Supply Chain News

The National Retail Federation on Wednesday released its projections for 2018 holiday sales, the organization forecasting total sales of between$717.5 billion to $720.9 billion. That represents a 4.3% to 4.8% increase over last year's sales of $687.9 billion, which were a 5.3% increase over 2016. Read the full article...

Few industries or business functions are experiencing as much disruption as logistics, supply chain and transportation. Whether your products rely on ground, rail or sea to reach end-customers, today’s levels of disruption are unprecedented. Industry providers and those managing their own transport needs now must rethink everything from warehouse locations to logistics technologies to fleet and carrier strategies. Read the full article...

Marking another period of growth, MD Logistics has been named a Top 3PL provider by both Global Trade Magazine and Inbound Logistics. This distinction is the 6th and 7th consecutive year for the accolade respectively. Read the full article...

As a third party logistics provider, we saw the importance of being able to offer our customers solutions that allowed their products to get to the consumer as fast as possible. This drove our warehouse expansion strategy to have both a Midwest and West Coast presence within the life science and pharmaceutical industry. Read the full article...

These robotic devices - often known as automated storage and retrieval systems, or AS/RS - are streamlining operations across many different industries. Cold chain storage probably isn't the first industry that comes to mind when thinking of advanced robotics or industrial automation. With such stringent requirements surrounding temperature control and the quality of cold products, consistent human interaction was always a necessity. With next-gen technology on the rise, the entire industry will see several key improvements. Read the full article...

According to Forrester Research, the adoption of e-commerce solutions is accelerating, driven by the advantages offered by omnichannel strategies. However, omnichannel solutions are still plagued by supply chain inefficiencies that can reduce value and hamper productivity. Take, for example, the returns management process, where defined methodologies for handling customer returns have become high-touch processes that can introduce delays, inefficiencies and mistakes -- all of which can impact the bottom line while also affecting the relationship with the customer. Read the full article...

According to a new survey, "The Everyday Essentials of Successful eCommerce Fulfillment," by Radial over a third of global online shoppers, 39.7%, report challenges receiving their online orders and that issues tied to cost and speed were the biggest factors impacting satisfaction. Read the full article...

At MD Logistics, we rely heavily on our company culture and the feedback we receive internally in order to make a difference locally.  One of the many things our company culture supports is giving back to our own community. As a result, there are a few organizations that we choose to support throughout the year. Read the full article...

Shippers seek 3PLs to provide transportation, distribution, fulfillment, and warehousing solutions. The right 3PL partner, however, offers continuous improvement in ways that some shippers couldn't hope to expect.  Read the full article...

Railroads continue to benefit from the trucking capacity crunch as shippers look to intermodal service to move their freight. While there have been previous cycles of highway-to-rail conversion and back again, industry experts think this time the switch may be more long term. Read the full article...

The 11th Annual Dave Kiebach Memorial Golf Tournament will be sponsored once again by MD Logistics. Dave Kiebach, who was a founder and co-principle at... Read more »

As with anything, the introduction of new channels not only introduces more risk of fraud, but also greater challenges in obtaining omnichannel visibility across all points of customer interaction. Read the full article...

Research shows that companies who digitally transform their supply chains will be leaders within their industries. Where are you in your transformational journey, and what are the key technologies that can help you digitize your supply chain? Read the full article...

In the days before Amazon, remote purchasing meant sending away for goods listed in mail order catalogs and waiting months for delivery. It was likely customers would have forgotten all about their orders by the time the purchases arrived. Times have changed and now the shape of eCommmerce has changed and so has the speed. Read the full article...

Are you doing everything ward off a cyber attack? Here's what you need to know to keep supply chain cyber security your priority for the rest of 2018.. Read the full article...

With a variety of product options available through multiple buying channels, the modern retail consumer now has more choices than ever before. The customer experience is now more important than ever before! Read the full article...

The logistics sector is thriving, and it is fast becoming an area of interest for a new generation of college graduates. Even in times of economic struggle, the logistics industry has continued to grow with jobs across the sector in everything from manual warehouse work to supply chain management. If you have the drive and determination to start at the bottom of the ladder and work your way up, then logistics could be for you. Read the full article...

In an effort to combat the world of counterfeit drugs and keep patient safety top of mind, The Federal Drug Administration enacted the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA), a phased approach to pharmaceutical serialization. By November of this year, pharmaceutical manufacturers must include a unique product identifier on prescription drug packaging and cases. Read the full article...

Third-party logistics (3PL) providers provide detailed logistical solutions for companies, in an array of industries, in need of contract warehousing, personalized fulfillment, and/or freight management. Often, these providers will specialize and target a specific industry or geographical market, or will limit their service offering. Those who specialize are referred to as niche 3PLs. Read the full article...

Customer expectations are changing as new sales outlets are being used. With the application of social media, omni-channel and e-commerce customers now have more price options, selections, delivery methods and shopping experiences. The ability of a business to keep the customer satisfied greatly depends on fulfillment capabilities. Robots are already solving picking and sorting challenges in the warehouse and they are just getting started. Read the full article...