Determine what’s in and what’s out of scope on any business transaction. Frequently, customers are lost because they had unrealistic expectations, usually for something that was out of scope. Setting expectations up front and with all parties will lead to better outcomes and ultimately, greater customer satisfaction.

–Kevin Day
President, LTL
AFS Logistics

Begin your partnership with open communication. Setting expectations and key performance indicators from the beginning allows you to ensure goals are met and more easily measure performance. These can be revisited quarterly as your business evolves.

–Amir Ghoddousi
SVP, Sales, Parcel & Managed Transportation
Transportation Insight

Procure a quarter zip or polo with each of your customers’ logos on it. Put them on whenever you’re handling that customer’s freight. You can’t afford to treat your stakeholders’ business as if it’s anything other than your own. Their vendors are your vendors. Their KPIs are your KPIs. Their success is your success.

–Whit Smith
Director of Operations
TA Services

Help them help themselves. Doing business by email and phone no longer suffices. By empowering customers to do more themselves, like get quotes, track shipments, and pay online, you elevate the customer experience.

–Gary Nemmers
CEO
Magaya

Keep your commitments by managing customer expectations and providing transparency into production, supplier capacity, and inventory. Technology like automated order promising, for example, enables successful customer service, taking the guesswork out of order evaluation and multi-echelon inventory optimization. It ensures products are where they need to be—at appropriate times.

–Lachelle Buchanan
Vice President
Logility

Provide accurate, realistic lead times for orders, be highly responsive, and understand stakeholder requests. Visibility is key as businesses tackle supply chain issues, including shifting demand, labor shortages, and evolving structural and geopolitical factors.

–Andrew Billings
Vice President & Supply Chain Lead North
Highland

Offer services proactively to differentiate your offering, as opposed to waiting for the customer to drive conversations around supplier relationship management, visibility, collaboration on pricing, timing, contract length, etc. Suppliers can offer those services proactively as a differentiated service.

–Tom McDonough
Senior Director of Supply Chain Solutions
Anaplan

First, understand your total delivered cost. Next, having clear metrics on which dollars drive incremental service and better execution is key. Lastly, avoid silos by having shared goals and projects among your supply chain leaders.

–Eric Dunigan
President and Co-Founder
Arrive Logistics

Make it easy for stakeholders to share their requirements; monitor your supply chain for availability; be ready to find alternate suppliers at a moment’s notice; and make internal purchasing easy. We don’t usually view supply chain processes through the lens of customer service, but we should. Internal customers need access to goods and services essential to running a business.

–Tony Harris
SVP and Head of Marketing and Solutions
SAP Business Network

Offer detailed, real-time, honest communication. Ensure accuracy when setting up and dispatching orders and provide updates. Be honest about what is going on—fake excuses are easy to see through and hurt your credibility.

–Adam Putzer
Director of Sales for Permanent Transportation Logistics Services
CPC Logistics

Listen with the intent to understand, not respond. Having empathy for your peers and customers will support better outcomes.

–Matt Reddington, CPSM, CPM
VP Operations
Procure Analytics

Make sure your team is satisfied with the roles they play. Your workforce is as important as any other component of the process (trucks, materials, etc). Viewing them this way and keeping them engaged is an integral part of success.

–Joe Parisi
Strategic Account Executive
Aerotek

Leverage the power of data to drive actions that balance cost and service level. Sophisticated providers can deliver data insights that empower shippers. With a data-driven supply chain profile, shippers can challenge providers to identify opportunities that leverage their shipment volumes to everyone’s benefit.

–Jim Blaeser
Chief Procurement Officer
Omni Logistics

Examine the entire customer journey throughout your supply chain from end to end. Focusing on just a single piece of customer service along the way could prevent you from enhancing the overall experience.

–Chris Warticki
Vice President, Customer Experience
Epicor

Be upfront. With today’s supply chain challenges, being upfront about inventory, shipping timelines, and other order needs is only going to make for a stronger partnership in the future. Building and maintaining trust through frequent touch points can help suppliers address challenges early and anticipate customer needs.

–Casey Huffling
SVP, Barcode and Point-of-Sale
ScanSource

Implement cohesive processes that meet customer expectations, while investing in better network design and data systems to drive a streamlined user experience. The current omnichannel revolution impacts all parts of the supply chain, with consumer behavior evolving to expect a frictionless brand experience wherever they shop.

–Steve Sivitter
CEO
1WorldSync

Embrace collaboration and open communication with your customers. Having customers at the center of your execution strategy ensures not only their needs are met but also opens the gate for knowledge and mindshare, lending way to potential new innovations to offer.

–Dr. Thomas Evans
CTO
Honeywell Robotics

When you make a mistake, own it. Commit to resolving it and educate your team to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

–Bryn Heimbeck
President/CEO
Trade Tech Inc.

Supply chain stakeholders need to gain transparency across their supply chains. Getting customers what they want, when they want, and how they want cannot be achieved without transparency across all the stores, distribution centers, production facilities, and broader vendor and supplier network.

–Bryan Palma
Industry & Solutions Marketing Director
Kinaxis

Over communicate. Supply chain has always been challenging due to its dynamic nature and number of touch points from beginning to end. Today’s environment layers in even more complexity from global challenges. Now, more than ever, over-communication between and across stakeholders is necessary to maintain strong customer service.

–Felix Vicknair
VP, Supply Chain Solutions
Kenco Group

Offer speed, value, quality, and transparency all at the same time. Your customers are your business. If you are too consumed with the bottom line today, you may not have a business tomorrow.

–Dimitre Kirilov
President of Consumer Services
Montway Auto Transport

Find ways to make the right information more transparent and readily available to the customer, as well as across the internal teams that support them. Supply chain professionals are more pressed for time than ever before, so it’s critical to not slow them down.

–Justin Thompson
VP, CX Strategy & Research
Coyote Logistics

If you don’t do it, your competition will.

–Aron Scalissi
Director of Warehouse Operations
TA Services

Eliminate as many manual processes as possible from your business model. Automation will allow you to go direct and gain visibility throughout your supply chain, helping to eliminate delays. As a result, you can deliver to your clients faster and communicate effectively at all times regarding their delivery status.

–Rick Burnett
CEO
LaneAxis

Professionalism, positive attitude, honesty, and detail. I believe you must show these things in some form for the best customer service.

–Levi Ross
Operations Manager
TA Services

Use composite digital twin technology to unleash the power of data across your entire supply chain to deliver breakthrough digital transformation for your business. This will turn your supply chain complexity into a competitive advantage that will enable exponentially more benefits for your customers.

–David DeFreitas
CRO
TADA

Providing supply chain workers straight-forward, easy-to-use technology to help expedite manual processes gives them additional time to focus on the customer. Automating manual processes also helps to cut back on errors, creating less headaches for you and your customers.

–Ravi Panjwani
Vice President
Brother Mobile Solutions

A prompt and honest response with a genuine willingness to be of help. Everyone is busy these days, and when someone is willing to give me an opportunity, the first thing I must do is acknowledge the request and assure this customer they made the correct decision. I must enforce the feeling that this is a helpful and beneficial relationship, able to identify the stakeholders’ needs and offer attractive solutions.

–David Anderson
Quality Systems Engineer
TA Services

Products

• The BIT Air Scale from Blue Ink Tech, which makes the BIT ELD, lets carriers see how much weight each of their trucks is carrying at any given moment. Utilizing two small, wireless sensors, BIT Air Scale installs in less than 15 minutes and provides efficiencies for shippers, freeing drivers from having to visit an off-site scale.
• Brother Mobile Solutions’ new PocketJet 8 printer series accommodates a broader range of media, including labels and thicker paper. The new printer provides users with increased printing speeds (up to 13.5 pages per minute), higher print quality for small fonts, detailed graphics, complex barcodes and QR codes, as well as simplified connectivity compatibility with multiple operating systems.
• Forklift manufacturer Mitsubishi Logisnext Americas launched the Cat DP60HP-DP100CP forklift series with a 13,000-22,000-pound capacity. Including a Kubota V3800 engine, the internal combustion pneumatic tire lift trucks can lift and haul heavy loads at high speeds.
• The new Raymond High Capacity Orderpicker is designed to facilitate order picking a full rack higher than models currently on the market. The orderpicker offers an elevated height of 456 inches, which allows for increased rack storage access to 11% more pick slots. The increased elevated height enables operators to optimize storage capacity for more usable space and improved SKU count without increasing a facility’s footprint.

Technology

• 4flow introduced new software for rapid modeling and analysis of supply chain networks: 4flow NEVA (Network Exploration, Visualization and Analysis). 4flow NEVA improves supply chain planning quality with visualization and analysis tools and helps businesses react quickly to changes in their supply networks.
• project44 launched a supply chain visibility platform called Movement by project44 to provide transparency to supply chain stakeholders. The platform allows supply chain partners, including shippers, carriers, and other logistics providers, to collaborate, providing order-level visibility across all modes globally.
• Trucker Tools enhanced real-time shipment tracking within its Smart Capacity platform by integrating with the Verizon Connect Reveal fleet management platform, which provides in-transit location updates. The integration with the new ELD software and hardware lets shippers manage load status, delivery scheduling, and truck capacity planning.
• Supply chain visibility company FourKites was awarded a U.S. patent for its ocean shipment solutions, which provide visibility into the documentation requirements at each leg of an ocean shipment. Its Dynamic Ocean capabilities give shippers actionable intelligence and automation to address missing, incorrect, or incomplete supporting documentation.
• Fleet Enable launched a forecast tool for final mile operations. Analyzing real-time data for carriers and warehouse operators, the Fleet Enable Intelligence tool can predict warehouse volume shifts, identify patterns and anomalies in markets, and forecast delays in deliveries and appointments.
• IntelliTrans, a provider of multimodal solutions for bulk and break-bulk industries, introduced the Global Supply Chain Visibility Platform for ocean shipments. Shippers can plan, book, execute, and track ocean shipments and gain visibility into shipment lifecycles on one platform.
• Honeywell Smart Pay enables on-the-spot payments in retail, parcel delivery, public transportation services, and other businesses. The software payment solution enables the company’s mobile computers to become secure and compliant payment terminals, accepting contactless mobile payments from anywhere a business sells or delivers goods and services.
• Microsoft unveiled supply chain software to help companies track and coordinate supply chain systems by combining data from its own programs and tools from software providers Oracle and SAP. A supply-and-demand insights module uses artificial intelligence to predict shortages and supply constraints.

Services

• Maersk inaugurated a new Chicago Air Freight Gateway near O’Hare Airport to add more supply chain integration opportunities for shippers. Also serving Maersk’s air cargo hub in Rockford International Airport, the new facility is a Bonded Container Freight Station with U.S. Customs and operates as a U.S. Transportation Security Administration Certified Cargo Screening Facility to ensure timely, secure handling of air freight.
• FlexCold opened a Jacksonville, Florida, cold storage facility, which spans more than 150,000 square feet and offers 25,000 pallet positions. Located three miles from the Jacksonville Port, the facility is divided into four areas: two convertible rooms that can be used for refrigerated or frozen products; a freezer room where temperatures are maintained below 0 degrees F; and a blast freeze room where products like poultry can be frozen to 0 degrees F within 36 hours.
• Expedite All now offers a nationwide reefer van network to give shippers on-demand access to refrigerated small vehicles. Through an online platform, the new transportation network lets shippers find and book refrigerated sprinter vans, box trucks, and straight trucks in the United States.
• ContainerPort Group, a multimodal transportation provider, started a Dedicated division to provide high-volume, high-touch, white-glove freight services. Dedicated services are designed to provide shippers with high-efficiency, premium support to ensure the consistent dock-to-doorstep delivery of goods.
• FlashBox, a technology-based, same-day delivery company, launched in Vancouver. The company, which started in Toronto, Ontario, lets shippers deliver to customers same-day, with orders scheduled through an online dashboard every morning before 11:00 am and delivered to residential addresses between 4 and 10 pm.
• Lineage Logistics launched Lineage Fresh to provide storage options for importers, grocers, and producers of fresh fruit and produce. Leveraging its cold storage technology and logistics network, it offers capabilities such as re-pack and bagging services, reconditioning, restacking, multi-temperature zones for produce, cold treatment, fumigation, container drayage, and the integration of customs bonded facilities.
• U.S. e-commerce businesses can now more easily expand their global reach with the new partnership between e-commerce platform BigCommerce and DHL, which provides streamlined online sales processes, international shipping expertise, and discounted rates. U.S. merchants will also have access to DHL’s On Demand Delivery tool, which provides proactive notifications and flexible delivery options worldwide.
• RLS Logistics opened a cold storage facility in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. The temperature-controlled facility features a mobile racking system that allows it to hold 40-45% more pallet positions than the standard double-deep racking. The facility uses a refrigeration system that consumes less electricity than traditional ammonia-based systems.
• The 320-foot-tall Liebherr LMH 600 is the second mobile harbor crane to be deployed at Florida’s Port Canaveral and is part of a new mobile harbor crane product line recently launched by Liebherr Group. Port Canaveral signed an agreement with Liebherr to acquire the second mobile harbor crane from the company to support its growing cargo operations. The port’s first mobile harbor crane was entered into service in early 2019.
• Beyond Warehousing, which offers storage, e-commerce fulfillment, distribution, transloading, and other services, opened its second warehouse in Kansas City, Missouri. The facility has 40 dock doors and adds 330,000 square feet to Beyond Warehousing’s capacity. The new building’s 40-foot ceilings allow for up to 35,000 pallet positions.

Transportation

• China-based Nippon Express Logistics now offers a cross-border transport service connecting Zhuhai and Hong Kong by truck via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB). Cargo from South China and other parts of the country is consolidated and sorted at a Nippon Express warehouse in Zhuhai, transshipped to double-licensed trucks at a cross-docking facility in Zhuhai, and then transported via the HZMB to Hong Kong International Airport or designated delivery destinations.
• Samskip increased the capacity of its multimodal connections between Germany, Sweden, and Finland by launching a three-times weekly blocktrain service connecting Duisburg and Rostock together with Hector Rail. The all-electric train service links the Duisburg Hohenbudberg terminal and the Rostock Trimodal terminal and creates a new routing option to connect Germany’s Ruhr area and the Netherlands with Sweden, Finland, and other Baltic markets.
• Qatar Airways Cargo started freighter operations from Doha, Qatar, to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Boeing 777 freighter operates twice a week, offering cargo capacity of more than 110 tons per flight, in addition to the carrier’s belly-hold cargo capacity on its passenger flights.
• Lufthansa Cargo’s A321 freighter now connects the Evenes Airport in Norway to global markets via weekly freighter flights. The service aims to deliver fresh fish and seafood to global markets, transporting produce from Norway directly to the Frankfurt hub and from there on to worldwide destinations.
• The South Florida Container Terminal in the Port of Miami welcomed the new CMA CGM Medgulf service on Oct. 20, 2022. The weekly service offers Florida-based shippers a first port of call to/from the West Mediterranean before proceeding into the U.S. Gulf and Mexico. The route also offers an improved transit time from the Indian Subcontinent via Tanger, with a 29-day transit to Miami.

Take advantage of your organization’s mentoring program

A mentor should be your truth teller—ensuring you see the reality of your actions or inactions. A great mentor gives you perspective and challenges your thinking. These relationships are invaluable no matter the direction of your career.

–Marcia Brey
Vice President of Distribution
GE Appliances
a Haier company

Become an expert. The world is increasingly reliant on the global supply chain. To have in-depth knowledge of all subjects in the global supply chain can take many professionals a lifetime.

Home in on an area you are passionate about and become a specialist. Solving complex problems and delivering strategic projects is not child’s play. Hence, being a person around the table that can speak with authority and experience is hugely valuable to any organization.

–Neil McEvoy
Vice President
Customer Experience
C3 Solutions

Be a curious, lifelong learner. Supply chains are always in a state of fluctuation with disruption as a constant. Keep current on the latest technology, especially in digital supply chain and artificial intelligence.

The supply chain leader of today is strategic—focusing on meeting customer expectations, anticipating new regulatory requirements, and improving visibility. They also keep a constant eye on how to make supply chains more sustainable and good for the planet.

Devour information about global events and use your global network of supply chain professionals to get a pulse on regional and local markets.

–Sumit Dutta
Supply Chain & Operations Leader
EY Americas

Gain as much experience across the discipline as possible. Supply chain roles encompass many functions, from procurement and customer service to demand management, logistics, and shipping. Gaining a broad perspective early in your career will enable you to progress more quickly and bring a unique perspective to senior roles.

Invest the time to understand the manufacturing operation. This foundational knowledge will enable you to better understand the key challenges and more accurately calculate and act upon risks, flows, and functions to create the smoothest possible supply chain operation.

–Chris Young
Supply Chain Director
Titanium Technologies
Chemours

Embrace artificial intelligence. Over the past three years we have seen such fast and unprecedented changes in consumer demand, shipping, raw materials availability, and supply levels.

What has become painfully clear is a need to redesign and rewire most of the supply chain processes for end-to-end optimization, AI-based forecasting, a high degree of automation, fast response internally for constant external changes, and a maniacal focus on optimizing working capital while maintaining high service levels.

Today it is increasingly done based on advanced technology—probabilistic models, machine learning, and data science. So my best advice—move into the dynamic world of AI-based optimization. Learn about the new tools, take a class on data science or machine learning, participate in implementation of new software. This is where the industry is moving, and those who head the move—move up.

–Inna Kuznetsova
CEO
ToolsGroup

Focus on and get to know your global supply chain leaders. The organization is literally a chain—a connection of strategy, people, processes, and yes, problems.

Spend time getting to know your team members, discussing their challenges and ideas for improvement, and taking their candid feedback on what needs to change. Then get busy working as a team to make a difference and serve customers.

–Tonya Jackson
Senior Vice President
Chief Product Delivery Officer
Lexmark

Challenge the orthodoxies of the past and question why we run supply chain processes as we do.

I usually advise those looking to make a career in supply chain to continually work on using technology to modernize and simplify processes and always look for ways to make them more efficient.

–Jonathan Wright
Consulting Global Managing Partner
Sustainability Services and Global Business Transformation
IBM

Taking on a variety of different roles is a key element for success. My experiences working in planning, sourcing, and transportation helped me become a stronger employee—enabling me to connect the dots across my different job functions.

Don’t be afraid to go outside of your comfort zone. Make sure you’re always challenging yourself; learn and stretch your skill sets.

–Melissa Dietz
Head of Customer Success
Verusen

Keep Jammin’

During the recent supply chain crisis, I compiled a playlist to settle me down when things were a little too much. Here are a few songs that I view as my survival mantras that make me smile and keep me hopeful.

RESPECT by Aretha, the Queen of Soul, always gives me a boost when our team is battling incredible odds and sometimes taking it on the chin.

CARRY ON by fun. For our customers, our business, and for each other — “May the past be the sound of your feet upon the ground — Carry on!”

HOLD ON by Alabama Shakes. You see the theme here: “Get back up and you got to hold on.”

STAND BY ME by Ben E. King. Showing my age here, but no team gets through all that global disruption without standing together.

–Tonya Jackson
Lexmark

What I Would Tell My Younger Self

Recognize it takes time to make change happen, but it is worthwhile in the end. Diverse teams are critical to creating a successful, high-performing supply chain strategy.

Overall keep a positive attitude, be confident, celebrate successes, and have fun.

–Jonathan Wright
IBM

Careers are not linear. Don’t worry about the title that follows your name. My career path is one I couldn’t have anticipated as an English literature major in college.

By focusing on building high-performing teams, executing consistently and effectively, delivering unmatched client support, and growing those around me, my career has flourished in unimaginable ways.

Frequently ask yourself if you are encouraging others and building something that has the power to make a difference. Find and create spaces where you will thrive, and spend time doing work that challenges, inspires, and fulfills you.

–Julie Gerdeman
CEO
Everstream Analytics

Consider priorities carefully and be more selfish in making decisions. I would trust my instincts and would say “yes” and “no” differently based on what is meaningful to me.

I would unplug more often, take more vacations, spend more time with close friends doing random things at the spur of the moment, and say “no” to doing things that could be great opportunities but are not truly my passion.

–Tonya Jackson
Lexmark

Have the confidence to be uncomfortable and inexperienced. Being curious poses a challenge and forces us to rise up and add value to our skill sets.

No matter where you start there is always opportunity for more. New innovations, new ideas, new methodologies can flip this industry on its head. It isn’t always those with 30+ years experience who rise to the top. For those willing to break things and experiment, there are no limitations.

–Christa Hinkel
Vice President of Customer Success
Chain.io

Mantras to Live By

Be bold. Do not let one setback or failure lead to more or stop you. If you have a bad day or are told no, start fresh each day, and focus on smaller goals and what you can control.

Also, it is essential for women to mentor other women, provide opportunities when appropriate, and lift each other up. The professional direction women receive from other women is critical. My advice is to be bold and take chances in work and in life.

–Katerina Jones
Vice President of Marketing and Business Development
Fleet Advantage

Burn the ships. To be clear—this is not about today’s maritime transportation industry. It refers to a historical military tactic to destroy one’s boats to not offer the option of retreat for one’s soldiers before the next battle. Today, I continually apply this concept to current business supply chain challenges from two perspectives.

First, it reminds me there’s no going back to any perceived “good old” times or how things were before the pandemic. Second, it reiterates the necessity to commit to the new endeavors ahead with success as the only available result.

–Andrew McLoone
Executive Director
BDP Transport

Be humble, grateful, and pleasantly persistent.

No matter how far we advance in our careers, it is vital to remember we are no better than anyone else. If you forget to be humble, you are in for a reality check.

Gratitude is also key—we are successful because of the opportunities we are given by others. And lastly, being pleasantly persistent with requests and directions will enable you to accomplish your goals more quickly than by being pushy and demanding.

–Cynthia Martinez-Patin
Human Resources Director
iGPS Logistics

Data solves problems, but people are the solution.

Never ask your team to do something you haven’t done or won’t do.

I practice these two mantras in every position I hold. Regardless of occupation, a leader who leverages these concepts when engaging their teams is bound to win.

These concepts are something I use to ensure that my team knows that I take the human element into account when making decisions, not just deriving an action from a number.

–Gary Harber
Distribution Manager
Milgard

Strong opinions, loosely held. Approach situations with as much of an informed opinion as possible, prepared to defend it as needed.

This allows us to have a bias for action—even in uncertain and ambiguous environments—avoid the mire of analysis paralysis, and stay open to adjusting viewpoints and strategies as new perspectives and data arise.

–Katie Martin
Sustainability & ESG Principal
Avetta

First: Empathy is the key to success—only by understanding your customers’ challenges can you deliver solutions.

Second: Attitude, energy, and effort are essential to thriving in life and the logistics business.

Next: Cultivate confidence and set yourself up for long-term success by building skills through personal and professional development opportunities.

Finally: Anticipate adversity—working proactively instead of reactively keeps you ahead of issues.

–Will Diaz
Vice President of Business Development
Arrive Logistics

That’s no longer the case. “Supply chain plays a key role in the customer experience,” Dankert says, noting this encompasses both e-commerce and brick-and-mortar retail. “Ensuring the products people want are on the shelves is a big part of the customer experience,” she adds.

Similarly, brand manufacturers selling directly to consumers “need to behave like retailers, as consumers want the same experience,” says Tom Enright, research vice president with Gartner’s consumer retail team.

Facilitating seamless customer experiences does more than build loyalty, as important as that is. It also drives companies’ growth. “Supply chain has moved from being an enabler of growth to being integral for growth, especially in e-commerce and omnichannel,” says Sameer Anand, principal, Americas supply chain practice leader, with EY Parthenon.

Here are ways retailers and brands can enhance their customer experience.

1. Make checking out easy and efficient.

The measuring stick is “how close is this experience to what Amazon customers are used to?” says Matt Crawford, general manager of shipping with BigCommerce, an e-commerce platform provider. Does the site offer one-click checkout? Can customers finish a purchase without creating a profile?

2. Ensure inventory information is accurate.

Accurate inventory information remains a basic, but critical function. If a customer places an order because the site indicates the item is available, it needs to be available.

“A consumer is a statistic of one,” says Bob Klunk, president of Respected Connections, an e-commerce consultancy. If customers receive the wrong item, or no item, they are 0% happy, not 99% happy, he adds. A company that ships 10,000 orders at 99.5% accuracy will have 50 people who aren’t happy—and at least some will write reviews.

Customers shopping at brick-and-mortar retailers also expect accurate inventory information online, says Emily Pfeiffer, principal analyst covering commerce technology with Forrester. About one-third of U.S. consumers are less likely to head to a retail store if they can’t check the inventory online first, even when they don’t plan to shop online, she says.

3. Offer timely shipping updates.

It’s no longer enough to send tracking numbers that let customers look up the status of their orders themselves. Consumers now expect automated emails or texts that provide order status.

Fortunately, the technology needed to offer this information is generally available as software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions that don’t require millions of dollars and months to install.

4. Ship efficiently from anywhere.

Until recently, many businesses relied on their enterprise resource planning (ERP) or internally developed systems to manage order flow. “These no longer cut it,” Pfeiffer says.

The reason? They can’t pull enterprise-wide inventory and serve local availability and delivery promises to customers in near-real-time, she adds. And, many consumers have become accustomed to fast and free shipping.

Instead, a modern order management system or distributed order management system (DOMS) that enables retailers to manage inventory across multiple locations from a single platform is critical to delivering stellar customer experiences. These systems also can optimize inventory and fulfillment, mitigating costs.

Such solutions also help companies work with logistics providers to build effective distribution networks, without having to open multiple distribution centers. “There’s no way you can pour concrete fast enough to catch Amazon,” Klunk says.

Retailers that convert brick-and-mortar stores, or portions of them, into distribution centers for online orders not only can fill orders, but also can reduce the empty miles distribution trucks typically rack up moving inventory from store to store, says Jonathan Wright, global managing partner, finance and supply chain transformation and sustainability services with IBM.

Artificial intelligence can extract consumption patterns from the data, infusing models with a level of prediction accuracy previously unthinkable. Customers benefit from more efficient and targeted deliveries.

5. Consider marketplaces and social commerce sites.

In 2021, Amazon’s share of U.S. e-commerce sales topped 56%. To capture customers, most e-commerce businesses need a presence on one or more marketplaces, Enright says.

And it needs to be the right marketplace(s). If a business specializes in certain products—say, luxury watches—and there’s a marketplace for those products, the company likely will benefit by offering its products there.

6. Offer hassle-free returns.

As e-commerce boomed over the past few years, most of the focus was directed at the initial customer experience. “Nobody dug around too much in returns,” says Chuck Fuerst, vice president of marketing with ReverseLogix, which provides returns management solutions.

Yet, roughly 30% of apparel purchased online is returned, as consumers’ homes have become dressing rooms. The lack of focus meant many returns experience were disjointed and frustrating.

Now, savvy e-commerce retailers recognize that easy, efficient returns are a key element of strong customer service. Consumers are looking for return options, like the ability to drop off returns at a nearby location. They also want quick refunds, and communication throughout the returns process.

Emerging technology allows companies to leverage insight from the items returned. For instance, a system might collect data showing customers repeatedly say they’re returning one brand’s size 10 pants because they’re too small, Fuerst says. The retailers can then determine if they need to adjust sizing.

A strong returns function also allows companies to leverage the growing interest in re-commerce and the circular economy. This can appeal to customers, while also helping to protect the environment.

7. Focus on packaging and the unboxing experience.

As anyone who has opened a birthday or holiday gift knows, presentation matters. Nearly half of consumers ages 18 to 29 indicate that gift-like packaging makes them more excited to open their packages, the Dotcom Distribution 2021 eCommerce Consumer Study found. The Unbox Therapy channel on YouTube boasts 18.2 million subscribers.

At a minimum, consumers’ packages should arrive intact. The packaging should accurately represent the brand. It should also include the packing slip and return label. Nearly half of consumers also want surprise giveaways included with their orders, the Dotcom survey found, while about 40% would like coupons.

8. Leverage order and sales data.

E-commerce retailers that implement solutions to leverage order, sales, and other data can ensure they’re carrying the products consumers want and locating them where they’re in the greatest demand.

They also reduce the risk and cost of carrying products that aren’t selling, says Mike Graziano, consumer products senior analyst with RSM US LLP. This insight can boost both customer service and performance.

9. Invest in sustainability.

More than half of 18- to 29-year-olds, along with 45% of 30- to 44-year-olds, support the circular economy, the DotCom survey found. What’s more, businesses that invest in sustainability can benefit; IBM research found that companies that have invested in digitization and sustainability enjoy stronger performance than their peers.

Consumers’ growing interest in sustainability means retailers and manufacturers need to begin considering the complete lifecycle of the products they offer. “Offering this level of circularity to consumers can help differentiate your offering in a heavily commoditized market,” Wright says.

Organizations that can provide a seamless, enjoyable online customer experience can set themselves apart in an increasingly crowded e-commerce retail landscape. “You have to do something to make the customer experience more worthwhile,” says Graziano.

Amazon vs Walmart: Who Owns the Market?

Nearly 60% of all online retail purchases in the United States were done on Amazon in 2021, according to new PYMNTS data. This reflects the company’s tightening grip on e-commerce sales and continues the stair step market share advance it has made over the past 20 years.

In fact, the new findings defy the logic that says it gets harder to grow a large business: Amazon doubled its share of the domestic retail market to 56.7% in 2021 from 28.1% in 2014.

To calculate Amazon and Walmart’s respective slice of the overall and digital retail sales pies, PYMNTS uses a gross merchandise value method which backs out things like revenue from Amazon Web Services, but includes the full dollar value of everything sold, even when an item is sold and fulfilled for a third party for a 10-15% selling commission.

The findings also show how much Amazon dominates Walmart when it comes to online-only sales, having added more than 3.5 percentage points to its share of digital sales last year, completing a 10-percentage point COVID-era jump since 2019.

By comparison, during that same two-year pandemic period, Walmart’s share of domestic digital retail sales has grown nearly 50%—albeit off a much smaller base—ending 2021 with a 6.2% portion.

What does it all mean? Despite Walmart’s efforts and the investments it has made to grow e-commerce sales and diversify its traditional reliance on the 5,000 physical store locations that dot the country, the digitally native Amazon still holds nearly a 10-time lead over its rival on this front.

The biggest challenge within the life sciences and pharmaceuticals industry has always been how to safely distribute products within their own unique temperature and handling requirements.

As more and more temperature-sensitive biologics and personalized medicines and therapies enter the market, the question of how to safely ship, store, and distribute to the consumer remains a top priority within the industry.

The Solution

Working with logistics professionals who have a proven track record in delivering solutions within the life sciences and pharmaceutical industry is imperative to ensuring not only the integrity of your product, but your overall supply chain as well.

Partnering with a U.S.-based 3PL provider who places an emphasis on quality excellence, such as MD Logistics, and a global freight forwarder, such as Nippon Express, who has built a solution aligned with retaining product integrity, can provide a wealth of benefits to your global supply chain.

Global network. Nippon Express operates a network of state-of-the-art facilities aimed at keeping the life sciences and pharmaceutical supply chain moving forward. Together, the company operates a network of 34 GDP certified Container Freight Stations (CFS) across the globe, all having been opened within the last three and a half years.

Access to this global network of GDP CFS facilities will help your product move quickly to where it needs to be and ensures that integrity is maintained.

Compliances and certifications. It’s important to partner with a provider who is properly equipped to handle temperature-sensitive items and possess the necessary compliances and certifications to operate.

MD Logistics follows specific compliance standards that must be adhered to in order to ensure supply chains remain compliant and products maintain the integrity required by the industry.

These include cGMP compliant, licensed FDA repackager/relabeler, NABP Drug Distributor Accreditation, and compliance to the Drug Supply Chain and Security Act.

In turn, as a freight forwarder, Nippon Express holds a variety of quality compliances and credentials as well. The Nippon Express global network operates 34 GDP-certified bases in 25 countries, with plans to add to this network. In addition, Nippon Express complies with all legal guidelines related to pharmaceutical product logistics in the markets in which they operate.

Quality controls. The team at MD Logistics adheres to a strict internal mission to deliver the right material, in the right condition, to the right place, at the right time, on time, every time.

Nippon Express also places a strict emphasis on maintaining product integrity by employing a robust quality management system (QMS) that complies with the Pharmaceutical Inspection Convention and Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme (PIC/S).

Expertise. Both MD Logistics and Nippon Express carry with them the distinction of being top providers, bringing their own expertise in the industries in which they operate.

MD Logistics has more than 26 years of experience as a top 3PL partner within the life science and pharmaceutical industry, while Nippon Express has been operating as a global freight forwarder for nearly 85 years.

To learn more:
info@mdlogistics.com
317-838-8900
www.mdlogistics.com

However, some experts argue that low unemployment, record corporate earnings, and GDP growth in Q3 indicate the United States is not in a recession. Whether we’re in a recession right now may be a moot point, as many economists agree that a recession is coming soon.

As other commercial real estate (CRE) sectors batten down the hatches to prepare for an economic downturn, the U.S. real estate market continues to experience an industrial boom. Though rising industrial demand began more than a decade ago as the country came out of the last recession—known popularly as The Great Recession—most of the industry’s recent successes can be attributed to the e-commerce boom resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

With industrial real estate still going strong, logistics property owners and investors find themselves wondering if their warehouses will help them successfully weather the coming storm.

Will a Recession Affect Industrial Real Estate?

Will the inertia of the current warehouse and manufacturing boom carry it through the recession? It’s difficult to predict the exact impact of a recession without knowing how deep the recession itself will go. With that said, we can reasonably make some predictions about the impact of an economic downturn on warehouses and factories:

• The gap between supply and demand won’t balance soon. Industrial real estate vacancy has hovered between 3% and 4% in recent months. In the highest-demand areas, vacancy hovers around 1%. Until developers can generate enough supply to catch up, industrial demand should remain largely unaffected by economic troubles. We’re unlikely to see the supply of warehouses and factories catch up to demand before late 2023.
• Consumers will still need to buy things. Regardless of economic conditions, people will continue to consume goods at some level. Those goods must get manufactured and stored. Despite signs of cooling consumer spending, it’s extremely unlikely it would drop to the point that demand for industrial properties balances out with the nation’s current supply—especially when considering the strong labor market.
• Big box stores (and 3PLs that work with them) will be an industrial cornerstone. With inflation still rising, consumers will need to shop where they can find cheaper goods. Big box stores can leverage their bulk purchasing capabilities to keep prices in check, ensuring steady business. That same business will keep driving warehouse demand.
• U.S. manufacturing will continue its comeback. Many of the benefits of offshoring have disappeared throughout the pandemic, causing some U.S. companies to move production to American soil. This will hold especially true for sustainable manufacturing since the Inflation Reduction Act has incentivized these businesses. Any growth in domestic manufacturing will be positive for industrial real estate.

Given the current strength of the industrial market, it seems all but certain industrial real estate will ride out the coming recession as a top CRE class, just as it did during the pandemic. Also, a word of advice: Supply chain stakeholders should keep an eye out down the road. They may find some lucky deals when financial institutions and investors begin to sell off the various warehouses they acquired to ride out the economic slump.

About Phoenix Logistics. Strategic Real Estate. Applied Technology. Tailored Service. Creativity. Flexibility. These fundamentals reflect everything we do at Phoenix Logistics. We provide specialized support in locating and attaining the correct logistics solutions for every client we serve. phoenix3pl.com

It’s all about the crude, dude. The U.S. crude steel market could reach $110 billion by 2026, according to a ResearchAndMarkets report, U.S. Crude Steel Industry: Insights & Forecast. The report predicts a 6.1% compounded annual growth rate between 2022 and 2026; however, excess crude steelmaking could hinder this growth.

“Growth in the U.S. crude steel market has been supported by factors such as a booming automobile industry and accelerating urban population,” the report states. “The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement also is likely to have a positive impact on the U.S. crude steel market.”

In 2021, the U.S. crude steel market reached $82.22 billion. Typical customers include the construction, automotive, machinery/equipment, energy, and appliances markets. Crude steel market production processes fall into two buckets: electric arc furnace, which is the dominant process in the United States, and basic oxygen furnace.

The market also can be segmented by chemical composition. In order of market share, these are carbon steel, alloy steel, stainless steel, and tool steel.

Global Battery Market Charges to $91.5 Billion

Lithium ion batteries continue to power the market, driven by rising demand for consumer electronics, the automotive market’s push to offer more environmentally friendly options, and an increased emphasis on the waste management of lead acid batteries.

In 2021, lithium ion batteries represented about 48% of overall market share and, as technologies advance, is predicted to see the most growth moving forward, finds an Acumen Research and Consulting report. Industry adoption of recycled lithium ion batteries could spur further growth.

The global battery raw materials market accounted for $47.3 billion in 2021, and Acumen predicts the market will grow to $91.5 billion by 2030, with a compounded annual growth rate of 7.7% between 2022 and 2030 (see chart).

“Because of rising environmental concerns, battery-powered lithium particle batteries are increasingly being used in place of traditional lead corrosive batteries,” says the report. “Utilizing sustainable sources of energy, for example, solar, should also result in increased interest in lithium batteries.”

Out of the Woods

Despite well-publicized shortages during the pandemic, the North American wood products marketplace, including softwood lumber and engineered wood products, will trend upward between 2022 and 2026, with a 6.75% compounded annual growth rate (CAGR), predicts a ResearchAndMarkets report. Current estimates value the wood product market at $187.8 billion in 2022 (see chart). At the projected CAGR, the wood product market will grow to $243.9 billion by 2026.

Population growth and new residential construction are primary drivers of this growth, but price fluctuations and increased availability of wood alternatives could provide challenges, the report warns.

The United States represents the fastest-growing market in North America due to consumers’ fondness for home repair and remodeling, increased new residential construction, and abundant forest reserves. Wood is also perceived as an environmentally friendly material, which may also spur manufacturing increases.

Additional growth drivers include consumer preferences for engineered wood and increased investment in tourism infrastructure, according to the report.

Check the Oil

Oil demand and prices are a particular concern in the transportation sector. With a weakened economy in China, the European energy crisis, production differentials, and a strong U.S. dollar, demand for oil will weaken in 2023—from 2.1 million barrels per day (mb/d) in 2022 to 1.6 million barrels per day, predicts The International Energy Agency. In the near term, Q4 2022 is expected to show a decrease in oil production by 240,000 barrels per day (kb/d).

Although world oil supply rose by 410 kb/d in October 2022 to 101.7 mb/d, forecasts call for drops up to 1 mb/d for the remainder of 2022, prompted by OPEC+ cuts and bans on Russian crude. This situation could impact an already delicate diesel market.

In October 2022, diesel prices and cracks (differential to crude oil price) rose 70% and 425% higher, respectively, year-over-year—representing record levels. Compounding the problem, distillate inventories are the lowest they’ve been in decades. And worker strikes in Europe, combined with impending embargoes, drove prices past $80/bbl above North Sea dated crude oil price assessments, a benchmark to measure the price of North Sea crude against other grades of crude around the world. Prices also rose in the United States ahead of the winter heating season.

Price increases fuel inflation and raise pressure on world oil demand. Despite the projected downturn in production, there could be growth in jet fuel and LPG/ethane for petrochemicals markets. This could drive even higher prices.

“Competition for non-Russian diesel barrels will be fierce, with EU countries having to bid cargoes from the United States, Middle East, and India away from their traditional buyers,” notes the report. “Increased refinery capacity will eventually help ease diesel tensions. However, until then, if prices go too high, further demand destruction may be inevitable for the market imbalances to clear.”

• DHL Express and the Van Gogh Museum launched the Heart for Art educational program, which provides children in communities with limited access to cultural education opportunities to learn about and engage with Vincent van Gogh’s artwork.
• The estate of Dunavant founder William B. “Billy” Dunavant gifted $5.5 million to the University of Memphis to establish three Dunavant Chairs in supply chain management, one in agritech and regenerative agriculture, and the Laura Butler Ford Chair in nursing.

Up the Chain

• Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) realigned its supply chain structure and promoted three KDP senior supply chain leaders into new roles, including naming Roger Johnson as the company’s new chief supply chain officer.
• AFS Logistics appointed Micheal McDonagh as its president of parcel. McDonagh will focus on pricing, strategy, and customer satisfaction.
• Trailer Bridge named Eric Masotti president of its logistics division. Masotti now oversees the strategic direction of the company’s domestic transportation solutions.

M&A

• Werner Enterprises acquired Reed Transport Services and RTS-TMS, doing business as ReedTMS Logistics, an asset-light logistics provider and truckload carrier based in Tampa, Florida.
• AGX Freight purchased the business assets of A-Logistics, LLC, a provider of supply chain management solutions. The acquisition allows AGX to expand its less-than-truckload service capabilities across its national transportation platform.
• Aqua Power Systems entered exclusive negotiations to acquire all outstanding shares of Tradition Transportation Group, an Indiana-based logistics company.
• In its fourth acquisition since launching in January 2022, Ascend LLC purchased Fuchs Trucking LLC. Ascend expects to offer additional capacity and services and deepen its footprint in the upper Midwest.
• Ruan, a provider of integrated supply chain solutions, acquired National Truck Brokers (NTB), a dedicated carrier in Grand Rapids, Michigan. NTB will operate as an independent member of the Ruan family of companies.

In Memoriam

• George Bell, founder of B&B Attachments, passed away on October 5, 2022. Bell founded B&B Attachments, an independent supplier of forklift truck attachments in the UK, in 1980 with his wife, Irene.

Sealed Deals

• Mars signed an agreement with Accenture to apply digital twin technology and models to the candy maker’s manufacturing facilities and provide its factory line operators real-time insights into current and predictive performance.
• JCB, a manufacturer of construction equipment, appointed Maersk as its global lead logistics provider. Maersk will provide end-to-end supply chain management services and manage JCB’s third-party warehousing.
• Third-party logistics provider Kenco Group will work with Interstate Batteries a provider of automotive batteries, to implement a network of fulfillment centers to reduce the number of distribution points from more than 250 to eight.
• USA Luge and Team Worldwide extended their partnership through the Milan/Cortina Olympics Games in 2026. As the official cargo carrier of USA Luge, Team Worldwide transports equipment to and from events around the world.
• Piggly Wiggly Midwest will pilot the Focal Operating System in its stores in Wisconsin and Illinois. The grocer will use the system to automate and optimize ordering, inventory management, merchandising, and workforce management.
• Arvato Supply Chain Solutions will manage the online business of Rituals Cosmetics in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Poland from a newly opened 505,904-square-foot distribution center in the Bemerode district in Germany.
• Sinocare, makers of blood glucose meters in Asia, teamed with Hai Robotics to implement autonomous case-handling robot systems into its warehouse in Changsha, China.
• Crayola enhanced its omnichannel strategy by partnering with Distribution Management, a national third-party fulfillment and distribution provider, and Deck Commerce, a provider of order management solutions for direct-to-consumer retailers.

Green Seeds

• Samskip signed a new agreement with GoodFuels that will enable a 90% cut in ship carbon dioxide emissions. Samskip also calculated that it will save 45,000 tons in additional CO2 emissions by the end of 2022.
• The Rhenus Group plans to neutralize the carbon emissions of all global full containerload products by 2045. The company previously announced a commitment to carbon neutrality for all its less-than-containerload products by 2030.
• J.B. Hunt Transport Services set a goal to reduce its carbon emission intensity 32% by 2034 by incorporating alternative powered equipment, expanding biogenic fuels usage, and improving fuel economy.

Recognition

• The Women In Trucking Association recognized CPC Logistics as a 2022 Top Company for Women to Work for in Transportation. The non-profit organization encourages the employment of women in the trucking industry, promotes their accomplishments, and minimizes the obstacles they face.
• PMMI, the association for packaging and processing technologies, named Alison Zitzke, senior product manager for ORBIS, a 2022 On the Rise Award winner. This award recognizes 10 young professionals who have demonstrated leadership qualities in the packaging and processing industry.
• The Tennessee Trucking Association presented its Clean Diesel Award to Averitt Express for its commitment to environmental responsibility. The award is given to a Tennessee transportation and logistics provider for efforts to improve fuel conservation and sustainability within its fleet.

1. Mitigating risks with technology investment. Manufacturers plan 2023 investments in robotics and automation (62%), data analytics (60%), and IoT platforms (39%).

2. Focus on talent. Finding and retaining talent will remain in focus while companies seek to minimize workforce churn. Up to one-third of executives surveyed prioritize retaining high-performing employees in 2023.

3. Growing reliance on mitigation strategies. Four out of five manufacturing executives say that they experienced heavy to very-heavy supply chain disruptions in the past 12-18 months. To help minimize these snags, companies turn to supply chain transparency, capacity investments, and digital technologies.

4. Investing in smart factory initiatives. More than half (60%) of companies are preparing for smart factories and have partnered with specialized technology companies.

5. Increasing role of corporate social responsibility. Environment, social, and governance goals remain top of mind for manufacturers. To help meet these goals, manufacturers are investing in managing waste, increasing supplier diversity, elevating smart buildings, and electrifying fleets.