Innovate E-Commerce Blog

As the world watches and countries begin talking to the US about tariffs, now is the time to act. Many companies are developing strategies to prepare for whatever the future holds. These strategies include: Stockpiling Inventory Diversifying Suppliers Expanding into...

With all the disruptions in the supply chain, have they destroyed the efficiencies that JIT and VMI processes provided to manage inventory levels? The concept of Just In Time (JIT) was aimed to improve manufacturing efficiency by producing only what was needed, when...

AI is a big topic right now, and many businesses are trying to figure out if, when, and how they should use it. One common way AI is being used today is for predictive analytics. However, implementing AI isn’t cheap and it requires expensive data collection, model...

According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, there is a notable trend of consumers increasingly seeking and purchasing products made in the USA. Surveys indicate that a significant portion of Americans prefer domestic products and are willing to pay a premium...

Supply Chain Disruptions – Are you ready for 2025? Another East Coast port strike may be in the cards for 2025. The International Longshoreman’s Assn. (ILA) representing the dockworkers and the U.S. Maritime Alliance (USMX) representing the employers have no further...

On October 3, 2024, the International Longshoremen’s Association reached a deal to discontinue their strike until January 15, 2025. This strike would have affected ports along the East and Gulf coasts causing disruptions in the supply chain for all industries....

When you think of starting your morning, most people think about their first cup of coffee, going through their emails and/or reading the morning newspaper. However, if your company is doing Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), you should be starting your morning...

Reverse Logistics, the process of managing the recall or return of products from the customer back to the company, has become increasingly important for businesses. Whether there is a recall or deficit, how do you track and trace the product back to the source? When...

EDI was first introduced to supply chains back in the 1960s, when Ed Guilbert developed a form of electronic communication between shipment supply chains in the US army. Although it took until the early 90s for EDI to find wide-spread supply chain integration, EDI was...

The old expression “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it” rings true in many aspects of our lives. This is even more relative when it comes to EDI. Historically, EDI was going to be combined, replaced, or eliminated. First, it was going to be combined with the...

While the COVID pandemic exposed weaknesses in the global supply chain, unforeseen disruptions continue to play havoc every day. Companies are looking at new strategies to avoid risks in their supply chain. Several of these strategies are: Move from “Just in Time” to...

A recent survey of 1,800 supply chain decision-makers from around the world revealed that most are struggling to minimize risks to their supply chains due to disruptions caused by geopolitical conflicts, natural disasters, the closure or delays of major ports, and...

After the tragic collapse of the Key Bridge, the Port of Baltimore said last week that the vessel is expected to be removed by May 10. In a news release Monday, the Key Bridge Unified Command did not mention the deadline or when the removal of pieces of the bridge on...

From robotics to Enterprise Resource (ERP) software, the technology sector continues to boom. These solutions are designed to streamline, optimize, innovate, and gain visibility in the supply chain. There is also a lot of excitement and confusion around Artificial...

Do you know where your children are? This question was used as a public service announcement for parents on American television from the late 1960s through the late 1980s. Today, with all the supply chain disruptions, the question now becomes: do you know where your...

Unrest in the Middle East and a drought in Panama are causing ships to take alternative or longer routes around Africa and South America. Longer routes mean longer transit times, which could lead to delays in the delivery of goods, affect the availability of products...

The future will always bring new challenges with the supply chain while still trying to deal with the day-to-day operations. Rising costs, economic instability, labor shortages and supply chain disruptions will continue into 2024 and beyond. Now is the time to prepare...

Global supply chains have experienced and overcome many disruptions and challenges in recent years. History has shown that these disruptions will continue to occur. We must learn from history, or we will face the same challenges again. Now is the time to prepare for...

With tightening global regulations, increasingly discerning consumer base, and tighter due diligence laws from governments; old-school, manual supply chain processes can no longer keep up with the future. Most traditional supply chains still work in a siloed...

Many factors cause disruptions in the supply chain. Pandemics, weather, labor disputes and foreign conflicts to name a few. Who would have guessed that the rising threat of El Nino’s weather could reduce sugarcane yield by 10-15% globally? The shortage of sugarcane...

Many companies are dealing with supply chain disruptions in different ways. Many report that they are overstocked, yet they still plan to increase inventory significantly over the next 12 months. Currently, there are many labor disruptions looming which include...

The “new normal”, “pre-pandemic”, “post-pandemic”, and others have described the last several years in the global supply chain. Supply chain disruptions are more common than ever. Unfortunately, they will be with us forever. In 2021, 66% of businesses reported some or...

Supply chain disruptions and economic uncertainty is compelling procurement leaders to build stronger relationship with their suppliers. They must have visibility and collaboration with their suppliers so they can improve supply chain planning. Do you know which of...

The supply chain has been changing rapidly since the pandemic. The lack of visibility is a real concern today. Shortages continue to persist due to the lack of information sharing. More information is not necessarily better, it can just be more. What are your...