With stores closed, retailers supercharged omnichannel adoption

Curbside pickup and ship-from-store capabilities have become essential skills in the time of the coronavirus, leading retailers to launch new services at record pace.

By Emma Cosgrove • June 30, 2020

23 CPG companies form contactless delivery task force

The Consumer Brands Association task force members are working with Accenture, Coyote Logistics and Vector, a transportation digitization company, to develop and scale electronic bills of lading across CPG supply chains.

By Morgan Forde • June 30, 2020

Explore the Trendline➔

Warehouse automation

Robotics and AI are two of the many tools warehouse operators are using to improve productivity.

By Supply Chain Dive staff

Chipotle launches virtual farmers market for suppliers

The program isn't a new revenue stream for the brand. It's a strategic play to stabilize its valuable supply chain network and deepen loyalty with its suppliers.

By Emma Liem Beckett • June 30, 2020

Amazon partners with nonprofit to upskill fulfillment associates for tech jobs

An analysis by the National Skills Coalition found that American workers in essential industries will require upskilling to meet the needs of digital disruption.

By Sheryl Estrada • June 26, 2020

Nike increases digital fulfillment capacity 3x due to pandemic

The retailer adjusted its inventory buying plans, canceled roughly 30% of pre-pandemic factory purchase orders and is highlighting its investment in demand sensing technology.

By Matt Leonard • June 26, 2020

DHL, Blue Yonder, Microsoft partner on warehouse robotics platform to speed deployment

The platform will allow customers to standardize onboarding and operations management for various types of warehouse robotics and helped to cut down integration time by 60% in a pilot.

By Morgan Forde • June 25, 2020

How to prep reverse logistics for an upcoming 'flood of returns'

Technology and warehouse worker safety are critical as state reopenings could prompt an uptick in retail returns.

By Jen A. Miller • June 23, 2020

Shippers should embed carrier financial health into resilience plans as pandemic upends logistics

As supply chain leaders shift their focus to increasing resilience, they will need to consider multi-modal, multi-carrier logistics plans, according to CSCMP's State of Logistics Report.

By Matt Leonard • June 23, 2020

Kroger's omnichannel investments pay off in Q1

The grocer credited tech investments for its ability to handle demand for delivery and pickup services.

By Jeff Wells • June 19, 2020

1 in 3 procurement leaders: We're past the peak of coronavirus disruption

A Procurious survey found procurement teams navigated the early months of the pandemic fairly well, though the learning curve has been steep.

By Morgan Forde • June 18, 2020

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

Port of LA's Seroka calls for nationwide data sharing portal

The system would allow ports, carriers and shippers to get a better view of cargo movement with details including when a customer makes a reservation and the location of containers throughout the country.

By Matt Leonard • June 12, 2020

Descartes boosts digital bona fides with $12M Kontainers acquisition

Kontainers' technology helps carriers, freight forwarders and logistics companies create platforms to facilitate instant quoting, booking and shipment tracking.

By Matt Leonard • June 11, 2020

SAP, IBM Food Trust, GS1 move toward food supply chain traceability with interoperability test

GS1, the not-for-profit issuer of UPCs and barcodes, hired a vice president of blockchain in January and is conducting a series of tests to advance the technology's use in food supply chains. 

By Emma Cosgrove • June 11, 2020

Pandemic increased automation appetite, but adoption hurdles await

For its next act, automation technology needs to prove it can help businesses quickly and sustainably adapt to sudden market changes.

By Roberto Torres • June 10, 2020

Honda resumes most operations after cyberattack

The malware spread throughout the company's networks though it said no data was compromised.

By Samantha Schwartz • June 9, 2020

COVID-19 spurs a leap to digital supply chains

Manufacturers who previously looked at data, analytics, IoT and robotics to drive efficiency now see them as tools to increase resiliency during uncertain times.

By Craig Guillot • June 9, 2020

Patent Pending: Target's plan for a store-fulfillment manager

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 • June 5, 2020

Transplace acquires parcel TMS provider ScanData

Transplace presents its integration of ScanData's PTMS as a value-add for shippers, a step toward integrating their online business with traditional freight management. 

By Morgan Forde • June 4, 2020

CVS Pharmacy partners with Nuro on autonomous last-mile delivery pilot

The move comes as CVS experiments with contactless delivery in other locations in the U.S. during the pandemic​.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • June 1, 2020

Procurement leaders split between cost savings and tech investment for strategic recovery

Many firms are in survival mode as revenue drops as much as 80%, but spending on digital efforts upfront can pay off in the long run.

By Morgan Forde • May 28, 2020

Drones and delivery trucks could work together, but regulatory hurdles remain

Using drones and trucks for a hybrid delivery system can leverage the best elements of both modes within a shipper's network, according to a recent MIT research paper. 

By Morgan Forde • May 28, 2020

DP World joins Maersk blockchain platform TradeLens

DP World CEO Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem said the operator joined TradeLens in order to reduce costs and provide better information to shippers.

By Emma Cosgrove • May 28, 2020

Amazon studies anti-collision method for robots to increase throughput

The proposed framework plans paths for robots by allowing each one to go through multiple goal locations and only requiring a collision-free path for a certain period of time.

By Matt Leonard • May 26, 2020

Target resumes grocery pickup pilot

The retailer had paused the rollout of fresh, frozen and refrigerated grocery items to its Drive Up program back in March when the pandemic hit.

By Jeff Wells • May 21, 2020