Deep Dive: Page 5
Industry insights from our journalists
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Danielle Ternes/Supply Chain Dive
The pandemic put supply chains front and center for retailers — perhaps for the first time
Retail supply chains came under intense strain and went through wild convolutions last year. To weather the next storm, the industry must be agile and take risk seriously.
Ben Unglesbee • Jan. 25, 2021 -
Damco is gone. Where do Maersk, freight forwarders and shippers go from here?
Shippers face a choice as they plan freight strategies: the simplicity of a single end-to-end provider or the reduced risk of a diversified carrier network.
Shefali Kapadia • Jan. 13, 2021 -
Getty Images
Packaging, PPE and surgical supplies: How COVID-19 is pushing hospitals to reduce waste
Some waste is inevitable, but supply chain leaders are finding ways to reduce the quantity — reusing and recycling when possible and adjusting procurement and packaging.
Deborah Abrams Kaplan • Jan. 12, 2021 -
Permission granted by Mars
Breaking down Mars' maverick move for a more sustainable palm oil supply chain
Reducing its palm oil mills from 1,500 to 50 in three years to meet internal goals is a decisive move that will almost certainly work, but the effect beyond Mars' supply chain is less certain.
Emma Cosgrove • Dec. 10, 2020 -
The role of freight forwarders in distributing the coronavirus vaccine
Freight forwarders, the linchpins of the supply chain, face the arduous task of ensuring vaccines move door-to-door while maintaining their temperature — from the airport to the last mile.
Deborah Abrams Kaplan • Nov. 30, 2020 -
Permission granted by Glasshouse Farms
Planting the seeds of a cannabis supply chain
"We run a compliance business and sell cannabis on the side," joked one cannabis industry expert. Building supply starts with understanding regulations.
Matt Leonard • Nov. 24, 2020 -
Photo illustration by Danielle Ternes/Supply Chain Dive; photograph by DenisTangneyJr/iStock via Getty Images
Dole, Amazon settle in as logistics infrastructure in Wilmington, Delaware, builds up and out
The Small Wonder's largest city offers close access to customers and labor but lower land prices than many of the surrounding markets.
Shefali Kapadia • Nov. 17, 2020 -
sestovic via Getty Images
The emerging wave of procurement and spend-management technology
Historically paperbound processes are advancing from automation to intelligence. But first, procurement departments must address data and culture change.
Gary Wollenhaupt • Nov. 12, 2020 -
Adeline Kon/Supply Chain Dive
So you want to reduce your supply chain emissions
Walmart’s journey to a robust scope 3 emissions program reveals a shift in the way sustainability advocates see the supply chain and the urgency with which companies need to address it.
Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 5, 2020 -
Tetiana Soares via Getty Images
Mapping and charting the growth of regional parcel carriers
Alternatives to UPS and FedEx have brought on major retailers over the last several years, with expansion accelerating during the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting parcel boom.
Shefali Kapadia • Nov. 2, 2020 -
Permission granted by Tyson Foods
Meat processors expedite robotics plans as pandemic ups pressure
The future of meat manufacturing could include 3D scanners and automated cutting. Tyson, Smithfield, Cargill and JBS are looking to increase automation.
Lillianna Byington • Nov. 2, 2020 -
Illustration by Danielle Ternes / Supply Chain Dive, Photo by Craig Lee / South Carolina Ports Authority
How BMW turned Spartanburg, South Carolina, into a supply chain hub
The automaker approached the state and Norfolk Southern with a plan for an inland port that's now used by shippers from Adidas to John Deere.
Matt Leonard • Oct. 27, 2020 -
Photography by Gage Skidmore / Photo Illustration by Kendall Davis/Supply Chain Dive
Biden and Trump envision similar supply chains — but different paths to get there
Both presidential candidates promote investment in domestic manufacturing and supply chains, but they diverge on how to handle global trade relations.
Emma Cosgrove • Oct. 16, 2020 -
Truck vs. train: Which has the upper hand as spot rates soar?
Shippers consider lead times and freight types when selecting over-the-road, rail or intermodal.
Jim Stinson • Oct. 15, 2020 -
Courtesy of Takeoff Technologies
Microfulfillment centers are changing grocery e-commerce. But are they right for everyone?
Grocers face unique e-commerce challenges that make deciding whether to automate fulfillment operations a complex choice, experts say.
Sam Silverstein • Oct. 12, 2020 -
Courtesy of Werner
The driver shortage: A big piece of the tight capacity puzzle
Retirements, hesitant drivers and career changes shrunk the workforce, contributing to market imbalances in the supply chain.
Jim Stinson • Sept. 11, 2020 -
Adeline Kon/Supply Chain Dive
Peak season in a pandemic: What happens to freight rates and capacity?
Metrics and economic factors can help shippers gauge capacity and rates for air, ocean, trucking and rail heading into freight's busy season.
Matt Leonard • Aug. 20, 2020 -
Emma Cosgrove/Supply Chain Dive
What's at stake for supply chains if postal service slows down?
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy says his intention is not to slow down the mail. But postal workers, shippers and small parcel experts contend that's exactly what his policies will do.
Emma Cosgrove • Aug. 19, 2020 -
Permission granted by Saval Foodservice
Food distributors, restaurants reinvent business models in a scramble to survive
From wine bar to mini grocery store, from restaurant distribution to direct to consumer — food sector firms are pivoting operations to keep business flowing.
Gary Wollenhaupt • Aug. 6, 2020 -
Michelle Rock/Supply Chain Dive, data from Getty Images
Electronics supply chains are stuck between a pandemic and a trade war. Where do they go from here?
Shifting operations is a mammoth undertaking for the electronics industry due to China's specialized production capacities, co-location of key suppliers and economies of scale.
Morgan Forde • July 23, 2020 -
Yujin Kim/Supply Chain Dive
How a small-batch distillery improvised a hand sanitizer supply chain in 72 hours
When hand sanitizer was in short supply, nontraditional producers retooled operations and worked with suppliers to fill the gap.
S.L. Fuller • July 14, 2020 -
Kendall Davis/Supply Chain Dive
Why reshoring the textile supply chain is easier said than done
U.S. textile production, and the apparel manufacturing that depends on it, cannot return to its former glory without multi-million dollar infusions into the industry.
Emma Cosgrove • July 13, 2020 -
Kendall Davis/Supply Chain Dive
The 5 Ws of reshoring supply chains
The decision to reshore is a balance between price and risk and a trend that started long before the coronavirus pandemic.
Shefali Kapadia • July 13, 2020 -
Courtesy of Amazon
Amazon Air's fleet expansion is a bid for logistics domination
The company announced plans to add an additional 12 aircraft to its fleet, bringing its total size to 82 planes by the end of 2021.
Matt Leonard • June 4, 2020 -
Getty Images
How tariffs ravaged the COVID-19 medical supply chain
Months into the pandemic, the U.S. faces an ongoing shortage of PPE and some of it is still subject to tariffs.
Deborah Abrams Kaplan • May 27, 2020
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