6 charts show global trade and supply chain nearshoring trends

Recent factors have eroded the cost competitiveness of production in China, and the appeal of globalization for many supply chains lessened.

By Supply Chain Dive • July 13, 2020

Unilever CSCO: Agility beats forecasting when the supply chain is stressed

Every dollar spent on agility has 10 times the ROI compared to forecasting spend, according to Chief Supply Chain Officer Marc Engel.

By Emma Cosgrove • July 13, 2020

Explore the Trendline➔

Inventory Management

Read how retailers and brand manufactures are rethinking inventory management.

By Supply Chain Dive staff

Reshore, nearshore or offshore?

Moving supply chains is not an overnight decision or task. While risk from the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the trend for many industries, others lack the infrastructure and labor to go all in on "Made in USA."

Patent Pending: Can't sign for your package? Just let UPS track your phone's location

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 • July 10, 2020

XPO relies on data to prevent workplace coronavirus spread

The company's findings indicate technology is being used as fervently as soap and water, in efforts to prevent spread and avoid hot spots.

By Jim Stinson • July 10, 2020

Biden releases plan to strengthen domestic supply chains

The plan positions critical medical supply chains as a matter of national security and would compensate companies for maintaining excess production capacity and inventory. 

By Emma Cosgrove • July 8, 2020

Intel's automated inventory planning: How it swapped 'rule-of-thumb' for algorithms

The company generated millions in inventory cost savings from SKUs using the automated model and increased gross profits $1.3 billion from 2014 to 2017.

By Matt Leonard • July 7, 2020

3 applications for RFID in the fight against COVID-19

Microchips embedded in RFID tags can track and authenticate vaccines, test kits, medical equipment and PPE from manufacturing to clinic sites.

By Deborah Abrams Kaplan • July 7, 2020

Supply chain resilience plans start with mapping — but don't wait for disruption to test them

If investing in resilience seems too costly, there's always that other strategy: hoping nothing goes wrong, writes Anne van de Heetkamp, a VP at Descartes.

By Anne van de Heetkamp • July 7, 2020

The new data priorities of 2020

Firms will turn to data to improve e-commerce and strengthen supply chains, incorporating lessons learned from the pandemic.

By Roberto Torres • July 6, 2020

US government to crack down on supply chains linked to human rights abuses in Xinjiang

The Department of Homeland Security said it will take "increased enforcement action" against U.S. businesses contributing to forced labor and other human rights abuses in the region.

By Morgan Forde • July 2, 2020

Prologis reaches operational carbon neutrality, takes aim at indirect emissions

Indirect sources of carbon, such as purchased goods and services, travel and downstream leased assets, represent 99% of the firm's total emissions. 

By Emma Cosgrove • July 2, 2020

US manufacturing breaks growth records, pandemic unknowns temper July outlook

June's PMI figure does not capture the impact of a recent nationwide spike in coronavirus cases.

By Morgan Forde • July 2, 2020

Stop & Shop expands e-commerce operations as demand climbs

To better support online grocery demand, the retailer will add three warerooms and roll out pickup service to at least 50 more stores. It has also expanded its delivery partnership with Instacart.

By Jessica Dumont • July 2, 2020

MIT, Ava, Greater Boston Food Bank partner on COVID-fighting robot

The robot will use UV light to sanitize the food bank's shipping dock at night and is going through training to operate autonomously.

By Matt Leonard • July 1, 2020

USMCA takes effect. How does it affect supply chains?

Shippers are struggling to determine whether ramping up nearshoring efforts or absorbing tariff costs from overseas suppliers is the most cost-effective strategy under the new NAFTA.

By Morgan Forde • July 1, 2020

With stores closed, retailers supercharged omnichannel adoption

Curbside pickup and ship-from-store capabilities have become essential skills in the time of the coronavirus, leading retailers to launch new services at record pace.

By Emma Cosgrove • June 30, 2020

Consumer demand: The big supply chain question mark

Statistical models work best when making predictions in a consistent environment. The coronavirus pandemic is a sharp turn off the consistent course of demand for many products. 

By Matt Leonard • June 30, 2020

McCormick will run 24-hour operations after pandemic-driven home cooking depletes inventories

Manufacturing capacity became "a pressure point," said McCormick's CEO, as demand surged and sales grew 26% year-over-year in the consumer segment. 

By Emma Cosgrove • June 30, 2020

Tracking US manufacturers' shift to PPE during the coronavirus pandemic

General Motors gets out of the ventilator game, and 3M adds two new N95 respirator production lines.

By Nami Sumida • Updated Nov. 30, 2020

Amazon partners with nonprofit to upskill fulfillment associates for tech jobs

An analysis by the National Skills Coalition found that American workers in essential industries will require upskilling to meet the needs of digital disruption.

By Sheryl Estrada • June 26, 2020

Gartner: 55% of supply chains expect to be resilient in 2-3 years

Building supply chain redundancies used to be seen as an unaffordable precaution. Now, they're becoming part of critical risk management strategies.

By Morgan Forde • June 26, 2020

Nike increases digital fulfillment capacity 3x due to pandemic

The retailer adjusted its inventory buying plans, canceled roughly 30% of pre-pandemic factory purchase orders and is highlighting its investment in demand sensing technology.

By Matt Leonard • June 26, 2020

DHL, Blue Yonder, Microsoft partner on warehouse robotics platform to speed deployment

The platform will allow customers to standardize onboarding and operations management for various types of warehouse robotics and helped to cut down integration time by 60% in a pilot.

By Morgan Forde • June 25, 2020

Boeing asks supplier to cut back production citing pandemic, high inventory

Spirit AeroSystems delivered 606 shipsets to Boeing in 2019. In 2020, it will deliver 72.

By Matt Leonard • June 25, 2020