The Port of Rotterdam tests blockchain logistics which can kickstart a revolution in the level of transparency within the industry.
The Port of Rotterdam, Europe’s largest shipping port, is taking part in a Blockchain consortium which is focusing on logistics, reported Coin Desk. The project has the support of more than fifteen public and private sector companies based in the Netherlands.
Consortium members will spend the next two years designing and developing applications for blockchain technology in the logistics sector. There have been similar efforts in the past, but according to the founders, this blockchain project is unique because of its scale in the logistics chain.
What is Blockchain Technology?
According to the Economist, a blockchain is a distributed database that maintains an ever-growing list of records called blocks. The information in a block cannot be altered retrospectively as each block contains a timestamp and a link to a previous block. The nature of blockchains makes it function like a public, digital, distributed ‘ledger’.
The technology is relatively recent having first been put into practice by Satoshi Nakamoto in 2009 as a core component for the digital currency known as bitcoins.
Since its debut, blockchain technology has had a disruptive impact on several industries. Financial technology was the first to start adopting blockchains, but its started to move into the logistics sector as well.
How Blockchain Technology Can Benefit Logistics
There have been several articles published online about the benefits blockchain technology can bring to the logistics and supply chain sector. Here are a few ways the technology can improve the industry.
- Transparency for customers. For most people, little is known about the products they use. As LetsTalkPayment.com phrases it, “an almost incomprehensible network of retailers, distributors, transporters, storage facilities and suppliers stand between us and the products we use.”
With blockchain technology, customers will be able to see every part of the journey their product took before arriving in their hands. The network behind the store shelf will no longer be hidden, allowing the customer to make better informed decisions.
- Transparency for auditors. Because the history of transactions is locked into each block, auditors will have an easier time understanding where items and resources have gone. This, as Adam Robinson of Cersasis puts it, “help[s] supply chain leadership, such as C-level executives understand how to make the supply chain more efficient and productive.”
- Greater security. The technology will enable supply chain companies to identify attempted fraud more easily.
“For example, an employee that goes into the system to change past events will alter the coding of the event” writes Robinson. “However, the altered coding appears so differently that it would be practically impossible to not notice the change. This will allow companies to recognize the fraud and who initiated the change almost immediately.”
The two-year project undertaken by Port of Rotterdam will give insight into the scope of the benefits, but the technology has already shown promise.
“With a world that is becoming more connected on a daily basis, blockchain technology will inherently develop into a symbiotic relationship with the Internet of Things and today’s advanced logistics and supply chain management systems” concludes Robinson.
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The long road to commercially available autonomous cars is almost at an end. A number of things will be changing when that happens. Chief among the changes is the way automotive manufacturers invest and sell their products.
What separates an autonomous car from a regular car is the onboard computer. Behind that technology are companies such as Intel, Qualcomm Inc. And Nvidia Corp. which provides the chips necessary for the computing power. Cars will need to be turned into essentially mobile data centers meaning that the competition for the future of autonomous cars isn’t only among car manufactures. It’ll also be with and between the world’s largest biggest tech companies.
There’s Big Business in Little Parts
As we approach the final lap on the course towards autonomous cars, automotive manufacturers have already started to change their sale tactics. Where manufacturers used to talk about horsepower, they’ve now started talking about processing power.
According to data compiled by Bloomberg, the total value of automotive supplier deals in 2015 and 2016 were $74.4 billion. For some context, each of those years far exceeded the $17.7 billion annual average of the previous 10 years.
“The number of transactions valued at $500 million or more also skyrocket to 18 last year, triple the level of the previous decade” writes Elisabeth Behrmann, Polina Noskova, and Aaron Kirchfeld from the same Bloomberg article. “There have been 11 such deals so far this year.”
An example is Intel. Its automotive business is currently involved in 30 vehicle programs on the road. By 2020, the company is set to increase that number to 49 with orders worth $1 billion according to the Wall Street Journal.
Many of the deals are still done with makers of powertrain and chassis components. However, electronics-related acquisitions are growing the fastest. Some estimates have the cost of electronics in car manufacturing growing to 50% by 2030, up from around 30% in 2015. A portion of resources have also gone into securing the proper know-how to ensure that their cars have the necessary sensors, cameras, radar, and computing power necessary to safety assess traffic conditions and see their environment as a driver would.
Phone to Pocket PC, Car to Mobile Entertainment Hub
One of the biggest innovations over the last two decades has been in finding new uses for old products. TVs grew ‘smart’, watches and shoes graduated into personal trainers, and cell phones evolved into pocket PCs. Today’s new technology is sold with the promises of greater efficiency and consolidation. Autonomous cars will be no different.
For as useful as cars are in our everyday lives, they spend close to 95% of the time unused. This means there is a big opportunity for the manufacturers of autonomous cars. Captive consumers will be surrounded by the technology for an average of at least five hours a week. The challenge will not just be how to commercially manufacture autonomous cars, but also in building a platform that connects software developers with the passengers.
As Nokia and Blackberry demonstrated in the past, consumers need more than just an effective product. They also need their devices to consolidate their consumption of media.
That’s it for us this week! If you liked this blog post, why not subscribe to our blog? If you’re interested in what we do as a 3rd party logistics provider, don’t hesitate to check out our services (as expressed above, we are very pro finding you the lowest total cost!). We’re also in the twittersphere, so give us a follow to get the latest logistics and supply chain news.
To most job seekers, a career in logistics or supply chain is just misunderstood — or invisible. This is why we’ve compiled 10 reasons why a career in logistics and supply chains can be the dynamic and rewarding career so many look for!
Have you ever wondered how a package or an item gets to where it needs to go? You should—the system that ensures that it happens is called a supply chain. The industry that ensures that it runs smoothly is called logistics. And the reason why this industry is so exciting is because without it, no other industry would be able to operate!
Despite the critical role logistics plays behind consumer goods, military supplies and personnel, it’s an industry with a recruiting problem.
Here Are Our Top Picks for Why This Career May be Right for You
That’s it for us this week! If you liked this blog post, why not subscribe to our blog? If you’re interested in what we do as a 3rd party logistics provider, don’t hesitate to check out our services (as expressed above, we are very pro finding you the lowest total cost!). We’re also in the twittersphere, so give us a follow to get the latest logistics and supply chain news.
Research and Markets recently announced the release of its “Bio-Pharmaceutical Logistics Global Market Report 2016.” The report has a detailed strategic analysis of the bio-pharmaceutical industry on a global level and provides a growth forecast for the markets of North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific from 2012 to 2020.
The scope of the report involves an analysis based on the type of transport used and in the type of product used(/transported?). The Porter’s Five Forces analysis included in the report provides an insight into market dynamics and industry competition.
The Bio-Pharmaceutical Industry Hurdles Obstacles to an Exponential Growth
The major take away from the report is that the global market for bio-pharmaceutical logistics has had major growth over the last few years. In 2014, the industry was valued at $61.1 billion USD and by 2020, it is expected to be at a value of $91.0 billion USD, growing at a CAGR of 6.9% between of 2015 and 2020.
Despite the rapid industry growth however, temperature control, regulatory compliance, security, safety and chain of custody remain the key obstacles for pharmaceutical manufacturers. It is through effective logistics that management pharmaceutical companies are able to have a constant supply of drugs, devices and equipment from various dealers and distributors in different locations.
The report also highlights some other issues that are impacting the bio-pharmaceuticals logistics industry:
- Patent rights for several leading drugs are set to expire, meaning that large portion of sales will shift from original brand manufacturer to generic manufacturers.
- The global pharmaceutical market has more than doubled in the past 10 years and is expected to reach 942 billion by the end of 2016.
- Markets like Asia, Latin America and the Middle East are becoming more attractive to these pharmaceutical companies, however, these markets have the most challenging supply chains.
- The distribution structure in European and American markets are heavily inclined towards national warehouses both regionally and centrally.
Pharmaceuticals See the 3PL Salvation
Developing warehouse structures and outsourcing to logistics service providers is the key focus with some pharmaceutical manufacturers. Low cost and greater visibility in the supply chain are the main advantages of outsourcing logistics services and is becoming an integral part of strategy for the pharmaceutical industry.
A few key findings from the report with regards to pharmaceutical logistics include:
- Geographically, Asia-Pacific dominates the market, which is evident from the presence of key players and lower logistics costs.
- Panalpina, DHL, FedEx and UPS are amongst the leading logistic service providers in the industry.
The report has more value than just a global industry overview. It also contains growth strategies, describes entry barriers to be considered and has competitive profiling of leading players, recent corporate developments in the industry and various business strategies adopted by them.
This makes the report an excellent tool for people looking to enter the industry and those already in the industry seeking to plan and implement their strategies in different market areas such as emerging geographies and new technologies.
That’s it for us this week! If you liked this blog post, why not subscribe to our blog? If you’re interested in what we do as a 3rd party logistics provider, don’t hesitate to check out our services (as expressed above, we are very pro finding you the lowest total cost!). We’re also in the twittersphere, so give us a follow to get the latest logistics and supply chain news.
It’s been two weeks since the United Kingdom European Union membership referendum was held in the UK. In what surprised many political analysts and commentators, a majority of British citizens voted to leave the EU with 52% percent in favour of leaving and 48% in favour of remaining.
This month, we’re focusing our eBook on how this change will affect the logistics industry both now and in the future as the United Kingdom prepares to leave the EU.
Looking at Current and Future Cost of Brexit for the Logistics Industry
That’s it for us this week! If you liked this blog post, why not subscribe to our blog? If you’re interested in what we do as a 3rd party logistics provider, don’t hesitate to check out our services (as expressed above, we are very pro finding you the lowest total cost!). We’re also in the twittersphere, so give us a follow to get the latest logistics and supply chain news.
Nine years ago, several coffee beans of the higher quality Arabica variety were stashed away and forgotten about. At the time, there was a period of oversupply you see.
As the coffee beans sat in the warehouse, they lost their quality and with it their value. In fact, the value of the coffee beans has dropped so much that they are essentially free for anyone that can find a use for them.
“For instance, coffee that’s been certified by the ICE Futures U.S. exchange that goes unsold for 121 days costs half a cent cheaper per pound, according to the Journal. For three years, the cost falls 35 cents per pound. Coffee that’s nine years old is a whopping $1.55 less per pound, which makes it pretty much free since arabica coffee futures were at $1.37 a pound as of Monday” writes this article in Fortune.
Good ‘Ol Coffee Bean Logistics
For some context, 2007, when the oldest of the beans became stored away, was an interesting year. The Writer’s Guild of America went on strike impacting many popular shows, Vladamir Putin was announced as Time magazine’s Person of the Year, and Steve Jobs revealed the first generation of the iPhone to the public.
The coffee beans and their journey from valued commodity to essentially chaff is an example of the problem of inefficient supply chains. Because of a mismanaged glut, old coffee beans circa the Bush administration are just now leaving their home warehouse.
Coffee connoisseurs don’t fret! You’ll likely not have to worry about stale coffee the next time you go for a cup of Joe at your local Starbucks or Starbucks equivalent. Despite the super sale on these beans, they are ultimately not destined to for Starbucks (or any other upscale caffeine providing establishment). This is because many coffee roasters said they wouldn’t purchase beans that were more than a year old because they lose their flavor.
“You’re not going to see this in your Starbucks, ” according to Jorge Cuevas, chief coffee officer at Sustainable Harvest, a coffee importer, in an interview with the Journal. “It’s mostly going to be in generic brands that you might get at an institutional level.”
These beans will go to bulk and instant-coffee roasters, and eventually to companies that supply most institutional coffees for places like hotels, schools, and vending machines. They may also combine older beans with newer ones, or roast them longer to mask the taste.
The use of older beans isn’t uncommon. However, coffee beans are not usually this old. The quantity of these beans has also had an impact. “According to exchange data, 18% of exchange-certified beans were more than three years old at the end of May this year, compared with 11% in May 2013” points out this article from the Consurmerist.com.
At least the beans are being put to use. The cups of Joe made from them may not have the flavor of brews made from newer beans, but at least a person in need will be getting some caffeine.
That’s it for us this week! If you liked this blog post, why not subscribe to our blog? If you’re interested in what we do as a 3rd party logistics provider, don’t hesitate to check out our services (as expressed above, we are very pro finding you the lowest total cost!). We’re also in the twittersphere, so give us a follow to get the latest logistics and supply chain news.
Nominated during OWIT (Organization of Women in International Trade) Toronto’s Annual Awards Ceremony, where Kelli Saunders of Morai Logistics Inc. wins Woman Exporter of the Year.
Toronto, ON (June 16,2016)
On Thursday, June 9th 2016, Kelli Saunders, President of Morai Logistics Inc., an Authorized Agent of Mode Transportation, was the recipient of The Woman Exporter of the Year Award from OWIT-Toronto (Organization of Women in International Trade-Toronto). Nominees had to have at least 50% ownership of a profitable business registered and operating in Ontario for more than 3 years. Nominees also had to have earned their primary income from the business and must have been responsible for its daily operations. A significant portion of her company’s business had to have come from exporting products or services.
The Woman Exporter of the Year Award honors an outstanding woman entrepreneur who, through her exporting endeavors, is advancing women and the image of Canadian business women in the international community.
Network and Cherish Those Around You.
Kelli was presented this award for her company’s work with major fast-moving consumer goods companies as a third-party logistics provider with expertise in cross-border intermodal logistics in the US and Mexico.
Jim Damman, President of Mode Transportation, said:
We are all very excited for Kelli. She is an outstanding businesswoman, and she and her team do a great job of providing the best export solutions to her valued customers. This award is very well deserved. Her hard work in receiving this award is something that makes all of us very proud.
Kelli’s advice to other women is to network and cherish those around them. Surrounding yourself with energetic high achievers will give you the foundation for a strong, career-long network from which to grow.
Shown above is Kelli’s acceptance speech.
ABOUT OWIT TORONTO: OWIT-Toronto (Organization of Women in International Trade) is a non-profit professional organization designed to promote women doing business internationally, by providing networking opportunities, export education and global business contacts. Members include women entrepreneurs, service providers and business women involved in international trade.
That’s it for us this week! If you liked this blog post, why not subscribe to our blog? If you’re interested in what we do as a 3rd party logistics provider, don’t hesitate to check out our services (as expressed above, we are very pro finding you the lowest total cost!). We’re also in the twittersphere, so give us a follow to get the latest logistics and supply chain news.
Transparency within the supply chain used to be quite the grey area. With consumers more interested than ever in knowing exactly where their products come from, the need for supply chain transparency is vital.
Consumers today demand to know the origins of the products they are purchasing. Knowing a product has been ethically sourced or produced in a sustainable manner increases value, and creates loyalty and trust between consumers and companies. While it may seem like creating total supply chain transparency would be a no brainer, many businesses worldwide still turn a blind eye and fail to place importance in this necessity. Scandals continue to arise each year as company after company is faced with the consequences of hiding how their goods are produced.
According to The Toronto Star, more than 40 Canadian drug companies have been cited for serious manufacturing violations, putting patients at risk by selling prescription drugs that companies sold with knowledge that they were defective. In this case, not only were companies hiding test data about the production of their goods, but they were additionally putting consumers at risk. In February of this year, Bloomberg News reported finding many popular Parmesan cheese brand manufacturers were using wood pulp and cellulose as cheap fillers in their products. While the FDA in the USA regulates that companies can legally use cellulose as a filler, consumers were outraged at the lack of supply chain transparency in the manufacturing of this product.
From Cotton to the Tech Industry
Although there are continuous reports of problematic companies, there are many industries working and moving towards supply chain transparency:
- Cotton Industry – Although the apparel production still has a long way to come in terms of total supply chain transparency (with a specific regard to manufacturing), this industry is working harder to be completely transparent with consumers and the exact methods of production for the products they are purchasing.
- Floral Industry – Companies in this industry are beginning to take charge and are pushing for more transparency. With a large reputation for permitting unsafe working conditions, companies are now providing information to consumers about how they are creating ethical farming practices to ensure the well being of their farmers.
- Organic Foods – The food industry has major strides to make in terms of transparency, however the farm to table movement has helped in leap starting that transition. Informing consumers about more local products gives them a connection to those producing their food. With clearer supply chain transparency, farmers are receiving better fair wages and safe working conditions, while consumers benefit from ethically sourced and fresher products.
- Technology – While this industry has faced major backlash for using unregistered workers, unfair wages and poor working conditions, many startups and technology companies are utilizing tools that allow complete transparency with consumers. These tools offer product traceability so consumers can determine exactly where and how a product was manufactured, and if it was produced in an ethical manner.
Although there are major adjustments that need to be made in numerous industries worldwide, more companies are beginning to understand the importance of supply chain transparency and are developing methods to better inform consumers. Better supply chain transparency increases value for businesses, and in return increases consumer loyalty and overall brand strength. Not only can a lack of transparency be damaging to business, it can also put consumers at risk.
That’s it for us this week! If you liked this blog post, why not subscribe to our blog? If you’re interested in what we do as a 3rd party logistics provider, don’t hesitate to check out our services (as expressed above, we are very pro finding you the lowest total cost!). We’re also in the twittersphere, so give us a follow to get the latest logistics and supply chain news.
Cargo theft isn’t anything new. From the days of bandits attacking caravans to pirates on the sea, if there is money to be made from stealing cargo and fencing it then attempts will be made to steal it. The real change is in the sophistication and planning that thieves utilize in their planning.
Globalization has also made the scope of the problem much larger. The ripples felt in one part of the world from stolen cargo can affect consumers and businesses on another side of the world. That’s to say nothing of the highly organized, highly structured, gangs, cartels, and black markets which fence the items taken from stolen cargo whose networks can stretch time zones.
This month, we’d like to focus our ebook on looking at the current state of cargo thefts and ways we can minimize these occurrences.
Looking at the Impact of Cargo Theft and Possible Solutions
That’s it for us this week! If you liked this blog post, why not subscribe to our blog? If you’re interested in what we do as a 3rd party logistics provider, don’t hesitate to check out our services (as expressed above, we are very pro finding you the lowest total cost!). We’re also in the twittersphere, so give us a follow to get the latest logistics and supply chain news.
Two new studies were published earlier this month that looked at supply chain visibility and collaboration.
Supply Chain Visibility & Collaboration Study
The first study by ARC Advisory group titled Supply Chain Visibility & Collaboration Study surveyed 200 organizations from a wide range of industries.
The researchers defined supply chain collaboration as “having a collaborative, multi-supplier, multi-tier, supply chain planning solution” writes Steve Banker in this Forbes article covering the study. “For visibility, the definition was a solution providing visibility to the order process (order placed, order adjusted, order accepted), inventory at rest or inventory in motion events, or supply chain risks, or providing a stand-alone supply chain analytics/event management solution not embedded in other solutions” he continues.
The survey asked respondents to weigh in on issues such as inventory visibility, supply chain costs, new enterprise resource planning integration, responsiveness to customer demands with specific focus on strategic questions such as,
- Why have B2B network suppliers emerged as leaders in this market?
- How will Internet of Things data be leveraged by these solutions?
- How will these solutions affect the next generation of supply chain software platforms?
- What are the niche solutions poised to grow rapidly in this market place?
What the survey finds is that not only visibility and collaboration software is growing very rapidly, but that B2B network solutions specifically (for both visibility and collaboration) is what’s driving the market’s rapid growth.
The ROI with visibility projects has to do with SCP applications improving service levels with less inventory.
“The more companies can reduce their lead times, and the less variability there is surrounding those lead times, the better the ROI that can be achieved with SCP tools. Supply Chain Visibility, provides the data and metrics surrounding lead-times, and then allows Lean practitioners to work with supply chain partners to improve and control those lead-times” writes Banker. Another reason why visibility is so important is supply chain orchestration. Through orchestration, a company is able to balance supply-demand in reaction to surges as well as deal with supply disruptions more promptly.
University of Tennesee Global Supply Institute Study
The second study published by the University of Tennessee’s Global Supply Institute, in collaboration with B2B integration provider DiCentral. The study involved surveying over 200 organizations of various sizes and asking respondents to weigh in on issues such as inventory visibility, supply chain costs, new enterprise resource planning integration, and responsiveness to customer demands.
The study found that to increase business flow efficiency and cut cost, many companies are investing in B2Bi (business to business electronic integration).
“Of those surveyed, 94 percent saw significant improvement in their electronic connectivity capabilities and 68 percent reported that their clients said they were easier to do business with after using cloud-based B2Bi managed services” write the researchers.
The findings of the study echo those of the ARC group in so far that lead times are reduced, forecast accuracy improves, and supply chain reactivity improves when visibility & collaboration becomes a focus. For example, from one of the case studies the study cites,
An office supplies retailer surveyed for the study invested time and technology to collaborate more effectively with a major supplier, and as a result, in-stock fill rates rose significantly—to nearly 99 percent from below 95 percent. Lead times reduced nearly 60 percent. Forecast accuracy improved by more than 30 percent, and inventory turnover increased 9 percent
That’s it for us this week! If you liked this blog post, why not subscribe to our blog? If you’re interested in what we do as a 3rd party logistics provider, don’t hesitate to check out our services (as expressed above, we are very pro finding you the lowest total cost!). We’re also in the twittersphere, so give us a follow to get the latest logistics and supply chain news.