The Supply Chain Dive Awards for 2019

From Nike to UPS, these are the companies and executives that shaped supply chains this year.

Dec. 9, 2019

Resilience Plan of the Year: Williams-Sonoma's trade war strategy

At the beginning of 2019, retailers either waited to see what would happen with the increasingly sunny U.S.-China trade negotiations, or they prepared for the worst. Williams-Sonoma prepared and it paid off. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Dec. 9, 2019

Explore the Trendline➔

Risk Management

Risk takes many forms in the supply chain: severe weather, geopolitical uncertainty and labor tensions. Explore the tactics supply chain managers use to prepare for disruptions.

By Supply Chain Dive staff

Climate and change: Decarbonizing procurement contracts

215 of the world's biggest companies see climate change as a threat to their bottom line within the next five years.

By Ashley Norton • Dec. 5, 2019

CMA CGM launches global alternative energy coalition

The group will work on an industry-wide inventory of technologies and near-term progress made on eco-friendly ship propulsion to encourage cooperation and progress in the industry.

By Morgan Forde • Dec. 5, 2019

Ikea, Carrefour, Ahold Delhaize urge Brazil to maintain soy deforestation ban

Deforestation in Brazil has nuances that make it more difficult to identify in supply chains — potentially protecting the practice from the usual pressures raw materials buyers can exert to prevent it. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Dec. 5, 2019

Transportation sector lagging in carbon reduction efforts

The Science-Based Targets Initiative calls out Toyota, A.P. Moller-Maersk, Daimler and Nippon Yusen Kaisha Line as high-impact companies in the transportation sector committed to the emissions reduction efforts.  

By Emma Cosgrove • Dec. 4, 2019

Why the vaping crisis is a supply chain failure

Numerous websites sell cheap, unauthorized pods designed to fit vaping devices from major manufacturers.

By Ron Volpe • Dec. 2, 2019

Best Buy launches e-commerce pickup in 175 New York UPS, CVS locations

Roughly 99% of Best Buy customers now live in a ZIP code where next-day delivery is available — up from 80% last quarter, according to CEO Corrie Barry.

By Morgan Forde • Nov. 27, 2019

Most workers don't think automation is coming for their jobs

Employee perception of automation technology signals a competitive edge for employers who deploy these tools successfully.

By Roberto Torres • Nov. 27, 2019

Maersk CISO on NotPetya recovery, workforce harmony and what makes a security chief

The shipping giant tapped Andy Powell a year after it was hit by NotPetya. In the 18 months since, Powell increased its security organization from 28 people to about 150. 

By Samantha Schwartz • Nov. 22, 2019

Amazon publishes list of more than 1K private label suppliers

The list provides the address and name of each supplier and a map published by the company shows China accounts for roughly 500 of the e-tailer's supplier locations.

By Matt Leonard • Nov. 21, 2019

Home Depot assesses tariff impact SKU-by-SKU

Home Depot's tariff mitigation strategy is a data-driven effort analyzing the impact of tariffs at the SKU level.

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 20, 2019

Kraft Heinz, Tyson among lowest for anti-deforestation efforts as industry falls short of 2020 goal

In the 10 years since The Consumer Goods Forum set its 2020 environmental goals, experts agree more immersive, on-the-ground work is needed to achieve reductions in deforestation. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 19, 2019

Managing supply chain risk in an economic downturn

Economists may not agree on the timing, but there’s growing consensus that the U.S. economy’s longest period of economic expansion in history will soon start to wane — what does this mean for supply chains?

By Craig Guillot • Nov. 18, 2019

Less than 8% of forestry suppliers have a plan for keeping forced labor out of supply chains

Though 59% of the 39 companies Know the Chain surveyed had a supplier code of conduct in place, only 5% had a process in place to deal with violations.

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 14, 2019

Where is the new China?

As the trade war carries on and labor costs rise, supply chains seek a new home for manufacturing and sourcing. But each alternative location comes with pros and cons.

By Deborah Abrams Kaplan • Nov. 14, 2019

Tesla selects Berlin for Gigafactory, skips UK citing Brexit uncertainty: report

Other car companies voiced concerns over events unfolding in the United Kingdom that could disrupt the auto industry's just-in-time manufacturing. 

By Matt Leonard • Nov. 14, 2019

Dean Foods files for bankruptcy as consumer demand for milk declines

Last year, Dean Foods laid off 207 workers with the closure of two milk processing factories, ended more than 100 dairy contracts with the company to curtail how much milk it was buying and closed three other facilities.

By Lillianna Byington • Nov. 12, 2019

What are the most important supply chain ethics? 3 experts weigh in

Consumer awareness of sustainability and forced labor in the supply chain is driving organizations to take the next step beyond compliance into ethics. 

By Shefali Kapadia • Nov. 11, 2019

A great supply risk lies in the Uighur crisis of China's Xinjiang Province

If you don't know the specific origin within China of your raw materials, "you should assume that you're at risk," said Ryan Lynch of the British Standards Institution. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 8, 2019

Patent Pending: FedEx eyes easier returns, Amazon marries drones and intermodal

Supply chain innovators apply to patent what they see as important tools for the future of supply chains. Sometimes they're brilliant. Sometimes they're funny. Every week, we'll share a few.

By Matt Leonard • Nov. 8, 2019

Supply chains must take the lead in origin stories

As consumer interest grows in products' sources and production, supply chains have a responsibility to plan and execute company-wide initiatives on origin stories, Gartner's Pam Fitzpatrick writes in an op-ed.

By Pam Fitzpatrick, Senior Director Analyst, Gartner Supply Chain Practice • Nov. 8, 2019

Maersk pilots battery power system in carbon neutrality push

The 600 kwh battery system will be installed aboard the Maersk Cape Town in December and which will embark on a trial voyage along its route from West Africa to East Asia early next year. 

By Morgan Forde • Nov. 7, 2019

Under Armour cuts inventory 23%, sees lower excess product levels

Somewhat ironically, a decrease in product going to off-price channels led CFO David Bergman to lower revenue growth projections for the full year.

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 6, 2019

Avon reduced inventory by $43M in a push for simplicity — is it enough?

"Choking on complexity," the more than century-old beauty brand is knee-deep in yet another turnaround effort as it prepares to be acquired. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 5, 2019