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

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

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

Inside Chewy's first automated fulfillment center

Priorities around worker safety, cost structure and warehouse efficiency guided how the pet e-tailer built its tech stack in Archbald, Pennsylvania.

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 3, 2020

Meat processors expedite robotics plans as pandemic ups pressure

The future of meat manufacturing could include 3D scanners and automated cutting. Tyson, Smithfield, Cargill and JBS are looking to increase automation.

By Lillianna Byington • Nov. 2, 2020

FedEx readies for 'peak on top of peak' with 4 tech investments

The logistics company provided a look behind the curtain on Thursday during its Peak Innovation Showcase, highlighting sensors, data and automation that will help manage holiday parcel volumes.

By Matt Leonard • Oct. 30, 2020

Norfolk Southern works to woo shippers with 'truck-like' offerings

Norfolk Southern specifically highlighted its recent joint venture, Rail Pulse, which is an effort to improve rail visibility by increasing the use of telematics.

By Matt Leonard • Oct. 29, 2020

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

Why carrier data is key to solving intermodal's visibility issues

Recent research stresses the importance of data availability and quality. But a panel of experts said carriers aren't always willing to share.

By Matt Leonard • Oct. 23, 2020

How Ferrero uses data to monitor stock, reduce food waste

The confectionery giant is working with software company Alloy to improve the efficiency of its operations by cutting down on overstock and out of stock items.

By Lillianna Byington • Oct. 20, 2020

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

CMA CGM reboots e-commerce site following cyberattack

The reinstatement of the website came just two days after the Federal Maritime Commission posted the carrier's request for a 60-day filing exemption.

By Matt Leonard • Oct. 12, 2020

Patent Pending: Toyota's plan to manage autonomous cross docking

Supply chain innovators apply to patent what they see as important tools for the future. Sometimes they're brilliant. Sometimes they're funny.

By Matt Leonard • Oct. 8, 2020

H&M plans to scale machine learning to bolster logistics, forecasting

The retailer is building a platform called Yggdrasil, which will give teams across the organization access to centralized data.

By Roberto Torres • Oct. 6, 2020

KeepTruckin partners with Uber Freight, brokers on real-time visibility

Carriers can choose to share their KeepTruckin location data with brokers who can then access it for the length of the trip and relay the information to shippers.

By Matt Leonard • Oct. 6, 2020

Telematics firm Transflo buys Microdea as shippers demand digital documentation

The acquisition allows Transflo to process more data from shippers, carriers and 3PLs, which feeds into its artificial intelligence system.

By Jim Stinson • Oct. 6, 2020

The pandemic opened cybersecurity gaps in the supply chain. How do managers close them?

Attacks on climate control IoT sensors could destroy food, pharmaceuticals or eventually a coronavirus vaccine at a time when these supplies are critical.

By Morgan Forde • Oct. 5, 2020