This challenge is to see if your mega-retailer's chatbot can answer the following ten questions and offer practical advice. First, here's what you need to know: This facility includes an office area, factory, and warehouse. With the stage set, here are the questions: Mr. Chatbot, regarding our factory floor, how often should we refinish it? Once a year? Twice per year? More often? Which disinfectant should we use, or do we even need a disinfectant? How many paper products should we order at a time? We don't want to run short, but we also don't want to order too much. Our in-house cleaners hav ..read more

The purpose of any supply chain is to get materials from the point of origin to the place of need as quickly and inefficiently as possible. In today's market — now pockmarked by erratic supply chain disruptions — fulfillment is easier said than done. Distributors large and small feel mounting pressure to perform under capricious economic conditions. While there is no quick fix, understanding the driving forces and taking a more proactive approach can ensure fulfillment continuity. However, doing so is virtually impossible without tools and automation technologies that provide a more granular l ..read more

A recent study by McKinsey revealed that two-thirds of an average company’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) footprint lies with suppliers. For procurement leaders, this finding indicates marked potential for making an environmental impact. For manufacturing facilities, the pressure is on to become the essential link to a more sustainable value chain.  What Forces Are Driving The Demand For Sustainability In Manufacturing? Societal obligations — Driven largely by customer demand for brands with stronger environmental, social, and governance (ESG) credentials. Government polici ..read more

As we celebrate Earth Day (which turned 50 last year), the topic of sustainability becomes prevalent. There is a lot of terminology that falls under the category of sustainable, and some of it can be vague or confusing. Today, we’ll be learning by clarifying what some of the most commonly used phrases related to sustainability mean. Berry Global and Their Commitment to Sustainability Our supplier partners at Berry Global were kind enough to contribute to this educational pursuit. Berry Global, a Fortune 500 global manufacturer and marketer of plastic packaging products, is striving to maximize ..read more

We’ve all read the letters, seen the news, and watched as raw materials of all kinds go on allocation or worse, become scarce for the foreseen future. One such raw material is resin, the fundamental component of plastic. We’re seeing prices of resin rise as demand remains steady, and supplies decrease. Helping us understand why, Berry Global, a worldwide manufacturing leader of plastic-based products, chimes in with a simple, and effective summary. Here’s what they had to say about resin price increases: “Multiple events have collided over the past three quarters, including but not limited to ..read more

Your business used to provide perks—a fancy coffeemaker, a gym membership, a mini-fridge stocked with free drinks, and more. Perks kept your employees happy working at your business--but now all of that is gone by the wayside. What can you do for employees' home offices to make them feel appreciated? Get Them the Right Furniture As soon as the lockdown started, there was an instant shortage of essentials such as desks and office chairs. By now, your employees are probably tired of working from barstools and kitchen chairs, and their backs are probably crying out for support. If you want to giv ..read more

Supply chain flexibility is this year's buzzword in the wake of COVID-19, but supply chain quality remains equally important. If you don't want your efforts at supply chain flexibility to go awry, you need the ability to perform fast and thorough PPAP audits. What's a PPAP Audit? PPAP stands for the "Production Part Approval Process." This audit process was initially used by the automotive industry—although it's often used in broader contexts—to ensure that a supplier can deliver tools, parts, or subassemblies that allow the final product to meet its designed standards while minimizing the ris ..read more

Times are tough, which means that it may be time to start looking at how you can cut costs. Here's one you may not have considered: container density. If your logistics personnel aren't packing shipping and air freight containers effectively, then you're going to pay high shipping rates for nothing more than air. Here a few tips to help you out. Consolidate Your Packaging Maybe the problem isn't with your personnel—maybe it's your packaging instead. If your packaging isn't designed for shipment, you'll be able to fit less of it into a single container, and therefore you'll have to pay more in ..read more

You'd think that the supply chain world would have adjusted to a new normal by now, but the virus keeps proving us wrong. From a shortage of glass vials for testing to a reduction in food demands as restaurants close again, the national and global supply chain keeps changing in perilous ways. How do businesses need to adapt? Running Down the Most Recent Shortages The thing about the pandemic era is that some of the shortages you might expect—and some you might not. What’s more, factories across the world are continually ramping up and down in response to these shortages, which means keeping tr ..read more

No matter what happens, cargo needs to keep on moving. Because warehouse workers and other supply chain employees are essential, they need to be given the best quality protection. Masks, gloves, and temperature checks are all part of a good program, but they can be augmented with smart policies that make workers even safer. What PPE Do Warehouse Workers Need? The COVID-19 pandemic has made alterations to the traditional menu of protective equipment that warehouse workers need. Hard hats, reflective vests, goggles, and steel-toed boots are still mission-critical gear, but other items have now b ..read more