Most of the significant events that end up disrupting global supply chains happen without a note of warning and carry the potential to disrupt the best of plans. Although organisations put their best foot forward when planning their supply chain operations, with a wide range of stakeholders involved in the network, overcoming breakdowns remains a…
The rolling out of the Covid-19 vaccine certainly is a glimmer of hope in the fight against the pandemic, but the world is far from celebrations. The next big hurdle facing the world is distributing the vaccine, which relies on a complex supply chain of freezers and temperature-controlled shipping methods called the ‘cold chain.’ Let’s…
A year ago, none of us could have predicted that 2020 and 2021 would push global trade into utter chaos. But what’s even more astonishing is the spirit of resilience shown by supply chains worldwide all through the pandemic. Despite facing the full force of covid-19, the industry refused to get bogged down by the…
The Every Given is sailing again. After being stuck for about six days, the mammoth ship held up about $9 billion in global trade a day and further burdened the already strained supply chains. Owing to the dredgers, tugboats, and rushing king tides, to everyone’s relief, the 20,124-TEU finally refloated after approximately 30,000 cubic meters…
In the past several decades, global trade has been a force for good. It has driven economic growth, helped millions earn a livelihood and kept the world connected through thick and thin. But all of this has also come at the cost of the environment. The International Transport Forum estimates that about 7% of global…
With a faint light in sight at the end of the COVID tunnel, pent-up demand has emerged as a major concern for businesses across industries. Every few weeks, there seems to be a speed bump here or an upswing there for the global supply chains, making it impossible to forecast what’s next. Why the fuss…
Spiralling freight rates have left businesses worldwide scrambling to stay afloat and weather yet another year full of unknowns. Even now, as we have entered 2021, soaring prices are increasingly piling more pressure on the already stretched global supply chains. To better equip ourselves for future disruptions and safeguard against the present market volatility, we…
The recent shipping container shortage that’s left everything from soybeans to smartphones idling in ports threw global trade into chaos. While shippers were scrambling to keep their goods moving, the import/export imbalance pushed ocean rates to eye-watering levels. So, where have all the containers gone? Many remain stranded in inland depots, and hundreds more are…
It’s been a little over one month since the much anticipated Brexit went into full effect, and shippers across the UK and Europe have been experiencing an avalanche of delays and documentation. Businesses in the UK and organisations trading with the region are looking for ways to mitigate risks as the realities of Brexit have…
Did you know that optimizing your freight management could cut shipping costs by up to 30%? Yet, many companies miss out on these savings by focusing only on individual shipments rather than the entire supply chain. Freight optimization isn’t just about finding the fastest route—it’s about transforming every stage of the process, from sourcing materials…
When shipping is an integral part of your organization, managing and processing invoices and making timely payments becomes a critical task. It is crucial that you have a system in place that ensures visibility over freight invoice processing and payments. When done right, it will become an opportunity to save costs and ensure process efficiencies. …
Whether you are a big company with thousands of shipments per month or run a small business with few shipments occasionally, efficient freight negotiation with shipping companies is crucial to your bottom line. If done right, it is the simplest way to drive cost savings every time you ship. Being in control of how much…
The covid-19 pandemic’s onset brought global supply chains’ fragilities into sharp focus and magnified the need for organisations to build resilience and agility into their systems. While the world might be gradually recovering from the Covid backset and bouncing back to normalcy, the truth is that there may not be a ‘stable state’ for global…
As more and more organisations are exploring ways to leverage advanced technology, the supply chain industry is increasingly becoming AI-driven. While artificial intelligence-based solutions have infinite uses, so are the concerns surrounding this technology. Today, enterprises can use these solutions to gain predictive capabilities and optimise their business. In this article, we discuss various aspects…
The global logistics and container shipping industry are mammoth, and keeping them in a smooth motion and overcoming obstacles is quite a challenge. While most of the world’s cargo continues to get shipped in containers, container shipments face their own set of problems too. As a shipper, one of the best ways you can minimise…
After a wild year that 2020 was, the arrival of the covid-19 vaccine, at last, got along a great deal of relief for everyone. However, the already-stretched supply chains are now up for a more significant challenge- to execute an unprecedented worldwide distribution of the vaccine. What we are witnessing today is the post-pandemic phase…
Getting competitive prices each time you ship your freight is critical to your bottom line. While traditionally you might be relying on your internal freight rate history to determine the best lanes and rates for your freight shipments, today there’s a better way. It is here that freight benchmarking or freight rate index tools step…
Freight audits and payments may not be the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of ways to reduce freight costs. The cost of manually reconciling freight invoices is one expense that remains hidden and silently affects your bottom line. Industry studies estimate that manual invoice processing costs around $5 to $12…
2020 has come to an end, but the gaps and risks it exposed and the urgency for supply chain resilience it created will continue to drive companies in 2021 and beyond. The pandemic rattled supply chains worldwide while simultaneously emphasising its importance and gave birth to new goals for the years ahead. Today companies across…
As a shipper, one of the best ways to minimise risks and unpleasant surprises when shipping your goods is to keep a close track of your shipment’s movement. Undoubtedly, the key to running a smooth supply chain is to have real-time and end-to-end visibility over the location of your cargo. Earlier, logistics managers had to…
