H-E-B to test driverless delivery with Udelv

The Texas grocer's quest for digital dominance continues as it launches a self-driving technology pilot in San Antonio. 

By Jessica Dumont • July 15, 2019

Port of LA Harbor Commission stands by initial vote to approve Maersk terminal automation

The vote came after the Los Angeles City Council vetoed the board's previous decision to allow APM Terminals to use automated cargo handlers.

By Morgan Forde • July 12, 2019

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

Drone delivers Merck vaccines between islands with AT&T cold-chain tech

The UAV successfully delivered temperature-sensitive vaccines over a 24-mile route between islands in the Bahamas. Merck believes the technology could eventually be used to deliver life-saving drugs to remote locations.

By Morgan Forde • July 12, 2019

Report: Reverse auctions on the rise among younger procurement professionals

Modern reverse auction platforms can provide visibility into suppliers beyond their bid amount and offer benefits like cost savings, reduced negotiation times and price testing the market.

By Morgan Forde • July 11, 2019

Kroger targets Atlanta for its next automated fulfillment center

The grocer’s fourth Ocado-powered automated fulfillment center will open just south of the city in 2021.

By Jeff Wells • July 11, 2019

Commerce Department seeks comment on online counterfeits

The department is looking for recommendations on how best to stop the sale of fraudulent items through online third-party marketplaces. 

By Matt Leonard • July 11, 2019

Amazon to invest $700M to upskill 100K employees

Programs to reskill current employees will allow the company to gain technical talent without having to fight over the very small pool of qualified workers.

By Matt Leonard • July 11, 2019

A third of supply chain pros use robotics, but cost and ROI remain barriers

The adoption of robotics in the warehouse could take off when the technology masters the ability to take over picking, one expert said.

By Matt Leonard • July 9, 2019

Stop worrying about robots — the future lies between humans and automation

Warehousing will benefit from combining the efficiency and time-savings of robotic picking with human strategic thinking to drive businesses forward.

By Rob DeStefano • July 9, 2019

California Senate could hand port automation approvals to the state

The bill says the State Lands Commission, which would take on the task of approving projects, should consider potential job losses when deciding whether an automation project should be approved. 

By Matt Leonard • Updated July 10, 2019

The latest supplier insurance trend: A rainy day freight fund

Many suppliers are preferring emergency slush funds over backup inventory stock when it comes to dealing with unexpected events.

By Barry Hochfelder • July 8, 2019

Walmart, Target among most popular retailers to offer BOPIS

While the pickup option offers benefits to both consumers and retailers, some obstacles remain, according to a recent Coresight Research report.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • July 8, 2019

Nestlé launches open blockchain pilot to track milk

The food company announced a commitment to pursuing a fully transparent supply chain in February and cites its partnership with OpenSC as a means of publicly verifying its progress.

By Morgan Forde • July 3, 2019

Hapag-Lloyd, ONE sign on to Maersk blockchain platform TradeLens

The platform now claims 60% of global shipping volume, dismissing concerns that arose when nine major ocean carriers and terminal operators agreed to develop a rival blockchain solution.

By Emma Cosgrove • July 2, 2019

Report: US could lose over 1.5M jobs to automation by 2030

A report from Oxford Economics estimates robotics and automation will hit manufacturing, logistics, maritime shipping and port operations the hardest over the next decade.

By Morgan Forde • July 1, 2019

LA City Council vetoes APM Terminals' automation permit

The permit will now go back to the Port of Los Angeles Harbor Commission which will look more closely at the economic impact.

By Matt Leonard • July 1, 2019

When it comes to speed, Nike says RFID is key

Beyond Nike's own supply chain, RFID can grant Nike a view of the inventory in the hands of retailer customers.

By Emma Cosgrove • June 28, 2019

Moody's: With port automation comes political risk

"Managing the employment impact resulting from automation, without concessions that compromise the economic potential of the technology, remains a key challenge," the report said.

By Matt Leonard • June 27, 2019

NEXT Trucking expands drayage program at the Port of Long Beach

The app-based freight-matching company's Relay program means all drayage trucks complete dual transactions, dropping off one container and picking up another in a single trip to the port.

By Morgan Forde • June 27, 2019

ERP talent among most sought after skills for managers

A company that wants to secure tech talent needs to move quickly when it finds someone who fits the role, experts suggest.

By Roberto Torres • June 27, 2019

UPS' 893K-square-foot Indiana 'superhub' adds capacity, speed

The superhub will help reach the company's goal to increase sortation capacity by 350,000 pieces per hour in the U.S. before the 2019 holiday season.

By Matt Leonard • June 27, 2019

Fairway Market digitizes procure-to-pay for local food

Digitizing the process of sourcing local food could save money, reduce errors and provide a more efficient way for stores to work with producers. 

By Jennifer Sweeney • June 27, 2019

Amazon granted patent for transformable parcel container

The shipping boxes can take the shape of a dollhouse, a rocket, an airplane, a sword and shield, a tablet stand and more, to be selected by the customer. 

By Emma Cosgrove • June 26, 2019

IT line items grow by millions as supply chains seek efficiency, speed

Warehouse owners are increasingly investing in top-of-the-line warehouse management systems along with cloud-based technology to help their operations run more efficiently.

By Matt Leonard • June 25, 2019

Inside Schneider Electric's roadmap to automation

To avoid sinking resources into failed robotic process automation, companies should mind their process, people and project-tech fit, one analyst said.

By Roberto Torres • June 25, 2019