Stat of the Week: Page 2

Each week, Supply Chain Dive takes a look at a report, survey or indicator for a glimpse of present and future trends. Look out for these articles in your inbox by subscribing to Supply Chain Dive: Operations.


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    Winnebago Industries via Getty Images
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    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 June 29, 2021
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    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 June 22, 2021
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    Courtesy of Geodis / Jean-claude Moschetti / REA
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    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 June 15, 2021
  • Photo of Geek+ robots in the distribution center of Circle K Hong Kong, provided June 2021 with announcement of two companies working together.
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    Permission granted by Geek+
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    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 June 8, 2021
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    George Frey via Getty Images
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    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 June 1, 2021
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    Bill Pugliano via Getty Images
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    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 May 25, 2021
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    Stephen Brashear via Getty Images
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    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 May 18, 2021
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    Drew Angerer via Getty Images
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    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 May 11, 2021
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    Emma Cosgrove
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    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 May 4, 2021
  • Amazon vans are shown delivering packages on March 30, 2020 in Hicksville, New York.
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    Bruce Bennett via Getty Images
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    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 April 27, 2021
  • E-commerce, FedEx, Chewy, Walmart
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    The image by Elvert Barnes is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
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    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 April 6, 2021
  • Boston Dynamic's stretch robot unloading a trailer from the robots press release March 2021
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    Courtesy of Boston Dynamics
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    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 March 30, 2021
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    Getty Images
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    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 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 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 March 2, 2021
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    Maersk
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    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 Feb. 16, 2021
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    6 River Systems
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    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 Feb. 9, 2021
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    The image by Zulu84 is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
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    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 Feb. 2, 2021
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    Getty Images
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    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 Jan. 26, 2021
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    Dollar Photo Club
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    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 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 Jan. 12, 2021
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    Pixabay
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    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 Jan. 5, 2021
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    Sanofi Pasteur
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    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 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 Dec. 15, 2020
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    Getty Images
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    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 Dec. 8, 2020