-
1 week ago | 
supplychainbrain.com | Helen Atkinson
There's been a huge proliferation of automation technology in the warehouse, including automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). James Malley, chief executive officer of packaging optimization software vendor Paccurate, says it’s pretty much a given that any large business will have one or both of those, and that has led to greater speed, and therefore volume, of goods flowing through a warehouse.
-
3 weeks ago | 
supplychainbrain.com | Helen Atkinson
Tariffs on U.S. imports under the administration of President Donald Trump are extensive, substantial, unavoidable and sustainable; the best you can do is manage the impact.
-
1 month ago | 
supplychainbrain.com | Helen Atkinson
Interested in a hot new role within the supply chain management industry? Consider becoming a manager of robots. No joke; there will be so many of them in the next few years, about 5% of workforce managers will be managing robots like people.
-
1 month ago | 
supplychainbrain.com | Helen Atkinson
The battle over New York City’s congestion pricing program is heating up. On April 21, U.S. transportation secretary Sean Duffy issued a sternly worded, third warning to New York governor Kathy Hochul, demanding she cancel theCentral Business District (CBD) Tolling Program in parts of the city. The congestion charge program, similar to ones in San Diego, London, Singapore, Milan and Stockholm, began on January 5.
-
1 month ago | 
supplychainbrain.com | Helen Atkinson
There’s a lot of confusion currently about the U.S. President’s tariff program. Some of it is unavoidable. Whatever Donald Trump’s actual goals are, his flip-flopping on tariff policy and implementation has brought chaotic uncertainty to international trade, and therefore supply chain operations. But some confusion springs from an apparently fundamental misunderstanding of how tariffs apply to wholesale and retail prices in practicality.
-
1 month ago | 
supplychainbrain.com | Helen Atkinson
America used to be great at building commercial oceangoing ships. Can it be great again? The current administration looks like it is going to at least try to find out. President Joe Biden first floated the idea of pushing back against Chinese dominance of shipbuilding during his 2021-2017 term. Now, President Donald Trump has threatened to fine Chinese-built ship up to $1.5 million to enter U.S. ports.
-
2 months ago | 
supplychainbrain.com | Helen Atkinson
Even if you don’t have a business where volumes fluctuate significantly, it’s still worth considering adding at least a layer of flexible workers into your distribution center or warehouse operations, says Alex Vinden, general manager, light industrial, at Instawork, a flexible work app that connects businesses with hourly workers. That’s because you’ll simply tap into a larger potential pool of workers. Flexible work — whether in terms of hours or commitment — is here to stay.
-
2 months ago | 
supplychainbrain.com | Helen Atkinson
The maddening thing about supply chain sustainability initiatives is that they can make financial sense initially. Then you dig deeper into the figures, and they don’t. Another, closer look, and maybe there’s a hidden yet measurable boost to the bottom line. The trouble with almost all attempts to measure, let alone mitigate, carbon footprint and other environmental metrics is it’s tough to make sure you’re including every consideration.
-
2 months ago | 
supplychainbrain.com | Helen Atkinson
Ever heard the adage: “People don’t leave jobs; they leave bosses”? That’s a vast over-simplification, says Daniel Ash, chief executive officer of Journeyfront, a hiring platform. He asked an audience at the ProMat 2025 supply chain conference in Chicago March 18 to consider a job where they might have liked the manager, but left the job anyway. Clearly, a bad boss can’t always be the main reason for workforce turnover. “That’s only a fraction of the problem,” he said.
-
Mar 7, 2025 | 
supplychainbrain.com | Helen Atkinson
Home » Cheap Goods ‘Not Essence of American Dream,’ Trump Official Says As the Trump administration performed yet another flip-flop on trade policy, a top economic official has declared that buying cheap products is “not the essence of the American dream.”According to The Guardian, during an appearance at the Economic Club of New York on March 6, U.S. treasury secretary Scott Bessent conceded there could be what he referred to as “a one-time price adjustment” as a result of Trump’s tariffs.
