We have had another busy month learning and growing. Check out some of the highlights from the past month.
Supply Chain Edge - October 2021
Peak season is in full swing. Consumer spending is increasing and sales are sky-high. That's usually something to be celebrated. As seen with Hasbro logging $100M in unfulfilled orders in Q3 of this year, an optimized fulfillment strategy and network is an absolute must to compete, meet, and exceed customer expectations as we move into 2022.
Your business can avoid the logistical challenges of a post-pandemic environment and meet the demands of 2022 and beyond.
We have had another busy month learning and growing. Check out some of the highlights from the past month.
Blogs
Warehouse Management: Key Elements of a Successful WMS Assessment
Properly done, a systems assessment can be the first step in addressing challenges and issues that are impacting the performance of a WMS solution. These challenges and issues can be current or future such as poor customer service levels, high labor costs, peak season levels or new business requirements. They can impact both operational and WMS ownership costs and can be generated by business changes, growth, an aging software platform or missed opportunities during the original WMS implementation.
Warehouse Management: Is Your ERP Solution the Best Fit for Your Warehouse?
The enterprise resource planning (ERP) marketplace is full of vendors offering warehouse management system (WMS) solutions and modules. The profile of these vendors ranges from top-tier mega-suite vendors to lower-end specialty providers. Many organizations utilize these solutions to run their warehouses. For an organization using their ERP’s WMS module to support their warehousing operations, the question of the right WMS for the job is generally settled business. The solution is well established and works just fine. But there are times when this question needs to be thoroughly investigated.
Why Returns Management Systems and Digital Supply Networks are Critical for Success in Today’s Disruptive World
Between 1985 and 1995, I had well over 500 discussions trying to help managers and executives understand the need for a warehouse management system (WMS). Between 2005 and 2015, I had well over 500 discussions trying to help managers and executives understand the need for a transportation management system (TMS). Now, however, comes 2021 and guess what? There is not one but two very similar discussions that I am having weekly which have evolved from the many paradigm shifts resulting from the turbulence that began in 2020 and still continues today.
I am a STEM professional with a doctorate in industrial engineering and have had a career in designing and implementing supply chain solutions. But interestingly, in my pursuit of retail supply chain solutions, I have come face to face with the mother of all uncertainties: the holiday peak season. My experience allows me to see that the opposite of a steady-state solution – and the opposite of certainty – is the shopping period from Thanksgiving Day through Dec. 23. I have dealt with that uncertainty for several decades, so although I am a STEM professional, I have significant experience with uncertainty
Massive shifts in consumer expectations and e-commerce acceleration signal a new direction and new challenges. Shippers are turning to 3PLs' technology expertise to meet service expectations in an ever-changing marketplace.
As shippers strive to succeed in a changing, competitive world, many rely on their third-party logistics (3PL) providers and the technical solutions they offer. Nearly three-quarters (73%) of shippers responding to the Inbound Logistics report state they purchase logistics technology solutions such as TMS and WMS from their third-party logistics providers.
Supply and Demand Chain Executive - How to Maximize Your Current Warehouse Space
While the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic closed many doors over the last 18 months, industrial real estate in North America was immune to the virus, with transactions for large warehouses and distribution centers of 200,000 square feet or more climbing nearly 25% in 2020, according to CBRE.
The CBRE anticipates the absorption of another 300 million square feet of industrial space on the back of e-commerce growth by the end of 2021.
5 Keys to Get Ahead of the Holiday Shopping Season
Coming off a chaotic year and an unprecedented holiday shopping season in 2020, businesses have barely had time to catch their breath as they grapple with changing consumer preferences, labor shortages and rising costs brought on by the pandemic. But as the 2021 holiday season swiftly approaches, businesses looking to get ahead this season need to prepare now.