store

Retailers scrambled to change their fulfillment operations as open stores figured out ways to get their inventory to online shoppers.

By Matt Leonard • Oct. 20, 2020

Opinion

There is more than one way to move sourcing out of China in a post-pandemic world

Diversifying global supply chains is often thought as an all-or-nothing action. It is not, writes a senior director analyst at Gartner Supply Chain Practice.

By Kamala Raman • Oct. 15, 2020

Deep Dive

Truck vs. train: Which has the upper hand as spot rates soar?

Shippers consider lead times and freight types when selecting over-the-road, rail or intermodal.

By Jim Stinson • Oct. 15, 2020

DSV adds China-Europe trucking route as air, ocean alternative

The logistics provider anticipates higher freight demand and longer air transit times during peak season.

By Matt Leonard • Oct. 14, 2020

Fastenal raced to increase mask inventory. Now it has an 'oversupply.'

In just six months, the company has gone from restricting certain SKUs to healthcare customers only to concerns about excess inventory. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Oct. 14, 2020

US, EU buyers canceled $16B in apparel purchase orders in the spring: report

A 49% drop in apparel exports to the U.S. between April and June consisted largely of finished or in-progress goods, meaning suppliers had already fronted the cost of materials and labor, according to the report.

By Emma Cosgrove • Oct. 13, 2020

Deep Dive

Microfulfillment centers are changing grocery e-commerce. But are they right for everyone?

Grocers face unique e-commerce challenges that make deciding whether to automate fulfillment operations a complex choice, experts say.

By Sam Silverstein • Oct. 12, 2020

The pandemic opened cybersecurity gaps in the supply chain. How do managers close them?

Attacks on climate control IoT sensors could destroy food, pharmaceuticals or eventually a coronavirus vaccine at a time when these supplies are critical.

By Morgan Forde • Oct. 05, 2020

Conagra: Demand exceeds supply as grocers stock up early for holidays

Grocers aren't taking chances with stockouts, altering the usual cadence of shipments through the end of the year for their suppliers.

By Emma Cosgrove • Oct. 02, 2020

Opinion

Start preparing for when the new normal becomes the next normal

A former Johnson & Johnson executive advises businesses to focus on agility and preparing for peak season while in the eye of the storm, a moment of calm before the winds pick back up.

By Katherine Ross • Sept. 29, 2020

Geodis secures dedicated airfreight lane between Asia and Europe to ease capacity crunch

Moves by Geodis, DHL and other forwarders to ensure airfreight service could help provide a bit of stability in an otherwise unpredictable market.

By Matt Leonard • Sept. 28, 2020

Survey: Coronavirus hit shippers harder than 3PLs, despite better preparedness

Shippers reported higher levels of difficulty with labor, procurement of crucial supplies, driver shortages and operational equipment shortages, according to Infosys Supply Chain Practice Leader Sylvie Thompson.

By Emma Cosgrove • Sept. 25, 2020

Column

Can procurement pros avoid passivity while working remotely?

Buyers must protect their organizational influence while maintaining communication throughout the supply chain.

By Rich Weissman • Sept. 24, 2020

Walmart, DroneUp, Quest to pilot drone delivery of COVID-19 tests

The same-day service currently being tested in Las Vegas will use drones to drop at-home collection testing kits on driveways, front sidewalks and backyards.  

By Nick Paul Taylor • Sept. 23, 2020

Supply chains struggle to maintain PPE inventory months into pandemic

It is especially difficult to get personal protective equipment in rural parts of the country because of the geographic location, the cost of ordering PPE in small amounts and smaller organizations' inability to meet minimum order quantity.

By Matt Leonard • Sept. 22, 2020