Packaging, PPE and surgical supplies: How COVID-19 is pushing hospitals to reduce waste

Some waste is inevitable, but supply chain leaders are finding ways to reduce the quantity — reusing and recycling when possible and adjusting procurement and packaging.

By Deborah Abrams Kaplan • Jan. 12, 2021

Supply chains struggle to procure nitrile gloves after manufacturer shutdown

MSC Industrial reported an impairment charge for a prepaid glove order that has still not been delivered, in another example of how the pandemic has challenged procurement teams. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Jan. 11, 2021

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Sustainable supply chains

Amid pressure from consumers, investors and governments, companies are scrambling to measure and reduce the impact of their supply chains on the world.

By Supply Chain Dive staff

To boost earnings, focus on supplier spend — not job cuts

It's an area often overlooked, even by senior business leaders, when employee costs are a relatively small portion of most big companies' budgets, the author writes.

By Simon Geale • Jan. 5, 2021

How the mad dash for PPE pushed supply chains to keep up

When thousands of organizations needed personal protective equipment during the pandemic, it was up to supply chain professionals to make inventory accessible.

By S.L. Fuller • Dec. 23, 2020

Pfizer vaccine deliveries turned around after becoming too cold

Real-time tracking alerted Pfizer to the temperature diversion. The returned doses number about 3,000, a spokesperson said.

By Matt Leonard • Updated Dec. 18, 2020

Parcel 2020: The year of surcharges, volume caps and peak on top of peak

E-commerce shipments started to flood logistics networks as early as May.

By Shefali Kapadia • Dec. 18, 2020

As supply chains reshore, regional networks will be key to resiliency

Fully onshoring electronics manufacturing can be impossible, so the industry will need to reevaluate how products go from raw materials to consumers' hands, the author writes.

By John Mitchell • Dec. 17, 2020

US enforcement covers a third of cotton produced with forced labor from Xinjiang: report

New evidence of forced Uighur labor used to pick cotton in China's Xinjiang province suggests that more cotton exported from that region is exposed to salve labor that previously confirmed.

By Emma Cosgrove • Dec. 17, 2020

The newest supplier KPI? Employee vaccination rate.

While it will take some time for the entire population to get vaccinated, incremental and growing business compliance will be a key performance indicator worth tracking.

By Rich Weissman • Dec. 17, 2020

COVID-19 vaccine supply chain has cyberthreats hidden in plain sight

The one thing all supply chain operators and pharmaceutical companies essential to vaccine distribution have in common is cyberthreats. 

By Samantha Schwartz • Dec. 16, 2020

Peak season fulfillment fuels BOPIS growth at Walmart, Target

In a rare vulnerability for Amazon, research is piling up that customers want omnichannel services for shopping and returns.

By Daphne Howland • Dec. 14, 2020

Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine is FDA-authorized. How the supply chain has been preparing for this moment.

Federal officials have been meeting with distribution partners since the summer to participate in table-top vaccine delivery exercises.

By Matt Leonard • Dec. 11, 2020

How supply chain sustainability efforts withstood 2020

This year was a key deadline for many emissions-reduction goals, and the pandemic put pre-planned projects to the test.

By Emma Cosgrove • Dec. 11, 2020

Breaking down Mars' maverick move for a more sustainable palm oil supply chain

Reducing its palm oil mills from 1,500 to 50 in three years to meet internal goals is a decisive move that will almost certainly work, but the effect beyond Mars' supply chain is less certain.

By Emma Cosgrove • Dec. 10, 2020

Transport groups request vaccine priority for supply chain workers

The industry's call echos the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' proposal that essential transportation workers receive the vaccine after healthcare personnel.

By A.B. Brown • Dec. 10, 2020

Vendor ransomware attack disrupts DSW's inventory management

The impact of cyberattacks on retailers and their vendors is even greater during this digital-first period brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

By Emma Cosgrove • Dec. 10, 2020

Why analysts say the time is right for XPO to become 2

External factors and CEO Bradley Jacobs' endgame makes this move "smart," one expert said.

By Jim Stinson • Dec. 9, 2020

Sustainability Plan of the Year: Unilever's broadening emissions ambitions

The company intends to meet new emissions-reduction goals by favoring suppliers that have set science-based targets for cutting carbon in line with the Paris Agreement.

By Emma Cosgrove • Dec. 9, 2020

Executive of the Year: Gene Seroka, Port of Los Angeles

Seroka has helped the logistics industry navigate the uncharted waters of the pandemic while aiding the city in procuring personal protective equipment.

By Matt Leonard • Dec. 9, 2020

Supplier of the year: 3M

The supplier is making more N95 respirators than ever before. Pre-pandemic surge capacity and a focus on real-time visibility enabled the quick shift.

By Shefali Kapadia • Dec. 9, 2020

The Supply Chain Dive Awards for 2020

From Target to 3M, these are the companies and executives that shaped supply chains during this unprecedented year.

By Supply Chain Dive Team • Dec. 9, 2020

Why smart factories are the future of supply chain resilience

Smart factories are coming into focus as businesses put more resources behind productivity and efficiency, the author writes.

By Adam Mussomeli • Dec. 8, 2020

How companies worked to elevate small, diverse suppliers in 2020

Companies such as Walmart and Denny's utilized diversity, equity and inclusion principles to create new opportunities for small business.

By A.B. Brown • Dec. 7, 2020

Supplier sues Kroger, alleging refusal to accept hand sanitizer order worth $100M

New York-based manufacturer K7 Design Group said the grocer refused to complete payment and take delivery because of constrained storage capacity.

By Catherine Douglas Moran , Jeff Wells • Dec. 7, 2020

CDC changes vaccine priority suggestion, moves transport back to 'Phase 1c' of allocation

Until vaccine allocation reaches truckers, it will be incumbent upon drivers, employers and shippers to continue collaborating on safety measures.

By S.L. Fuller • Updated Dec. 21, 2020