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AIT Worldwide Logistics joins Smart Freight Centre community

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Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily, News

AIT Worldwide Logistics joins Smart Freight Centre community

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Membership in nonprofit organization to accelerate decarbonization journey in collaboration with fellow logistics, shipping companies.

As part of the company’s evolving sustainability commitments, global supply chain solutions leader, AIT Worldwide Logistics, recently became a Smart Freight Centre (SFC) member.

SFC is an international nonprofit focused on reducing the emissions impacts of global freight transportation. The organization provides a forum for collaboration among top companies in the logistics industry. Members in the SFC community work together by consolidating existing knowledge and developing new approaches to foster emissions reductions throughout the global supply chain.

According to AIT’s Chief Information Officer and Executive Vice President, Ray Fennelly, partnerships developed within the SFC will help strengthen efforts to achieve the company’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2035.

As a result of becoming an SFC member, AIT is now participating in the Global Logistics Emissions Council, Clean Cargo, and Clean Air Transport programs.

In 2023, AIT expanded its supply chain solutions to help customers avoid emissions as efficiently and cost effectively as possible. For example, in its most recent sustainability report, the company included updates on pilot programs involving sustainable aviation fuel and electric delivery vehicles in multiple locations on three continents.

AIT also became a signatory of The Climate Pledge in 2022, joining more than 400 other companies around the world in an agreement to measure and report greenhouse gas emissions, implement decarbonization strategies, and neutralize remaining emissions with credible offsets.

Email AIT’s experts at sustainability@aitworldwide.com to discover how the team forms partnerships that help customers achieve their environmental goals.

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Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily, News

Partnership Between St. Louis Region and Port of New Orleans Continues with Joint Support for Infrastructure Investment

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St. Louis regional ports and the St. Louis Regional Freightway are jointly supporting the Port of New Orleans’ (Port NOLA) efforts to strengthen the flow of inland river cargo with the development of the Louisiana International Terminal (LIT). The LIT is a new container terminal project on the Gulf Coast that will benefit not only residents and businesses in south Louisiana, but also advanced manufacturing operations, agribusinesses and farmers, as well as other port operations throughout the Southeast and Midwest regions. Port NOLA’s new $1.8 billion state-of-the art container terminal will eliminate air-draft restrictions that limit the size of vessels that can currently call on the Port NOLA, allowing it to serve vessels of all sizes and dramatically increasing Louisiana’s import and export capacity while fostering strategic inland growth.

The St. Louis region signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Port NOLA in 2017 aimed at growing trade with a commitment to building existing and new business relationships between the two region’s critical ports of call. The establishment of the MOU led to increased traffic flow of cargo between the middle of America and Port NOLA, which is strongly rooted in container-on-barge service. The container-on-barge service moves an average of 30,000 TEUs per year between New Orleans, the Port of Greater Baton Rouge, Memphis and now St. Louis.

To further these efforts, the St. Louis Regional Freightway is supporting the Port of New Orleans in their development process to seek federal infrastructure funding for LIT.

The St. Louis region’s ports include America’s Central Port in Granite City, Illinois; Port Authority of St. Louis in the City of St. Louis in Missouri; Kaskaskia Regional Port Authority in southwestern Illinois; and the Jefferson County Port Authority in Missouri, south of St. Louis. 

Intermodal river transportation has become an increasingly viable option for shipping containerized freight via traditional barge or new liner vessels. Maximizing one of the nation’s most important and underutilized trade routes and growing the volume of containerized freight moving on the inland waterways are two ways the St. Louis region and Port NOLA are working together and helping to solve global supply chain disruptions.

The St. Louis region is the nexus of six Class I railroads, four interstates located within 500 miles of one third of the U.S. population, and the most strategic location on the inland waterway system – ice-free and lock-free to and from the Gulf of Mexico. 

The St. Louis region has been branded the “Ag (Agriculture) Coast of America” as home to a 15-mile stretch of the Mississippi River that has the highest level of grain and fertilizer barge handling anywhere along the inland waterway system, efficiently moving those commodities between barge and truck and barge and rail. Fifty percent of the U.S. crops and livestock are produced within a 500-mile radius of the St. Louis region, including approximately 80% of corn and soybean acreage. With the world population expected to grow by 25% and exceed 10 billion over the next 30 years, the Midwest will play a key role in feeding the world, and being able to efficiently move ag products out of America’s heartland will be increasingly important.

The Louisiana International Terminal builds on past federal investments in dredging the Mississippi River to 50 feet and locates the new terminal within the protection of the $14 billion Hurricane and Storm Risk Reduction System, which was constructed in the New Orleans region following Hurricane Katrina. The new terminal will allow the container-on-barge service to expand with a dedicated berth space designed for use. Container-on-barge volumes nationwide are expected to grow above 200,000 TEUs by 2050. This necessary, efficient transportation access allows U.S. shippers to compete in global markets and offers expanding trade opportunities for urban and rural communities.

New Jersey-based Ports America, one of North America’s largest marine terminal operators, and Geneva, Switzerland-based Mediterranean Shipping Company, through its terminal development and investment arm Terminal Investment Limited (TiL), have committed $800 million toward the project. In addition to the partners’ investment, the construction of the terminal will be supported by a substantial commitment from Port NOLA, as well as state and federal funding sources. The project is currently in the design and permitting phase of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ environmental review process. Construction is slated to begin in 2025 and the first berth to open in 2028.

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Global Trade Daily

Why Corporate Sustainability Practices Must Start at the Top

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Industrial manufacturers are some of the biggest contributors to pollution and climate change. Both industrial manufacturers and supply chain managers must bear a large part of the responsibility for reducing our environmental impact. While many factors have contributed to supply chain hurdles and economic woes, there are clear measures organizations can take to ensure progress toward more sustainable operations. Because there can be many hurdles on the way to meeting decarbonization goals, it helps to have multiple levers to pull and expectations to hold you accountable across various aspects of the business. Installing solar panels or recycling processed water alone won’t achieve your net-zero goals. Organizations must look at their entire operation – from supply chain to maintenance, manufacturing processes to administration – to identify decarbonization opportunities and ensure progress toward more sustainable operations. 

Importance of Internal Transparency

Raising awareness about the importance of sustainable operations and being outspoken about transparency and integrity is essential. Two-thirds of the world’s largest publicly traded companies have been vocal about how they plan to achieve their net-zero and sustainability goals outside of consumer-facing operations, but others still lack transparency as to how they plan to get there. When determining sustainability goals, remember the best plans flow from the top down. Committing to sustainability across your organization can help drive a culture shift whereby managers and supervisors begin thinking and acting with sustainability in mind. 

Some organizations even benefit from incentivizing these efforts, through executive compensation based on sustainable performance or programs that reward management and even production staff for their ideas and efforts toward sustainability. Shifting your culture toward sustainable operations can also help future-proof the organization. Keeping sustainability in mind when making equipment purchases and upgrade decisions can help you stay ahead of shifting mandates. For example, organizations might look at upgrading facility lighting to high-efficiency LED fixtures with future-ready capabilities, which can significantly lower energy consumption and carbon footprint at all facilities.

Promoting Cross-Functional Buy-In

Infusing sustainability KPIs into operations and decision-making will establish operational policies across your organization. One way to do this is to bring sustainability directors into management and purchasing decisions. With sustainability in mind, you can create consistent, well-documented policies, codes of conduct and processes to which all departments and business partners must adhere. No matter what you’re doing internally, working with suppliers who don’t meet modern sustainability standards holds back your net zero and corporate social responsibility progress. Establishing policies and expectations that suppliers must agree to in writing regarding safety record, waste management and greenhouse gas emissions helps ensure your entire supply chain is helping your company meet decarbonization and sustainability goals. Set operating agreements and separate performance metrics to follow up on, conduct regular audits and update your partners on any certifications you require. While some international companies may be reluctant to comply in the absence of governmental mandates, the tide is quickly turning in places like the UK and other European nations, who recently began pushing on due diligence proposals and forcing organizations to clean up their supply chain operations. When bigger, multinational companies with larger purchasing power begin enforcing these expectations, smaller organizations can demand the same standards. There is a bit of a follow-the-leader mentality in this endeavor, and by being the company in front of the issue, you can force the industry to catch up and have a say in the standards being established. As it turns out, competitive pressure is good for the environment.

Monitor Impact Regularly

It’s difficult to prove or prioritize sustainability when you are not able to consistently measure the results of your efforts. Using automated monitors for heavy industrial equipment or lighting control systems to track energy consumption can demonstrate quantifiable improvements in energy efficiency and carbon reduction. Having these metrics not only verifies the results of your efforts but can also help calculate ROI for the total cost of ownership over the up-front cost for investing in energy-efficient equipment. When you can show long-term benefit with empirical evidence, it turns a CapEx into an investment in long-value. Investing in energy efficient equipment and solutions will maintain and support your progress towards decarbonization so that you’re not constantly playing catch up.

Even for industries that are heavy emitters, such as oil and gas or even chemical manufacturing, for example— there are plenty of steps that can be taken to reduce your carbon footprint and any effort, big or small, can have a positive impact on the environment. By changing the organizational mindset from one of immediate gratification, ROI and cost-savings to one that prioritizes long-term investment, total cost of ownership and forward-thinking solutions, companies can make considerable and legitimate progress in their sustainability goals while also benefiting from higher-performing, longer-lasting products.

Author Bio

Fariyal Khanbabi is the CEO at Dialight, global leader in industrial LED lighting technology. Khanbabi brings over a decade of C-suite experience to her role, having formerly worked as CFO at Harvest Energy and Britannia Bulk, LTD. Having spent her entire career in the technology space, Khanbabi has become accustomed to being the only woman in the room and thus has proven to be a strong advocate for women in the workplace, especially in the LED industry.

 

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Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily

How to Avoid Software Supply Chain Attacks in 2023

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Introduction

Software supply chain attacks are rapidly becoming more problematic for global organizations, as the number of companies that depend on an interconnecting web of software packages continues to rise. As the threat continues to make itself known, more companies are trying to implement strategies and improve their internal security measures in order to limit the potential damage that attackers can cause. Despite this, it’s not always easy, and cybersecurity is a perpetual relay race between security professionals and hackers, with software supply chain attacks being one of the current legs of the race.

What are Software Supply Chain Attacks?

Software supply chain attacks happen when a would-be attacker manipulates the code of a software application, which allows them to hijack other applications further along the chain. This allows the attackers to either corrupt data in the network, steal important and valuable information, or gain entry to other parts of the network through a process known as lateral movement. Essentially, a software supply chain attack focuses on attacking the least secure part of the network, and seizing control from there – looking for the metaphorical chink in your armor.

What are the Best Methods to Prevent Attacks?

No security is completely faultless; you could follow every step correctly and you could still be vulnerable in some way. Even the world’s largest companies, with unimaginable resources such as Equifax have seen a severe breach, affecting more than 100 Million customers.

Given such scenarios, you want to limit your exposure as much as possible in order to minimize your chances of falling victim to software supply chain attacks. Below are some easy methods to help you improve your security:

Limit Your Use of External Software

Of course, as a modern business, you can’t be expected to do away with your entire software stack to avoid cyber attacks. However, you can cut out any software that isn’t essential or regularly used. This will help minimize the potential avenues available for a hacker to use to access your network and move laterally to other parts of it, which will in turn, help prevent any attacks.

Regularly Engage with Your Software Suppliers

This is a great way to keep up to date with the latest best practices from all of your suppliers. You will want to keep in contact with every single one of them and monitor their security situation so you can limit your own potential vulnerabilities. If you’re finding that a supplier’s response to your engagement is lacking, then you can consider the possibility of using a different vendor that places a higher priority on your security.

Keep Your Tools Up to Date

This may seem quite obvious, but if you’re using a large number of software packages in your business, you need to make sure you’re always updating them to the latest version. Failing to do this means that you will be working on old versions of your software, which will inevitably be much easier to breach as you won’t be downloading patches to deal with any vulnerabilities in the code. Furthermore, making sure everything is completely updated will also diminish the chances of technical issues unrelated to hacking.

Use Zero-Trust Authentication

Zero-trust authentication runs with the premise that all network activity is automatically deemed to be malicious. As a result, each user will need to go through a set of policy-driven authentication steps in order to gain access to the network. This is a very effective way of limiting the potential of software supply chain attacks as an attacker would need to get through to your authentication process in order to actually gain access to your network.

Examples of Software Supply Chain Attacks

There are numerous examples of software supply chain attacks in recent years, with the most well-known of these having large impacts on the organizations. Each of these cases provides us with a new opportunity to learn and implement new best practices for cybersecurity:

Mimecast

In 2021, the cloud cybersecurity company Mimecast announced that cyber criminals had compromised a certificate that they used to authenticate their services on Microsoft 365 Exchange Web Services. 10% of their user base relied on applications that needed the breached certificate, although they insisted the number of users affected was much smaller.

SolarWinds

In 2020, SolarWinds suffered a massive software supply chain attack, where 18,000 of their business customers, including multiple tech giants like Microsoft had downloaded a backdoor, which was hidden in the Orion IT Management app’s update tool. Microsoft themselves, in turn, had to notify 40 of their customers of the security breach.

Dependency Confusion

In 2021, a security professional named Alex Birsan managed to breach the systems of a number of tech giants such as Microsoft, Apple, Uber and Tesla through the use of a novel attack technique. Birsan sent fake packets of information to a large number of high-profile targets without the use of social engineering techniques.

Conclusion

In closing, you should now know more about what software supply chain attacks are and why they pose such a big risk to modern businesses. Furthermore, you’ve seen some examples of how even the largest companies with the biggest budgets for IT can be at risk with such attacks. The best way for you to protect yourself and your customers whose data you control is to make use of industry best practices and up-to-date tools to make the job easier for your security experts. Following these steps doesn’t make the chance of an attack 0%, but it makes it a lot smaller.

About Author

Kruti Chapaneri is an aspiring software engineer and tech writer with a strong interest in the intersection of technology and business. She is excited to use her writing skills to help businesses grow and succeed online in the competitive market. You can connect with her on Linkedin.
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Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily, Uncategorized

The Impact of Open Platforms on Supply Chain Optimization

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If you want to improve your business and keep up with modern logistics, you must take advantage of all the latest and future trends. So, you need to understand the impact of open platforms on supply chain optimization!

Understanding open platforms

Understanding them is essential in grasping the impact of open platforms on supply chain optimization. Open platforms, in a nutshell, are digital systems designed to facilitate collaboration and data sharing among various stakeholders. These platforms act as intermediaries, fostering seamless communication between businesses, suppliers, and customers. So, unlike closed systems, open platforms encourage inclusivity, allowing different software applications to work together harmoniously. They break down data silos, enabling real-time data exchange and integration across the supply chain. That is resulting in enhanced visibility and streamlined operations! Naturally, this makes them versatile tools for modern supply chain management. As such, as businesses increasingly embrace digital transformation, understanding how open platforms function is pivotal in harnessing their potential. With them, you can optimize supply chains effectively and drive growth in today’s dynamic business environment!

Enhanced visibility and transparency

Enhanced visibility and transparency are at the core of how open platforms can improve your logistics. These platforms act as digital lenses, providing real-time insights into every aspect of your supply chain. With increased visibility, you can track the movement of goods, monitor inventory levels, and pinpoint potential bottlenecks precisely. This newfound transparency empowers better decision-making, allowing you to address issues and optimize processes proactively. Moreover, it enhances communication with partners, suppliers, and customers, fostering trust and collaboration across the supply chain. So, by embracing open platforms, you’re revolutionizing your supply chain management. This transparency also enables a deeper understanding of your operations, making it easier to identify opportunities for efficiency gains, cost reduction, and, ultimately, better customer satisfaction. In today’s competitive landscape, having clear visibility and transparency through open platforms is a game-changer for logistics and supply chain success!

Data integration and interoperability

Data integration and interoperability are critical aspects of the impact of open platforms on supply chain optimization. So, when considering the adoption of open platforms, you must ensure that they seamlessly integrate with your existing systems and other stakeholders in your supply chain. The ability to share and access data across various platforms, applications, and partners enhances the efficiency of your logistics management. So, you will also need to choose logistics management software carefully, ensuring it aligns with the interoperable nature of open platforms. This interconnectedness streamlines processes, reduces errors, and accelerates decision-making. Moreover, when data flows smoothly, you can optimize routes, manage inventory more effectively, and respond swiftly to changes in demand. Data integration and interoperability within open platforms lay the foundation for a more agile and responsive logistics ecosystem, ultimately benefiting your entire supply chain!

Predictive analytics and AI

Predictive analytics and AI are game-changers in open platforms and supply chain optimization. These cutting-edge technologies leverage data to provide insights into future trends and potential disruptions. So, by harnessing the power of predictive analytics and AI, businesses can make informed decisions, optimize inventory management, and enhance demand forecasting accuracy. The result? Streamlining your operations, reducing most costs, and truly enhancing customer satisfaction.

Moreover, staying ahead of the curve is always essential in every industry, and predictive analytics and AI offer the competitive edge you need. So, embracing these technologies within the framework of open platforms can transform your supply chain into a well-oiled, data-driven machine. As a result, you’ll be better equipped to navigate the complexities of today’s global supply chains, making timely adjustments and ensuring the efficient flow of goods and information!

Scalability and flexibility

Scalability and flexibility are pivotal aspects of open platforms, revolutionizing supply chain management. In an ever-evolving business landscape, adaptability is key. So, open platforms offer the scalability needed to grow your supply chain seamlessly, accommodating increased volumes and expanding networks! Moreover, they empower businesses to be agile, responding swiftly to market changes and customer demands. Additionally, whether you’re a small enterprise or a multinational corporation, the scalability and flexibility inherent in open platforms allow you to tailor your logistics solutions to your unique needs. This adaptability isn’t limited to just handling growth, as it also ensures resilience in the face of disruptions and uncertainties, providing a safety net for your supply chain! So, by embracing open platforms, you’re not just optimizing your logistics. You’re future-proofing your supply chain, ensuring it can thrive in a world of constant change.

Risk mitigation and resilience

Risk mitigation and resilience are paramount considerations in the context of the impact of open platforms on supply chain optimization. Open platforms, by their collaborative nature, enable you to fortify your supply chain against potential disruptions and uncertainties. Moreover, these platforms provide real-time data and predictive analytics, empowering you to identify and address risks and eliminate supply chain bottlenecks. So, by leveraging open platforms, you’re not merely optimizing logistics. You are building a resilient supply chain capable of weathering storms and emerging stronger. That is a crucial strategic advantage in today’s volatile business environment, where unexpected events can have far-reaching consequences. It ensures continuity, customer satisfaction, and business sustainability, safeguarding your supply chain against the unknown and positioning your organization for long-term success.

Working on using the impact of open platforms

When you understand the impact of open platforms on supply chain optimization, you can easily leverage it! So, we hope that with our guide, you will make serious strides towards further improving your logistics.

Author Bio

Logan Freighman, a seasoned logistics expert, brings over 20 years of industry experience to his role. Affiliated with Pro Movers Miami, Logan is a recognized authority in supply chain optimization. He has led successful projects, contributed to industry publications, and is a sought-after speaker. Logan’s commitment to innovation and efficiency is an asset to the whole logistics community!

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Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily, Ocean Ports, Uncategorized

Descartes Releases September Global Shipping Report: August U.S. Container Import Volumes Increase Slightly from July and Continue to Track 2019 Performance

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Descartes Systems Group (Nasdaq: DSGX) (TSX:DSG), the global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, released its September Global Shipping Report for logistics and supply chain professionals. In August 2023, U.S. container import volume increased slightly compared to July 2023, which is fairly consistent with the pattern that occurs in peak season in non-pandemic years. Despite the volume increase, port transit times remained close to their lowest levels since Descartes began tracking them. The U.S. West Coast labor situation is resolved. While the Panama drought is impacting some types of shipping, U.S. container imports do not appear to be affected to date. The September update of the logistics metrics Descartes is tracking shows continued consistency with 2019 results and signs that key challenges to global supply chain performance in 2023 have stabilized.

August 2023 U.S. container import volumes increased 0.4% from July 2023 to 2,196,268 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) (see Figure 1). Versus August 2022, TEU volume was lower by 13.2%, but up 2.5% from pre-pandemic August 2019. The growth in import volume over the first eight months of 2023 is within 2.1% of the same period in 2019.

Figure 1. U.S. Container Import Volume Year-over-Year Comparison

Source: Descartes Datamyne™

“In August, U.S. import container volume flattened and is still relatively consistent with the peak season patterns we would see pre-pandemic,” said Chris Jones, EVP Industry Descartes. “While the drought in Panama is affecting some shipping traffic, U.S. container import volumes do not appear to be impacted as volumes at the Gulf ports over the last two months have been at their highest levels this year (see Figure 2) and transit times have been consistently low.”

Figure 2: U.S. Gulf Coast Container Imports for 2023

Source: Descartes Datamyne™

The September report is Descartes’ twenty-fifth installment since beginning its analysis in August 2021. To read past reports, learn more about the key economic and logistics factors driving the global shipping crisis, and review strategies to help address it in the near-, short- and long-term, visit Descartes’ Global Shipping Resource Center.

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Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily, Uncategorized

Supply Chain Evolution: The Role of Blockchain in Logistics

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This blog entails an in-depth discussion on the pivotal role of blockchain in streamlining supply chain and logistics management processes. Read to know more.

The advent of blockchain technology has sparked a newfound interest in the entire logistics and supply chain management community. In the era of complex globalized trade and supply chain processes, ensuring security and transparency has become a major concern for logistic businesses. Problems in traditional supply chain system, like lack of trust, operational and information gaps, and vulnerabilities to counterfeiting and fraud, has made it extremely crucial to automate the entire system. 

However, blockchain technology has opened up opportunities for revolutionizing the supply chain management process. It offers an immutable and decentralized platform that enables traceability, transparency, and enhanced security. By opting for custom blockchain software development services, logistics, and supply chain businesses are now building applications that are helping them to manage their business, ensuring increased returns seamlessly. 

In this blog, we will explore the market overview of blockchain in the supply chain and logistics industry, the benefits, and the future that blockchain as an advanced technology holds for the industry. Let’s dig deeper. 

The Market Overview of Blockchain in the Supply Chain And Logistics Industry

Blockchain in the supply chain industry is experiencing significant growth. The blockchain supply chain market size is projected to garner a revenue of $3,272 million by 2026 by growing at a CAGR of 53.2%. Companies across supply chain and logistics industries increasingly adopt blockchain technology to ensure complete traceability, enhanced transparency, and security in their supply chain management processes. 

With its smart contract and immutable ledger capabilities, blockchain technology is helping this industry to reduce instances of fraud, automate its processes, and streamline its regular workflows. The implementation of IoT in the supply chain and logistics software development has recently been on the rise, owing to its smart features like data monitoring and real-time tracking. While challenges like industry-wise standards and scalability are still prominent, blockchain technology will continue to evolve and transform the entire sector by ensuring the authenticity of products and improved efficiency.

How do Blockchain Software Development Services Streamline Logistics and Supply Chain Processes?

Custom blockchain software development services have the potential to streamline logistics and supply chain workflows in several ways. Here are some of them:

Immutable Records

Blockchain technology offers a crucial benefit in terms of data integrity. When a data point or transaction gets added to the blockchain, it becomes immutable and cannot be changed or deleted. This tamper-proof feature ensures complete data integrity regarding smart contracts, shipments, and other logistic processes. As a result, the reliability and trustworthiness of the data stored on the blockchain are completely guaranteed, offering a solid foundation for secured, scalable, and transparent transactions.

Smart Contracts

This type of self-executing agreement triggers actions automatically when a few pre-defined requirements or conditions are met. In the case of logistics and supply chain, smart contracts can easily automate processes like customs clearance, payment settlements, and route optimization. Smart contracts also eliminate the requirement for intermediaries, reducing the risk of errors.

Reduction of Fraudulent Activities

Fraud and hacking activities like double spending, counterfeiting, and document forgery are common challenges the logistics and supply change industry faces. With its cryptographic features, blockchain reduces the risk of fraud to a certain extent, making it difficult for malicious attackers to duplicate assets or manipulate data. 

Dispute Resolution

In a few situations of inconsistencies, leveraging blockchain’s transparent, immutable, and auditable records can help enhance the efficiency of the dispute resolution process. By offering intermediaries a clear and detailed transactional history, blockchain technology helps them identify and address the root cause of any issues. This level of transparency accelerates the dispute resolution process and assures a more profitable outcome for all involved parties.

Increased Transparency 

The decentralized nature of blockchain ensures that all the participants enjoy complete transparency and get access to real-time data or information. This transparency ensures seamless tracking of shipments, compliance with regulations, and verifications of product origins. It even reduces delays and disputes caused by any information or data discrepancies. 

Supply Chain Traceability

Blockchain ensures end-to-end traceability of various products in the supply chain industry. These products are assigned to a unique identifier, and their journey can be recorded and tracked from manufacturer to consumer in real-time. This is specifically valuable for industries with strict regulations, like the pharmaceutical and food industries, for ensuring compliance and product safety.

Cost Savings

Custom blockchain solutions offer cost-saving opportunities for logistics and supply chain businesses. By automating and regulating various processes, blockchain technology solutions eliminate the need for intermediaries, resulting in reduced operational expenses. Furthermore, the use of blockchain technology lowers the chances of errors and delays, thus leading to improved efficiency and customer satisfaction. Blockchain technology can lead to substantial financial gains while streamlining operations and boosting customer experience.

Streamlined Paperwork

The paperwork associated with traditional logistics businesses is extensive and includes bills, invoices, and customs forms. Blockchain technology can easily automate and digitize these documents, thus cutting down on administrative work and reducing the chances of errors.

Real-Time Tracking

Blockchain-based software solutions can seamlessly connect to Internet of Things (IoT) hardware, including RFID tags, GPS trackers, and sensors, which makes it easier to track shipments in real-time and monitor environmental factors for fragile cargo, such as temperature and humidity checks.

Improved Collaboration

Integrating blockchain technology into existing systems can enhance collaboration among key players or stakeholders in the logistics ecosystem, such as shippers, producers, carriers, customs officials, and customers. This happens because of the development of a shared platform for data exchange that helps in an improved decision-making process.

Blockchain is All Set to Transform the Future of Logistics and Supply Chain Management 

With its ability to boost security, transparency, and automation, blockchain technology is all set to transform the entire future of the logistics and supply chain industry. With various features of blockchain, like smart contracts, immutable records, and real-time tracking, it will become possible to streamline logistics workflows, reduce cost, and mitigate the risk of fraud. 

Its application and integration will lead to a more transparent and efficient supply chain process.

Also, with features like end-to-end traceability and improved collaboration, the investors and stakeholders can ensure complete compliance, product safety, and faster dispute resolution when it comes to managing their supply chain. 

As the supply chain and logistics industry continues to adopt top-notch custom blockchain solutions by hiring the services of the best app developer UK, it will bring in an era of efficiency and reliability, making supply chain processes more resilient to future demands.

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Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily, News, Uncategorized

Flexible WMS the Efficiency Cure for Ambitious 3PL

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An up-and-coming US 3PL has invested in a cloud-based warehouse management system (WMS) to accelerate expansion and market share.

Michigan-based Cura Resource Group, which specializes in bespoke turnkey solutions for its dynamic and diverse range of clients, has implemented the award-winning, cloud-based SnapFulfil suite because of its inherent configurability, depth of functionality and multi-site capabilities.

Cura successfully went live at their 10,000 sq.ft DC in Riverside, California, recently, after a rapid implementation period – and are quickly enjoying complete inventory visibility, optimized batch consignment and highly accurate image capture.

Technologically advanced SnapFulfil replaces an order management system (OMS) that brought constant downtime, a lack of support and inability to adapt to Cura’s fast-paced work environment.

Cura Resource Group was created to meet the last-mile distribution and warehousing needs of any business that wants a physical presence near where inventory is used, but doesn’t have the time, financial resources, or skills to develop and manage real estate on their own.

As business ramps up, the next step is to take advantage of SnapFulfil’s multi-site capabilities and seamlessly implement the WMS into their five other facilities across the US.

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Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily

Top 7 Supply Chain Management M.B.A. Programs

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U.S. News & World Report is out with another best Supply Chain Management M.B.A. Programs edition for 2023. Graduates go on to work in sectors as varied as food production to health care and these are the top 7 programs in the nation: 

  • Michigan State University (Broad)

The Eli Broad Graduate School of Management at Michigan State leads the nation in graduate degrees in supply chain management. The school is located in close proximity to an automotive hub – Detroit – and takes plenty advantage of the physical resources, expertise, and brain power at Fiat Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors. 

  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan)

One of the most impressive facts from the Sloan School of Management is that 83.8% of graduates upon graduation are employed. The supply chain management/logistics program prepares graduates for a career not just locally, but abroad as well. MIT is known for its global focus so if a career abroad is of interest, Sloan is a wise choice. 

  • Arizona State University (W.P. Carey) 

Out west the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State comes in number three. Carey is one of the largest business schools in the country with nearly 2,000 graduate students and 300 faculty. Within supply chain management/logistics, students can choose to pursue an M.B.A. either part or full-time as well as evening, executive, and online tracks. 

  • University of Tennessee – Knoxville (Haslam) 

While Haslam’s overall business offers are fewer than others on this list, the M.B.A. program leans heavily into supply chain management/logistics. Outside of the classroom students have access to organizations such as the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, industry-specific boot camps as well as case competitions. There is also an executive M.B.A. specialization available in Global Supply Chain.  

  • Ohio State University (Fisher)

The Max M. Fisher College of Business is one of the more affordable in-state options in the country for an M.B.A. with a concentration in supply chain management/logistics. Ohio State offers a full and part-time program as well their popular executive program. By graduation, approximately 77% of graduates of the full-time program are gainfully employed. 

  • Carnegie Mellon University (Tepper)

The mini-semester system was pioneered at the Tepper School of Business – four quarters of 6.5-week classes. Not only is a production/operations management concentration available, but students can also earn a joint M.B.A./JD through the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.  

  • Pennsylvania State University – University Park (Smeal)

Rounding out the top 7 is another Pennsylvania school – the Smeal College of Business. Penn State is a large school with its pros and cons. The supply chain management/logistics concentration counts on a firm network of private sector partners state-wide and does a great job placing graduates in attractive positions upon graduation.  

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Freight Audit & Payment Data Insights Can Help Shippers Forecast for Supply Chain Peak Season

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Trax reports data insights as essential for reducing risks and optimizing shipping costs this peak season

Data insights are key to a successful 2023 peak season, regardless of transportation mode. Spikes may not be as drastic this year due to the change in consumer spending behavior and initiatives by retailers to spread out the peak season over a longer period of time using discounts and other incentives. However, Trax Technologies (Trax), the global leader in Transportation Spend Management (TSM) solutions, advises supply chain leaders to leverage a data-rich peak season shipping strategy to minimize inefficiencies, risks and costs.

The large amount of data collected by the  freight audit and payment (FAP) process enables Trax to support a portion of the data-driven decisions companies require to estimate costs and optimization opportunities surrounding peak-season forecasts based on historical data and monitor costs during peak season itself.  Effective use of transportation related cost data, including freight, fuel and the multitude of surcharges by mode of transportation and service permit a deep dive on how companies can accurately forecast and optimize shipping before, during, and after peak season.

Transportation management is the process of planning, executing, and optimizing the movement of goods. When successfully executed, a transportation management strategy makes it easier for shippers to achieve an error-free, cost-effective, fast, and smooth flow of products.

Maximizing the value of data, such as freight audit and payment (FAP) data, are a material part of the overall control tower strategy most companies rely on as they improve the end to end governance of processing related to supply chain logistics.  Good data improves visibility, decision-making, and operational efficiency. During peak season, strategies often need to shift to accommodate increased demand and limited capacity, which often impacts the cost of moving goods.

Diversifying the modes of transportation, for example, by choosing rail instead of over-the-road (OTR) options can alleviate some transportation costs. Using data insights from transportation spend tools and knowing that each segment of the logistics industry will experience its peak at different points over the next few months, will prove beneficial in such instances. Backed by data, shippers can be confident in decision-making and easily navigate the remainder of 2023.