Calling all cars. The Carphone Warehouse, a mobile phone and services retailer with 2,400 stores in the United Kingdom and Europe, is implementing RedPrairie's Execution Management application. This will allow the company to gain a single, chain-wide view of all aspects of store operations, including marketing, merchandising, and promotions. The RedPrairie solution will also help the company gain visibility into store-level compliance, streamline communications with stores, and gain additional financial benefits.
Better brokering. Aljex Software has integrated ALK's PC- Miler software into its full-service truckload brokerage services. This enables Aljex customers to access ALK's routing, mapping, and mileage functionality. Aljex Software, which is based in Middlesex, N.J., offers management software for freight brokers, logistics companies, and other non-assetbased transportation service providers.
Freight fjording. Agility Project Logistics has signed a multi-year logistics agreement with Norwegian company Aker Kvaerner ASA. Agility will handle the freight forwarding and project shipping needs of all of the Oslo-based company's operating units.
Port of call. The Port of Tacoma, Wash., has entered into an agreement with the Puyallup Indian tribe, Marine View Ventures, and SSA Marine for the construction of a new terminal on the Blair-Hylebos Peninsula. Under the arrangement, SSA Marine will have use of a 1,200-foot berth and about 20 acres of backup land. The port and the Puyallup Tribe will also exchange land to improve the terminal's footprint. In addition, the Blair Waterway at the planned terminal site will be widened to improve navigation.
Sounds good. Sony DADC has installed an automated material handling system from HK Systems at its Indiana manufacturing facility. The system consists of an automated storage and retrieval system, unit load conveyors, and controls. The Sony facility manufactures, packages, and distributes more than 1.8 billion discs per year and is the world's largest distributor of content media.
Coke picks it. Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated, the second largest bottler of Coca-Cola in the United States, has upgraded its supply chain management software with JDA Version 7.4. The solution includes JDA Demand, JDA Fulfillment, and JDA Transportation Planning. The JDA software helps Coca-Cola Consolidated improve forecast accuracy, customer-service levels, order fill rates, and on-time deliveries.
Jump start. Richmond Cold Storage has chosen HighJump's warehouse management solution for implementation in 12 of its facilities in Virginia, North Carolina, and Alabama. The software will integrate with Richmond Cold Storage's customer Web pOréal to give clients easy access to real-time inventory and shipping data.
Paint powered. Catalyst has completed a successful installation of the SAP Warehouse Management and SAP Console applications at Dunn-Edwards' new regional support center in San Diego. Dunn-Edwards is a manufacturer of paint products. The solution has already improved shipment and picking accuracy and has boosted efficiency and speed throughout the supply chain operation.
Wheeling and dealing. RT Systems is installing its warehouse management system, RT LOCATOR, at CJ's Tire and Automotive Services. CJ's, located in Birdsboro, Pa., operates a chain of tire retail and service centers in eastern Pennsylvania. The software will be installed in a new distribution center that will feature a narrow-aisle material handling system.
Go fetch. Wesley International and FastFetch Corp. have formed a marketing alliance for solutions aimed at increasing efficiency and accuracy in order fulfillment operations. Wesley is now the exclusive partner representing FastFetch's multimodal, batch, and order-picking systems, which combine voice, bar-code scanning, and light-directed technologies. Under the new arrangement, FastFetch will function as a division of Wesley. Wesley produces the Pallet Mule, Pack Mule, and Power Mule line of forklift-free handling systems.
Method acting. Method Products, a San Francisco-based distributor of home care products, has chosen Ozburn- Hessey Logistics (OH Logistics) as its supply chain management partner at Method's new distribution center in Dayton, N.J. OH Logistics also provides these services for Method at its DCs in Georgia and California. The new facility will allow Method to optimize its distribution network and reduce its transportation routes.
Van go. Blick Art Materials, a company that sells art supplies to professional artists, art students, and teachers through retail stores and catalogs, has selected Kewill Flagship for its distribution operations. Kewill Flagship is an enterprise shipping management software solution that will help Blick reduce costs and streamline its fulfillment operations. The Kewill software will integrate with Blick's recently implemented RedPrairie systems. Blick has two distribution centers and ships about 5,000 packages each day.
Autonomous forklift maker Cyngn is deploying its DriveMod Tugger model at COATS Company, the largest full-line wheel service equipment manufacturer in North America, the companies said today.
By delivering the self-driving tuggers to COATS’ 150,000+ square foot manufacturing facility in La Vergne, Tennessee, Cyngn said it would enable COATS to enhance efficiency by automating the delivery of wheel service components from its production lines.
“Cyngn’s self-driving tugger was the perfect solution to support our strategy of advancing automation and incorporating scalable technology seamlessly into our operations,” Steve Bergmeyer, Continuous Improvement and Quality Manager at COATS, said in a release. “With its high load capacity, we can concentrate on increasing our ability to manage heavier components and bulk orders, driving greater efficiency, reducing costs, and accelerating delivery timelines.”
Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it follows another deployment of DriveMod Tuggers with electric automaker Rivian earlier this year.
The “2024 Year in Review” report lists the various transportation delays, freight volume restrictions, and infrastructure repair costs of a long string of events. Those disruptions include labor strikes at Canadian ports and postal sites, the U.S. East and Gulf coast port strike; hurricanes Helene, Francine, and Milton; the Francis Scott key Bridge collapse in Baltimore Harbor; the CrowdStrike cyber attack; and Red Sea missile attacks on passing cargo ships.
“While 2024 was characterized by frequent and overlapping disruptions that exposed many supply chain vulnerabilities, it was also a year of resilience,” the Project44 report said. “From labor strikes and natural disasters to geopolitical tensions, each event served as a critical learning opportunity, underscoring the necessity for robust contingency planning, effective labor relations, and durable infrastructure. As supply chains continue to evolve, the lessons learned this past year highlight the increased importance of proactive measures and collaborative efforts. These strategies are essential to fostering stability and adaptability in a world where unpredictability is becoming the norm.”
In addition to tallying the supply chain impact of those events, the report also made four broad predictions for trends in 2025 that may affect logistics operations. In Project44’s analysis, they include:
More technology and automation will be introduced into supply chains, particularly ports. This will help make operations more efficient but also increase the risk of cybersecurity attacks and service interruptions due to glitches and bugs. This could also add tensions among the labor pool and unions, who do not want jobs to be replaced with automation.
The new administration in the United States introduces a lot of uncertainty, with talks of major tariffs for numerous countries as well as talks of US freight getting preferential treatment through the Panama Canal. If these things do come to fruition, expect to see shifts in global trade patterns and sourcing.
Natural disasters will continue to become more frequent and more severe, as exhibited by the wildfires in Los Angeles and the winter storms throughout the southern states in the U.S. As a result, expect companies to invest more heavily in sustainability to mitigate climate change.
The peace treaty announced on Wednesday between Isael and Hamas in the Middle East could support increased freight volumes returning to the Suez Canal as political crisis in the area are resolved.
The French transportation visibility provider Shippeo today said it has raised $30 million in financial backing, saying the money will support its accelerated expansion across North America and APAC, while driving enhancements to its “Real-Time Transportation Visibility Platform” product.
The funding round was led by Woven Capital, Toyota’s growth fund, with participation from existing investors: Battery Ventures, Partech, NGP Capital, Bpifrance Digital Venture, LFX Venture Partners, Shift4Good and Yamaha Motor Ventures. With this round, Shippeo’s total funding exceeds $140 million.
Shippeo says it offers real-time shipment tracking across all transport modes, helping companies create sustainable, resilient supply chains. Its platform enables users to reduce logistics-related carbon emissions by making informed trade-offs between modes and carriers based on carbon footprint data.
"Global supply chains are facing unprecedented complexity, and real-time transport visibility is essential for building resilience” Prashant Bothra, Principal at Woven Capital, who is joining the Shippeo board, said in a release. “Shippeo’s platform empowers businesses to proactively address disruptions by transforming fragmented operations into streamlined, data-driven processes across all transport modes, offering precise tracking and predictive ETAs at scale—capabilities that would be resource-intensive to develop in-house. We are excited to support Shippeo’s journey to accelerate digitization while enhancing cost efficiency, planning accuracy, and customer experience across the supply chain.”
Donald Trump has been clear that he plans to hit the ground running after his inauguration on January 20, launching ambitious plans that could have significant repercussions for global supply chains.
As Mark Baxa, CSCMP president and CEO, says in the executive forward to the white paper, the incoming Trump Administration and a majority Republican congress are “poised to reshape trade policies, regulatory frameworks, and the very fabric of how we approach global commerce.”
The paper is written by import/export expert Thomas Cook, managing director for Blue Tiger International, a U.S.-based supply chain management consulting company that focuses on international trade. Cook is the former CEO of American River International in New York and Apex Global Logistics Supply Chain Operation in Los Angeles and has written 19 books on global trade.
In the paper, Cook, of course, takes a close look at tariff implications and new trade deals, emphasizing that Trump will seek revisions that will favor U.S. businesses and encourage manufacturing to return to the U.S. The paper, however, also looks beyond global trade to addresses topics such as Trump’s tougher stance on immigration and the possibility of mass deportations, greater support of Israel in the Middle East, proposals for increased energy production and mining, and intent to end the war in the Ukraine.
In general, Cook believes that many of the administration’s new policies will be beneficial to the overall economy. He does warn, however, that some policies will be disruptive and add risk and cost to global supply chains.
In light of those risks and possible disruptions, Cook’s paper offers 14 recommendations. Some of which include:
Create a team responsible for studying the changes Trump will introduce when he takes office;
Attend trade shows and make connections with vendors, suppliers, and service providers who can help you navigate those changes;
Consider becoming C-TPAT (Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism) certified to help mitigate potential import/export issues;
Adopt a risk management mindset and shift from focusing on lowest cost to best value for your spend;
Increase collaboration with internal and external partners;
Expect warehousing costs to rise in the short term as companies look to bring in foreign-made goods ahead of tariffs;
Expect greater scrutiny from U.S. Customs and Border Patrol of origin statements for imports in recognition of attempts by some Chinese manufacturers to evade U.S. import policies;
Reduce dependency on China for sourcing; and
Consider manufacturing and/or sourcing in the United States.
Cook advises readers to expect a loosening up of regulations and a reduction in government under Trump. He warns that while some world leaders will look to work with Trump, others will take more of a defiant stance. As a result, companies should expect to see retaliatory tariffs and duties on exports.
Cook concludes by offering advice to the incoming administration, including being sensitive to the effect retaliatory tariffs can have on American exports, working on federal debt reduction, and considering promoting free trade zones. He also proposes an ambitious water works program through the Army Corps of Engineers.
ReposiTrak, a global food traceability network operator, will partner with Upshop, a provider of store operations technology for food retailers, to create an end-to-end grocery traceability solution that reaches from the supply chain to the retail store, the firms said today.
The partnership creates a data connection between suppliers and the retail store. It works by integrating Salt Lake City-based ReposiTrak’s network of thousands of suppliers and their traceability shipment data with Austin, Texas-based Upshop’s network of more than 450 retailers and their retail stores.
That accomplishment is important because it will allow food sector trading partners to meet the U.S. FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act Section 204d (FSMA 204) requirements that they must create and store complete traceability records for certain foods.
And according to ReposiTrak and Upshop, the traceability solution may also unlock potential business benefits. It could do that by creating margin and growth opportunities in stores by connecting supply chain data with store data, thus allowing users to optimize inventory, labor, and customer experience management automation.
"Traceability requires data from the supply chain and – importantly – confirmation at the retail store that the proper and accurate lot code data from each shipment has been captured when the product is received. The missing piece for us has been the supply chain data. ReposiTrak is the leader in capturing and managing supply chain data, starting at the suppliers. Together, we can deliver a single, comprehensive traceability solution," Mark Hawthorne, chief innovation and strategy officer at Upshop, said in a release.
"Once the data is flowing the benefits are compounding. Traceability data can be used to improve food safety, reduce invoice discrepancies, and identify ways to reduce waste and improve efficiencies throughout the store,” Hawthorne said.
Under FSMA 204, retailers are required by law to track Key Data Elements (KDEs) to the store-level for every shipment containing high-risk food items from the Food Traceability List (FTL). ReposiTrak and Upshop say that major industry retailers have made public commitments to traceability, announcing programs that require more traceability data for all food product on a faster timeline. The efforts of those retailers have activated the industry, motivating others to institute traceability programs now, ahead of the FDA’s enforcement deadline of January 20, 2026.