In this discussion, Kraig Foreman, President of eCommerce at DHL Supply Chain, shares insights on preparing for the peak season. He highlights how retailers have stabilized inventory ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Kraig also discusses the positive impact of robotics and automation on warehouse jobs, revealing a strong support among workers. Additionally, he explains how transportation is leveraging AI to enhance efficiency in Q4 planning, marking a transformative shift in logistics strategies.
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insights INSIGHT
Retailers Have Settled Into Peak Plans
Retailers' inventory and promo strategies largely stabilized after months of uncertainty.
Kraig Foreman said that confidence has grown as brands settled into plans ahead of peak season.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Plan Staffing Early And Train Thoroughly
Start peak-season staffing planning early and invest in training to secure talent.
Kraig Foreman recommends building attractive culture and tools like robotics to win seasonal labor.
insights INSIGHT
Robots Enable Flexible Fulfillment
Robotics provide operational flexibility by being addable or removable as volumes change.
Foreman says robots let teams scale capacity and redeploy equipment across sites quickly.
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Our guest on this week's episode is Kraig Foreman, president of eCommerce at DHL Supply Chain. While stores are already showing the Christmas spirit with all of their beautiful decorations and being crammed with lots of inventory – peak season has not officially kicked off yet. But it will next week with Black Friday and Cyber Monday. After a tumultuous year for supply chains – are retailers prepared to handle the most wonderful time of the year? Our guest today joins Victoria Kickham with some insights.
While many industries are struggling to realize value from AI, transportation appears to be ahead of the curve, according to Breakthrough, which is a Wisconsin-based provider of transportation and supply chain solutions for shippers. That result came from the company’s “Peak Shipping Season Pulse,” a survey of 300 industry decision-makers. The report found that 49% of U.S. transportation leaders say artificial intelligence reshaped how they managed this year’s Q4 peak season rush.
According to a survey of more than 400 U.S. warehouse associates, most view robotics and automation as a benefit to their careers and livelihoods. The survey was conducted by global warehouse robotics provider Exotec and is detailed in the company’s recent “Warehouse Workers Sentiment Report: Understanding the Impact of Automation on Retention and Satisfaction.” Company leaders said the survey reveals a “surprisingly strong embrace of robotics” on the warehouse floor, with a majority of respondents saying they are interested in working with robots.
Supply Chain Xchange also offers a podcast series called Supply Chain in the Fast Lane. It is co-produced with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals. A new series is now available on Top Threats to our Supply Chains. It covers topics including Geopolitical Risks, Economic Instability, Cybersecurity Risks, Threats to energy and electric grids; Supplier Risks, and Transportation Disruptions Go to your favorite podcast platform to subscribe and to listen to past and future episodes. The podcast is also available at www.thescxchange.com.
Logistics Matters with DC VELOCITY