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Part One looks at the background to supply chains and how common standards can benefit stakeholders using a number of transport modes, offering a digital link between the seller and buyer. Bringing standards together will provide visibility along the whole of the supply chain.

End-to-end supply chains typically involve several modes of transport and a wide range of stakeholders. The original seller, as well as the final buyer of the product have little visibility of the location and condition of the product during the transportation phase(s).

The original shipment from the seller is represented as a consignment under contract with each transport operator and may be identified using different identification methods. The shipment also may be consolidated with other non-related seller to buyer shipments in different ways, depending on the mode of transportation.

It is safe to say that 2020 was a year unlike any other. The COVID-19 pandemic brought on significant changes to everyday life across the world. It also brought some significant challenges to businesses from retail, to restaurants and manufacturing. The supply chain industry faced a challenge like no other when shutdowns began and manufacturers were left scrambling to come up with a backup plan. Although these challenges were tough to handle, it gave the industry a much-needed eye opening to make the changes needed in order to avoid this from happening again.

Last week the link to the supply chain discussion concluded with the deliberations over semantic interoperability, the second element of that discussion was technical interoperability and that is where Part Two begins.

In addition to the semantic interoperability and considering the huge potential of the IoT data to improve the door-to-door logistic chains, there is a need to address the physical connectivity of the devices and among the different information systems.

DCSA has recently defined the physical connection characteristics related to the radio interfaces to be supported by gateways that ensure smart assets’ connectivity on the vessel and on land facilities.

There are new initiatives and approaches now under consideration and development that aim to make the system-to-system communications’ exchange of the operational information much easier and much less costly than today. The EIF refers to these communications as “technical interoperability”. The overview below to connect IT systems technically is in no way comprehensive. The review, however, will identify some of the ways standards-creating organisations are now moving forward to facilitate an end-to-end transportation supply chain.

NiceLabel, Wauwatosa, Wis., a developer of label software and label management systems, has been named in SupplyChainBrain’s 100 Great Supply Chain Partners.

The annual lists the 100 companies whose solutions have improved the efficiency, customer service and overall supply chain performance of customers, according to a news release. The company made the list in 2017.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, NiceLabel launched an initiative giving organizations involved in fighting the disease access to its cloud-based labeling solution and technical consulting services, according to the release.

“This recognition reflects NiceLabel’s focus on enabling digital transformation in the supply chain through the digitization of labeling processes,” Ken Moir, vice president of marketing at NiceLabel, said in the release. “We are grateful to have been included because of feedback from our customers who have reduced their costs and grown their businesses using our solutions.”

A new report warns that 84% of companies are failing to address their largest source of carbon emissions â their supply chains. We speak to Dexter Galvin, Global Director of Corporations & Supply Chains at CDP, to find out what should be done.

Sustainable farming and visibility of the fresh produce supply chain is key to building a strong partnership with retailers. Today’s consumers are also keen on knowing where and how their fruit is grown and want the assurance that product is grown responsibly.“Innovation in supply chain management from…

The newly launched, Association of Labour Providers ‘Extra Workers Needed Portal’ supports the food supply chain to address critical worker shortages. A short demonstration video may be viewed here. Despite rising unemployment figures, ALP’s recent labour supply survey identified that 92% of food growers…

With 500 million tomatoes grown every year, the APS Group is the UK’s largest supplier of British tomatoes to the high street, being responsible for around 30 percent of production in the country. Lately, the APS Group looked to develop its supply chain further to enhance productivity and efficiency. It…

When the pandemic swept across the U.S., the restaurant food supply chain was one area that was directly implicated. The weeks afterward —late March and then April— first saw a large drop in demand for produce, followed by a large increase as restaurants reopened. One of the organizations that pivoted…

Last week,  the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission recommended economy-wide regulatory change after investigating fresh produce supply chains. During a three-month inquiry, it was discovered that harmful power imbalances were rife between farmers, wholesalers and retailers. ACCC deputy chair Mick…

The "10th Global Cold Supply Chain Summit" took place in Shanghai on the 6th of August, 2020. The summit was attended by JD Distribution, Carrier, Haier, and Thermo King, as well as distribution associations from the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Korea. The participants enthusiastically discussed…

Right now, it’s hip to be square or, better yet, rectangular. Reusable plastic containers (RPCs) and other suitably shaped transport packaging are poised for dynamic growth in the years ahead, thanks to the industry’s heightened focus on sustainability, along with a number of other trends pointing toward the need for more resilient supply chains.

Many regions have abolished 2G networks and switched to 4G networks. The coverage of 4G networks is rapidly expanding and is quickly becoming the mainstream frequency in most countries. Improvements in network coverage and the related development of the Internet of Things (IoT) also raise requirements…

In a recent study by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAOUN), it was discovered that approximately 1.6 billion tons of food per year are either lost or wasted globally, resulting in annual losses of US$1.2 trillion. However, food wastage worldwide could be reduced by 20% by…

Greenyard’s vision and commitment for a fully integrated sustainability strategy is set out in a new report, published today. This third edition of the company’s Sustainability Report puts its purpose and ambitions firmly in the spotlight, and outlines planning for its forward trajectory through a set of…

There are many reasons why a government or international organization may advocate the introduction of urban indoor farming. The association for vertical farming looks at some of the main motivations for bringing agriculture closer to the consumer. While urban indoor agriculture may have seemed a…

When it comes to secondary packaging and transport packaging, people nowadays often think of hinged crates as used in the common pool systems. Nevertheless even rigid fruit and vegetable crates still have a right to exist, says Gerold Wilms from bekuplast. "This type of crate has been around for 25…

Organic produce has hit the mainstream. So says Jim Donald, co-chairman of the board of Albertsons Companies Inc., a leading retail company with some 20 retail banners to its name. “Our produce manager is doing 40-50 percent of his business in organics. It’s mainstream and it’s not going away,” said…

The Netherlands is an important distributor of agricultural products and a significant participant in the international fruit and vegetable market. Innovative Dutch technology for post-harvest management and climate control is widely applied in the agricultural industry to keep fruit and vegetables…

A group of the world’s largest food retailers and providers announced that nearly 200 of their major suppliers have committed to root out food loss and waste from the supply chain. The 10-plus food retailers and providers lead the groundbreaking “10x20x30” initiative, with each having engaged at least 20 suppliers to halve food loss and waste by 2030.  

“The environmental, business and moral case for tackling food waste is undeniable. We need more companies to target, measure and act on food waste and publish their data if the world is to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 12.3,” said Dave Lewis, chair of Champions 12.3 and group chief executive of Tesco. “The good news is action is replacing talk. 10x20x30 is a great example of how companies are working in partnership with food suppliers to tackle this issue from farm to fork and I now urge others to follow their example.”

The food retailers and providers behind 10x20x30 are AEON, Ahold Delhaize, Carrefour, IKEA Food, Kroger, METRO AG, Migros (Turkey), Pick n Pay, The Savola Group, Sodexo, Tesco, and Walmart. Among them are six of the largest food retailers in the world, the world’s second largest foodservice provider, and leading food retailers in regions such as southern Africa, the Middle East, and Japan. Combined, participants operate in more than 80 countries.

PARAMUS, NJ — H-Mart, a Korean grocery chain that was founded in New York in 1982, has ambitious expansion plans and is looking to make deals directly with growers to supply the dozens of stores it operates nationwide.

Gi Moon, who works in the procurement department for Lyndhurst, NJ-based H-Mart, met with The Produce News Aug. 14 at the chain’s location, here, to discuss the shift in its buying practices, which heretofore have focused on the use of brokers and distributors.

“We have plans to open four to five new stores per year, and along with that we are interested in making deals directly with growers as a way to get the freshest, best quality product at the best price,” he said.

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For example, Moon said he has been recently working with ProComer, the export promotion agency for Costa Rica, to procure various products from that Central American nation. He hopes to connect with other similar organizations and directly with growers in the United States and abroad to help satisfy the demand by H-Mart shoppers for top-quality fruits and vegetables.

Canadian Pacific Railway Limited and Maersk have reached an agreement to build and operate a world-class transload and distribution facility in Vancouver.

The CP transload facility will be an expansion of CP’s existing Vancouver Intermodal Facility and will benefit from turnkey rail infrastructure.

The new facility is designed to apply Maersk’s global integrator of container logistics strategy and will offer customers access to a multi-commodity transload facility that will rely on the substantial use of rail instead of truck in the Vancouver market, as CP will shuttle containers to and from the ocean terminals via rail.

Maersk’s ambition to establish a sustainable supply chain aligns with CP’s initiatives to fight climate change, according to the companies. This compelling combination will provide an effective and efficient long-term intermodal solution for customers, said the joint announcement.

“CP’s unique landholdings in Vancouver enable us to bring to market a first-of-its-kind transload facility that creates tremendous opportunity for sustainable growth,” commented CP’s president and CEO, Keith Creel.

Australian mango grower Manbulloo specializes in the Kensington Pride variety. Manbulloo wanted to improve the process of information flow in their supply chain, particularly the effectiveness and efficiency of communications and business operations between Manbulloo, their ripeners and their customers.…

On Thursday, the final day of Cool Logistics 2020, the first speaker on the topic 'Rethinking cold chain nodes & modes to market' was a well known face at the conference: Albert Cheung Founder, JC Food Republic, Hong Kong. He spoke about the Japan Reefer on Rail project and the future of rail technology.…