XPO has 'eyes on every truck' as it transports Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine

The company is also shipping dry ice, containers and syringes while responding to demand for items related to COVID-19 treatment and mitigation.

By Jim Stinson • Dec. 21, 2020

Pfizer vaccine deliveries turned around after becoming too cold

Real-time tracking alerted Pfizer to the temperature diversion. The returned doses number about 3,000, a spokesperson said.

By Matt Leonard • Updated Dec. 18, 2020

Explore the Trendline➔

Retail Supply Chains

Retailers are making operational investments and adjustments to maintain supply chain resilience. Here’s how.

By Supply Chain Dive staff

Walmart to take middle-mile trucks driverless in Arkansas

Since the retailer began its self-driving pilot with Gatik last year, the trucks have traveled more than 70,000 operational miles in autonomous mode.

By Rosie Bradbury • Dec. 16, 2020

COVID-19 vaccine supply chain has cyberthreats hidden in plain sight

The one thing all supply chain operators and pharmaceutical companies essential to vaccine distribution have in common is cyberthreats. 

By Samantha Schwartz • Dec. 16, 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

Sam's Club equips its fulfillment operations with robotic pickers

The retailer has adopted the use of GreyOrange autonomous mobile robots in its new Southern California fulfillment center for e-commerce orders.

By Gary Wollenhaupt • Dec. 15, 2020

Vendor ransomware attack disrupts DSW's inventory management

The impact of cyberattacks on retailers and their vendors is even greater during this digital-first period brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

By Emma Cosgrove • Dec. 10, 2020

Supplier of the year: 3M

The supplier is making more N95 respirators than ever before. Pre-pandemic surge capacity and a focus on real-time visibility enabled the quick shift.

By Shefali Kapadia • Dec. 9, 2020

Why smart factories are the future of supply chain resilience

Smart factories are coming into focus as businesses put more resources behind productivity and efficiency, the author writes.

By Adam Mussomeli • Dec. 8, 2020

LaserShip ups automation in NYC region as national carriers refuse pickups

The role of regional carriers in the e-commerce landscape has grown in 2020 as national carriers are stretched to their limits and institute surcharges to compensate.

By Emma Cosgrove • Dec. 4, 2020

FedEx's ShopRunner acquisition provides access to e-commerce marketplace data

The deal, which aims to help the carrier expand its e-commerce capabilities, is expected to close by the end of the year.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Dec. 3, 2020

Pitney Bowes offers same-day delivery as fast as 2 hours with gig economy last-mile partners

The launch of same-day service is an early sign of the gig economy penetrating the small parcel market.

By Emma Cosgrove • Dec. 2, 2020

Eli Lilly adopts automation to process COVID-19 tests in line with pharma industry trend toward robotics

A manual lab-based operation at Eli Lilly was accustomed to 50 samples daily. By mid-March, that number had reached 15,000.

By Matt Leonard • Dec. 1, 2020

Kroger will use Ocado technology to boost pickup fulfillment

The grocer will collaborate with the tech firm to make picking and order assembly more efficient amid soaring demand for the service.

By Sam Silverstein , Jeff Wells • Nov. 24, 2020

Walmart boosts last-mile delivery tech with M&A

The retailer's move to acquire the 5-year-old app startup JoyRun presents more evidence that Walmart's last-mile strategy continues to diversify.

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 23, 2020

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 emerging wave of procurement and spend-management technology

Historically paperbound processes are advancing from automation to intelligence. But first, procurement departments must address data and culture change.

By Gary Wollenhaupt • Nov. 12, 2020

Schneider Electric invests $40M in supply chain upgrades to prepare for post-pandemic demand

Schneider is introducing new capabilities and production lines that will allow it to work with fewer suppliers by finishing some of its own inputs — with added capacity to construct some components entirely in-house when necessary.

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 12, 2020

Ahold Delhaize tackles a $480M supply chain overhaul during a pandemic — and Thanksgiving

The grocery group is forging ahead with an insourcing transformation amid a busy time in a tumultuous year. What could go wrong?

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 12, 2020

Walmart taps self-driving vehicle startup Cruise for autonomous deliveries

In addition to adding Cruise to its self-driving vehicle roster, Walmart has tested autonomous delivery vehicles from Nuro and autonomous middle-mile logistics with Gatik. 

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Nov. 12, 2020

PepsiCo pilots micro-fulfillment tech for e-commerce orders

The pilot facility outside Chicago will expedite the picking process while requiring less floor space than traditional picking, according to PepsiCo.

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 11, 2020

Vendor negotiations cut IT spend without slashing company initiatives

"There's always negotiation leverage available to you, even with a very deeply-embedded vendor where maybe there's even no competitive swap out option," a Forrester analyst said.

By Katie Malone • Nov. 9, 2020

Uber scales up grocery delivery operations to compete with Instacart, Shipt

Uber's foray into the competitive grocery delivery space earlier this year is emerging as a pillar of the company's ongoing effort to evolve from its ride-hailing roots into a multifaceted logistics organization.

By Sam Silverstein • Nov. 6, 2020

Virtual procurement is here to stay. And that's not a bad thing.

Most of our vendor relationships have always been remote, and the use of virtual tools creates deeper relationships that improve the negotiation process.

By Rich Weissman • Nov. 5, 2020

Coupa buys Llamasoft in $1.5B deal

The deal puts procurement and supply chain technology under one umbrella at a time when businesses are prioritizing a close alignment of supply with demand.

By Shefali Kapadia • Nov. 5, 2020