In the days leading up to any of the big winter holidays, gift giving is on everyone's mind. Not long after, buyers remorse may set in sending shoppers scurrying for shipping boxes to return unwanted trinkets. “Returns have become both a normal part of the shopping process and business as usual for retailers, representing a…
One of my customers, a bulk picking department manager, asked an intriguing question the other day: How can I keep my employees motivated and working hard? His organization had deployed our wearable devices a year or so ago, and I had called on him to check in and see how they were being used and…
This year, The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) projects that global consumer electronics revenues will top $285 billion, led by a 101% year over year growth in emerging product categories such as wearable devices, Ultra HD TV and 3D printers. Just one year earlier, CEA's director of industry analysis, Steve Koenig, said: These top revenue-driving products,…
In the world of electronics and high-tech products, the days of “segmented thinking” are over. Now manufacturers are recognizing that to maximize a product's worth, they have to adopt an end-to-end approach that focuses on a product's lifetime value. This means first, treating each individual item as an asset, and second, identifying and leveraging opportunities…
Knowledge is power when it comes to effective carrier relationship management. By asking the right questions, you can make sure that you've optimized your carrier choices to make sure that the items you ship, whether components or finished products, get where they need to go. Spendrix, a data company that saves shippers time by analyzing carriers…
The Internet of Things (IoT) and machine-to-machine (M2M), also called the Industrial Internet, (II), are changing customer relationships and workflow in the business-to-business (B2B) world. In the automotive industry, cars, trucks, and even motorcycles are using Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) technology, which uses a communications module that connects transmitters in the vehicles, and sensors in the road…
Roads are crowded, trains are running nearly full, port container capacity is running low, and there are more logistics jobs than can be filled. All of this will tumble down the electronics supply chain, a spiral that is already beginning. Just a quick look at some recent headlines about transportation, logistics, and infrastructure in the…
A company called Inrix really, really wants the data from your vehicle's windshield wipers. And traction control systems. And as many other subsystems as it can sweep into its cloud. The goal is not a performance tweak. In fact, it hardly has anything to do with your individual vehicle. Rather the Kirkland, WA-based company's goal…
Chelmsford, MA – Kewill, a leading provider of innovative software for supply chain execution, announced that long-time TMS partner CLX Logistics has chosen Kewill Forwarding for its Freight Forwarding services. Part of the Kewill MOVE on the Cloud for Logistics Service Providers platform, Kewill Forwarding is an out-of-the box solution that provides complete control over…
When was the last time you paid for shipping? Some would have to think a while for the answer because so many of us select the “free shipping” options available for online orders. In truth, though, shipping services are never really free. Their cost can be quite significant, particularly for businesses that that operate in…