Stat of the Week: Page 3
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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Raley's
IDC: Pharmaceutical industry ups inventory levels as OTIF rates fall
Before the pandemic, the on time and in full rate from suppliers was generally above 80%. Now, pharmaceutical companies are looking for ways to avoid shortages.
By Matt Leonard • Nov. 17, 2020 -
The image by Zulu84 is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Inventory roller coaster expected to trend upward after August lows
Retail inventories have been on a wild ride through the course of the pandemic. They bulged when retailers shut their doors, fell when sales were higher than expected, and early signs show they're successfully rebuilding.
By Matt Leonard • Nov. 10, 2020 -
Permission granted by Locus Robotics
Automation upgrades warehouse execution systems to essential status
The technology creates a digital twin, providing inventory management traditionally found in a WMS while adding the ability to control automated infrastructure.
By Matt Leonard • Nov. 3, 2020 -
Courtesy of ThredUp
Supply chain visibility is 'awfully low,' but improving it can aid operations goals
A recent survey found that 40% of supply chain leaders plan to increase their investment in real-time visibility, which one expert said could help with omnichannel and forecasting.
By Matt Leonard • Oct. 27, 2020 -
Retailers face operational, logistical hurdles in pandemic-driven switch to ship from store
Retailers scrambled to change their fulfillment operations as open stores figured out ways to get their inventory to online shoppers.
By Matt Leonard • Oct. 20, 2020 -
Rangel, David. [photograph]. Retrieved from https://unsplash.com/photos/4m7gmLNr3M0.
Supply chain pros embrace AI for forecasting, inventory despite limitations during pandemic
Rigid systems that don’t respond to rapid market shifts and a lack of reliable data frustrated respondents in a survey from Secondmind.
By Matt Leonard • Oct. 13, 2020 -
Maersk
Warehouse employment is at an all-time high
The labor-intensive processes of picking, packing and shipping require supply chains to hire more workers as e-commerce sales reach record levels.
By Matt Leonard • Oct. 6, 2020 -
The image by Zulu84 is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Were supply chains too lean during the pandemic? A survey shows an industry divided.
Lean supply chain principals lower costs, but leave a company with less flexibility to respond to demand shocks.
By Matt Leonard • Sept. 29, 2020 -
"Florida National Guard" by The National Guard is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Supply chains struggle to maintain PPE inventory months into pandemic
It is especially difficult to get personal protective equipment in rural parts of the country because of the geographic location, the cost of ordering PPE in small amounts and smaller organizations' inability to meet minimum order quantity.
By Matt Leonard • Sept. 22, 2020 -
Permission granted by Locus Robotics
Robotics can help with pick speed and social distancing, but warehouse design is key
Labor-efficient picking can make up for hiring struggles, according to robotics firms.
By Matt Leonard • Sept. 15, 2020 -
Sam Silverstein/Supply Chain Dive
5 charts show CPG inventory challenges
Stockouts plagued retailers and manufacturers in the early days of the pandemic. Recovery has not been the same across product categories.
By Matt Leonard • Sept. 8, 2020 -
In-store pick and pack starts with inventory visibility
Nearly three-quarters of retailers consider it a challenge to implement an in-store accept, pick and pack process for online orders, according to a survey of retailers by Forrester.
By Matt Leonard • Sept. 1, 2020 -
Warehousing, manufacturing employment below pre-pandemic levels as peak nears
Employment in manufacturing dipped 10% year over year in April and 5% in warehousing during the same period.
By Matt Leonard • Aug. 25, 2020 -
Reopening draws down inventory, but volatility expected for remainder of year
The total business inventories-to-sales ratio echoes trends seen throughout the pandemic: Apparel retailers are struggling to bring customers in while grocers are having a difficult time staying stocked.
By Matt Leonard • Aug. 18, 2020 -
Diageo
Diageo falls short on packaging weight reduction goal
More than 85% of the alcoholic beverage company's packaging is glass — a material that presents a dilemma because it's highly recyclable yet heavier than plastic.
By Matt Leonard • Aug. 11, 2020 -
Permission granted by Home Depot
The pandemic has complicated the WMS procurement process
Vendors and warehouse managers typically use multi-day conferences and whiteboarding to buy and implement warehouse management systems. The pandemic has turned that process upside down.
By Matt Leonard • July 28, 2020 -
MIT, CSCMP: 35% of companies lack supply chain sustainability goals
Social issues — child labor or slavery, worker welfare, etc. — received "far more" focus in companies' sustainability goals than environmental issues.
By Matt Leonard • July 20, 2020 -
Yujin Kim / Supply Chain Dive
Robots, automation seen as solutions to social distancing hurdles in supply chain
The biggest benefit of automation during the pandemic has been the ability for companies to increase social distancing measures within their facilities, according to respondents to a survey from Honeywell and KRC Research.
By Matt Leonard • July 14, 2020 -
Intel's automated inventory planning: How it swapped 'rule-of-thumb' for algorithms
The company generated millions in inventory cost savings from SKUs using the automated model and increased gross profits $1.3 billion from 2014 to 2017.
By Matt Leonard • July 7, 2020 -
Megan Poinski/Supply Chain Dive
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 -
Getty Images
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 -
Kroger
More automation means more reusable packaging: survey
Highly automated fulfillment environments rely on standardized, reusable packaging, but it's not a one-size-fits-all solution.
By Matt Leonard • June 16, 2020 -
Inventory management a top skill for 58% of supply chain pros: survey
Effective inventory management "is at the core of supply chain and that is making sure that you've got the right product at the right price with the right consumer at the right place," said ASCM CEO Abe Eshkenazi.
By Matt Leonard • June 9, 2020 -
Emma Cosgrove
Manufacturers tap into WMS, ERP for end-to-end data management
A so-called "digital thread" creates visibility throughout the supply chain and allows an organization to respond faster to potential disruptions.
By Matt Leonard • June 2, 2020 -
Volkswagen Group
Volkswagen boosts manufacturing volume with automated operations planning
The automaker increased personnel utilization by 26% using an automated system that pulled in existing ERP data.
By Matt Leonard • May 19, 2020
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