Air cargo shippers navigate a turbulent year

Parked passenger planes resulted in a drop in belly capacity at a time when quick shipments were desperately needed for personal protective equipment. 

By Matt Leonard • Nov. 20, 2020

CH Robinson: Importers have left nearly $1B in China tariff refunds on the table

Keeping tabs on product-specific tariff exclusions is time-consuming and "incredibly complex," shippers have told C.H. Robinson.

By Matt Leonard • Nov. 19, 2020

Explore the Trendline➔

Sustainable supply chains

Amid pressure from consumers, investors and governments, companies are scrambling to measure and reduce the impact of their supply chains on the world.

By Supply Chain Dive staff

To distribute the COVID-19 vaccine, allocation models need a redesign

Before the pandemic, fair-share allocation helped safeguard against any well-intentioned providers overstocking. But the models that once proved effective needed to evolve, the author writes.

By Heather Zenk • Nov. 19, 2020

IDC: Pharmaceutical industry ups inventory levels as OTIF rates fall

Before the pandemic, the on time and in full rate from suppliers was generally above 80%. Now, pharmaceutical companies are looking for ways to avoid shortages.

By Matt Leonard • Nov. 17, 2020

Walmart execs say stockouts track with COVID-19 hot spots

The difference between areas with rapidly increasing cases and those with a slower rise is visible within Walmart's store network, CEO Doug McMillon said.

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 17, 2020

Moderna's coronavirus vaccine presents fewer cold chain hurdles than Pfizer

The company's COVID-19 vaccine is expected to stay stable at 2-8 degrees Celsius, the temperature of a standard refrigerator, for up to 30 days and will be distributed through McKesson. 

By Matt Leonard • Nov. 16, 2020

The implications of shipping direct to consumer

On top of high costs, fast and free delivery expectations, and returns, brands also put customer retention at risk by forfeiting control over the last mile.

By Caroline Jansen • Nov. 16, 2020

DeJoy teases service overhaul as USPS parcel volume grows 19%

The Postmaster General said the service needs to modernize and invest in a new fleet.

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 16, 2020

Schneider Electric invests $40M in supply chain upgrades to prepare for post-pandemic demand

Schneider is introducing new capabilities and production lines that will allow it to work with fewer suppliers by finishing some of its own inputs — with added capacity to construct some components entirely in-house when necessary.

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 12, 2020

Ahold Delhaize tackles a $480M supply chain overhaul during a pandemic — and Thanksgiving

The grocery group is forging ahead with an insourcing transformation amid a busy time in a tumultuous year. What could go wrong?

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 12, 2020

Take a dynamic approach to supply chain, US government.

Federal lawmakers proposed a task force to fund a more "resilient" supply chain. But resiliency is not the answer for the future, the author writes.

By Nader Mikhail • Nov. 10, 2020

Delays, surcharges and returns: Holiday shipping headaches have just begun

In a season expected to produce more than $190 billion from online sales alone, retailers are pulling out all the stops to keep up with demand.

By Caroline Jansen • Nov. 9, 2020

Ball fragments aluminum can supply to meet North American demand

While new manufacturing capacity is in the works, Ball Corporation will focus on using data to fine-tune existing operations and squeeze every can possible out of its supply chain. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 6, 2020

Supply chain agility entered the spotlight when the pandemic made forecasting futile

Supply and demand swings shifted flexibility and visibility from nice-to-have capabilities to must-haves.

By S.L. Fuller • Nov. 6, 2020

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.

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 5, 2020

Tight logistics capacity erodes shipper-carrier trust

Carriers are telling shippers to look elsewhere for capacity as trucks juggle the spike in volume with customer service.

By S.L. Fuller • Oct. 30, 2020

Demand volatility is the supply chain disruptor of 2020

The pandemic is still the dominant force on global economies, but leaders say supply is no longer the top problem.

By Emma Cosgrove • Oct. 30, 2020

Supply chains can use purchasing power to fight inequity

Spending more on local sourcing mitigates socioeconomic and health disparities, strengthens supply chain resilience and reduces carbon emissions, writes Kaiser Permanente's supply chain and procurement chief.

By Mary Beth Lang • Oct. 29, 2020

Maersk partners with COVID-19 vaccine developer on distribution plan

A variety of factors make vaccine distribution a difficult undertaking — ranging from temperature requirements to the tight capacity in the freight market.

By Matt Leonard • Oct. 27, 2020

Coupa initiative focuses on business spend to increase supplier diversity

There is nearly $2 trillion transacted over the Coupa platform, and the software company aims to redirect spend toward diverse suppliers.

By A.B. Brown • Oct. 22, 2020

Demand for temp workers to lose momentum for remainder of 2020, report finds

The pandemic created an initial demand for temp workers, but uncertainty is causing a slowdown in hiring, according to the Palmer Forecast. 

By Sheryl Estrada • Oct. 22, 2020

Child labor in cocoa production rises despite industry promises, report says

A large part of the difficulty of eliminating this form of forced labor is the complexity of integrating transparency into supply chains.

By Jessi Devenyns • Oct. 22, 2020

CBP issues forced labor finding for stevia imports from manufacturer in China

The enforcement finding follows a civil penalty of $575,000 imposed on Pure Circle U.S.A. for importing stevia extracts and derivatives from the company identified in the report.

By A.B. Brown • Oct. 21, 2020

There is more than one way to move sourcing out of China in a post-pandemic world

Diversifying global supply chains is often thought as an all-or-nothing action. It is not, writes a senior director analyst at Gartner Supply Chain Practice.

By Kamala Raman • Oct. 15, 2020

Caps and pumps: Johnson & Johnson's packaging changes put it on the path to a circular supply chain

J&J's Healthy Lives Mission includes conversion to 100% recyclable, reusable or compostable plastic, and recycled paper and pulp-based materials by 2025.

By Deborah Abrams Kaplan • Oct. 13, 2020