Going forward. Air, Land & Sea Express, a full-service logistics company based in St. Louis, has implemented Trans-Soft's TS2000 Plus and TS2000Net freight forwarding software. The TS2000Net software provides Air, Land & Sea's customers with instantaneous shipment status using the Internet, while the TS2000 Plus freight forwarding software helps the company manage its growth.
Bound for Britain. Tesco, UK, one of Europe's largest retailers, has signed a multi-year deal with ADT, a division of Tyco Fire & Security, to provide it with electronic product code (EPC) RFID readers and antennae. The first phase of the new agreement includes 4,000 readers and 16,000 antennae to be installed by this autumn at Tesco's 35 distribution facilities and at the receipt points in 1,300 Tesco stores throughout the UK.
The deal's in the can. Del Monte Foods has selected Saddle Creek Corp. to provide distribution services from two facilities located in Atlanta and Fort Worth. These facilities will consolidate distribution for Del Monte's diverse business units under one roof and allow its customers to receive orders from one location. Prior to the consolidation, Del Monte operated 18 distribution sites.
Global leap. HighJump Software and Deloitte Consulting have formed a strategic alliance to offer comprehensive supply chain execution solutions to the global marketplace. Deloitte Consulting will provide experience in delivering tailored solutions to a number of vertical markets, while HighJump will offer its RFID-enabled supply chain execution product suite. The suite includes warehouse, yard and transportation management, manufacturing, data collection and collaboration products.
Clean sweep. Acquity brands, a provider of industrial cleaners, deodorizers, disinfectants and other chemicals, has selected DHL to provide all small-package deliveries nationwide. DHL will also handle all hazardous material requirements associated with the transportation and delivery services.
Bleach baby. The Clorox Co. of Canada has selected Metro Canada Logistics (MCL) to provide warehousing and distribution services. MCL will manage Clorox's new Brampton, Ontario, warehouse facility, which consolidates four previous logistics centers and a secondary pack operation. MCL also designed the facility layout and storage systems for the new 300,000-square-foot building.
All charged up. Ford Motor Co. has chosen AeroVironment's PosiCharge fast-charging technology for use throughout its manufacturing operations. The PosiCharge technology fast-charges lift-truck batteries in the vehicle during short breaks, lunches and shift changes. This eliminates the need for charging rooms while reducing costs and potential injuries resulting from traditional battery handling. PosiCharge has also partnered with I.D. Systems to provide Ford with a custom RFID-based data management system that provides real-time information on vehicle, charger and battery status.
Smooth transfer. Kardex Systems and J&D Associates have formed a collaboration called J-Dex Systems to develop and produce a new accumulating and transfer system for warehousing and manufacturing applications. That system, the SAT-2000, can be used as a buffering system in production lines or as an inter-cell transfer system between multiple floors.
Lone Prairie no longer. RedPrairie has announced a new partnership and two new deals. The company will team up with Printronix to provide RFID solutions to European companies. The combined offering integrates RedPrairie's warehouse management system and Printronix's EPC-compatible printers to create an end-toend RFID solution.
In the meantime, two retailers have announced that they will be installing RedPrairie systems. The Container Store will use RedPrairie's Labor Management Solution to optimize labor productivity among the more than 230 employees in its distribution operations. The software allows each individual's performance to be measured against goal times that are specific to the nature of the work he or she performs.
El Palacio de Hierro, one of Mexico's top upscale retailers, has also selected a suite of RedPrairie products to support its business expansion and manage its inventory. They include warehouse management, report writing, Web-based supplier management and network-wide visibility to support a new distribution center.
Available by the yard. Jo-Ann Stores Inc., a retailer of fabric and craft supplies, has implemented the Navis DC Flow software package to optimize inbound and outbound shipments at its DCs and fabric processing operations nationwide. The Navis software also provides real-time visibility and optimizes yard operations for increased throughput and reduced operational costs.
Supply chains are poised for accelerated adoption of mobile robots and drones as those technologies mature and companies focus on implementing artificial intelligence (AI) and automation across their logistics operations.
That’s according to data from Gartner’s Hype Cycle for Mobile Robots and Drones, released this week. The report shows that several mobile robotics technologies will mature over the next two to five years, and also identifies breakthrough and rising technologies set to have an impact further out.
Gartner’s Hype Cycle is a graphical depiction of a common pattern that arises with each new technology or innovation through five phases of maturity and adoption. Chief supply chain officers can use the research to find robotic solutions that meet their needs, according to Gartner.
Gartner, Inc.
The mobile robotic technologies set to mature over the next two to five years are: collaborative in-aisle picking robots, light-cargo delivery robots, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for transport, mobile robotic goods-to-person systems, and robotic cube storage systems.
“As organizations look to further improve logistic operations, support automation and augment humans in various jobs, supply chain leaders have turned to mobile robots to support their strategy,” Dwight Klappich, VP analyst and Gartner fellow with the Gartner Supply Chain practice, said in a statement announcing the findings. “Mobile robots are continuing to evolve, becoming more powerful and practical, thus paving the way for continued technology innovation.”
Technologies that are on the rise include autonomous data collection and inspection technologies, which are expected to deliver benefits over the next five to 10 years. These include solutions like indoor-flying drones, which utilize AI-enabled vision or RFID to help with time-consuming inventory management, inspection, and surveillance tasks. The technology can also alleviate safety concerns that arise in warehouses, such as workers counting inventory in hard-to-reach places.
“Automating labor-intensive tasks can provide notable benefits,” Klappich said. “With AI capabilities increasingly embedded in mobile robots and drones, the potential to function unaided and adapt to environments will make it possible to support a growing number of use cases.”
Humanoid robots—which resemble the human body in shape—are among the technologies in the breakthrough stage, meaning that they are expected to have a transformational effect on supply chains, but their mainstream adoption could take 10 years or more.
“For supply chains with high-volume and predictable processes, humanoid robots have the potential to enhance or supplement the supply chain workforce,” Klappich also said. “However, while the pace of innovation is encouraging, the industry is years away from general-purpose humanoid robots being used in more complex retail and industrial environments.”
An eight-year veteran of the Georgia company, Hakala will begin his new role on January 1, when the current CEO, Tero Peltomäki, will retire after a long and noteworthy career, continuing as a member of the board of directors, Cimcorp said.
According to Hakala, automation is an inevitable course in Cimcorp’s core sectors, and the company’s end-to-end capabilities will be crucial for clients’ success. In the past, both the tire and grocery retail industries have automated individual machines and parts of their operations. In recent years, automation has spread throughout the facilities, as companies want to be able to see their entire operation with one look, utilize analytics, optimize processes, and lead with data.
“Cimcorp has always grown by starting small in the new business segments. We’ve created one solution first, and as we’ve gained more knowledge of our clients’ challenges, we have been able to expand,” Hakala said in a release. “In every phase, we aim to bring our experience to the table and even challenge the client’s initial perspective. We are interested in what our client does and how it could be done better and more efficiently.”
Although many shoppers will
return to physical stores this holiday season, online shopping remains a driving force behind peak-season shipping challenges, especially when it comes to the last mile. Consumers still want fast, free shipping if they can get it—without any delays or disruptions to their holiday deliveries.
One disruptor that gets a lot of headlines this time of year is package theft—committed by so-called “porch pirates.” These are thieves who snatch parcels from front stairs, side porches, and driveways in neighborhoods across the country. The problem adds up to billions of dollars in stolen merchandise each year—not to mention headaches for shippers, parcel delivery companies, and, of course, consumers.
Given the scope of the problem, it’s no wonder online shoppers are worried about it—especially during holiday season. In its annual report on package theft trends, released in October, the
security-focused research and product review firm Security.org found that:
17% of Americans had a package stolen in the past three months, with the typical stolen parcel worth about $50. Some 44% said they’d had a package taken at some point in their life.
Package thieves poached more than $8 billion in merchandise over the past year.
18% of adults said they’d had a package stolen that contained a gift for someone else.
Ahead of the holiday season, 88% of adults said they were worried about theft of online purchases, with more than a quarter saying they were “extremely” or “very” concerned.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are some low-tech steps consumers can take to help guard against porch piracy along with some high-tech logistics-focused innovations in the pipeline that can protect deliveries in the last mile. First, some common-sense advice on avoiding package theft from the Security.org research:
Install a doorbell camera, which is a relatively low-cost deterrent.
Bring packages inside promptly or arrange to have them delivered to a secure location if no one will be at home.
Consider using click-and-collect options when possible.
If the retailer allows you to specify delivery-time windows, consider doing so to avoid having packages sit outside for extended periods.
These steps may sound basic, but they are by no means a given: Fewer than half of Americans consider the timing of deliveries, less than a third have a doorbell camera, and nearly one-fifth take no precautions to prevent package theft, according to the research.
Tech vendors are stepping up to help. One example is
Arrive AI, which develops smart mailboxes for last-mile delivery and pickup. The company says its Mailbox-as-a-Service (MaaS) platform will revolutionize the last mile by building a network of parcel-storage boxes that can be accessed by people, drones, or robots. In a nutshell: Packages are placed into a weatherproof box via drone, robot, driverless carrier, or traditional delivery method—and no one other than the rightful owner can access it.
Although the platform is still in development, the company already offers solutions for business clients looking to secure high-value deliveries and sensitive shipments. The health-care industry is one example: Arrive AI offers secure drone delivery of medical supplies, prescriptions, lab samples, and the like to hospitals and other health-care facilities. The platform provides real-time tracking, chain-of-custody controls, and theft-prevention features. Arrive is conducting short-term deployments between logistics companies and health-care partners now, according to a company spokesperson.
The MaaS solution has a pretty high cool factor. And the common-sense best practices just seem like solid advice. Maybe combining both is the key to a more secure last mile—during peak shipping season and throughout the year as well.
The Boston-based enterprise software vendor Board has acquired the California company Prevedere, a provider of predictive planning technology, saying the move will integrate internal performance metrics with external economic intelligence.
According to Board, the combined technologies will integrate millions of external data points—ranging from macroeconomic indicators to AI-driven predictive models—to help companies build predictive models for critical planning needs, cutting costs by reducing inventory excess and optimizing logistics in response to global trade dynamics.
That is particularly valuable in today’s rapidly changing markets, where companies face evolving customer preferences and economic shifts, the company said. “Our customers spend significant time analyzing internal data but often lack visibility into how external factors might impact their planning,” Jeff Casale, CEO of Board, said in a release. “By integrating Prevedere, we eliminate those blind spots, equipping executives with a complete view of their operating environment. This empowers them to respond dynamically to market changes and make informed decisions that drive competitive advantage.”
Material handling automation provider Vecna Robotics today named Karl Iagnemma as its new CEO and announced $14.5 million in additional funding from existing investors, the Waltham, Massachusetts firm said.
The fresh funding is earmarked to accelerate technology and product enhancements to address the automation needs of operators in automotive, general manufacturing, and high-volume warehousing.
Iagnemma comes to the company after roles as an MIT researcher and inventor, and with leadership titles including co-founder and CEO of autonomous vehicle technology company nuTonomy. The tier 1 supplier Aptiv acquired Aptiv in 2017 for $450 million, and named Iagnemma as founding CEO of Motional, its $4 billion robotaxi joint venture with automaker Hyundai Motor Group.
“Automation in logistics today is similar to the current state of robotaxis, in that there is a massive market opportunity but little market penetration,” Iagnemma said in a release. “I join Vecna Robotics at an inflection point in the material handling market, where operators are poised to adopt automation at scale. Vecna is uniquely positioned to shape the market with state-of-the-art technology and products that are easy to purchase, deploy, and operate reliably across many different workflows.”