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Honeybees help shorten delivery routes

Software mimics bees' behavior to find optimal travel paths for trucks.

Honeybees help shorten delivery routes

One of the biggest challenges in last-mile delivery is calculating the shortest path for a truck to reach all of its destinations, shaving off any unnecessary miles with an eye toward saving time and fuel, and reducing pollution. Despite the big stakes, a Vancouver, B.C., startup says its inspiration for creating a highly efficient new route optimization program came from a small source—the honeybee.

Routific Inc. has designed a routing application inspired by the "Bees Algorithm," a formula developed in 2005 that uses the food-foraging behavior of honeybee swarms as a model for performing complex mathematical optimization calculations.


Bee colonies cover long distances in every direction to harvest nectar and pollen from multiple flower patches, then find the quickest route from flower to flower, the company says. Applied to last-mile parcel delivery, that approach can help carriers cut operating costs and reduce their carbon footprint.

"We're leveraging the age-old wisdom of honeybees in order to help delivery businesses work smarter and more efficiently," said Routific founder and CEO Marc Kuo in a press release. "Bees are some of the hardest-working creatures on the planet, and they're amazing team players."

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Accenture acquires German management consulting firm Staufen AG

The consulting firm Accenture has acquired Staufen AG, a German management consulting firm, saying the move will expand Accenture’s capabilities to drive operational excellence and competitiveness in manufacturing and supply chains.

Specifically, adding Staufen will help Accenture serve clients in discrete manufacturing industries including automotive, aerospace and defense, industrial goods, and medical equipment.

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NRF: Container imports remain high after Trump tariff threats

Days after tariff threats by the Trump Administration against Canada and Mexico were paused for a month, imports at the nation’s major container ports are expected to remain high, as retailers continue to bring in cargo ahead of the new deadline and to cope with elevated tariffs on China that did occur, according to the Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

Part of the reason for that situation is that companies can’t adjust to tariffs overnight by finding new suppliers. “Supply chains are complex. Retailers continue to engage in diversification efforts. Unfortunately, it takes significant time to move supply chains, even if you can find available capacity,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said in a release.

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AI: Is it the real deal?

Having reported on the supply chain world for some 25 years, I've seen technologies come and go. Many were once touted as the best thing since sliced bread but either failed to live up to the hype or else had to simmer a few years before they caught on.

Remember the hoopla surrounding dot-com retail? In the late 1990s, we were told that stores as we knew them would eventually go away, to be totally replaced by online shopping. The ease and convenience of e-commerce made that a reasonable expectation. But in March 2000, the bubble burst, and a host of online retailers closed their virtual doors forever. Of course, online shopping is still very much with us, and its share of total retail sales is growing by the year. Maybe we'll get to that retail seventh heaven someday, but it's taking much longer than originally predicted.

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Logistics economy picked up speed in January

Logistics Managers' Index

Logistics economy picked up speed in January

Economic activity in the logistics industry expanded in January, growing at its fastest clip in more than two years, according to the latest Logistics Managers’ Index (LMI) report, released this week.

The LMI jumped nearly five points from December to a reading of 62, reflecting continued steady growth in the U.S. economy along with faster-than-expected inventory growth across the sector as retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers attempted to manage the uncertainty of tariffs and a changing regulatory environment. The January reading represented the fastest rate of expansion since June 2022, the LMI researchers said.

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Disrupting the furniture supply chain: An interview with Jay Rogers

Disrupting the furniture supply chain: An interview with Jay Rogers

As commodities go, furniture presents its share of manufacturing and distribution challenges. For one thing, it's bulky. Second, its main components—wood and cloth—are easily damaged in transit. Third, much of it is manufactured overseas, making for some very long supply chains with all the associated risks. And finally, completed pieces can sit on the showroom floor for weeks or months, tying up inventory dollars and valuable retail space.

In other words, the furniture market is ripe for disruption. And John "Jay" Rogers wants to be the catalyst. In 2022, he cofounded a company that takes a whole new approach to furniture manufacturing—one that leverages the power of 3D printing and robotics. Rogers serves as CEO of that company, Haddy, which essentially aims to transform how furniture—and all elements of the "built environment"—are designed, manufactured, distributed, and, ultimately, recycled.

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