Operations: Page 2

Column

Reading between the supply chain lines: Labor, work-life balance and a coup across the world

There is often more to a headline than meets the eye. These news stories may impact supply chain managers in unexpected ways.

By Rich Weissman • Feb. 08, 2021

Anheuser-Busch to invest $1B to expand capacity, sustainability initiatives

The company said $50 million would go toward expanding its seltzer brewing capabilities and $100 million for new lines to produce cans.

By Christopher Doering • Feb. 05, 2021

Explore the Trendline➔

Trendline

Warehouse automation

Robotics, conveyor belts and software become staples of the warehouse as e-commerce grows. 

By Supply Chain Dive staff

The Container Store: 3PL surcharges 'much more impactful' than expected

The retailer pegged a double-digit slide in its margins on increased shipping costs that "more than offset" a nearly 21% YoY increase in sales, executives said this week.

By Matt Leonard • Feb. 05, 2021

Sysco plans warehouse, driver hiring push to prep for pandemic recovery

Volumes were low in December, but the company wants to be ahead of the curve. It's thinking ahead to SKU rationalization as a way to improve throughput.

By S.L. Fuller • Feb. 05, 2021

Home Depot opens automated Dallas fulfillment center with hydrogen-powered forklifts

The facility is part of the retailer's $1.2 billion supply chain investment and includes six miles of mechanized lines. 

By Shefali Kapadia • Feb. 04, 2021

Amazon says fulfillment, logistics expansion will help it return to 1-day delivery

Additional square footage allows Amazon to handle more shipments internally and have greater control from point A to point B.

By Matt Leonard • Feb. 03, 2021

Manufacturers face price increases, shortages to start new year: PMI

"We had zero of our companies report price decreases — zero," ISM Manufacturing Business Survey Committee Chair Timothy Fiore said Monday.

By Matt Leonard • Feb. 03, 2021

Warehouse hiring data shows how supply chains flexed up for peak

Employment in the sector was up nearly 9% YoY in December to reach more than 1.29 million workers.

By Matt Leonard • Feb. 02, 2021

From Girl Scouts to CSCO: Talent development starts with a patch

Dozens of students learned about the supply chain journey of Girl Scout Cookies, as part of a program to introduce girls to supply chain early on.

By Jen A. Miller • Feb. 02, 2021

CDC publishes vaccination posters, templates for employers with essential workers

Though the agency greenlit plans to put essential workers next in line for vaccines, state rollout plans vary.

By Ryan Golden • Feb. 01, 2021

Boeing starts moving through 737 inventory backlog after FAA allows return to service

Spirit AeroSystems, Boeing's largest supplier, said it would lag Boeing's production rate by five shipsets as it works through its own inventory buildup.

By Matt Leonard • Jan. 29, 2021

Nestlé sets goal of 100% responsibly sourced coffee by 2025

The company requires farmer groups and suppliers to adopt practices aligned with Nestlé’s Responsible Sourcing Standards.

By A.B. Brown • Jan. 29, 2021

3M increases N95 production rate to 2.5B annually

The ability to expand production of personal protective equipment is thanks, in part, to 3M's agile supply chain and shorter cycle times, the CEO said.

By Shefali Kapadia • Jan. 28, 2021

Walmart will add automated micro-fulfillment to dozens of stores

The retailer's initial tests with automated micro-fulfillment resulted in faster order assembly, and pickup or delivery within an hour.

By Jeff Wells • Jan. 27, 2021

Pick speed improves when augmented reality replaces paper: study

The research suggests that some of the main benefits of the technology could be in training new workers and getting them up to speed more quickly.

By Matt Leonard • Jan. 26, 2021

Eager to innovate in pickup, retailers look to lockers and kiosks

As retailers look to storage units to enhance omichannel and delivery service, they must grapple with limitations that could impede adoption.

By Sam Silverstein • Jan. 26, 2021

Biden invokes DPA to combat supply shortages, but experts say it's no 'magic wand'

The Defense Production Act moves government orders to the front of the line and requires U.S. suppliers to comply.

By Matt Leonard • Jan. 26, 2021

Demand for warehouse workers, managers will drive up salaries, Randstad US says

Warehouse managers' wages could rise as high as $43.21 an hour, according to the latest Randstad US Salary Guide.

By Kathryn Moody • Jan. 26, 2021

US nitrile glove factory to triple production by 2022

Raw materials suppliers, manufacturers and distributors are weighing longer contracts and new relationships after a tumultuous year in the personal protective equipment supply chain.

By Emma Cosgrove • Jan. 22, 2021

Costco tests curbside pickup as retailers turbocharge omnichannel efforts

Costco has resisted curbside pickup. Adding designated parking spaces, order-staging areas and employees could disrupt its busy in-store operations.

By Jeff Wells • Jan. 20, 2021

How supply chains adjusted demand forecasts during the pandemic

Demand planners started to bring in data from Google Trends and Amazon marketplaces to better understand unpredictable consumer buying habits.

By Matt Leonard • Jan. 19, 2021

How Dick's and Wayfair connect consumers with real-time inventory data

The pandemic upped the stakes for data accuracy, as well as the velocity and volume at which it needed to flow.

By Emma Cosgrove • Jan. 19, 2021

Frontline e-commerce worker is the top job on the rise: LinkedIn

To assuage health concerns during the pandemic, companies have ensured safety by redesigning work areas, investing in personal protective equipment and recalibrating work schedules. 

By A.B. Brown • Jan. 15, 2021

Column

Patent Pending: Walmart plans automated order picking, Target floats RFID for freight tracking

Supply chain innovators apply to patent what they see as important tools for the future. Sometimes they're brilliant. Sometimes they're funny.

By Matt Leonard • Jan. 15, 2021

Walmart e-commerce chief Marc Lore to retire

As Lore leaves the company, Walmart has established itself as a much stronger omnichannel retailer than before he joined.

By Ben Unglesbee • Jan. 15, 2021