Logistics Matters with DC VELOCITY

In this episode, guest Mark Stanton, general manager for PowerFleet for Supply Chain,  discusses the upcoming hurricane season and how we can prepare our supply chains to better handle disruptions. We all know that hurricanes are likely to happen; we just don't know where or when they will occur. But, companies can prepare their supply chains now using technology tools and collaboration to mo...

In this episode, guest Alex Wakefield, CEO of supply chain technology firm Longbow Advantage, discusses the need for better supply chain visibility. He suggests that improvements in visibility for warehouse operations can actually provide better insights into bottlenecks and challenges in the transportation of goods to and from facilities. The American Transportation Research Institute, better kno...

In this episode, guest Mike Klage, solutions director at TOC Logistics International, shares what's happening out on the water. Ports continue to be overwhelmed with cargo and backlogs are becoming the new normal for ocean shipping. Some shippers are looking at alternative ports, such as those on the East Coast and and in the Gulf region, but will that solve their problems if capacity is scar...

In this episode, guest Jim Yarbrough, global intelligence program manager at BSI, shares the major supply chain risks from around the world. BSI recently released its Supply Chain Risks Insights 2021 report. It analyzes and assesses risks to countries and businesses globally. These include product theft, fraud, labor exploitation, and political and regulatory changes. He also shares how to make su...

In this episode, guest Paul Beavers, the chief technology officer at PCS Software, discusses why he thinks touchless transactions are here to stay. During the past year, as the Covid-19 pandemic raged, many companies turned to contactless electronic transactions as a way of promoting social distancing and reducing risks to drivers. It is just another adoption trend that the pandemic accelerated, a...

In this episode, guest Matt Castle, vice president of air services at C.H. Robinson, discusses the tight air freight market. While passengers are starting to fly again  on commercial planes, that extra belly space for cargo has not really alleviated the capacity constraints on the air freight market. Is there any improvement in sight, or is this what to expect for the rest of the year? Are there g...

In this episode, guest Aaron Hageman, CEO of Delivery Drivers Inc. (DDI), discusses trends in last-mile logistics. The supply chain industry calls that final delivery to a person's home or business "the last mile" of the shipment chain. It is usually the most expensive part of logistics, as each package must be handled separately, in contrast to the aggregate handling of previous st...

In this episode, guest Brandon Coats, global product manager for robotics and vision at Material Handling Systems (MHS), discusses artificial intelligence. We have all heard of AI and its potential for improving our lives. Coats talks about some of the misconceptions about artificial intelligence and offers some practical applications where AI can improve distribution operations. We also look at t...

In this episode, guest Chris Jones, executive vice president at Decartes, discusses supply chain vulnerabilities. The Covid-19 pandemic changed everything in our lives, including the way goods are delivered to us. But the pandemic also exposed weak areas of our supply chains and revealed vulnerabilities for sourcing many critical goods, such as PPE, pharmaceuticals, batteries, and electronic compo...

In this episode, guest Johnathan Foster, principal consultant at Proxima, discusses the ripple effects of that huge container ship, The Ever Given, that was stuck for a week in the Suez Canal. The ship has been re-floated and the canal is open again, but it has caused supply chain backlogs all over the world. This is on top of already congested ports. What will the overall impacts be to the moveme...

In this episode, guest Hanko Kiessner, CEO of Packsize, discusses sustainable packaging. Sustainable packaging means more than just choosing materials that can be easily recycled. It also includes shipping products in the right-sized box best suited for them. Sustainable packaging can have ripple effects throughout our supply chains that not only are good for the earth, but bring savings to shippe...

In this episode, guest Peter Friedmann, executive director of the Agriculture Transportation Coalition, joins us to discuss how the shortage of ocean containers is having a devastating effect on the export of agricultural products. Farmers and other producers can't get the containers they need to export their goods. That's because ocean carriers find they can make more money returning in...

In this episode, guest Bindiya Vakil, CEO of Resilinc, discusses vulnerabilities within our worldwide supply chains. Many U.S. manufacturers have experienced shortages in critical goods needed to keep production moving. President Biden is proposing plans to fix broken supply chains for critical goods, such as semiconductors and PPE. Vakil talks about our complex supply chains and the difficulties...

In this episode, guest Bill Brooks, vice president of North America Transportation Portfolio at Capgemini, discusses the current state of the Covid-19 vaccine programs. Logistics plays a major role in getting people vaccinated. Where are the bottlenecks, and can anything be done to assure that vaccines are distributed more quickly to both urban and rural areas? The logistics industry continued its...

In this episode, guest Craig Hoskins, chair of the International Foodservice Distributors Association (IFDA) discusses the challenges that the food delivery industry has endured during restaurant, schools, and institutional facility closures  during the Covid-19 pandemic. What will it take to get back to normal? He also suggests ways to address the truck driver shortages that affect food deliverie...

In this episode, guest Shawn Winter, vice president of Mobility Solutions at Descartes, talks about the concept of the Super Peak Season and how shippers can prepare for it. With the growth of online shopping, shippers and carriers find that there are times when they struggle to keep up with demand, such as the recent holiday season. Winter discusses some strategies for thriving during peak demand...

In this episode, guest Dwight Klappich, research vice president at Gartner, discusses the growing interest in robotic goods-to-person systems. Robots are hot right now. What makes them the cool technology to have for distribution operations, and in what ways are they being deployed? Klappich shares the latest research Gartner has done into these fascinating and quickly-evolving technologies.   Man...

In this episode, guest Tim Pajak discusses a new initiative from the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP). Pajak serves as the organization's member engagement manager and shares about the new worldwide partnership between CSCMP and Junior Achievement to bring information to young people about the role of supply chains in our lives. One primary goal is to encourage these y...

In this episode, guest Melinda McLaughlin, vice president, global head of research for Prologis, discusses the market for industrial real estate. The lack of new construction last year, especially during the early phases of the pandemic, has left capacity very tight and rental costs high. What is the outlook for 2021, and how are trends such as e-commerce and urban fulfillment designs affecting th...

In this episode, guest Joe Ruddy, chief innovation officer at the Port of Virginia, discusses how the maritime industry survived the rough seas of 2020 trade. Demand was light even before the pandemic, then fell off the cliff when Covid-19 struck, only to return with a vengeance in the latter part of the year. How did our nation's ports handle those changes, and what infrastructure is in plac...

In this episode, guest Tony Sciarrotta, executive director of the Reverse Logistics Association, shares how retailers are handling the deluge of holiday returns.  Because of the ongoing pandemic, many purchases were made online instead of in-store during the holidays, so now retailers are faced with a deluge of returns this month. What are some of the strategies that are being used to process them...

In this episode, guest Zac Rogers, assistant professor of Operations and Supply Chain Management at Colorado State University, discusses the current state of logistics, including capacity and pricing for transportation and warehousing. He also shares the latest Logistics Managers' Index figures and how they relate to what is happening in the market. Capacity remains tight in all aspects of tr...

In this episode, guest Kristi Montgomery, vice president of Innovation, Research & Development at Kenco, discusses the need for innovation. She heads up the Kenco Innovation Labs, an internal think tank and testing center that develops new technologies and methodologies to help solve customer problems within the supply chain. She discusses why innovation is so critical to a company's futu...

In this episode, guest Kevin Paramore, emerging technology commercialization manager at Yale Materials Handling Corp., shares new technologies that promote social distancing within facilities. As we continue through the pandemic, it is important to safeguard our workers while still remaining productive. These new technologies alert workers whenever they get within six feet of distance with another...

In this episode, guest Phil Rich, chief supply chain officer and senior VP of Sweetwater, talks about being an online retailer during a very different holiday season. Sweetwater is the nation's largest e-tailer for musical instruments and audio equipment. Increasing inventories and gaining better visibility with suppliers were key steps the company has taken. He also is preparing for a higher...