MHI Solutions -- Ever since the 2011 Japanese tsunami shut down much of Toyota’s parts and manufacturing capabilities, logistics managers have been looking more closely at the vulnerabilities in their own supply chains and searching for ways they can quickly rebound from both large and small disruptions to them.

It begins with assessing potential risks—economic, political, environmental and social. This can include everything from natural disasters, political upheavals and labor unrest to environmental factors (water shortages), compliance issues (conflict minerals) and cybersecurity. 

The Wall Street Journal -- Some major retailers say they still are trying to pare down inventories from big buildups earlier this year, potentially dampening prospects for a surge in shipping heading into the holiday season.

Inventories swelled in the second quarter as West Coast ports cleared backlogs of imports and exports that had piled up during a labor dispute. Economists say the inventory expansion helped fuel strong growth in the spring. But a pullback by retailers and manufacturers may slow output through the rest of 2015.

CNBC -- In July the U.S. imported $41 billion worth of goods from China. That was up from $40.5 billion the same month last year. However, with China's manufacturers seeing new orders and exports dip in August and the steepest declines in new output since November 2011, softer demand led to "marked" falls in both costs and charges by factories, according to Markit, a provider of financial information services. The Producer Price Index, which tracks changes in manufacturing prices, fell by 5.9 percent in August from the same time in 2014, the biggest decline since the global financial crisis in 2009.

Reuters -- Growth in the U.S. manufacturing sector showed no month-over-month change during September, staying at August's sluggish pace which was the weakest in almost two years, according to an industry report released on Wednesday.

Financial data firm Markit said its preliminary U.S. Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index for September was 53. That was the same as August, which was its lowest since October 2013.

EBN -- New technological advancements such as Google Glass, automation, Augmented Reality (AR), smart watches, and tablets contribute to an innovative productivity-boosting process and improvements for warehousing.

Increasing operational efficiency, productivity, and safety by performing hands-free tasks has always been a goal in the warehouse. With the aid of wearable technology this is now not only possible but recommended since the results can boost productivity, increase efficiency, reduce time, and reduce errors.

As part of MHI view’s ongoing video program, this new episode focuses on:

In this episode, we'll provide an outline of the opportunities that 3D printing technology bring to the material handling industry.

 

 

 

Supply Chain Management Review -- The annual surveys, which this year included the CEOs of 30 of the world’s largest 3PLs, found that more than 80 percent of the companies surveyed were profitable in 2014.

Supply Management -- How often do your marketing people talk to your supply chain people? I’m betting not as often as they should.

And yet, world-class supply chains embody world-class brands, delivering to the homes and business of their customers the promises made by their marketing departments.

MHI Solutions -- A number of studies document a growing trend of U.S. businesses bringing manufacturing operations back to the U.S.— often referred to as onshoring. In 2011, a report by The Boston Consultancy Group revealed that 24 percent of senior manufacturing executives were considering returning production to the U.S. and predicted that changes in China’s wage structure along with increased use of manufacturing technology in the U.S. would eliminate the cost advantage of manufacturing overseas.

While a number of companies, including NCR, Sleek Audio, Coleman Company, Outdoor Greatroom Company and Otis Elevator have moved production back to the U.S., the trend is predicted to grow, especially as retailers promote a "Made in America" strategy that gives preference to U.S. manufactured products.

The Tampa Tribune -- More Cubans living in the United States are making it back to the island to visit relatives, bringing with them love, family photos — and the occasional chainsaw or flat-screen television.

Travel has loosened up more than trade since the U.S. imposed an embargo on Cuba five decades ago, so visitors assume the role of pack mules, hauling along small mountains of sought-after goods from America on charter planes.

Industry Week -- Harnessing data is crucial: Two-thirds of companies participating in a 2012 MIT Sloan survey said using analytics gave them a competitive edge. Most factories could use the boost.

Manufacturing activity slowed throughout North America in August. According to the Institute for Supply Management (ISM), U.S. manufacturing activity fell to 51.1 from 52.7 the month prior. The reading is the worst in two years. In Canada, the RBC Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) fell to 49.4 from 50.8 in July. A score below 50 signals industrywide contraction.

Buzz Feed - The busiest container port in the Western Hemisphere is ever so slightly less busy.

Staff at a major Los Angeles warehouse serving Amazon and other big retailers went on strike Tuesday, protesting unpaid wages and overtime, dangerous conditions, a lack of breaks and water during hot summer months, and retaliation by management against their organizing efforts. The strike continued on Wednesday.

EBN -- Gamification. Web scraping. Behavioral analytics. A recent article in Harvard Business Review (HBR) outlines three methods that may be poised to compete with good old hiring tactics. Does the traditional face-to-face interview even stand a chance against algorithms that turn your prospective employee's online activity into a quantitative estimate of job potential or fit?

Supply Chain Brain -- Many companies claim to have effective programs in place for dealing with supply-chain disruptions. Now they have a chance to prove it.

A strong El Niño is coming. Weather experts say there's a high probability that this winter will be marked by heavy rainfall in some parts of the world, and drought conditions in others. Either way, global supply chains will be severely impacted.