Over the past two years, supply chains and their efficiency have grown increasingly important to executives, becoming their number-one challenge. IBM IBV’s 2025 CEO Study finds that supply chain performance, talent management and business model innovation are the most pressing issues.
Boston Consulting Group interviewed more than 570 executives to identify the strategies shaping their business priorities for 2025. CEOs are paying close attention to efficiency in their operations, including supply chain optimisation and product portfolio simplification.
Hank Ingram is the CEO of Brown Water Spirits and O.H. Ingram River Aged, a producer of bourbon and rye whiskey. Ingram explains how incorporating a racking system for barrels has optimised their storage on a floating barge.
A survey by the IBM Institute for Business Value reveals that AI adoption is accelerating across retail and consumer product companies. AI is already being used by 88% of organisations for demand forecasting and 81% for inventory and order management.
Lise Magnier and Ignacio Gil-Pérez analyse the effect of reusable packaging on consumers’ intentions to purchase and recommend products. Overall, consumers have positive attitudes towards reusable packaging, even for perishable products.
Kearney partners Suketu Gandhi, Michael F. Strohmer, Marc Lakner, Tiffany Hickerson and Sherri He pool their decades of experience in Strong Supply Chains Through Resilient Operations. The book explains how to redefine operational strategies to ensure business profitability.
Mecalux uses software powered by adaptive algorithms to configure storage solutions tailored to each client’s needs. The system determines the optimal layout based on factors such as available space and product characteristics.
Consulting firm PwC maintains that drones will transform last-mile delivery, particularly in suburban and rural areas. In 2034, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) could serve 67% of the population, replacing 389 billion traditional deliveries worldwide.
A floor-mounted electric monorail system (EMS) comprises automatic carriers or trolleys that move along an electrified rail embedded in the floor. This solution is ideal for businesses looking to streamline operations and increase efficiency, regardless of their industry.
Consultancy Capgemini highlights the importance of semiconductors and generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) for supply chains. This technology has the potential to analyse aspects such as transport methods, delivery times and packaging options.
MIT CTL’s Rodrigo Hermosilla and Willem Guter are researching the collective intelligence of AMRs as part of the collaboration between MIT and Mecalux. The new control algorithm they are developing will increase AMR efficiency and enable these robots to further optimise their processes.
Vikram Agarwal oversees Danone’s supply chain and brings over 30 years of leadership experience from roles at Unilever, Avon and Dole. Radu Palamariu and Knut Alicke interview Agarwal in From source to sold: Stories of leadership in supply chain, where each chapter is devoted to an industry professional.
KPMG finds that 77% of executives believe that GenAI is the emerging technology with the greatest potential to boost productivity and enhance collaboration. The consultancy has identified three common use cases among companies specialising in supply chain management.
Lighting typically accounts for 65% of warehouse energy demand, significantly impacting both operational costs and carbon footprint. Smart lighting systems can reduce energy consumption in logistics facilities by up to 87%.
Experts at McKinsey Technology highlight that companies now expect CIOs, CTOs and CDIOs to turn the promise of tech into business value. Chief technology officers must take on the roles of orchestrators, builders, protectors and operators to meet these expectations.
Researchers Diego Augusto de Jesús Pacheco, Daniel Møller Clausen and Jendrik Bumann study how to improve efficiency in a distribution warehouse. Implementing a warehouse management system (WMS) significantly changes the performance of a distribution warehouse.
Alicia Martínez de Yuso, a Project Manager at the Zaragoza Logistics Center, analyses how businesses need effective solutions to prevent supply chain disruptions. Companies need a resilient and sustainable supply chain, adopting innovative practices and leveraging technology.
A report by the consultancy Capgemini argues that a new era is emerging where retail sales will become increasingly immersive. The aim is to make users feel as if they have entered a different dimension and to build stronger relationships between customers and brands.
Virginia Fani, Ilaria Bucci, Romeo Bandinelli and Elias Ribeiro da Silva analyse the sustainability of returns and reverse logistics. The strategic decentralisation of warehouses and stores dedicated to returns balances lead time and sustainability.
Sarah Schaumann (MIT CTL) leads a project on prescriptive intelligence as part of the MIT–Mecalux research collaboration. Optimising order distribution with self-learning AI models aims to help companies select the ideal shipping points for their goods.
