All Distribution & Warehousing Articles
  • Survey: Employers face potential exodus of supply chain talent

    Terri Williams Distribution & Warehousing

    In the face of record unemployment, many workers are staying put — and frankly, glad to still have a job. But despite the current labor market, employees in some industries are hedging their bets that the grass is greener on the other side. Those are the results of the Job Confidence Index 2020. The annual report by DSJ Global, a logistics and supply chain recruiter, includes responses from workers in the U.S., Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East. It reveals that even though 40% of employees believe it may be difficult to find a new job opportunity, only 36% plan to stay with their current employer over the next six months.

  • How the election will affect manufacturing

    Bambi Majumdar Manufacturing

    Manufacturing is a crucial issue for the 2020 election. According to a Morning Consult column, this was supposed to be the year of the manufacturing election. Both Joe Biden and Donald Trump have revealed plans to revive the economy and the manufacturing sector. The latter is directly proportional to the well-being of the former. However, when Morning Consult made that prediction, in February, it had a robust and running industry in mind. But then came COVID-19 and lockdowns that brought entire industries to a halt. Yet, manufacturing remains a pivotal factor.

  • A ‘satisfaction guaranteed’ promise holds you hostage to another’s…

    Anne Rose Business Management, Services & Risk Management

    We recently discussed the real hazards of stamping "lifetime warranty" on your products. A close corollary to that is promising "satisfaction guaranteed" on your professional services. You might make that offer because you are proud of the quality of your services — so confident that your work will be above reproach that you are implicitly claiming that you’ll redo the work or refund to make the customer happy. Think about that outrageous promise. How can you possibly guarantee another’s happiness? Why hold yourself hostage to that?

  • Gallup poll: Farming, agriculture receive highest marks from consumers…

    Scott E. Rupp Food & Beverage

    Politicians, media professionals and lawyers could learn a thing or two about brand management from their counterparts in the farming and agricultural industries. It turns out Americans have the most favorable view of the profession, a recent Gallup poll shows. It's the first time those working the fields and farms have received such high marks in more than two decades of Gallup conducting a poll that registers Americans’ views of various business and industry sectors.

  • Stores prepare for the next wave of panic buying

    Bambi Majumdar Food & Beverage

    Every holiday season, stores ramp up their inventories as shoppers add more items to their lists. This year, that includes more than stocking up for holiday shopping. Stores are also preparing to stock up for panic buying that the next wave of COVID-19 may bring. According to Cornell professor Edward McLaughlin, retailers and food suppliers were caught off guard by pandemic-driven panic buying in March. But they have learned key lessons from that experience and are now sending staple goods to stores even before orders pour in.

  • Survey: Skills shortage forces 31% of organizations to prioritize investment…

    Terri Williams Business Management, Services & Risk Management

    The pandemic has forced many organizations to reconsider their projects for the rest of the year — and beyond. While a lot of plans have been put on hold, some companies have elevated IT training to a priority project. According to the 2020 Netwrix IT Trends Report, 38% of CIOs and IT directors now plan to invest in the education of IT staff, compared to 20% who had it on their top five list before the pandemic. We asked Ilia Sotnikov, VP of product management at Netwrix, to discuss this and some of the other IT trends revealed in the report.

  • How dentists can cope with the broken personal protective equipment supply…

    R.V. Scheide Oral & Dental Healthcare

    Almost half of the nation's dentists are back to work and open for "business as usual," according to a recent survey by the American Dental Association. But when it comes to the supply chain for personal protective equipment necessary to provide full-service dentistry, business is anything but usual as the coronavirus pandemic lingers on. According to the ADA’s ongoing survey, "COVID-19: Economic Impact on Dental Practices," as of Sept. 7, just 60% of all dentists had a two-week supply of N-95/K-95 masks.

  • It’s time for a reset — we need to change the game of business

    Jack Stack Business Management, Services & Risk Management

    Millions of Americans are out of work as a result of the pandemic. It’s not their fault. A growing number of small business owners have been forced to close their shops through no fault of their own. The combination of the virus, the ongoing social outcries, protectionism, and trade wars have rocked our great entrepreneurial nation’s very foundation. These shockwaves aren’t expected to subside anytime soon. Now is our opportunity for a reset — we need to change the game.

  • Retailer survival: 4 actions to take ASAP

    Gail Short Retail

    The coronavirus pandemic forced governments around the United States and abroad to temporarily close down their economies to contain the virus, resulting in jobs losses and disruptions to global supply chains. Because of the pandemic, many U.S. retailers had to shut down their brick-and-mortar stores temporarily while other stores that sold products deemed as "essential" remained open. Since reopening, some retailers have struggled financially. Some even filed for bankruptcy this year. But others saw their sales soar.

  • New Economic Policy Institute report looks at the effects of COVID-19 on…

    Seth Sandronsky Business Management, Services & Risk Management

    COVID-19 has revealed the economic and health crises facing Latinx workers. The stark details are in a new report from the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. According to the report authors, the distress of Latinx workers exceeds that of their white counterparts. In the 35-44 age group, for example, Latinx workers are nearly nine times as likely to die from COVID-19 as whites are.