Logistics Matters with DC VELOCITY

In this episode, guest Bindiya Vakil, CEO of Resilinc, discusses vulnerabilities within our worldwide supply chains. Many U.S. manufacturers have experienced shortages in critical goods needed to keep production moving. President Biden is proposing plans to fix broken supply chains for critical goods, such as semiconductors and PPE. Vakil talks about our complex supply chains and the difficulties of simply decoupling from foreign markets.Freight has taken a bumpy ride over the past year, mainly due to the ongoing pandemic. It's been more of a roller coaster ride than a consistent level of goods movement. How is the industry coping with such highs and lows in capacity and demand?We have continuously reported on problems of congestion at America's ocean ports. But congestion is not a problem facing just U.S. ports; it is a concern elsewhere in the world, slowing down the movement of goods and causing supply chain delays.Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:ResilincFreight statistics stumble in January from pandemic recoveryUK ports suffer post Brexit logjams9th Annual State of Retail Supply Chain ReportDC VELOCITY's Covid-19 coverageVisit DCVelocity.com for the latest news. Send feedback about this podcast to podcast@dcvelocity.com.Podcast sponsored by MHSOther linksAbout DC VELOCITYSubscribe to DC VELOCITYSign up for our FREE newslettersAdvertise with DC VELOCITYTop 10 Supply Chain Management Podcasts

In this episode, guest Bill Brooks, vice president of North America Transportation Portfolio at Capgemini, discusses the current state of the Covid-19 vaccine programs. Logistics plays a major role in getting people vaccinated. Where are the bottlenecks, and can anything be done to assure that vaccines are distributed more quickly to both urban and rural areas?The logistics industry continued its expansion in February, as the pandemic-induced growth of e-commerce stresses existing supply chains. Capacity is limited and prices are continuing to increase due to rising demand. What is the outlook for logistics for the foreseeable future?Investments are growing at supply chain vendor companies. Two in particular made major investments this week to better serve demand for new systems and material handling equipment.Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:CapgeminiLogistics industry expansion continues in FebruaryProject44 acquires German ocean freight tracking firmConveyor company fought time and weather to open new factory9th Annual State of Retail Supply Chain ReportDC VELOCITY's Covid-19 coverageVisit DCVelocity.com for the latest news. Send feedback about this podcast to podcast@dcvelocity.com.Podcast sponsored by MHSOther linksAbout DC VELOCITYSubscribe to DC VELOCITYSign up for our FREE newslettersAdvertise with DC VELOCITYTop 10 Supply Chain Management Podcasts

In this episode, guest Craig Hoskins, chair of the International Foodservice Distributors Association (IFDA) discusses the challenges that the food delivery industry has endured during restaurant, schools, and institutional facility closures  during the Covid-19 pandemic. What will it take to get back to normal? He also suggests ways to address the truck driver shortages that affect food deliveries and the need for greater support for our restaurants.New research from IBM looks at digitalization and how it will affect the trucking industry. New technologies are coming to our nation's trucks. How long will it take before these become standards in the industry?And the logistics industry has seen its share of cargo thefts during the pandemic , But where and how those thefts are occurring has shifted from previous years and it varies by commodity and region of the world. Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:The International Foodservice Distributors Association (IFDA)Survey says digitalization trends will sweep trucking industry by 2030Report tracks rise in cargo theft from storage facilities.9th Annual State of Retail Supply Chain ReportDC VELOCITY's Covid-19 coverageVisit DCVelocity.com for the latest news. Send feedback about this podcast to podcast@dcvelocity.com.Podcast sponsored byApteanOther linksAbout DC VELOCITYSubscribe to DC VELOCITYSign up for our FREE newslettersAdvertise with DC VELOCITYTop 10 Supply Chain Management Podcasts

In this episode, guest Shawn Winter, vice president of Mobility Solutions at Descartes, talks about the concept of the Super Peak Season and how shippers can prepare for it. With the growth of online shopping, shippers and carriers find that there are times when they struggle to keep up with demand, such as the recent holiday season. Winter discusses some strategies for thriving during peak demand challenges.The food service industry was especially hard hit at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. With restaurants, schools, and other institutions closed or locked down, business fell off the cliff, forcing many food distributors to lay off drivers. Now that demand volumes are returning, they are having trouble finding enough drivers to fill routes. What can be done to assure their deliveries?And DHL shares some strategies for dealing with a post-pandemic world. How should businesses plan now for the challenges that will occur this year and next?Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:DecartesDriver shortage revisits food service industryDHL lists four retail hurdles in post-pandemic landscape9th Annual State of Retail Supply Chain ReportDC VELOCITY's Covid-19 coverageVisit DCVelocity.com for the latest news. Send feedback about this podcast to podcast@dcvelocity.com.Podcast sponsored by ApteanOther linksAbout DC VELOCITYSubscribe to DC VELOCITYSign up for our FREE newslettersAdvertise with DC VELOCITYTop 10 Supply Chain Management Podcasts

In this episode, guest Dwight Klappich, research vice president at Gartner, discusses the growing interest in robotic goods-to-person systems. Robots are hot right now. What makes them the cool technology to have for distribution operations, and in what ways are they being deployed? Klappich shares the latest research Gartner has done into these fascinating and quickly-evolving technologies. Many companies held on to their cash during the pandemic, and now there is more incentive to move forward on projects that have been kept on hold for the past year. New research predicts how companies will spend their money during the remainder of this year.And earnings reports came out this past week for the fourth quarter of 2020. Two organizations in particular give us reason to hope that there are better days ahead for the supply chain industry and the overall economy. The United States Postal Service and XPO both showed profits in that quarter, but the challenges for getting back to normal are still enormous.Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:GartnerUSPS posts rare quarterly profit after holiday parcel surgeXPO says strong fourth-quarter results show company has turned a cornerOutlook calls for gradual improvement in business spending9th Annual State of Retail Supply Chain ReportDC VELOCITY's Covid-19 coverageVisit DCVelocity.com for the latest news. Send feedback about this podcast to podcast@dcvelocity.com.Podcast sponsored by ApteanOther linksAbout DC VELOCITYSubscribe to DC VELOCITYSign up for our FREE newslettersAdvertise with DC VELOCITYTop 10 Supply Chain Management Podcasts

In this episode, guest Tim Pajak discusses a new initiative from the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP). Pajak serves as the organization's member engagement manager and shares about the new worldwide partnership between CSCMP and Junior Achievement to bring information to young people about the role of supply chains in our lives. One primary goal is to encourage these young people to consider supply chain careers.The Covid-19 pandemic has greatly disrupted the retail sector and new reports show that many of the changes in shopping habits are here to stay. We talk about the lasting impacts and how some retailers are adapting operations to keep up with changing consumer demands.And new figures show just how tight warehouse availability is. The rise of e-commerce and a push for faster deliveries in urban areas are expected to keep warehouse capacity tight for the foreseeable future. Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP)Email Tim Pakaj at CSCMPCloud tools help retailers cope with new buying patterns as pandemic impacts lingerDespite mid-year dip, rents for logistics real estate rose worldwide in 2020Logistics continues strong growth path in January9th Annual State of Retail Supply Chain ReportDC VELOCITY's Covid-19 coverageVisit DCVelocity.com for the latest news. Send feedback about this podcast to podcast@dcvelocity.com.Podcast sponsored byApteanOther linksAbout DC VELOCITYSubscribe to DC VELOCITYSign up for our FREE newslettersAdvertise with DC VELOCITYTop 10 Supply Chain Management Podcasts

In this episode, guest Melinda McLaughlin, vice president, global head of research for Prologis, discusses the market for industrial real estate. The lack of new construction last year, especially during the early phases of the pandemic, has left capacity very tight and rental costs high. What is the outlook for 2021, and how are trends such as e-commerce and urban fulfillment designs affecting the  real estate market for warehousing?Walmart is partnering with three industrial suppliers to build automated microfulfillment centers within many of its stores. The automation will allow it to more quickly process online orders for pickup or delivery. Will this type of concept be able to expand the reach of brick-and-mortar retailers and allow them to better compete with large online retailers like Amazon?Demand for goods-to-person technologies, where robots or automation systems bring products directly to workers, are growing in popularity. What are the factors driving this demand, and is this the future of distribution center design?Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:PrologisWalmart launches plan to build micro-DCs inside dozens of retail storesDemand for robotic goods-to-person systems to quadruple through 2023DC VELOCITY's Covid-19 coverageVisit DCVelocity.com for the latest news. Send feedback about this podcast to podcast@dcvelocity.com.Podcast sponsored by DCV-TVOther linksAbout DC VELOCITYSubscribe to DC VELOCITYSign up for our FREE newslettersAdvertise with DC VELOCITYTop 10 Supply Chain Management Podcasts

In this episode, guest Joe Ruddy, chief innovation officer at the Port of Virginia, discusses how the maritime industry survived the rough seas of 2020 trade. Demand was light even before the pandemic, then fell off the cliff when Covid-19 struck, only to return with a vengeance in the latter part of the year. How did our nation's ports handle those changes, and what infrastructure is in place to keep goods flowing well in 2021 and beyond?The trade war with China is not expected to go away under a new administration in Washington. Many importers are looking at diversifying their manufacturing, and even bringing some of it home or to nearby neighbors. But that is not going to be easy to accomplish.And truckload capacity is tight and looks to remain that way for the foreseeable future. What are the factors driving that tight capacity, and is there anything shippers can do to hold down rates?Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:The Port of VirginiaChina and US face reckoning over trade disruptions in 2021Truckload carrier predicts challenging year ahead for industryDC VELOCITY's Covid-19 coverageVisit DCVelocity.com for the latest news. Send feedback about this podcast to podcast@dcvelocity.com.Podcast sponsored by DCV-TVOther linksAbout DC VELOCITYSubscribe to DC VELOCITYSign up for our FREE newslettersAdvertise with DC VELOCITYTop 10 Supply Chain Management Podcasts

In this episode, guest Tony Sciarrotta, executive director of the Reverse Logistics Association, shares how retailers are handling the deluge of holiday returns.  Because of the ongoing pandemic, many purchases were made online instead of in-store during the holidays, so now retailers are faced with a deluge of returns this month. What are some of the strategies that are being used to process them and how can retailers reduce the number of returns they receive in the future?New Gartner research discusses how companies can compete with major disruptors who changed the landscape.And can smartphones be used better by retailers to not only process orders but also help customers have a better shopping experience? This and some other news from this week's National Retail Federation conference.Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:The Reverse Logistics AssociationGartner reports four ways to compete with industry disruptorsNRF: Covid pressures force merger of online and in-person shopping techSurvey of shoppers says BOPIS leaves room for improvementDC VELOCITY's Covid-19 coverageVisit DCVelocity.com for the latest news. Send feedback about this podcast to podcast@dcvelocity.com.Podcast sponsored by DCV-TVOther linksAbout DC VELOCITYSubscribe to DC VELOCITYSign up for our FREE newslettersAdvertise with DC VELOCITYTop 10 Supply Chain Management Podcasts

In this episode, guest Zac Rogers, assistant professor of Operations and Supply Chain Management at Colorado State University, discusses the current state of logistics, including capacity and pricing for transportation and warehousing. He also shares the latest Logistics Managers' Index figures and how they relate to what is happening in the market.Capacity remains tight in all aspects of transportation, including air, ocean, and trucking. What is driving this tight capacity and how are shippers and carriers reacting to it?Most fires and other disasters that carriers suffer are due to poorly packed shipping containers. What can shippers do to assure that the containers that they submit to carriers are packed properly to assure safety in transit?Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:The Supply Chain Management program at Colorado State UniversityLogistics Managers Index reportShippers brace for tight capacity  - trend to continue in 2021Amazon adds 11 more cargo jets to its growing air fleetCargo safety security a key issue in 2021DC VELOCITY's Covid-19 coverageVisit DCVelocity.com for the latest news. Send feedback about this podcast to podcast@dcvelocity.com.Podcast sponsored by DCV-TVOther linksAbout DC VELOCITYSubscribe to DC VELOCITYSign up for our FREE newslettersAdvertise with DC VELOCITYTop 10 Supply Chain Management Podcasts