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Omnichannel supply chains personalize online retailing by meeting consumer demand for multi-channel shopping. However, the level of customization must increase substantially with the emergence of AI-driven innovations such as product [...]

Companies can engage with academia on various levels through educational programs and the cross-sharing of knowledge. Another channel to engagement is research--the subject of this column. Academia can be a [...]

Demographic shifts are reshaping consumer demand, bringing supply chain challenges the industry has barely begun to explore, let alone analyze, to determine what operational models will be needed to support [...]

Companies recruit specialists to help them generate, manage and interpret the flood of data that is the lifeblood of modern supply chains. Hence, job titles such as data analyst, data [...]

The article discusses the challenges of accurately calculating Scope 3 emissions, which are indirect greenhouse gas emissions not owned or controlled by a company. Current methods often lead to inaccuracies due to data complexities and supplier tracking methodologies. Various approaches, such as the spend-based method and other more accurate options, are explored, highlighting the need for standardized methodologies and advancements in data tracking and reporting to improve sustainability strategies. The article also mentions ongoing research on machine learning techniques to enhance emissions tracking and reporting for more effective reduction strategies. [Extracted from the article]

Innovation is an integral part of supply chain management. Still, today, rapidly changing market dynamics, often fueled by technological advances, have increased the pressure on organizations to initiate, develop, and [...]

The path to sustainable supply chains may be ill-defined, but chances are it's circular. Companies are coming under increasing pressure to reduce waste by redesigning, recycling or repurposing end-of-life products, [...]

Blockchain is the new buzzword in supply chain circles. Unfortunately, there are many examples of much-hyped innovations that promised to transform supply chains overnight, only to peter out or take [...]

Some 1.8 million industrial robots are in operation around the world, yet these machines are not fully integrated into the human workforce. Research underway at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology [...]

Occasionally, an innovation arrives that appears to be a tailor-made solution for a long-standing supply chain problem. A current example is the emergence of blockchain technology as a means of [...]

This article discusses the potential for digital technologies to benefit small retailers in developing countries. These independent micro-retailers, known as "nanostores," make up a significant portion of retail business in these countries. However, many of these retailers have not embraced digital technology, which could improve their performance and profitability. The article suggests three strategies to help these retailers harness the benefits of digital technology: making tech solutions user-friendly, removing financial barriers to e-commerce adoption, and capitalizing on the pervasiveness of nanostores for last-mile delivery. These strategies have the potential to increase profitability and market growth for both micro-retailers and large consumer packaged goods suppliers. [Extracted from the article]

In 2015, The Economist magazine famously dubbed blockchain technology 'the trust machine' owing to its ability to create trust in business networks. This capability resonates strongly in the supply chain [...]

Congratulations, shipper. By shifting manufacturing to China you've cut production costs 35 percent. Too bad your logistics costs shot up 150 percent. Those figures are hypothetical but trade experts warn [...]

A retailer involved in counter-terrorism is 'a spectacular change' from the pre-9/11 days when the focus was protecting supply chains from theft, said Alan Fletcher, manager of global operations and [...]

Reverse logistics is no longer an afterthought as companies discover the mountains of returned products at the back end of supply chains. Solutions aid services providers also see new business [...]

It seems that no self-respecting company can be without a digital transformation (DT) strategy these days. But shifting an organization from an analog mindset to the brave new world of [...]

Artificial intelligence (AI) along with the AI application known as machine learning have captured the imaginations of supply chain professionals, and many companies are pursuing AI projects. While the technology [...]

Because hydrogen peroxide (h2o2) is a difficult material to ship most producers, including DuPont and FMC, serve local and regional markets from several plants. Degussa has spent nearly $10.5 million [...]

Several high-profile air disasters earlier this year brought the risks associated with transporting hazardous materials to the attention of the public. Although the chemical industry recognized these risks a long [...]

The new jersey offices of major management and business consultant firms are playing a key role in meeting the increased demand for consulting services from the chemical industry. For Kline [...]

Cargo theft has become so widespread in the US that it has begun affecting the flow of commerce. Cargo theft is a problem of both big and small companies and almost all kinds of goods are at risk. The crime is highest for cargoes that have been left stationary and unattended. Tighter security procedures including the installation of automatic tracking systems on loads are recommended to curb this crime. Victims should also report the theft immediately to authorities., Cargo theft has reached epidemic proportions in many parts of the country, and fighting it has become a national priority. The dark side of trade is rising. The FBI estimates [...]

The chemical industry lags behind other industries in the implementation of supply-chain management. This prevents the industry from reaping the benefits of an improved supply chain, which has been estimated in excess of $30 billion annually. Other industries are already generating significant cost savings from the use of supply chain management., Big as it is, the chemical industry lags behind many others in adopting a modern-day supply-chain mentality. It's easy to assume that an industry that supplies consumer and industrial markets [...]

having achieved modest growth last year, leading water treatment companies are cautiously optimistic about the domestic market and are introducing a stream of new products. Even so, the pressure to [...]

VF Corp. wanted to get in the importing fast lane when the North Carolina-based apparel giant joined the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism. Now the company is in 'a holding pattern' [...]

Shippers have tasted the Food and Drug Administrations new food security regulations and believe the recipe needs a lot more work. Aimed at guarding the nation's food supply from terror [...]

When Hartz Mountain Corp. was acquired by Boston-based investment firm JW Childs Associates in 2000, its new owners set out to transform what they saw as a corporate elephant into [...]

WHAT IS IT ABOUT 'advanced' technologies -- as opposed to the more prevalent 'backward' ones -- that makes it so hard to move them off the drawing board and into [...]

Complying with the myriad of trade regulations in force worldwide never has been easy. Now importing and exporting companies have the additional burden of proving that their operations do not [...]

Market changes such as the growing demand for environmentally friendly wood products are rippling through the paper and forest products industry, forcing it to review its supply-chain management practices. This [...]

Top logistics providers are shuffling their portfolios to come up with winning combinations of services. In this changeable market, 'top' does not necessarily mean 'big.' Yes, a select group of [...]

Since deregulation raised the flag on transportation in the early 1980s, the logistics industry has raced ahead in terms of growth and innovation. The current economic slump has slowed that [...]

Companies that ignore the country's raised security bar will not be prevented from doing business in the United States but they may have problems getting past it. In terms of [...]

Web-based transportation management has come of age. The promise of big savings from centralized load matching has been realized and now the technology is expanding to take in more stakeholders [...]

The 'Olympic Gypsies' are heading for Athens, Greece, to create a logistics support complex for the 2004 Olympic games that will take two years to build and about 60 hours [...]

As the clean-up crews finally leave New York's World Trade Center site, one of the questions they leave behind is how would the United States cope with another terrorist strike? [...]

Logistics plans change in response to trade spats and other supply-chain disruptions. But rapidly expanding global-sourcing options and the fallout from Sept. 11 mean that companies have to be more [...]

The logistics industry has been moving goods to and from risky places for as long as it has existed, so by and large it has taken in stride the tougher [...]

Beyond today's specials, a visit to the supermarket holds few surprises. But behind the shelves, change is the order of the day in a fiercely competitive market. As Kmart's recent [...]