Information management is at the top of the supply chain. Big data, and the innovative algorithms that drive it represent the future of supply chain management and the way companies will interpret bottom-line figures. As new technologies abound, companies are becoming even more creative with the way they analyze and store their data. If you’re…
The American Trucking Associations’ seasonally adjusted Truck Tonnage Index in the for-hire sector increased by 0.6 percent following a 4.7 percent gain in November. This last bump pushed the year 6.2 percent higher for the best performance since 1998. December’s index was 131.7, compared to its level of 130.9 in November. Without the seasonal adjustments, the index…
Homebase is a home improvement retail chain located in the United Kingdom, offering over 38,000 products for the home and garden. It serves more than 300 retail outlets across the United Kingdom and Ireland. While Homebase carries a variety of product year round, including kitchen, bath, furniture, home wares, lighting, floor and tile, decorations, heating and…
According to researcher Anupam Agrawal, a professor of business administration for the University of Illinois, there are several benefits in establishing relationships with suppliers beyond the first tier. However, most companies are neglecting to reach out to such companies. Agrawal recommends companies establishing such relationships by initiating a “sourcing hub” through which manufacturers and their lower tier suppliers…
There is no denying that something needs to be done about the economy. Though the influx of manufacturing back to American soil combined with other market trends is pushing some recovery, there is still much that needs to be done. Businesses, politicians, and workers all have radically different ideas about how to do this.
The United Kingdom faces many of the same challenges as food chain managers do in the United States, with their weather patterns. Due to unpredictable and widely fluctuating weather conditions, it is difficult to plan for packaging that will accommodate large, plump fruits and vegetables one year as well as shrunken, undersized produce the next….
Parcelforce Worldwide specializes in express and time guaranteed deliveries around the globe. They deliver to 27 million addresses, covering 99.6 percent of the world’s population. Based in the United Kingdom, Parcelforce Worldwide services 239 countries and territories.
UPS, and to a smaller degree FedEx, have fallen under fire by both consumers and retailers for failing to meet Christmas delivery deadlines. However, they were in fact victims of a perfect storm of problems that made on time deliveries impossible. According to industry sources, retailers and the weather conditions contributed to other problems, such as…
Undoubtedly, e-commerce has changed consumer marketing, retail stores, pricing structures, and the general shopping landscape. Almost six percent of all retail commerce is now done online. However, it is also forcing logistics executives to rethink how they operate warehouse facilities, truck routes, and even loading docks. Look at how logistics is morphing in response to…
The giant logistics company DHL, recently released a report entitled “Big Data in Logistics.” The report concludes that someday logistics companies could become the go-to search engines for information on almost all other industries. Logistics companies gather a tremendous amount of information (big data) during the course of their normal operations. Information on the routes…