Caterpillar lays off 120 amid economic uncertainty, trade war

On a recent earnings call, the OEM's executives said they are adjusting production to meet reduced demand resulting from economic uncertainty and trade tensions. 

By Shefali Kapadia • Nov. 5, 2019

What makes a successful shipper of choice? 4 experts weigh in

A tight trucking market drove shippers to adjust their operating models and position themselves as good customers to carriers.

By Shefali Kapadia • Nov. 4, 2019

Explore the Trendline➔

Warehouse automation

Robotics and AI are two of the many tools warehouse operators are using to improve productivity.

By Supply Chain Dive staff

Outspending Amazon is not the way to win last-mile delivery wars

Deliver on expectations — no matter how slow or fast — that's how to compete, according to a survey by Convey.  

By Deborah Barrington • Nov. 4, 2019

UPS expects 26% jump in returns this peak season

The carrier projects 1.9 million returns on Jan. 2 and 1.6 million returns per day in the week preceding Christmas Day. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 4, 2019

5 KPIs make or break supply chain strategy

Investing in supply chain integration and optimization helps firms reap the benefits of improved quality of service and a competitive edge. Optimizing that supply chain, however, means hitting five key performance indicators.

By Dylan Lee • Nov. 1, 2019

Kraft Heinz tackles excess complexity with SKU-by-SKU review

Fewer but bolder product innovations will be the way forward after the company eliminates low or negative margin SKUs, explained CEO Miguel Patricio. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 1, 2019

Wayfair to focus on warehouse utilization in 2020 as losses grow

The company plans to pick up the pace of its U.S. square footage buildup in 2021, a sign of Wayfair's bullish attitude toward building logistics might. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 1, 2019

Walmart offering alcohol pickup at stores in 29 states

The retailer will also begin alcohol delivery from 200 stores in California and Florida. 

By Jessica Dumont • Nov. 1, 2019

Patent Pending: UPS' drone mobile, Amazon and Walmart's sortation solution

Supply chain innovators apply to patent what they see as important tools for the future of supply chains. Sometimes they're brilliant. Sometimes they're funny. Every week, we'll share a few.

By Matt Leonard • Oct. 31, 2019

When procurement and supply chain butt heads on KPIs

Conflicting metrics that pit one department against another often stem from the top down.

By Jen A. Miller • Oct. 31, 2019

XPO cites pressure from 'industrial recession,' lowers revenue targets

CEO Brad Jacobs said the souring industrial economy has stifled LTL growth for XPO and others over the last four quarters. 

By Matt Leonard • Oct. 30, 2019

Industry, government take aim at food waste in the supply chain with formal commitment

A senior EPA official told Supply Chain Dive the effort is intended to change industry "attitudes and apathy" around the issue of food waste and relieve some confusion around food recovery and donation liability. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Oct. 30, 2019

Are food and beverage supply chains prepared for growing water risk?

Sustainability nonprofit Ceres found 77% of 35 publicly traded food and beverage companies now name water availability as a risk to their operations in financial filings — up from 59% two years ago.

By Cathy Siegner • Oct. 30, 2019

Kroger pilots package services to drive store traffic

The grocer will work with FedEx, UPS and the U.S. Postal Service to offer package pickup, storage and drop-off for shoppers at 220 locations.

By Jessica Dumont • Oct. 30, 2019

Switching from barcode to RFID can save on labor cost, product loss

When a denim manufacturer in Turkey began using RFID, it realized thousands of euros in monthly savings. 

By Matt Leonard • Oct. 29, 2019

How Nordstrom got a handle on omnichannel fulfillment

As store business shrank and online business grew, Nordstrom and Opex Analytics turned their attention to fulfillment. 

By Amanda Loudin • Oct. 29, 2019

Conquering peak season: 5 tips to optimize holiday order fulfillment

For retailers, the ability to efficiently get products into the hands of consumers after they click "Buy Now" has become a competitive advantage. 

By Johannes Panzer • Oct. 29, 2019

Amazon unveils free grocery delivery

Amazon has been focused on streamlining operations recently between Whole Foods and its own grocery properties. 

By Jessica Dumont • Oct. 29, 2019

Honeywell Robotics hub will focus on warehouse automation

The center will initially explore technology solutions to warehousing and supply chain processes such as unloading, receiving, stowing, picking, packing, sorting and more. 

By Matt Leonard • Oct. 28, 2019

Amazon shipping spend jumps 46% as 1-day costs mount

Transportation makes up the largest portion of the growing cost of one-day shipping, CFO Brian Olsavsky said on the company's third quarter earnings call. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Oct. 25, 2019

Patent Pending: Why did the Amazon delivery robot cross the road?

Supply chain innovators apply to patent what they see as important tools for the future of supply chains. Sometimes they're brilliant. Sometimes they're funny. On Fridays, we'll share a few from the week. 

By Matt Leonard • Oct. 25, 2019

Rent the Runway shouldered the blame when a software bug hampered fulfillment

Rather than point fingers and "blame" a third party, the company said the disruption was due to a "software issue internally."

By Naomi Eide • Oct. 25, 2019

Target takes on Amazon with enhanced holiday fulfillment, delivery offerings

This peak season, the mass merchant is spending nearly $50 million more on payroll to bulk up customer service and leverage a range of BOPIS, next and same-day delivery options to entice customers.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 24, 2019

China tariffs cut margins for 70% of US electronics manufacturers

The U.S.-China trade war has impacted overall industry sentiment to the extent that one in five firms in IPC's study reported reduced investment in the U.S. 

By Shefali Kapadia • Oct. 24, 2019

Boeing will slow 787 production for 2 years, blaming trade war

The jet manufacturer will cut production of its 787 to 12 planes a month, down from 14, as demand from China remains weak as a result of the trade war. 

By Matt Leonard • Oct. 24, 2019