Top Distribution blog posts of 2021

Massive port closures and congestion have been disrupting supply chains since November 2020 and shippers are working to find solutions to get their shipments into North America any way they can. Making the situation more difficult is the fact that delays at one port created a ripple effect along the whole west coast.

ITS Logistics VP of Intermodal and Drayage Paul Brashier and Director of Supply Chain Solutions Kasia Wenker give insight on how shippers have been working through the tight capacity with creativity and flexibility. Some solutions include shipping containers to different ports, relying more on transload facilities and utilizing multi-node DC networks for inventory staging. Learn more about what they had to say.

Recruiting, training and retaining employees is critical to the supply chain, especially now as demand for workers is at a record high and every industry is struggling to find qualified labor. Within the logistics industry, the lack of employees to move products, fulfill orders and transport loads is slowing the movement of goods across the board. On top of the labor shortage, there is also an increased need for workers due to continued growth in ecommerce sales, home deliveries and ever-rising customer expectations.

Technology needs to work seamlessly to ensure orders are fulfilled and shipped in a timely manner—solidifying the importance of information technology in the logistics industry. Robust IT systems that are built to handle shippers’ and customers’ demands are vital to business success, but they also take a lot of effort to ensure everything works effectively. At ITS, we focus on technology well before peak season with evaluation and inspection of hardware and components. We also increase our server resources and purchase any needed components to gear up for the influx in orders.

The continued volatility and uncertainty 2021 has brought to the small parcel industry has caused a lack of capacity, higher shipping and operating costs, and continued peak surcharges throughout the year. We can break these out into direct and indirect shipping costs.

Direct costs include things like shipping rates and fees while indirect ones come from spending the time to work with carriers on planning, forecasting, and management of pickups.

The massive amount of online shopping that is taking place has increased the number of targets for cyberattacks, meaning ecommerce security is more critical than ever. Data breaches harm brand reputations, result in loss of trust and can result in costly damages. Any personally identifiable information must be protected throughout the entire fulfillment process. This can be challenging because data goes through multiple different systems during the fulfillment process, so logistics providers must protect the data with complex security procedures.