The Friday Five: Adding the human element to digital supply chains

Global supply chains create a huge amount of data. Big, messy data. And technology alone can’t solve the problem. To orchestrate complicated logistics, you need a human touch. More on people being key to digital supply chain transformations, China-Europe rail services picking up, blue jeans logistics, and more in this week’s Friday Five!

Taking a human-centric approach to supply chain [SupplyChainBrain]

Slync's Matt Gunn, VP of Product and Solution Marketing, discusses how technology alone isn’t enough to solve the underlying issues causing chaos throughout a multi-party supply chain. Organizations must include their people and processes along with new innovations to lead real transformation.

Despite rates quadrupling in price, China-Europe rail services are in great demand [JOC]

The land bridge between China and Europe is becoming more attractive for shippers who are desperate for more accurate forecasting and planning despite rail rates quadrupling to $16,000-18,000 per FEU since pre-pandemic 2019.

If you want to be Forever in Blue Jeans, you better send your trucks to the East Coast [Supply Chain Dive]

Responding to on-going chaos in ocean freight shipping, Levi Strauss is shipping most of its product to the east coast of the United States to hedge against the continued problems in Long Beach. Not only did COVID-19 slow down production and distribution, the container shortages, skyrocketing shipping prices added additional pain to the growing retail demand.

Facing numerous challenges, Levi’s is leveraging air freight, opening new distribution centers, negotiating limits to cost increases and testing new AI-forecasting models which they are banking on as critical to their long-term supply chain strategy.

U.S. sees record number of new trucking firms but no new capacity [JOC]

No magic here. Follow the money. Spot rates have lured thousands of truck drivers to leave their companies and strike out on their own. What does this mean for shippers? The capacity is the same but now with single drivers becoming new solo carrier firms, booking freight is becoming more of a challenge when carriers are turning down loads if they don’t hit, the now expected, $1,000/day rate.
 

The parking lot is full, and there’s no valet at the Port of Los Angeles [FreightWaves]

Can we even call it peak season anymore? The perpetual peak season continues to kick the Port of Los Angeles when they are down as the parking lot is filling up with more container ships anchored offshore.

Despite a small break that occurred due to the COVID restrictions at the port of Yantian, China, July and August are looking ‘super-strong’ for the Port of Los Angeles as they brace for back-to-school, fall fashion assortments, and Halloween goods making their way across the Pacific.

If you missed it, be sure to check out last week’s logistics news recap including the music-inspiring Ever Given. And check back every Friday for a roundup of the hottest global transportation news in our weekly blog, The Friday Five. 

If you want to learn more about how Logistics Orchestration® by Slync.io can help you navigate the complexities of global logistics, just request a demo!