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

Caps and pumps: Johnson & Johnson's packaging changes put it on the path to a circular supply chain

J&J's Healthy Lives Mission includes conversion to 100% recyclable, reusable or compostable plastic, and recycled paper and pulp-based materials by 2025.

By Deborah Abrams Kaplan • Oct. 13, 2020

Explore the Trendline➔

Inventory Management

Read how retailers and brand manufactures are rethinking inventory management as an effective strategy against tariffs.

By Supply Chain Dive staff

Supply chain pros embrace AI for forecasting, inventory despite limitations during pandemic

Rigid systems that don’t respond to rapid market shifts and a lack of reliable data frustrated respondents in a survey from Secondmind.

By Matt Leonard • Oct. 13, 2020

Nestlé will support farmers to achieve net-zero carbon by 2050, supply chain chief says

The world's largest food company said it would commit up to $10 million through its multi-year partnership to help scale farm access to sustainable resources and technology.

By Lillianna Byington • Oct. 12, 2020

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

Sam's Club adds 2,000 permanent supply chain workers, launches ship-from-store for peak

The company expects approximately one-fifth of online orders to ship from Sam's Club locations.

By Emma Cosgrove • Oct. 8, 2020

H&M plans to scale machine learning to bolster logistics, forecasting

The retailer is building a platform called Yggdrasil, which will give teams across the organization access to centralized data.

By Roberto Torres • Oct. 6, 2020

Warehouse employment is at an all-time high

The labor-intensive processes of picking, packing and shipping require supply chains to hire more workers as e-commerce sales reach record levels.

By Matt Leonard • Oct. 6, 2020

Organizational equity: The underutilized key to attracting supply chain talent

Supply chain professionals are under pressure to deliver, and recruiting and retaining standout talent can impact the bottom line, the author writes.

By Gina Govojdean • Oct. 6, 2020

Telematics firm Transflo buys Microdea as shippers demand digital documentation

The acquisition allows Transflo to process more data from shippers, carriers and 3PLs, which feeds into its artificial intelligence system.

By Jim Stinson • Oct. 6, 2020

Bed Bath & Beyond, Shipt partner on same-day delivery ahead of peak

The retailer will use third-party delivery services Shipt and Instacart to grow its omnichannel presence and delivery options.

By A.B. Brown • Oct. 5, 2020

Adidas coaches its suppliers in the sustainability marathon

The sportswear brand applies the 80/20 rule to reducing emissions with a focus on strategic tier 1 and 2 suppliers, and a recognition that not every tactic works for every vendor.

By Emma Cosgrove • Oct. 5, 2020

Automation firm Ocado faces lawsuit from AutoStore over fulfillment center robotics

The U.K.-based company, which is building fulfillment centers for Kroger, is accused of infringing on patents for systems used to pick and pack groceries.

By Sam Silverstein • Oct. 5, 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. 2, 2020

Supplier deliveries slow, raw material costs rise as manufacturing improves: ISM

The report shows the industry has learned how to keep supply chains moving during the pandemic, while underscoring the challenges that remain in this new normal.

By Matt Leonard • Oct. 2, 2020

Meet the suppliers in Walmart's virtual open call

Submissions to participate in the annual event grew 44% over last year.

By Gary Wollenhaupt • Oct. 1, 2020

Record 2.7M industrial robots are in operation, but demand has slowed: report

While industrial robots shipped fell in 2019, collaborative robots maintained 11% growth, which IFR attributes to their broad range of applications.

By A.B. Brown • Sept. 30, 2020

Campbell says ERP modernization is key to absorbing $5B acquisition

With the database swap, the company is taking an incremental approach to a systems upgrade as it seeks real-time analytics to better understand consumer pattern changes.

By Roberto Torres • Sept. 29, 2020

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

Auto suppliers restart with leaner inventories, aggressive cost-cutting: Moody's

One challenge for the industry will be matching production output with the consumer demand and current inventory in dealership networks.

By Matt Leonard • Sept. 29, 2020

Were supply chains too lean during the pandemic? A survey shows an industry divided.

Lean supply chain principals lower costs, but leave a company with less flexibility to respond to demand shocks. 

By Matt Leonard • Sept. 29, 2020

Target to double holiday staffing for same-day services

The retailer said demand for its same-day fulfillment options quadrupled in the first half of 2020.

By Ben Unglesbee • Sept. 25, 2020

Walmart hiring 20K in e-commerce ops for the holidays

The retailer is gearing up for an online-heavy season as it also boosts categories in demand amid the pandemic. 

By Ben Unglesbee • Sept. 24, 2020

Predictive analytics determine what's in stock at Nike's new Los Angeles warehouse

The company maintains that direct-to-consumer distribution is the future for Nike, which is reflected in its warehousing investments.

By Emma Cosgrove • Sept. 23, 2020

Target's unified inventory across channels key to its evolution, supply chain chief says

The strategy is the "anchor" and the "catalyst" for Target's unique transition to store-centric omnichannel fulfillment, Arthur Valdez Jr. said at the virtual CSCMP Edge conference.

By Emma Cosgrove • Sept. 23, 2020