Topic: Robotics

With an eye on further expansion of its e-commerce business and related reverse logistics processes, transportation and logistics bellwether FedEx last night announced it has inked an agreement to acquire Pittsburgh-based GENCO, a third-party logistics (3PL) services provider specializing in product lifecycle and reverse logistics.

New research and analysis offers suggestions of a new modal mix and a subsequent distribution process designed to help retailers meet more pressing customer demands.

As the industry successfully harnesses the wealth of available lift truck fleet data, opportunities for improvement extend throughout the operation.

The study examines the trajectory of offshoring cost arbitrage to low-cost developing countries, the rise of new locations, and the fact that there’s ample room for growth.

WMS is now called upon to support omni-channel fulfillment and the increased use of automation that’s necessary to make it all work. Here’s how retailers, manufacturers, and distributors are continuing to drive the evolution of the market’s most mature software.

I asked a pilot friend of mine if the large change in the upper level jet stream that we’ve been experiencing on the ground as unusual weather is having an impact on flight times and costs. While he said that the real impact has been on airport operations, he pointed out that there are significant changes in the “business jet stream” that will have an impact on both carriers and shippers.

Modex 2014 is a done deal. All thoughts now turn to Chicago and ProMat 2015. Well, maybe not all thoughts. Here’s a few impressions I took away from the trip to Atlanta last week.

Software, software, software: That's the theme at this year's show.

With January behind us, we’re only one month into the new year. Yet, it seems as if so much has changed since last fall. The industry is a little topsy-turvy and much of that is the result of the 2013 holiday season, which was marked by inadequate planning and a failure of order fulfillment processes to deliver on customer service promises.

The multidisciplinary report provides a glimpse of 10 years out, offering insight into the current and future challenges facing the industry and giving practitioners a plan to move forward.

Our annual look into spending plans inside the four walls highlights growing interest in automation and software as workforce issues factor heavily into equipment investments.

With more than 750 exhibitors, three keynotes, and an extensive educational program, Modex 2014 is adding 50,000 square feet of show floor space. Here’s a guide to every inch.

It’s early in the game, but warehouses and distribution centers are looking at new ways to use Big Data to maintain equipment, deliver services, and manage processes.

What’s a dim? It’s your domestic intermodal manager. If you don’t have one you might need one soon. Or better yet, you might want to consider a cross-functional team knowledgeable on domestic intermodal management.

Shipments and orders up by double digits over record set in first half of 2012.

Materials handling ain't glamorous, but a recent Amazon deal shows just how far we've come.

Integrated systems that better gather and manage data to provide real-time supply chain decision making is now directly linked to competitive differentiation. Our esteemed analysts believe that this “visibility” is a reality, and fortune favors the bold who are brave enough to achieve it.

Four out of five executives surveyed say nearshoring will be an important decision in coming year.

U.S. growth projections are particularly high, from a $2.5b market in 2011 to $9b in 2021.

Now that the impact of federal budget sequestration on the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is on hold, the Port Tracker report from the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates is calling for gains in April United States-bound import cargo levels.