Skip to content
Search AI Powered
Human content, AI powered search.

Latest Stories

Forward Thinking

Water-related damage an increasing supply chain risk

One-third of respondents to a survey said floods and droughts have already affected their supply chains.

Supply Chain Quarterly Staff
By Supply Chain Quarterly StaffNov 21, 2011
Supply Chain Quarterly Staff
See Full Bio

Add water to the list of things most supply chain managers probably don't worry about but should.

Two-thirds (66 percent) of the 190 organizations that were studied for the second annual CDP Water Disclosure Global Report issued by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) said exposure to water-related risk could have a potential impact on their supply chains in the next five years. One-third of the respondents, in fact, said their companies have already suffered water-related business impacts. Water-related business impacts include disruptions to operations from severe weather events like floods or water shortages.

The CDP noted that in 2011, some of the worst droughts in decades have hit regions of China, East Africa, the Middle East, and the United States. Recent flooding has inundated Thailand, while Queensland, Australia, earlier this year had its prolonged drought alleviated by once-in-100-years floods.

Article
quarter 4 2011
Article
quarter 4 2011

Recent

Report: Supply chain redesigns should focus on balance, speed, and strength
Featured

Report: Supply chain redesigns should focus on balance, speed, and strength

More Stories

AI image of a dinosaur in teacup

The new "Amazon Nova" AI tools can use basic prompts--like "a dinosaur sitting in a teacup"--to create outputs in text, images, or video.

Amazon to release new generation of AI models in 2025

Logistics and e-commerce giant Amazon says it will release a new collection of AI tools in 2025 that could “simplify the lives of shoppers, sellers, advertisers, enterprises, and everyone in between.”

Benefits for Amazon's customers--who include marketplace retailers and logistics services customers, as well as companies who use its Amazon Web Services (AWS) platform and the e-commerce shoppers who buy goods on the website--will include generative AI (Gen AI) solutions that offer real-world value, the company said.

Keep ReadingShow less

Featured

GenAI procurement tool screenshot
Procure

Dun & Bradstreet and IBM launch GenAI procurement tool

An illustration of five trucks connected by lines and hubs to give the appearance of a network.
Blog

How an advanced TMS optimizes supply chain performance

Plan

Starbucks adds risk management program to help protect its supply chain

photo of worker at port tracking containers
Plan

Trump tariff threat strains logistics businesses

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
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
diagram of blue yonder software platforms

Blue Yonder users see supply chains rocked by hack

Grocers and retailers are struggling to get their systems back online just before the winter holiday peak, following a software hack that hit the supply chain software provider Blue Yonder this week.

The ransomware attack is snarling inventory distribution patterns because of its impact on systems such as the employee scheduling system for coffee stalwart Starbucks, according to a published report. Scottsdale, Arizona-based Blue Yonder provides a wide range of supply chain software, including warehouse management system (WMS), transportation management system (TMS), order management and commerce, network and control tower, returns management, and others.

Keep ReadingShow less
drawing of person using AI

Amazon invests another $4 billion in AI-maker Anthropic

Amazon has deepened its collaboration with the artificial intelligence (AI) developer Anthropic, investing another $4 billion in the San Francisco-based firm and agreeing to establish Amazon Web Services (AWS) as its primary training partner and to collaborate on developing its specialized machine learning (ML) chip called AWS Trainium.

The new funding brings Amazon's total investment in Anthropic to $8 billion, while maintaining the e-commerce giant’s position as a minority investor, according to Anthropic. The partnership was launched in 2023, when Amazon invested its first $4 billion round in the firm.

Keep ReadingShow less
Copyright ©2024.