The end of the year is quickly approaching. With it, seasonal sales and shopping are at an all-year high, and therefore, so is fulfillment. Let’s take a look at some of the trends we’ve seen throughout the year, and we expect to continue into 2023:

The next evolution of manufacturing will be true “lot size one” and will respond in real time to customer demands. Real-time agile manufacturing will require new approaches to production, including how labor capacity is managed, how production occurs (i.e. additive manufacturing, asset-light manufacturing), and how the supply chain is arranged (i.e. decentralized manufacturing).

The future of manufacturing is localized, agile, asset-light, and focused on customization to meet each customer’s preference.

The future of manufacturing is localized, agile, asset-light, and focused on customization to meet each customer’s preference.

The future of manufacturing is localized, agile, asset-light, and focused on customization to meet each customer’s preference.

On March 14, 2022, the Eastern District Court of Texas reinstated a Trump-era rule which clarifies the worker classification test used to determine whether individuals are independent contractors or employees under federal law.

Blockchain has been a hot topic since 2017, although most probably know about the technology because of the craze around cryptocurrencies. However, companies have started to pursue other uses for the technology in supply chains, such as material tracing. You might have heard of big players such as Walmart using the blockchain to trace food, but what does this mean for small businesses in the supply chain?

You’ve seen the headlines and heard the talking points on what’s happening in the labor market in the US. But what does this mean for you as someone in manufacturing and logistics, and more importantly, how can you adapt to this reality and come out stronger on the other side?

In recent months, some supply chain thinkers have all but blamed lean inventory levels for the challenges and delays the world has faced in 2020 and 2021.

Manufacturing has long had the concept of a “digital twin” of physical facilities and their machines. The consumer-oriented version of this concept has been branded the “metaverse” and is catching on among Silicon Valley figureheads and social media companies.

Transitioning from paper manuals to digital work instructions might not seem like a big deal, but this is an important step into the future of manufacturing.

If you’ve shopped online lately and ordered from a major retail store, you’ve probably received an order that was shipped from the store.

Micro-fulfillment is gaining traction in the supply chain as a viable strategy. You’ve probably seen it in headlines, and whether you know it or not, you’ve almost certainly shopped somewhere that’s operating a micro-fulfillment center. So what’s this all about?

Companies in the US have faced challenges finding workers for the past few years. This is partially due to the pandemic, but inflation, commodity prices, and shifting expectations about work are trends that will continue to make the labor market challenging.

The past year has presented many challenges in the supply chain. A boom in e-commerce, unemployment fluctuation, labor participation, and commodity prices have contributed heavily to the volatility of the economy.

There are three words that scare operations managers everywhere: free two-day delivery. This phrase wraps up the Amazon effect and slaps a bow on it. Customers are starting to expect reliable on-time delivery of whatever goods they want with little extra cost, and they’re expecting it to happen faster than ever before.

Confusing rules around worker classification might have kept you away from engaging with independent contractors before, but now that the regulations are being made more clear, maybe you’re ready to try it.

The US Department of Commerce's GDP analysis of manufacturing estimates the industry represents ~11% of the economy and has 1.4x multiplier effect for every dollar spent.  Those figures are already quite significant; however, this article outlines research from the MAPI showing that the US manufacturing sector’s economic contribution is actually 32% and has a multiplier effect of 3.6x for every dollar created. Suffice to say, US manufacturing creates significant economic contribution to our national economy as a whole, as well as local economies across the country.

US Manufacturing is resilient and has never been in a better position to reclaim what was previously given away, as discussed in Now is the Time to Take It Back.  Outsourcing inherently introduces significant risks to service and quality, and the calculations typically used to make the case to outsource are highly inaccurate and overstated; even a 20-30% miscalculation would single-handedly negate any potential savings.  Any remaining cost gaps can easily be solved for by leveraging lean methodology to eliminate waste.  This concept of Leanshoring is already happening around the country, led by those willing to do the work by aggressively and creatively finding lasting solutions that solve the real problem all businesses face: waste. 

Resiliency is becoming a buzzword now because of the global stress test that supply chains are facing today due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and highlights the vulnerability of the distributed network of global supply chains.  Starting in January, the COVID-19 effects on the global supply chain were starting to reveal themselves as product stopped moving from the Chinese interior to the ports.  As the factories started slowing, the linkage to the ports failed as well when Wuhan and surrounding provinces were quarantined.  Then shipping companies cancelled sailings causing vessels and empty containers to be out of position across the globe.  Even after countries and businesses re-open, the affects of this disruption will be felt for at least a year to reposition people, right-size assets, and determine the new demand profile going forward. 

We live in a world where technology is all around us. Chances are, most of us are using advanced technology in our daily lives (i.e. smartphones, wearables, smart TVs, IoT, etc.). So why then, in a world of digital everything, do we still use physical calendars, paper time cards, excel spreadsheets, staffing augmentation, etc. in our daily operations? The answer likely lies in what is known as Martec’s Law.

Millions of people around the world are waving goodbye to the traditional cubicle work life and saying hello to independent work. 

Let's face it, today mobile devices are integrated into nearly every aspect of our daily lives. Just think back to the last time you didn't have a smartphone, or other mobile device with you? Can't remember? And how often have you used your phone for work? The answer is probably more often than you think!

We’ve all been there before – experiencing the twists, turns, and dead ends of job seeking.  You post your resume on countless job boards and you apply to all the jobs you can find.  Most of the time you don’t hear a single word back.  Other times, you’re invited for interviews only to show up and find out that the job has been filled.  All that time wasted with nothing to show for it.

Lean manufacturing is ready for its next iteration.  While Lean theory draws upon practices that have been around for centuries, the commonly practiced version of Lean today is somewhere between 60 and 80 years old dating back to the early days of TPS. 

If you poll any CEO today and ask him or her “what keeps you up at night?” chances are you will get a response that relates to at least one of a small number of “global megatrends.”  These megatrends represent the large scale transformative developments that are currently reshaping the global economic and commercial landscape.