Managing a cold chain requires precision, real-time data, and reliable technology to ensure that temperature-sensitive products—whether food, pharmaceuticals, or chemicals—are transported without compromising their integrity. As supply chain managers seek advanced cold chain monitoring solutions, understanding the critical innovation criteria is essential for making the right choice.
Working in a competitive industry demands that you become a data-driven organization. As a technology solution provider, effectively leveraging data can unlock significant advantages, such as driving market expansion and fostering innovation. Unfortunately, all too many companies lack an analytical approach to decision-making.
If you manage a supply chain of temperature-sensitive products, cold chain monitoring can help minimize spoilage/waste and boost customer satisfaction. Products like vaccines, biologics, fresh produce, frozen food, and dairy must be stored in cool temperatures throughout the entire supply chain, or they risk becoming unsellable. Every year, the biopharma industry loses about US$35 billion because of a failure to implement temperature-controlled logistics. Even worse, the lack of temperature monitoring greatly contributes to the US$1 trillion of food waste annually. Cold chain technologies like temperature sensors and software platforms can help you avoid spoilage and comply with safety regulations.
Retailers have been on a roller-coaster ride for the last few years. A global pandemic, supply chain disruptions, inordinately high inflation, and poor economic growth worldwide have profoundly impacted the industry. Consumer behavior has also changed, as evidenced by the rise in omnichannel shopping experiences. As consumer confidence fluctuates in early 2024, their appetite for goods remains surprisingly strong.
MODEX 2024 brought together the entire supply chain ecosystem to showcase end-to-end solutions, including traditional equipment, sustainability, workforce, automation, robotics, and emerging technologies. We were on the show floor—here are the key takeaways from Senior Analyst Adhish Luitel and Industry Analyst Ryan Wiggin.
Several ABI Research analysts made the trip to Las Vegas in January for the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2024. Although geopolitical and macroeconomic conditions continue to cast a shadow over the technology world, CES 2024 had no shortage of excitement and optimism. Our analysts heard plenty of talks from vendors and enterprise end users about investments, partnerships, new technology adoption, and applications. If you missed CES 2024, we would like to share intriguing highlights from five of our analysts who attended the show, each covering a different technology area.
Supply chain control towers are integral to successfully managing logistics operations. Modern supply chains are extremely complex, involving various stakeholders, regions, transport systems, and even standards. Adding to this complexity is the fact that various software systems used for supply chain management generate data in their own separate silos. It’s tough to draw definitive conclusions and improve supply chain operations when data are disorganized. Therefore, acquiring a unified inflection point that captures all these data in a single location is essential to keep operations running smoothly. Enter supply chain control towers, which give logistics operators full visibility into various systems, processes, assets, etc. in one platform.
Supply chain visibility is universally agreed upon to be a must-have in the modern enterprise. From tracking when a product leaves a warehouse to final delivery at the customer’s doorstep, real-time updates through the supply chain add value to the customer, as well as ecosystem partners. However, another aspect of the supply chain that needs real-time tracking software services is yard management. Yard Management Systems (YMSs) are the answer, as they provide real-time or near real-time visibility into various trailer activities within a warehouse, dock, or other logistical stop points. From there, the system can automatically schedule pickups/deliveries and allocate assets, such as trailers, trucks, and equipment. The end result is more efficient workflows and data-driven decision-making.
When ABI Research surveyed 1,800 fleet operators last year, the results indicated that 6 out of 10 businesses place fleet electrification as their near-term goal. Consequently, the number of commercial Electric Vehicles (EVs) on the road is forecast to grow from 171,000 in 2020 to approximately 3 million by the decade’s end. Today’s rapid transition to electrified fleets and Zero-Emissions Vehicles (ZEVs) is the result of several internal and external factors. This post covers six of the biggest market drivers for fleet electrification.
Retailers, more than ever, feel the pressure to deliver online orders to consumers at lightning-fast speed. To help make that happen, many companies are leveraging Micro-Fulfillment Centers (MFCs) that keep lower stock inventory levels and get orders out the door more quickly than traditional fulfillment centers. With 87% of retailers struggling with talent acquisition, automation is set to be a massive difference-maker in MFC success. In this post, you’ll read about five of the most promising technologies to carry out micro-fulfillment processes automatically.
Analyst Insight
Micro-Fulfillment Appears to Be Back on the Agenda for Major Retailers, Creating a Unique Opportunity for Automation Providers