February 2021

THOUGHT LEADERS

Growing up … and up and up: interview with Sam Bertram

Warehouse-based “vertical farms” could help ease world hunger and solve some sticky supply chain problems in the process, says entrepreneur Sam Bertram.

February 9, 2021

David Maloney

No Comments

Warehouse-based “vertical farms” could help ease world hunger and solve some sticky supply chain problems in the process, says entrepreneur Sam Bertram.

3PLs

The 3PL industry: time to reset

The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted the status quo in the third-party logistics (3PL) sector. But traditional, transactional contracts are keeping providers and their clients from investing the time and energy needed to innovate and evolve. The time has come to rewrite the rules.

February 22, 2021

Gerald Perritt, Elijah Ray, and Kate Vitasek

No Comments

AIR FREIGHT

Adapt, regroup, redeploy, adapt again: Air freight survives a roller coaster year

It was a year of “pivots” for the airfreight industry as it faced down a seemingly endless series of challenges. Will 2021 bring a return to normalcy?

February 3, 2021

Gary Frantz

No Comments

It was a year of “pivots” for the airfreight industry as it faced down a seemingly endless series of challenges. Will 2021 bring a return to normalcy?

TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

Reimagining the TMS for the age of e-commerce

Once a go-to tool for carrier selection and routing, the transportation management system is evolving into an advanced communication hub that provides “visibility on steroids” for parcel shippers.

February 17, 2021

Ben Ames

No Comments

GOODS-TO-PERSON PICKING SYSTEMS

Automating for health, safety, and efficiency

Orca Cold Chain Solutions is delivering security to food-industry customers while reducing labor and energy costs—all thanks to a fully automated cold storage facility designed to maximize an urban footprint.

February 16, 2021

Victoria Kickham

No Comments

In Person

In Person interview: Alex Stevens of Opex

In our continuing series of discussions with top supply-chain company executives, Alex Stevens of Opex discusses robotic automation technology and career opportunities in material handling.

February 19, 2021

David Maloney

No Comments

In our continuing series of discussions with top supply-chain company executives, Alex Stevens of Opex discusses robotic automation technology and career opportunities in material handling.

APPLICATIONS

Like butter! Freight platform cuts through load-matching complexity and saves dairy co-op 25%

Land O’Lakes unlocks hidden capacity in its freight network with the help of FourKites’ Lane Connect platform.

February 16, 2021

Diane Rand

No Comments

Land O’Lakes unlocks hidden capacity in its freight network with the help of FourKites’ Lane Connect platform.

APPLICATIONS

Pet-supplies distributor gives voice to picking—and wins big

Frontier Distributing traded an inefficient paper-based picking process for voice-directed picking to improve accuracy and provide better service to more than 700 specialty pet retailers in the Midwest.

February 18, 2021

DC Velocity Staff

No Comments

APPLICATIONS

Australian keg-rental startup turns to IoT to track assets

High-tech tags help Konvoy Kegs shake up the beer industry.

February 19, 2021

DC Velocity Staff

No Comments

High-tech tags help Konvoy Kegs shake up the beer industry.

E-commerce drives demand for urban logistics

Outlook calls for strong demand for urban logistics, last-mile fulfillment

E-commerce tenant demand has nearly tripled this year, intensifying the need for urban fulfillment centers, JLL research shows.

December 8, 2020

DC Velocity Staff

No Comments

E-commerce tenant demand has nearly tripled this year, intensifying the need for urban fulfillment centers, JLL research shows.

Dutch investors fund $295 million center for research in urban logistics

30-acre campus in Amsterdam will serve as test site for improving delivery of goods in cities.

December 14, 2020

DC Velocity Staff

No Comments

30-acre campus in Amsterdam will serve as test site for improving delivery of goods in cities.

Cold chain lacks supply chain visibility, study shows

Report: Manual processes, lack of visibility lead to big losses in the cold chain

Tech firm research shows pharmaceutical and food companies are racking up big losses annually due to product spoilage from poor tracking practices.

December 16, 2020

DC Velocity Staff

No Comments

Tech firm research shows pharmaceutical and food companies are racking up big losses annually due to product spoilage from poor tracking practices.

Robot vendor Boston Dynamics says Hyundai acquisition will boost its plans for warehouse automation

South Korean auto giant pays $880 million for majority stake as firm launches Pick and Handle models for logistics tasks.

December 11, 2020

Ben Ames

No Comments

South Korean auto giant pays $880 million for majority stake as firm launches Pick and Handle models for logistics tasks.

Research highlights costs of supply chain disruptions

Research reveals three key business impacts of supply chain disruptions

Excess safety stock, operational waste, and revenue loss are among the most costly issues companies face in disruptive times.

December 8, 2020

DC Velocity Staff

No Comments

Excess safety stock, operational waste, and revenue loss are among the most costly issues companies face in disruptive times.

Blasgen to retire as leader of CSCMP in March

Supply chain industry group names former board chair Mark Baxa as interim CEO

January 20, 2021

DC Velocity Staff

No Comments

Supply chain industry group names former board chair Mark Baxa as interim CEO

Port of Los Angeles teams with IBM on cyber self-defense

$6.8 million deal will block hackers through improved information sharing between supply chain partners, firms say.

December 7, 2020

DC Velocity Staff

No Comments

$6.8 million deal will block hackers through improved information sharing between supply chain partners, firms say.

In search of capacity, shippers put cost-cutting on the back burner

Change in mindset drives demand for reliable services, could support XPO Logistics’ move to split itself into two specialist companies, Gartner analyst says.

December 8, 2020

Ben Ames

No Comments

Change in mindset drives demand for reliable services, could support XPO Logistics’ move to split itself into two specialist companies, Gartner analyst says.

FedEx acquires shopping portal startup to expand e-commerce portfolio

ShopRunner offers subscription-based shipping and returns to consumers, supports omnichannel capabilities for retailers.

December 2, 2020

DC Velocity Staff

No Comments

ShopRunner offers subscription-based shipping and returns to consumers, supports omnichannel capabilities for retailers.

Retailers designing stores to support inventory and logistics work, not just shopping

CBRE report says brick and mortar footprints must enable inventory control, product sorting, shipping, and receiving.

December 21, 2020

DC Velocity Staff

No Comments

CBRE report says brick and mortar footprints must enable inventory control, product sorting, shipping, and receiving.

INBOUND

Get out the map

3D street maps could help help delivery drivers find their way around crowded cities.

February 8, 2021

DC Velocity Staff

No Comments

3D street maps could help help delivery drivers find their way around crowded cities.

INBOUND

Girl Scouts introduce supply chain badge

New program teaches basics of SCM by tracing cookies’ journey through the supply chain.

February 2, 2021

DC Velocity Staff

No Comments

New program teaches basics of SCM by tracing cookies’ journey through the supply chain.

INBOUND

E-comm boom boosts need for trained hostlers

DCs will need more yard jockeys to keep pace with rising online order volumes. But that raises the question of how to train them.

February 15, 2021

DC Velocity Staff

No Comments

DCs will need more yard jockeys to keep pace with rising online order volumes. But that raises the question of how to train them.

INBOUND

Tech firm cleans up its language

Jaggaer pledges to end use of insensitive terms in company communications.

February 16, 2021

DC Velocity Staff

No Comments

Jaggaer pledges to end use of insensitive terms in company communications.

INBOUND

Wheels are turnin’

Sensor-based device measures tire tread wear automatically to boost highway safety.

February 15, 2021

DC Velocity Staff

No Comments

Sensor-based device measures tire tread wear automatically to boost highway safety.

INBOUND

Logistics gives back: February 2021

Here’s our monthly roundup of some of the charitable works and donations by companies in the material handling and logistics space.

February 16, 2021

DC Velocity Staff

No Comments

Here’s our monthly roundup of some of the charitable works and donations by companies in the material handling and logistics space.

BIG PICTURE

Life in the faster lanes

Speed has long been the holy grail of supply chain management, but the pandemic has highlighted the need for resiliency. Is it possible to have both?

January 28, 2021

David Maloney

No Comments

Speed has long been the holy grail of supply chain management, but the pandemic has highlighted the need for resiliency. Is it possible to have both?

OUTBOUND

Logistics comes home

As pandemic-induced behaviors become permanent, the supply chain finds a new place of prominence among layfolk.

February 18, 2021

Victoria Kickham

No Comments

As pandemic-induced behaviors become permanent, the supply chain finds a new place of prominence among layfolk.

Our Publications

DC Velocity

Feature

Growing up … and up and up: interview with Sam Bertram

The 3PL industry: time to reset

Adapt, regroup, redeploy, adapt again: Air freight survives a roller coaster year

Reimagining the TMS for the age of e-commerce

Automating for health, safety, and efficiency

In Person interview: Alex Stevens of Opex

Like butter! Freight platform cuts through load-matching complexity and saves dairy co-op 25%

Pet-supplies distributor gives voice to picking—and wins big

Australian keg-rental startup turns to IoT to track assets

News

Outlook calls for strong demand for urban logistics, last-mile fulfillment

Dutch investors fund $295 million center for research in urban logistics

Report: Manual processes, lack of visibility lead to big losses in the cold chain

Robot vendor Boston Dynamics says Hyundai acquisition will boost its plans for warehouse automation

Research reveals three key business impacts of supply chain disruptions

Blasgen to retire as leader of CSCMP in March

Port of Los Angeles teams with IBM on cyber self-defense

In search of capacity, shippers put cost-cutting on the back burner

FedEx acquires shopping portal startup to expand e-commerce portfolio

Retailers designing stores to support inventory and logistics work, not just shopping

Get out the map

Girl Scouts introduce supply chain badge

E-comm boom boosts need for trained hostlers

Tech firm cleans up its language

Wheels are turnin’

Logistics gives back: February 2021

Column

Life in the faster lanes

Logistics comes home