Category: Supply Chain Management

The American Messenger Company, founded in 1907, primarily focused on package delivery to retail stores and special delivery mail for the U.S. Post Office. In 1913, it acquired a Model T Ford as its first delivery vehicle. In 1919, the company expanded to Oakland, California, changing its name to United Parcel Service. UPS became one of the only companies in the United States to offer common carrier service, expanding to areas up to 125 miles outside the city. UPS faced direct competition with USPS and the Interstate Commerce Commission, but the common carrier service was applied in cities where UPS could use the service without the authority of the ICC and state commerce commissions. In 1953, UPS resumed air service called UPS Blue Label Air. UPS expanded its operations to serve all 48 contiguous states in the United States, Canada, and West Germany. In 1991, UPS relocated its headquarters to Sandy Springs, Georgia, and acquired Haulfast and Carryfast, rebranding them UPS Supply Chain Solutions. UPS offers international package services to over 220 countries and territories worldwide. The company faces competition from major domestic carriers like the United States Postal Service (USPS) and FedEx, as well as regional carriers like OnTrac and LSO. UPS has partnered with the US Postal Service to offer UPS Mail Innovations and “SurePost,” which use the UPS Ground network to deliver packages weighing under 10 pounds to the nearest UPS Package Center. UPS has received a “striding” environmental scorecard and received the Clean Air Excellence Award from the US Environmental Protection Agency.

The Red Sea, a major sea route connecting Europe, the Persian Gulf, and East Asia, is facing increased attacks by Houthi insurgents in Yemen since mid-November 2023. The US has announced a maritime coalition to defend shipping in the area. The Eastern shore includes Saudi Arabia and Yemen, while the Western shore includes Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, and Djibouti. Maersk has halted all transits through the Red Sea/Gulf of Aden until further notice, while Hapag-Lloyd has extended its rerouting around Africa. CMA CGM has announced rate increases from Asia to North Europe, and carriers are redirecting Asia to US East Coast services via Panama.

Decreasing the amount of packaging a firm is using can reduce waste and increase positive public perception of your organization. Ideally, a supply chain will be conscious of the cost-cutting importance of recycled materials. Taking an audit of packaging can reveal ways to “cut the fat” and make the packaging a lean machine that helps to keep the workflow moving along nicely. Many things happen in the supply chain that is hard to control. Technology in the warehouse, in transportation for inventory, and more is incredibly important but there are other smaller, less expensive steps that some companies have been using that not only optimize the chain but also save money and improve public perception. Every supply chain executive has the duty of auditing the process to make changes where improvements are possible. This is a simple plan to integrate into the system with the right packaging option. A common mistake that we find in many supply chains is the tendency to overpack goods for shipping and storage. The goal is to use packaging that delivers flexible options i.e., easy to manage, easy to store, does not generate waste and delivers the best value. When our supply chain is using packaging that the supply chain cannot reuse, we are essentially throwing good money after bad. According to statistics, there were over 35.4 million tons of paper and cardboard generated in 2016 and (16.3 million tons for each of these waste materials in 2016 and that was just in the EU! In the United States, packaging waste is around 77 million tons just in cardboard packaging waste. Even supply professionals who are not well-versed in packaging will understand the importance of using packaging that enhances workflow, and protection and reduces risk. In the perfect packaging scenario, our packaging needs to be recycled in the supply chain. The costs of waste generated by packaging materials are tremendous not just economically but environmentally as well.

It has been found that 27.97 million vaccines are being administered every day. But only 2.3% of people in low-income countries received at least a first vaccine by September 2021, according to official reports from national health agencies, which is collated by Our World in Data. Concerns exist about whether some countries producing vaccines may impose protectionist controls by export restrictions. So that it would stockpile a COVID 19 vaccine for their own population. In June, the Serum Institute of India – a major manufacturer of global vaccines – reached a licensing agreement with AstraZeneca to make 1 billion doses of vaccine for low-and-middle-income countries, of which half of the doses would go to India. This is an issue of supply chain management to manufacture and send it to the end-user.In the United States, restrictions on vaccine eligibility have been lowered. And wealthier individuals from other countries with unhurried vaccination rates were reportedly traveling to the United States to be vaccinated.