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."

How an expanded US footprint would add resilience to TSMC's supply chain

TSMC's intent to build a factory in Arizona would bring it geographically closer to potential and existing buyers of semiconductor products.

By Matt Leonard • July 13, 2020

The 5 Ws of reshoring supply chains

The decision to reshore is a balance between price and risk and a trend that started long before the coronavirus pandemic. 

By Shefali Kapadia • July 13, 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

Will sustainability take a backseat to COVID-19 challenges?

Procurement leaders from Danone, PepsiCo, L'Oreal and more see the practices and tools gained through sustainability work as assets in the battle against pandemic supply chain disruptions.

By Emma Cosgrove • July 9, 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

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

May airfreight data hints at recovery, FedEx doesn't expect capacity to normalize until 2021

Freight capacity fell more than volume, creating a supply-demand gap and a challenge for shippers to find air cargo space.

By Matt Leonard • July 6, 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

Small business suppliers are at risk in the pandemic. How do you protect them and your firm?

Buyers can take a multi-phased approach to identify risk and support small suppliers through the economic storm.

By Rich Weissman • 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

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

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

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

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

UPS lowers peak surcharge on China-US shipments starting Sunday

The reduction coincides with a gradual calming of airfreight demand and rates, but surcharges remain above the amount announced in March. 

By Shefali Kapadia • June 26, 2020

FEMA winds down PPE flights as 'supply chain is stabilizing'

Brokers have said the PPE procurement process is nowhere near normal, and the agency has an agreement with airline partners to redeploy Project Airbridge if needed. 

By S.L. Fuller • June 24, 2020

Ford plans to go carbon neutral by 2050

Stakeholder engagement work has included surveying 83% of its supplier base (78% of which responded) to better understand scope 3 emissions and water usage, and sharing best practices with suppliers.

By Morgan Forde • June 24, 2020

Kuehne + Nagel extends 2030 net-zero carbon goal to include suppliers, contractors

The new target incorporates contracted services and purchases, adding nearly 60 times the emissions to measure and manage compared to the company's previous 2010 goal.

By Emma Cosgrove • June 24, 2020

Sales plummeted 14% in April leaving companies with bulging inventories

The inventory-to-sales ratio paints a clear picture of the pandemic and the economic turmoil it has created across retail and manufacturing, leaving product to languish in stockrooms, destined for markdowns or donations.

By Matt Leonard • June 23, 2020

Shippers should embed carrier financial health into resilience plans as pandemic upends logistics

As supply chain leaders shift their focus to increasing resilience, they will need to consider multi-modal, multi-carrier logistics plans, according to CSCMP's State of Logistics Report.

By Matt Leonard • June 23, 2020

Gartner: Three-quarters of enterprises will 'operationalize' AI by 2024

COVID-19 drove the need for accurate, speedy insights into the inner workings of all businesses.

By Roberto Torres • June 22, 2020

Coronavirus and counterfeits: How supply chain leaders can protect their products and brands

It's dangerous to assume only healthcare products are impacted by counterfeiting during the pandemic, writes Andrew Stevens, a senior director analyst in Gartner's supply chain practice.

By Andrew Stevens • June 22, 2020