Supply Chain

Many businesses expect operational expenses to continue rising amid a muddy economic future.

Following the Biden administration’s release of the White House Council on Supply Chain Resilience last week, which is comprised of nearly 30 actions focused on strengthening U.S. supply chains, there has been a fair amount of follow-up and some analysis from industry stakeholders on the effort’s potential merits and benefits, at a time when the supply chain continues to receive far more attention post-pandemic than pre-pandemic, to be sure.

Third Annual State of Procurement survey finds majority say spending increases are planned.

Following a late-September announcement in which it announced it acquired Long Beach, Calif.-based global time-critical logistics services provider MNX Global Logistics, Atlanta-based global freight transportation and logistics service provider UPS said today, that effective November 2, the deal is now official.

Professional services company acquiring in separate deals procurement specialist The Shelby Group, as well as OnProcess.

DHL observed that in recent years, SMEs have been up against a whole host of challenges, including—pandemic-driven global supply chain disruptions and labor shortages; inflation; and shifts in consumer demand—all things that have forced U.S.-based SMEs “to adapt to and navigate the changing landscape throughout the year and especially during the holidays.”

The most recent edition of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) State of Logistics (SoL) report observed that the cost of United States business logistics accounted for 9.1% of United States GDP in 2022. That indicates that as GDP headed down, logistics costs saw gains, and it served as a key theme of a session at last week’s CSCMP EDGE conference in Orlando.

In a fireside chat with Mark Baum, Chief Collaboration & Commercial Officer, for FMI-The Food Industry Association, Target Chief Supply Chain and Logistics Officer Gretchen McCarthy looked back at Target’s $7 billion investment to manage its in-store experience and optimize related assets for the benefit of its customers, whom it refers to as guests, and also leverage it as fulfillment levels.

The research paper, entitled “Future Proofing the Global Supply Chain:  How AI, Automation and Other Technologies Are Impacting Efficiency,” noted that logistics real estate investments outpaced revenue growth by 57% over the past decade despite advancements in automation and data analytics, which it labeled “the supply chain productivity paradox.”

AlixPartners’ report highlights importance of taking a total costs and risks of ownership approach to supply chains.

P&G has transformed its supply chain in the past 10 years,and it continues to be among the world's most successful supply chains.

At a time, when, as usual, there are many questions and concerns about the current trajectory of the economy, in terms of will there, or will there not, be a recession, there are also myriad signs, or indications, that the supply chain and logistics sectors are returning to the cadence of pre-pandemic times.

Overall, women now make up 41% of the total supply chain workforce, Gartner survey finds.

Supply chains continue to become more responsive, and providers are developing more solutions than ever.

The need for freight transportation and logistics stakeholders to reduce emissions, collaborate on mutually-beneficial contracts, and deal with fluctuating linehaul rates were among the key themes in the “2023 State of Transportation” study, which was issued today by Green Bay, Wisc.-based Breakthrough.