MHI Blog -- A new report by DHL titled ’Fair and Responsible Logistics’ asserts that by embedding fair and responsible logistics at the core of the business model, logistics providers ensure profits grow hand in hand with sustainability, creating lasting competitive advantage.

In the report, the key drivers of the fairness and responsibility transformation are analyzed, most importantly the growing expectations of consumers to ‘go fair.’ It also highlights that while many companies today are relying on digitalization and new technologies as key sources of business rejuvenation, they should not overlook the movement toward fair and responsible business as this is becoming an important source of future growth and lasting competitive advantage.

The Wall Street Journal -- Many small- and medium-sized businesses lack visibility in their supply chains and are underestimating the risk of disruptions, according to two new studies.

According to Zurich Insurance Ltd.’s global survey, 55% of these businesses reported that they would not be affected at all if they were to lose their main supplier. The company polled businesses with 250 employees or fewer.

CNBC -- Utah is test-driving new technology that could improve safety and fuel efficiency for big-rig truckers.

The Utah Department of Transportation started conducting field tests Friday of a vehicle-to-vehicle communication system aimed at the trucking industry. The tests were done in Tooele County with two semitrailers on I-80.

Material Handling & Logistics -- In order for the U.S. manufacturing sector to remain competitive it must continue to invest in advanced technology.

A new study conducted by Deloitte ToucheTohmatsu Limited’s (Deloitte Global) Global Consumer & Industrial Products industry group and the U.S. Council on Competitiveness (CoC) that was drawn from dozens of face-to-face interviews with chief technology officers, chief research leaders and nearly a dozen directors of national research facilities – highlights the strengths and future vulnerabilities of the U.S. innovation ecosystem.

MHI Blog -- Revealing what will be possible in the not-to-distant future, Amazon released a new video of one it’s drones in action.

This drone has a new more streamlined look and boasts a special square compartment for packages.

EBN -- There's positive outlook for holiday sales this year and consumers are making their purchases across multiple channels. According to Deloitte's holiday survey, shoppers who visit stores as well as online and mobile destinations are expected to spend 75% more on holiday purchases than those who only shop in stores. Retailers are attempting to meet the needs and demands of consumers by offering differentiators such as cost, speed, and availability through free shipping or speedy checkouts, as examples.

As part of MHI view's ongoing video program, this new episode focuses on: Mobile Computing in the Workplace.

We'll look at how mobile computing and advances in technology can improve the efficiency of your warehouse. This video will feature an interview with Eric Lamphier, Senior Director of Product Management, Manhattan Associates.

 

 

Supply Chain Digital -- According to Grant Marshbank, COO of VSc Solutions, supply chains will face a number of challenges, he said: "Supply chain managers are already under huge pressure to adapt to turbulent economies, labour issues, and expansion into global markets.

"The bad news is that the rate of change isn’t going to slow down. The good news is that emerging trends hold opportunities to reduce both costs and carbon footprints, and enable exceptional customer service at the same time."

The New York Times -- The American economy turned in a better performance last quarter than first thought, expanding at a 2.1 percent rate, the government said on Tuesday.

Nearly all of the improvement was because of revised data on inventories, which showed businesses restocking shelves at a faster pace than the government first estimated. The improvement in inventory levels was offset by a slight downward revision in consumer spending last quarter.

USA Today -- Shoppers spent heavily Monday, with analysts calling it a record Cyber Monday.

Digital firm Adobe, which tracks online sales, projected Cyber Monday sales to top off at a record $2.98 billion in sales, up 12% from the previous year, making it the largest online sales day of 2015 for U.S. companies. More sales were driven by mobile phones than ever before, with Walmart.com reporting 70% of its online traffic from smartphones and tablets.

CFO -- As a company’s supply chain grows, so does its exposure to risk. Experts recommend that companies periodically audit their supply chains to identify vulnerable links, but the value that such audits actually deliver is up for debate, for a variety of reasons.

For one thing, an expanding list of risks means there are more things to audit. Inevitably, at large companies a lot of stuff falls through the cracks — that is, if those companies bother doing meaningful audits at all.

MHI Blog -- MHI recently launched a new video platform – MHI view. MHI view content is designed to spark supply chain innovation by sharing useful information about the industry’s maturing, growing, and emerging technologies that were identified in the 2015 MHI Annual Industry Report.

MHI view just released a new video on the future of supply chain networks.

The Wall Street Journal – Philadelphia, Miami and Seattle are poised to join the ranks of global logistics hubs, according to a report from real-estate brokerage CBRE Inc.

The U.S. cities were among 20 global metropolises identified by the firm as primed to become "major players in the network for global trade" over the next decade.

Material Handling & Logistics -- On March 26, 2012, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA’s) revised Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) 29CFR 1910.1200, which adopts the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS), went into effect, under the name HazCom 2012. This rule impacts every workplace in the United States subject to OSHA regulation. 

Logistics Viewpoints -- There’s a new boss in town and she is tougher than any boss you’ve had before. She wants what she wants, when and where she wants it. She’s the new digitally-empowered consumer and she is dictating how retailers and consumer goods companies must transform their supply chains to serve her.

This new boss will access your brand wherever and whenever she wants through the device of her choice. There are no channels for her, just a demand for consistent, seamless shopping experiences.