Technology | SupplyChainBrain

Technology: Page 742

Electricity, Energy Vendors Look to See More Drones, Robots Inspecting Equipment

Global investment in drones and robotics technologies for transmission and distribution systems is expected to total nearly $16.2bn from 2015 to 2024, according to a Navigant Research report.

Robots 4 02

Let's Just Call E-commerce - Commerce

Analyst Insight: Retail continues its massive digital evolution; we no longer should look at e-commerce as a separate activity for retailers. Consumers are only concerned about commerce. The lines between different retail channels have blurred, consumers expect retailers to service their demands and needs regardless of which path they decide to leverage with the retailers. Retailers' supply chains must keep pace with these digital changes. -- Guy F. Courtin, Vice President & Principal Analyst, Constellation Research

Jan Feb16 Cover Sm 32

Innovating to Meet Needs of Retiring Baby Boomers

Analyst Insight: The highly competitive pharmaceutical industry is innovating rapidly to meet the changing needs of an aging U.S. population. More than 10,000 baby boomers are turning 65 every day, a pattern that will continue for at least 14 years and equating to over 50 million by the year 2029. As such, how and where consumers obtain and receive pharmaceuticals will change, and logistics will be a driving force behind these movements. -- Kim McQuilken, Chief Operating Officer, Spend Management Experts

Jan Feb16 Cover Sm 31

The Thing Is to Be Connected

Analyst Insight: The past few years have seen IT systems moving away from advances in individual functionality to interoperability with complementary systems. Also, there's been a greater emphasis on "democratization" of applications - improving accessibility through cloud-based architectures, mobile computing, lower pricing models and improved user interfaces. We have also seen end products themselves becoming ever smarter through embedded software, making them able to react to their environment and transmit information back to supporting systems. -- Tony Christian, Director, Cambashi

Jan Feb16 Cover Sm 29

Click and Collect: Opening the Door to Competitive Advantage

Analyst Insight: Retailers are seeing new opportunities afforded by omnichannel commerce to leverage brick-and-mortar assets as more than just nodes in the distribution network. They are taking advantage of customers' desires for low or no shipping costs to drive additional in-store spend and seamless returns that make customers happy and ease the burden on distribution. -- Rob Dold, Retail Industry Leader, Fortna Inc.

Jan Feb16 Cover Art Slider 07

Global Penetration of OEM Telematics in Passenger Cars to Pass 72 Percent by 2021, Study Says

The global penetration of embedded and hybrid factory installed OEM telematics in new passenger cars will exceed 72 percent by 2021, according to ABI Research.

Automotive 3 17

Sharks vs. Jets on the West Coast Waterfront?

Here's a question for U.S. exporters who were grievously harmed by the West Coast longshore labor slowdown in late 2014 and early 2015: Would it make you feel any better to learn that you were the victims of "a street brawl"?

Think Tank 1e4bb8

Maximizing A Shrinking Margin In 2016?

Analyst Insight: In 2015, I predicted that the healthcare industry was finally sharpening its focus on profitability and efficiency. While I was writing this Walgreens moved on Rite-Aid and further consolidated the retail pharmacy market, but more importantly strengthened their negotiating leverage on price breaks. If the cost of the supply chain from sourcing to production to distribution was not a priority, it just became critical to profit margins and customer service. - Brian Hudock, Partner, Tompkins International

Jan Feb16 Cover Sm 28

Omnichannel Is Not Just for Retailers

Analyst Insight: Global, web, mobile, catalogs and trunk shows are only a few of the channels by which we sell and buy today. Retailers are investing billions of dollars to upgrade their tech infrastructure as well as their fulfillment processes to respond to customers as well as threatening and clever competitors’ moves. But omnichannel is not just for retailers. - Ann Grackin, CEO, ChainLink Research

Jan Feb16 Cover Sm 27

Selecting the Right Automation for Your Life Sciences Business

Analyst Insight: Labor costs are rising just as the availability of workers is shrinking and turnover is increasing. According to the Census Bureau, 60 million Baby Boomers will exit the workforce by 2025, but only 40 million new workers will enter. Companies must rethink how they bridge that gap and keep costs in-line. Many life sciences companies are reaching a scale where investments in automation help replace manual, labor-intensive operations. But companies must be careful in evaluating automation investments. - Roger Counihan, Life Sciences Industry Leader, Fortna Inc.

Jan Feb16 Cover Sm 26

Designing Supply Chain Networks the Right Way

Analyst Insight: Network design, network planning, network analysis, network optimization, or network studies - these terms have been used over the past 25 years to represent the work to determine how to set up logistics networks, how to analyze them for cost reductions, and how to re-plan them when something important changes. - Gene Tyndall, Executive Vice President, Tompkins International

Jan Feb16 Cover Sm 25

Customs Automation Is Finally Happening. Really!

After years of delay, the automation of importer filings, involving multiple government agencies, is upon us. Say hello to the "Single Window."

Podcast 153848

Page 742 of 1805

Featured Product

Photo: iStock/Anastasiia Yanishevska

How a Leading U.S. Floral Distribution Company Reduced Warehouse Labor Costs by 45% with RFID

Recycled Tagging Fasteners: Small Changes Make a Big Impact

Mobile geolocation service for track delivery, cargo shipment and freight transportation. Logistic Import Export business (Elements of this image furnished by NASA)

Enhancing High-Value Electronics Shipment Security with Tive's Real-Time Tracking

Franchise business e-commerce online e-marketplace or digital marketing branch expansion for growth or use technology to analyze product consumer data website management plan for sale service concept.

Moving Robots Site-to-Site