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At a high school science fair, a student proceeded to put five metronomes on a single piece of wood. As each metronome was started, the metronome needles bounced back and forth, independent of the others and definitely not in synch. “Behold,” the student said as she placed the platform of metronomes across two cylinders. Within a minute, all five metronomes followed the same tempo in complete synchronization.

For many supply chain leaders, planning for peak season logistics started six to twelve months ago, or more for some specialized companies. Now those orders are beginning to move. Logistics is the workhorse for shipping peak season orders from the origin port to the destination port, from the port to the distribution center, and from the distribution center to the store/consumer. Through this period of increased demand and potential capacity constraints, shippers need to deliver orders on time while maintaining exceptional customer service and, at the same time, optimizing transportation spend. Peak season happens every year. Some years are more intense, demand is very high, and capacity is minimal, but that wasn’t the case in the past year. Logistics executives are predicting another muted peak season for 2023. But even with those predictions, shippers must be ready for the uptick in demand, even if it is less than in past years.

E2open is powered by a strong global network of problem solvers and innovators driven by strong values and our company culture. Together, we are focused on doing what’s right in business and in our communities. Every month, we will shine a spotlight on an exceptional team member who is helping us transform the supply chain industry. This month, we held a Q&A with Chad Toupin, Managing Director, Rail at e2open.

By now, retailers have forecasted their revenue for the holiday season. Whether brick-and-mortar or selling wholly online, the supply chain process remains the same. They have found finished goods suppliers and placed orders that ensure they have the correct quantity of the right product at the right time. This is how business works…in retail.  But what if you are upstream of this retailer buying frenzy? As a brand owner, the picture is quite similar, but it has been set in motion for some time now. The brand owner has already anticipated what orders they will receive from the retailer, and they have processed this forecast into a supply plan that allows them to build the finished goods in time for the shipment to retailers or on an even earlier timeline for businesses like distributors and other sales channels. 

Despite increased interest from the public, world governments, and international investment firms, the electric vehicle (EV) industry remains something of a speculative market. It’s clear that there is a huge demand for EVs, especially with global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions continuing their yearly upward trend. However, due to a tangled web of variables, the logistical difficulties of EV mass production transcend standard automotive production.

The produce season in the U.S. is upon us. Who doesn’t love ice-cold watermelon, buttery sweet corn, or the tang of a tart cherry? But there’s a lot of effort to move freshly harvested fruits and vegetables from farms to processing plants and stores so they land on your table ready to enjoy. Maintaining the quality and freshness of goods is essential for companies that specialize in delivering perishable products, such as fresh produce, to retail locations nationwide. Gartner research says, “Visibility and transparency in transportation has moved to the top of many organizations’ priority lists due to customer demand, along with supply chain disruptions and the necessity in decision making for inventory management.” This is especially true for companies moving perishable products because the clock is ticking and there is limited time to get goods to market. A real-time transportation visibility (RTTV) solution that monitors shipments as they move from the fields to the store...

E2open is powered by a strong global network of problem solvers and innovators driven by strong values and our company culture. Together, we are focused on doing what’s right in business and in our communities. Every month, we will shine a spotlight on an exceptional team member who is helping us transform the supply chain industry. This month, we held a Q&A with Giacomo Squintani, AVP Sales, at e2open.  

The global trade environment has undergone significant changes in the past two decades, driven by rapid technological innovations, global market expansion, and a continued increase in cross-border e-commerce. In recent years, customs modernization has become an essential priority for countries worldwide, especially with the geo-political shifts fueled by trade wars in Asia and protectionist actions to enforce non-tariff restrictions on imports and exports.

Supply chain planning (SCP) is the process of anticipating market demand over time and determining the optimal use of assets and resources to make, move, and distribute supply to meet demand while minimizing costs and maximizing customer service. It answers the key questions that set the course for the entire supply chain – How much do we need to make? How many will we sell? Which products will sell? Where will each product sell? And how fast? And so on. Planning and inventory stocking levels are inextricably linked. From the demand and supply forecast, planners determine how much inventory to stock at points along the value chain and distribution centers, with some safety stock to absorb day-to-day variations. The system works relatively efficiently when forecast assumptions are known, and variability is low. When shifts in demand and disruptions to supply are missed, inventory becomes a liability in the form of stockouts or excess inventory that ties up working capital.