Winnebago grapples with a 'year's worth of demand' in backlog

The motorhome maker is dealing with record-setting backlogs in towage and motorhome segments amid high demand.

By Matt Leonard • June 29, 2021

The inventory-to-sales ratio reveals a divide between retail and automotive

Retailers are building up inventory as demand balloons, while auto dealers struggle with a global parts shortage.

By Matt Leonard • June 22, 2021

Cluster analysis can help determine where to store inventory, reduce split shipments

A recent paper looked at using a clustering algorithm with product categories to decrease the number of warehouses needed to fill each order.

By Matt Leonard • June 15, 2021

Circle K invests in 100 Geek+ robots to speed store replenishment

The robots will help a Hong Kong distribution center handle deliveries to more than 300 Circle K locations that serve more than 600,000 customers every day.

By Matt Leonard • June 8, 2021

Supply chains stick with lean methods despite inventory woes

Growing demand and flat inventory growth led the inventory-to-sales ratio to drop to 1.23 in March, the lowest ever recorded.

By Matt Leonard • June 1, 2021

Manufacturers focus on cycle times, delivered costs

Order cycle time was the most common target with 19% of respondents highlighting it as their top priority in a BDO survey.

By Matt Leonard • May 25, 2021

Pandemic drives interest in automation, robot orders tick up

Industrial robot orders in North America grew 20% YoY, according to A3, as automation technology advances and manufacturing faces labor shortages.

By Matt Leonard • May 18, 2021

Manufacturing, competing with distribution, struggles to attract labor

A recent survey found that manufacturers are having trouble filling 46% of open positions due to a mismatch in skills.

By Matt Leonard • May 11, 2021

Supply chains play inventory catch-up against a growing backlog of orders

Clorox grew inventory 50% and 3M's grew 6% in a race to meet elevated demand.

By Matt Leonard • May 4, 2021

Amazon insources logistics with a growing network of delivery stations

Once the expansion is completed, "there won't be an ounce of soil in America that Amazon can't reach with its own fleet," one analyst said.

By Matt Leonard • April 27, 2021

Cardboard prices reach record high amid e-commerce demand

Box producers are running on lean inventories, as online buying booms and creates greater demand for packaging materials.

By Matt Leonard • April 6, 2021

Boston Dynamics stretches into warehouse game with material-handling robot

The bot, named Stretch, automates the truck unloading process at an expected rate of 800 cases per hour.

By Matt Leonard • March 30, 2021

Inventory levels tumble, threatening retailers' spring and summer sales

Retail inventories fell nearly 6% YoY in January, as port congestion made it difficult for imports to make it to their final desinations.

By Matt Leonard • March 23, 2021

CPGs report higher supply chain costs with no signs of dropping this year

A majority of CPG companies expect manufacturing, warehousing, transportation and raw materials costs to continue at 2020 levels.

By Matt Leonard • March 16, 2021

'Right thing to do,' financial benefits drive supply chain investments in sustainability: Gartner

Waste reduction and water-efficiency improvements were the sustainability goals perceived as most likely to have a financial benefit.

By Matt Leonard • March 2, 2021

Supply chains divided on plans to increase safety stock, stick with lean methods

The desire to build buffer stock varies by industry and even SKU, with many companies developing inventory health metrics to decide which items need, and don't need, safety stock.

By Matt Leonard • Feb. 16, 2021

E-commerce warehouse productivity could improve up to 20% with greater automation: Prologis

Researchers estimate that the adoption of automation could reduce the demand for industrial real estate as existing facilities become more productive.

By Matt Leonard • Feb. 9, 2021

Warehouse hiring data shows how supply chains flexed up for peak

Employment in the sector was up nearly 9% YoY in December to reach more than 1.29 million workers.

By Matt Leonard • Feb. 2, 2021

Pick speed improves when augmented reality replaces paper: study

The research suggests that some of the main benefits of the technology could be in training new workers and getting them up to speed more quickly.

By Matt Leonard • Jan. 26, 2021

How supply chains adjusted demand forecasts during the pandemic

Demand planners started to bring in data from Google Trends and Amazon marketplaces to better understand unpredictable consumer buying habits.

By Matt Leonard • Jan. 19, 2021

How DHL optimized packaging at warehouses to cut shipping costs

Determining the ideal mix of carton sizes uses information on items ordered, dimensions, carriers, destinations and shipping costs — all data that retailers and fulfillment centers collect frequently.

By Matt Leonard • Jan. 12, 2021

Cardboard prices stayed flat as demand surged, but that might not last

The cardboard box industry saw more demand over the course of the pandemic as consumers increasingly turned to e-commerce. 

By Matt Leonard • Jan. 5, 2021

Pharma cold chain spend heats up, with a trend toward temperature-tracking sensors

The coronavirus vaccine rollout is expected to positively impact the cold chain logistics market, as companies invest in cold storage, freezer farms, monitoring technology and packaging.

By Matt Leonard • Dec. 22, 2020

Pandemic pushed manufacturers to greater analytics adoption: survey

Forecasting is one specific analytic area of interest for manufacturers who have seen demand swing dramatically throughout the pandemic.

By Matt Leonard • Dec. 15, 2020

CBRE: Holiday sales expected to generate $70.5B in returns

The capacity constraints 3PLs are facing during peak season have been widely reported, but expanded networks are expected to benefit retailers when it comes time to process returns through warehouse networks.

By Matt Leonard • Dec. 8, 2020