Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Forward Thinking

HighJump names four supply chain trends for 2017

Digital transformation strategies should include consumer-grade user interfaces, data analytics, unified commerce, and automated computing. says the software company.

There are four trends that logistics companies must follow to stay competitive in 2017, according to Minneapolis-based supply chain software provider HighJump Software Inc.

In order to meet customer demands for simpler, faster, and more profitable delivery of goods, supply chain firms must apply digital transformation to their logistics processes, HighJump executives said Monday at the firm's Elevate user conference in Orlando, Fla.


Simply turning manual processes into digital workflow is not enough to reap the rewards of the strategy, however, HighJump Chief Strategy Officer Ross Elliott said in a release. A complete digital solution should enhance supply chain workflows with four specific business properties, Elliott said.

HighJump's four trends include:

  • Human design Solutions should cater to the user. Choose apps, software, and devices that eliminate workflow complexities and increase productivity by providing the look and feel of consumer-grade devices.
  • Actionable analytics Move beyond basic batch analytics reports. Select tools that sort through big data and provide clear insight on how to enhance processes.
  • Unified commerce There is no single path to providing the personalized experience that customers demand when ordering goods. Find solutions that integrate with other tools to assure your staff always has the information available to deliver the quality experience customers expect.
  • Smart devices Seek out devices that offer the latest features—such as voice control and chatbots—to automate time-consuming data entry and searches.

HighJump currently supports these four approaches with its existing line of solutions, and plans to expand those offerings with a series of launches planned for later this year, Elliott said.

Recent

More Stories

cover of report on electrical efficiency

ABI: Push to drop fossil fuels also needs better electric efficiency

Companies in every sector are converting assets from fossil fuel to electric power in their push to reach net-zero energy targets and to reduce costs along the way, but to truly accelerate those efforts, they also need to improve electric energy efficiency, according to a study from technology consulting firm ABI Research.

In fact, boosting that efficiency could contribute fully 25% of the emissions reductions needed to reach net zero. And the pursuit of that goal will drive aggregated global investments in energy efficiency technologies to grow from $106 Billion in 2024 to $153 Billion in 2030, ABI said today in a report titled “The Role of Energy Efficiency in Reaching Net Zero Targets for Enterprises and Industries.”

Keep ReadingShow less

Featured

Logistics economy continues on solid footing
Logistics Managers' Index

Logistics economy continues on solid footing

Economic activity in the logistics industry expanded in November, continuing a steady growth pattern that began earlier this year and signaling a return to seasonality after several years of fluctuating conditions, according to the latest Logistics Managers’ Index report (LMI), released today.

The November LMI registered 58.4, down slightly from October’s reading of 58.9, which was the highest level in two years. The LMI is a monthly gauge of business conditions across warehousing and logistics markets; a reading above 50 indicates growth and a reading below 50 indicates contraction.

Keep ReadingShow less
iceberg drawing to represent threats

GEP: six factors could change calm to storm in 2025

The current year is ending on a calm note for the logistics sector, but 2025 is on pace to be an era of rapid transformation, due to six driving forces that will shape procurement and supply chains in coming months, according to a forecast from New Jersey-based supply chain software provider GEP.

"After several years of mitigating inflation, disruption, supply shocks, conflicts, and uncertainty, we are currently in a relative period of calm," John Paitek, vice president, GEP, said in a release. "But it is very much the calm before the coming storm. This report provides procurement and supply chain leaders with a prescriptive guide to weathering the gale force headwinds of protectionism, tariffs, trade wars, regulatory pressures, uncertainty, and the AI revolution that we will face in 2025."

Keep ReadingShow less
chart of top business concerns from descartes

Descartes: businesses say top concern is tariff hikes

Business leaders at companies of every size say that rising tariffs and trade barriers are the most significant global trade challenge facing logistics and supply chain leaders today, according to a survey from supply chain software provider Descartes.

Specifically, 48% of respondents identified rising tariffs and trade barriers as their top concern, followed by supply chain disruptions at 45% and geopolitical instability at 41%. Moreover, tariffs and trade barriers ranked as the priority issue regardless of company size, as respondents at companies with less than 250 employees, 251-500, 501-1,000, 1,001-50,000 and 50,000+ employees all cited it as the most significant issue they are currently facing.

Keep ReadingShow less
photo of worker at port tracking containers

Trump tariff threat strains logistics businesses

Freight transportation providers and maritime port operators are bracing for rough business impacts if the incoming Trump Administration follows through on its pledge to impose a 25% tariff on Mexico and Canada and an additional 10% tariff on China, analysts say.

Industry contacts say they fear that such heavy fees could prompt importers to “pull forward” a massive surge of goods before the new administration is seated on January 20, and then quickly cut back again once the hefty new fees are instituted, according to a report from TD Cowen.

Keep ReadingShow less