Amazon Supply Chain and Logistics

The aim of any inbound supply chain for materials is to make sure that spare parts, rotable spares, and consumables arrive to operations in time to execute planned maintenance work. Too often, though, low performance, the lack of trust between teams and limited visibility for materials lead to frequent replanning and excess reliance on expediting […]

Global economic, environmental, and social factors are still disrupting supply chains. This limits organizations’ ability to meet customer demand and manage operational costs. While supply chain issues are attributed to a variety of causes, the lack of supply chain visibility is at the top of the list. Research by Gartner found that improved supply chain […]

In an increasingly digital world, the last mile is often the only physical interface a company has with its consumers, which makes it a great opportunity to differentiate in the market. With the rise of e-commerce, consumer preferences have become increasingly important. Consumers worldwide are demanding new experiences on the last mile, such as same-day […]

Revenue management is an important business capability in the transportation and logistics industry. Key components of revenue management involve contract pricing, spot or dynamic pricing, and yield management to maximize profitability and optimize transport allocation. This post focuses on dynamic pricing of freight and shipments for spot buying. The global freight market that combines trucking, […]

Managing vehicle fleets and delivery routes is a challenge faced by businesses and modern applications across industries, including food and parcel delivery, wholesaling, and repair services. Route optimization involves planning efficient routes for vehicles to travel so that various costs, such as fuel consumption or labor hours, are minimized. For example, a grocery delivery application, […]

Previously we argued that, given the world’s current turbulence, many businesses have few alternatives but to modernize their supply chains (SC) in preparation for the future. However, what exactly does modernization entail? What are the common themes for SC modernization? How do businesses in different industries approach these themes? What cloud solutions are useful? This […]

Last mile delivery is typically one of the most expensive distribution legs in many industries, such as for e-commerce businesses and postal networks. Numerous stops, even more numerous items to deliver (e.g., Amazon orders), and complex routing to minimize overall distances are common challenges in maximizing operational efficiency. However, there is another subset of challenges […]

Inventory management for perishable products is a challenge for many industries, such as food manufacturing, grocery wholesale and retail, and pharmaceuticals. For example, excess stock levels of dairy products, meats, fruits, vegetables, medicines, and even beer, to name a few, are all subject to expiration, “best before” dates, or important milestones in product lifecycle (e.g., […]

Unpredictable events such as the global pandemic, Brexit, the Suez Canal, and Ukraine highlight the importance for robust, stress-tested, and agile supply chain (SC) networks. Such large scale and disruptive events level the field and affect all industry players. Consequently, businesses that are quicker and more efficient to adapt to new circumstances gain market share […]

As per McKinsey, few industries are shaping the world we live in today like the telecommunications industry. Working from home, or even working from anywhere, is made possible by broadband networks and technologies. Improving the telecommunications (telco) customer experience with data-driven supply chains represents an emerging industry opportunity. Internet-connected, or smart, devices are growing exponentially, […]