Supply Chain Monthly
Current News

The Elves of Supply Chain
...How Santa really delivers holiday cheer
 
It’s that most wonderful time of the year
Holiday magic is spreading with cheer
 
With all of the joy a question arises     
How does Santa get everyone so many surprises?
 
The reality is that Santa has elves     
That take on the load of filling the shelves
 
They toil over packages with tape, paper and tags
Wonderful things going to homes via boxes or bags
 
Whether assembling or packing or loading or driving a truck
These helpers deliver without reindeers or luck
 
They analyze, forecast, calculate and plan
To coordinate magic all over the land
 
From the top of the North Pole to your humble abode
These ladies and gents have a lofty goal
 
Utilizing resources acquired from CSCMP and EDGE
Efficiently delivering your presents they make good on their pledge
 
When toilet paper is barren try not to scream and shout
Know that supply chain is working to get some enroute!
 
So please thank them with cards, a wave, or a nod
If you knew all they did, you’d truly be awed
 
CSCMP’s Elves understand supply chain’s blight
“Merry Christmas to All, and to All a Good Night.”

 
  #SupplyChainElves     #ElfOnTheCSCMPShelf 

 

As 2020 is coming to an end, the transportation industry is finding itself facing a more volatile marketplace than we experienced in 2018. This podcast reviews what has transpired throughout the year since the onset of the pandemic and what transportation professionals are facing as they look forward to the new year. CSCMP Members can access the bonus video of the interview here.

Listen to this engaging CSCMPodcast today!

  
Shippers and carriers love drop-and-hook freight for its speed and simplicity. In fact, the majority of U.S. Fortune 500 shipments are sent through preloaded drop trailers. The challenge with drop has been one of scale. Traditional drop services are limited to specific lanes and regions, and when demand surges, they can’t flex up to accommodate the additional volume.

In 2017, Convoy Go became the first drop-and-hook service that let carriers of all sizes, including owner-operators, haul power-only loads. This unique, modern approach to drop offered shippers flexible, nationwide capacity with the reliability and quality they’d come to expect from asset-based carriers.
 
Thank you Ari Bixhorn, Senior Director of Shipper Product at Convoy for sharing this CSCMP Hot Topics.
  
Supply chains are an essential service to our daily lives, the backbone of the global economy, and a true source of differentiation and innovation for enterprises.

When they run smoothly, customers get the products and services they need at the right price, place and time. But pressure to deliver better customer experiences and continuously optimize operations and costs — coupled with unpredictable disruptions to demand, supply and logistics — have exposed the vulnerabilities and fragility of supply chains.
 
Thank you IBM supply chain solutions for writing this CSCMP Hot Topics.
  
Paperwork is still the center of all things logistics. And of all the paperwork, the most important piece is the bill of lading (BOL). Why? The BOL is the legal document that includes all of the details about the shipment and the goods being carried and it serves as a receipt, meaning the carrier won’t be paid for the delivery without it. The BOL performs three key functions:

• Proof or evidence of contract of carriage.
• Proof to receipt of goods.
• Document of title.
 
Thank you Cara McFarlane, Solution Marketing Manager at Hyland for sharing this CSCMP Hot Topics.
CSCMP Awards and Recognition
Emerging Leader Award
The Young Professionals Emerging Leader Award (ELA) will accept nominations for deserving candidates January 4 through February 21, 2021. CSCMP’s Emerging Leader Award recognizes up-and-coming leaders in the supply chain management field for their meaningful contributions to the profession.
 
To qualify, the nominee must be 32 years-of-age or under at the time of submission and an active member of CSCMP. Help us acknowledge deserving candidates by nominating an outstanding young professional you know!

The winner(s) will be formally awarded live in front of 3,000+ supply chain professionals at CSCMP's EDGE 2021 Conference & Supply Chain Exhibition in Atlanta, Georgia, September 19-22. Mark your calendars to submit your nomination when the application period opens on January 4!
 
Supply Chain Innovation Award
CSCMP will accept submissions for the 2021 Supply Chain Innovation Award (SCIA) January 13 through March 17, 2021.
 
The SCIA recognizes teams who have demonstrated excellence, innovation, and return on investment for a significant supply chain challenge.

To participate in this esteemed competition, your team needs to submit a case study on your innovation. If selected as a finalist, your supply chain innovation will serve to educate and provide valuable insights, lessons, and applicable takeaways via a dedicated presentation at EDGE 2021, as well as be featured on the CSCMP and SupplyChainBrain websites. Check out criteria and guidelines.
 
Distinguished Service Award
CSCMP will accept nominations for the 2021 Distinguished Service Award (DSA) January 18 through March 15, 2021.

The Distinguished Service Award is the industry's most prestigious honor, bestowed upon an individual for significant achievements in the logistics and supply chain management industry. Presented annually, the award was instituted in 1965 as a tribute to logistics pioneer John Drury Sheahan.

Any individual who has made significant contributions to the fields of logistics and supply chain management are eligible to receive the Distinguished Service Award. Check out criteria and guidelines.
  
  • Brady Sartain, Logistics Specialist, Pilot
  • Harihara Radhakrishnan, Senior Product Manager, FourKites, Inc.
  • Jeffrey Fanella, Equipment Supervisor, Village of Libertyville
  • Robert Souza, Sales Executive, ZMac Transportation Solutions
  • Moataz Alsuhaimi, Petroleum Engineer, Aramco
Interested in becoming SCPro™ Certified? SCPro™ Certification is a three-tiered program that assesses progressive knowledge and skills across integrated supply chain activities. This process validates an individual’s ability to strategically assess business challenges and effectively implement supply chain improvements through the analysis of real-world case studies and developing a comprehensive project plan to achieve results such as a positive ROI. Learn more to earn more today!
Master of Supply Chain Management – 100% Online
The Pennsylvania State University
Accelerate your career! Earn a Penn State Master of Supply Chain Management part-time and online at your preferred pace. This highly engaging program, ranked #1 in the country by Gartner Inc., delivers the expertise professionals need to manage a world-class supply chain. Study proven theory, industry best practices, and new technologies from anywhere in the world. GMAT waivers are available.
Explore your options.
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CSCMP Featured Members
  
"CSCMP provides a variety of opportunities for you to learn and stay connected. I loved attending the local round table events because the warmest welcome officials offer. There are no right or wrong questions; someone will always be open to connect and provide insight. If you cannot attend the events due to work hours, the daily news is a phenomenal way to keep you informed. This material can always be shared with your colleagues or used on your next networking event to establish rapport. Another way to keep learning is the webinars or the podcast that bring free education to you during your commute, workout, etc. Not to mention all the resources online for you to learn at your pace."
  
"I joined CSCMP in 1996 soon after I started TSI Group in 1990. I joined because the association offers for many opportunities for networking, learning and growth. As an executive recruiter who works with a range of clients in the supply chain, transportation and logistics sectors, it’s been invaluable for me to increase my knowledge of our industry. Take advantage of all the association offers and find ways to participate as a speaker, writer, volunteer or attendee. Go to the events and networking opportunities. Read Supply Chain Quarterly to increase your knowledge of what’s happening in our industry. Reach out to fellow members, in your own chapter and outside your region. Find some time to grab lunch, coffee or a phone call with other members to gather insights. It’s vital when you’re early in your career but it’s applicable throughout your career—be like a sponge and never stop learning and CSCMP offers so many ways to increase your knowledge."
  
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In this CSCMP Opinion, PwC Principal Glen Goldbach shares how brick-and-mortar stores are being replaced with digital storefronts and doorstep delivery, direct-to-consumer logistics has become a strategic imperative that is driving conversations at the executive level across the retail sector. Retailers faced with the acceleration in ecommerce trends are considering whether to build or buy logistics capabilities needed to compete. In fact, major retailers have reported record year-over-year ecommerce growth in the latest quarter.
Training and Development
Today, Tuesday, December 15, 2020 │ 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM CST - Register for today's webinar!
 
Join the third installment of the Code Red webinar series this morning at 11am CST, hosted in conjunction with CSCMP, TranzAct and NASSTRAC. In this webinar, the focus turns to the ocean sector along with the truckload marketplace. This fantastic panel of resources will bring you up to date on what the ocean carriers are doing—and how you can best work with them in the current environment.

If you have any ocean freight or truckload moves, you must clear your schedule or have someone from your team on this webinar. Shippers are seeing unprecedented things in the ocean and truckload marketplaces.

With ocean rates up by more than 100% within a three month period, and tender rejection rates running at all-time highs in the truckload marketplace, shippers need to get a grip on what 2021 will look like and how they can best prepare.

Our resources are ready to give you answers. You’ll walk away from this webinar with valuable information that you simply can't get anywhere else—vital information for shipping in 2021 and beyond.
 
  
Presented by Softeon
Thursday, January 21 │ 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM CST 
 
The era of the “smart warehouse” is here.

Advances in Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) and especially newer Warehouse Execution Systems (WES) are breaking the existing distribution center mold, ushering in a new generation of intelligent DCs that will bring significantly improved levels of efficiency and performance.

Warehouse Execution Systems have been around in various forms for a number of years, but they are not yet well understood. WES has also most often been associated with heavily automated systems, and less so for more manual or hybrid DCs.

This webinar will demystify WMS, Warehouse Control Systems (WCS), and WES, focusing on the new capabilities advanced WMS+WES solutions bring to distribution in automated, non-automated, and mixed DC environments, with “always on” processing.

Add in artificial intelligence and machine learning, and we are on a path to greatly improved resource management and product flow—or what we might call “Flow Distribution”—and the realization of the truly smart distribution center.
  
According to the November 2020 Logistics Manager’s Index Report® the LMI index is up to 71.6 from September’s reading of 70.5. This marks six consecutive months of increasing readings following April’s all-time low of 51.3. This is highest reading for the overall index since June of 2018. The long-term U-shape of this metric demonstrates how, after an extended period of slow expansion, growth rates roared back in through the Summer and Fall of 2020. As noted above, this growth seems to be primarily driven by increasing inventory levels which have resulted in limited capacity and high prices for both warehousing and transportation. The logistics industry is continuing to grow quickly, a trend that is likely to increase through the end of the year as holiday shopping continues to pick up.
 
Respondents predict that over the next year, the LMI will be at 71.5, up (+5.1) from August’s future prediction of 66.0. This suggests that respondents are anticipating increasing rates of growth in the logistics industry over the next 12 months.