We’ve crossed the halfway mark of 2024. Is that a danger sign on the road ahead or one announcing better days around the bend?
Is the glass we’re holding half full or half empty?
Either way, let’s raise it up and give a toast for making it to another day.
As you can see from the top posts we published this past quarter, and the research topics we explored, there is a lot going on in supply chain management today. Most of it is cool, exciting, and inspiring. But some of it is troubling and disappointing. Just like life.
So, take a moment to just be. Sit outside, like I’m doing this morning, and just be present to the sights, sounds, and smells around you.
Just now, you see, a fly buzzes in my ear, its fluttering wings around the bend,
and all I can hear is the sound of my glass smashing on the patio stones,
its shards proclaiming, loud and clear
What a day!
The Quarter in Review
In case you missed them the first time around or want to read/view them again, check out the top posts and new episodes from the second quarter of 2024. After reading/watching them, share this post with your colleagues and social media followers, then post a comment and share your perspective on these topics!
Top Posts
- If An 18-Year-Old Truck Driver Comes to Pick Up Your Shipment
- Why Nobody Sends Out an RFP for Supply Chain Operating Networks
- Saturday Night Live Skit About Fast Fashion: Would You Stop Buying It?
- Smart Chains, Mixed Signals: Decoding AI’s Role in Supply Management
- Labor Shortages: What Are Supply Chain and Logistics Companies Doing to Survive the Challenge?
- Move Over 3PLs and 4PLs, the AI-PL Is Here
- How Stressful Is Working in Supply Chain Management?
- How Satisfied Are Companies With Their TMS?
- The Scent of Child Labor in Your Perfume
- What Supply Chain Execs Can Learn from an Ironman Triathlete
New Episodes
- What Supply Chain Execs Can Learn From An Ironman Triathlete
- The Important Role of Logistics in Enabling Risk Mitigation and Resilience Strategies
Indago Research Reports
This quarter we completed seven research surveys and donated a total of $1,193 to Breakthrough T1D, American Logistics Aid Network, American Cancer Society, Feeding America, and Make-A-Wish.
- Revisiting Dock Appointment Scheduling (June 2024): Do you believe the creation and adoption of an industry standard for dock appointment scheduling will improve your logistics operations?
- Revisiting Data Quality in SCM (June 2024): How would you rate the overall quality of the data you receive from your external trading partners? Has the quality of your supply chain data been improving or getting worse? Who is primarily responsible / accountable for supply chain data quality management at your company?
- Pulse on Freight Transportation Trends (June 2024): How would you characterize the current state of the freight transportation market? What actions do you plan to take in the second half of 2024 to better manage or control your transportation spend and operations? Which trends do you believe will have the greatest impact on freight transportation over the next three years?
- Experience Using Lumper Services (May 2024): Do you use lumper services at your warehouses or distribution centers? If so, what are the main reasons why you use lumpers? What challenges, if any, have you had with lumper services?
- Inventory Management Challenges (May 2024): How would you rate the effectiveness of your inventory management practices? What are the biggest challenges you face in managing your inventory? What technologies are you using to improve your inventory management performance?
- Have You Experienced Freight Fraud? (April 2024): Have you experienced cargo theft or other types of freight fraud in the past year? How would you characterize your processes/efforts to prevent freight fraud?
- How Is 2024 Going So Far? (April 2024): Now that we’re a quarter into 2024, is the year going better, worse, or the same as you expected? Why is that? If you were writing a book or a song about how 2024 is going so far, what would its title be?
If you’re a supply chain or logistics practitioner from a manufacturing, retail, or distribution company, I encourage you to learn more about Indago and join our research community. It is confidential, there is no cost to join and the time commitment is minimal (2-4 minutes per week) — plus your participation will help support charitable causes that need our help today more than ever.
Reminder: There are many ways to stay connected with Talking Logistics and Indago throughout the year — choose all the options that you prefer:
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