While many analysts and industry observers claim that supply chains are back to historic norms, many shippers and forwarders still don’t know what to expect during the second half of the year — and some are planning for no peak season at all. Let’s dive in.
The Lead: A Ways to Go
According to BCG, fewer than 25% of companies are successfully scaling and building out digital supply chain capabilities for the future. This means that the majority have successfully completed their digital transformation and remain challenged in effectively scaling organization-wide.
“ CEOs have been speaking to investors about the supply chain, not only as a potential source of risk but also as a driver of innovation and competitive advantage. These conversations are inspiring many companies to bet big on the supply chain of the future—investing in digitization, resilience, and sustainability. Those that succeed will build supply chains that can withstand a variety of disruptions and lead the way to the future.”
As FourKites founder and CEO Matt Elenjickal
put it, to build those supply chains of the future, logistics professionals need the ability to take immediate action the moment minor disruptions occur — not hours later — before they snowball into full-blown problems.
In View
Glenn Taylor
reports that, while the West Coast offers speed,
the economic costs, emissions, congestion and labor issues have made the East Coast a more appealing option for shippers. Indeed, FourKites data reveals that the East Coast continues to take a larger share of imports.
Speaking of shipping volumes, Stefan Paul, chief executive of Switzerland-based Kuehne + Nagel International
told The Wall Street Journal that,
“There’s no peak season to be expected in 2023. There are no signals, neither on air or sea, at least not for the time being. So we have to be very cautious on that."
While 2023 has witnessed rapid technological advancements, challenges persist as siloed data impedes supply chain leaders’ ability to extract the full value from their tech stacks. However, Himanshu Mehrotra, FourKites VP of Product Management,
anticipates that enhanced data sharing, standardization and the integration of
artificial intelligence will quickly improve the ability to optimize supply chain operations.
Numbers to Know
Shipments to Amazon’s U.S. Facilities Increase Leading Up to Prime Day
FourKites saw the 14-day average shipment volume at Amazon’s U.S. facilities increase by 28% leading up to Prime Day, with the company reporting it to be the single largest sales day in its history. Dwell time also surged 17% in the week leading up to Prime Day.
“ Words of Wisdom
Being able to identify disruptions ahead of time before they become a problem, and then integrating that into your planning process to be able to plan your way out of a disruptive situation, means you’re better prepared to resolve the situation in a cost-effective manner, rather than an ‘expedite your way out of the problem’ scenario.
We are asking influential supply chain leaders from around the world to answer questions about their top business challenges and plans for an upcoming report, and we would love to hear from you. Be one of the first 100 people to respond to our 5-minute survey and receive a digital $25 Visa gift card. Your responses are anonymous and we'll be sure to send you a free copy of the report once it’s complete.
FourKites introduced enhancements to our automated Appointment Manager solution, with live status updates from customers’ networks, full configurability and end-to-end automation.
Temperature tracking is an indispensable tool for safeguarding product quality and optimizing logistics operations. In a recent blog post, we explore how advanced temperature tracking solutions, coupled with proactive strategies, such as contingency planning, data analysis and collaborative partnerships, can significantly enhance cold chain efficiency.
Wondering how you can stop losing money on the handoff between your warehouse and network? Check out this interactive guide to help you spot ways you can optimize every corner of your yard.
Glenn Taylor
Speaking of shipping volumes, Stefan Paul, chief executive of Switzerland-based Kuehne + Nagel International
While 2023 has witnessed rapid technological advancements, challenges persist as siloed data impedes supply chain leaders’ ability to extract the full value from their tech stacks. However, Himanshu Mehrotra, FourKites VP of Product Management,
