Operations: Page 2

Redundancies, hurricane prep keeping healthcare company Baxter in stock despite COVID-19

The company is constantly monitoring the supply and the demand side to thoroughly understand supplier capacity and prevent hoarding by hospitals, said CEO Joe Almeida. 

By Emma Cosgrove • March 19, 2020

European, US manufacturers shut down as China comes back online

Factory shutdowns will quickly ripple through the supply chain to impact the suppliers, logistics partners and other businesses that work with manufacturers on a regular basis. 

By Matt Leonard • UPDATED: March 24, 2020 at 11 a.m.

53% of US manufacturers expect operational impact from coronavirus: survey

Operational changes include the implementation of business continuity plans involving workplace sanitation, limiting in-person interaction and managing shifts to account for an uptick in worker absences, according to The National Association of Manufacturers.

By Matt Leonard • March 17, 2020

PwC: Coronavirus is moving supply chain into the board room

In a survey conducted last week, 90% of 50 the CFOs said if the coronavirus outbreak disappeared today, it would take their companies three months or less to regain normal function.

By Emma Cosgrove • March 17, 2020

Amazon opens 100K warehouse, delivery roles as COVID-19 surges demand

E-commerce has boomed as consumers worldwide practice social distancing and self-quarantining, leading e-tailers to amp up their supply chains to cope.

By Shefali Kapadia • March 17, 2020

Warehousing sector well-positioned to weather coronavirus disruption, report finds

Prologis predicts there could be greater demand for logistics real estate once a post-outbreak surge kicks in.

By Morgan Forde • March 17, 2020

Out-of-stocks surge at Amazon amid panicked shopping

The e-commerce giant is out of some key goods and is extending shipping times as consumers stockpile amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

By Ben Unglesbee • March 16, 2020

IGA looks to China operations for coronavirus guidance

Chinese supermarkets stretched to the limit by the crisis offer a glimpse of the challenges and solutions that grocers in the U.S. face.

By Sam Silverstein • March 16, 2020

Opinion

Gartner: What supply chain managers should know about control towers

Control towers are like the artificial intelligence of supply chain: Everyone wants to have it, but nobody quite knows how it works, writes Gartner VP Analyst Christian Titze.

By Christian Titze • March 13, 2020

Dollar General to double fresh distribution assets in 2020

After the first year of building capacity, the retailer is seeing the returns it was looking for in taking on the difficult and asset-heavy task of insourcing fresh and frozen distribution. 

By Emma Cosgrove • March 13, 2020

Column

Patent Pending: Walmart's plan for reducing empty miles

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 • March 13, 2020

CDC chief: Certain materials critical to coronavirus tests​ 'now are in short supply'

Separately, the government announced funding for development of COVID-19 diagnostic tests meant to detect the pathogen in about an hour. 

By Greg Slabodkin • March 13, 2020

3 ways to manage coronavirus risk in the supply chain

Even as China operations come back online, the risk to global supply chains is far from over, panelists said at Modex as they offered tips to mitigate challenges.

By Shefali Kapadia • March 11, 2020

44% of supply chain pros have no plan for China supply disruption

There are signs companies are struggling with visibility and shipping out of China, but there is no indication this has resulted in U.S. factories shuttering, even temporarily.

By Matt Leonard • March 11, 2020

The changing face of warehouse change management

New technologies can completely alter a worker's daily job, requiring operations executives to take a strategic approach to managing labor through the change.

By Shefali Kapadia • March 10, 2020

Goldman: Coronavirus could reduce profits 3.6% for manufacturers

The estimate was based on an average production utilization rate of 50% for the month of February and a 30% reduction in Chinese demand over the next six months.

By Matt Leonard • March 10, 2020

What tech and metrics do you need for omnichannel?

A modern order management system will have most of the data needed to measure omnichannel success. However, some operations will require more creativity.

By Matt Leonard • March 09, 2020

Hy-Vee brings online order fulfillment back to stores

The grocer will shut down its four Aisles Online fulfillment centers the week of March 23, according to a company spokesperson.

By Jessica Dumont • March 09, 2020

Costco: It could take weeks to reach routine supply chain operations

The COVID-19 outbreak is affecting multiple parts of Costco​'s supply chain, not just its procurement and in-store operations.

By Matt Leonard • March 06, 2020

Burlington ditches e-commerce, streamlines inventory in push for operational agility

New CEO Michael O'Sullivan said he will demand more flexibility from supply chain teams to increase agility in case sales falter.

By Emma Cosgrove • March 06, 2020

Target's tech for store-based fulfillment operations is ready to scale

Machine learning and robotics will allow Target to fulfill digital orders from stores and avoid stockouts, executives detailed in an investor presentation.

By Emma Cosgrove • March 04, 2020

Coronavirus-driven online order spikes challenge grocery supply chains

Amazon Fresh and Prime Now have experienced significant delivery delays, while Instacart’s sales growth rate has increased tenfold over the past three days.

By Jeff Wells • March 03, 2020

US manufacturing hit by coronavirus but maintains growth

Although the purchasing managers index found the manufacturing sector just within growth territory, coronavirus-related complications are causing supply delays and longer lead times.

By Morgan Forde • March 03, 2020

Do more robots mean a safer warehouse?

Fulfillment robotics pledge to make workers' jobs easier, but whether those jobs are safer is open for debate — even among those making and selling the technology.

By Emma Cosgrove • March 03, 2020

Each industrial robot displaces 1.6 workers: report

China has seen the greatest decline in its manufacturing workforce since 2000, with 550,000 fewer people working in the sector as of 2016.

By Matt Leonard • March 03, 2020