The Supply Chainer

Several supply chain technology providers announced new developments over the past week, underscoring continued investment in artificial intelligence, warehouse automation and procurement digitisation despite broader economic uncertainty. Sereact Expands AI Robotics Deployment with Arvato Warehouse robotics developer Sereact announced it has expanded its deployment with logistics provider Arvato across facilities in Europe and the United States. The rollout now includes six A

A missed rate quote. A delayed customs clearance. A shipment rerouted without client notification. These operational failures increasingly trace back to a common source: freight forwarders lack the internal expertise to deploy AI tools that...

# Logistics Platforms Ease Carrier Diversification for 3PLs A logistics manager at a growing third-party logistics provider opens a spreadsheet tracking carrier contracts across six national and regional partners. Each relationship required...

The latest Resilient Supply Chain Podcast examines why carbon data is moving beyond annual disclosure and into product, procurement and market-access decisions. Host Tom Raftery is joined by Stephen Jamieson, Chief Marketing Officer for SAP Sustainability, to assess the operational implications of product carbon footprints, digital product passports and AI-enabled compliance. For supply chain leaders, the issue is increasingly commercial: incomplete or unreliable data may aff

Procurement teams report that visibility into spending patterns no longer translates reliably into sourcing velocity or measurable savings capture. The operational pressure centers on how organizations move from analytics dashboards to coor...

Parcel shipping has traditionally been treated as a routine operating expense. Invoices are paid, contracts are renewed every few years, and transportation costs are accepted as part of doing business. But as carrier pricing becomes increasingly complex, many organizations are discovering that parcel spend is one of the least visible - and least controlled - areas of the supply chain. Fuel surcharges, residential delivery fees, demand pricing, and accessorial charges now chan

A shipment clears manufacturing but stalls at export review. Customs documentation is incomplete. Export-control licensing requirements changed last week, and no one updated the screening checklist. Freight forwarders request additional cer...

A new wave of executive appointments and departures is reshaping the supply chain, retail and industrial sectors as companies respond to slowing demand, AI adoption and mounting operational complexity. From logistics providers to global retailers, July brought several high-profile leadership changes. Best Buy Reshapes Executive Team Around Operations Best Buy announced a broad overhaul of its executive leadership team following its CEO transition. Among the most significant a

Warehouse electrification is accelerating as operators seek to reduce operating costs, improve equipment uptime, and meet sustainability goals. But for many organizations, replacing internal combustion forklifts with electric alternatives has proven to be far more complex than swapping one vehicle for another. The transition increasingly requires coordinated decisions across facilities, energy infrastructure, finance, operations, and maintenance. Organizations that approach e

An invoice arrives without a purchase order. Finance teams scramble to identify the requester. Procurement has no visibility into the purchase. Approval workflows begin after the spending decision has already been made. Across large enterprises, these seemingly small process failures can create significant administrative overhead and delay payment cycles. A new benchmark report from Coupa suggests many organizations may be focusing on the wrong point in the process. While pro

Supply chain visibility has become a board-level issue, but collecting more supplier data does not automatically reduce risk On the latest Resilient Supply Chain Podcast, host Tom Raftery speaks with Justin Dillon, founder and CEO of FRDM, about converting deep-tier visibility into practical, defensible action. Their discussion examines human rights, geopolitical, trade and sustainability risks, and why procurement teams need to move beyond static supplier surveys. The full e

Container shipping rates have begun softening for the first time since April even as fuel costs rise and geopolitical tensions intensify across two of the world's most important maritime chokepoints. The combination of easing demand, added vessel capacity, Asian port congestion, and renewed security concerns in the Middle East is creating an increasingly complex operating environment for global shippers. According to the latest Freightos market update, Asia-US West Coast cont