Automation being used to address staff shortages in 54% of supply chain operations, says study
A new study says 54% of supply chain and logistics leaders surveyed are focused on automating non-value-added and repetitive tasks with technology to improve worker productivity in the face of notable workforce shortages, underscoring the many functions that are routine and non-integrated, requiring manual intervention. To help drive productivity gains for labor workers, the top technology choices in […]
Where are brands applying innovation to supply chain and logistics operations?
The turbulence of the past two years has shown senior management the importance of supply chains and logistics. Within this business landscape, the need for retailers to innovate to adapt their supply chain and logistics operations to meet the challenging market conditions has never been more important. While every company’s challenges and opportunities are unique, […]
Consumers want retailers to have sustainable home delivery services
43% of consumers feel retailers are doing a good job of using sustainable delivery practices, while more than 60% indicate they are quite/very interested in environmentally friendly delivery methods. That’s according to Descartes’ 2023 Home Delivery Sustainability Report: Consumers Expect More! survey, which examined consumer sentiment of retailers’ sustainability practices around their delivery operations. Additionally, […]
Retail logistics: The year that was, and preparing for the retail year ahead…
2022 continued to present an array of challenges for retail, logistics and supply chain professionals. Although Covid19-related restrictions were lifted, its challenges were replaced by the war in Ukraine and the subsequent knock-on-effects relating to it; including energy cost increases, a rise in inflation and cost-of-living, and sustainability concerns. Meaning, for many retailers agility has […]
65% of companies plan to accelerate supply chain and logistics innovation investment
More than two-thirds of organisations plan to increase their technology spending over the next two years, though 87% indicated they still face internal inhibitors to supply chain and logistics innovation. That’s according to a Descartes study Supply Chain and Logistics Innovation Accelerates, but Has Long Way to Go, which examined how technology innovation is changing […]
CDS is here – And this time, it’s for real
By Martin Meacock, Vice-President of Product Management, Descartes With a global pandemic, chaos at the borders, an HGV driver shortage and ensuing supply chain chaos, compounded by political uncertainty, inflation and a fuel and energy crisis – it’s fair to say UK business has had a challenging few years. And that’s not to mention Brexit. Since […]
Six supply chain predictions for 2022
2021 saw many major challenges for logistics and supply chain professionals. With capacity constraints, ecommerce growth and driver shortages creating dilemmas for many as well as the increased focus from the industry on environment and machine learning, it was a year that was definitely not without its tests. While reflecting on some of the ways […]
Just 16% of UK consumers are satisfied with delivery services every time
Over two thirds (68%) of UK consumers have had an issue with delivery in the last three months – and, as a result, 24% lost trust in a delivery company and 24% lost trust in the retailer. That’s according to Descartes Systems Group’s latest Consumer Online Delivery Research, which set out to assess consumers’ online […]
Early preparation ‘remains key’ to avoid Brexit & COVID supply chain disruption
43% of businesses have been impacted negatively by Brexit in 2021 – but 19% of businesses are thriving in a post-Brexit world. That’s one of the conclusions of Descartes Systems Group’s latest Brexit research report: Beyond Brexit: The Realities of Brexit for UK-EU Cross Border Trade. Following its 2020 research on Brexit preparedness of UK companies, this […]
The value of global trade insights in navigating COVID-19 supply chain disruptions
By Mark Segner, VP Global Sales, Descartes The Coronavirus pandemic has exposed the fragility of the modern supply chain, as companies struggle to acquire the products and raw materials needed to keep revenue flowing. With many businesses relying heavily on a limited number of trading partners, many located in hard-hit areas like China, the scale of […]
