The term ‘circular economy’ has been increasingly discussed at a local and international level. In the UK, its estimated that transitioning to a circular economy could help meet up to 80% of the country’s carbon budget. Since the supply chain/distribution services sector is the backbone of the economy, playing an essential role in manufacturing, retail, and construction, it’s clear that the principles of the circular economy also affect this sector. In this article, we explain what a circular supply chain is and the benefits of implementing one.

As businesses have embraced Artificial Intelligence (AI) software in various aspects of their capacity management over the past decade, logistics network operations continue to grow. Businesses across industries now use AI to improve or replace outdated and inefficient processes, such as recording data through paper, email, or telephone.

Good business relationships with your third party supply chain and logistics partners are important for both personal and professional success. Careful relationship management with your outsourced logistics partners will improve productivity, avoid communication difficulties, and help ensure stability in your supply chains. Outsourcing will not automatically improve supply chain or 3PL e-commerce fulfilment by default; however, you can take some steps to ensure efficient use of a 3PL provider.

In the wake of COP26, we see that all aspects of life and business will increasingly need to be viewed through a green lens. This certainly includes distribution and logistics. As roads become ever more congested, even switching to electric vehicles or other green fuel sources will not overcome all the challenges ahead. Rail freight, so long a neglected cousin of road transport, is increasingly coming under the spotlight for its eco-friendly credentials, but is it yet a practical option for UK businesses?

The COP26 convention has thrown many aspects of logistics planning and management into sharp relief, highlighting the need to enhance the industry's green credentials. At all levels of the supply chain, from hauliers to retailers, empty running causes waste and inefficiency. This is now being recognised with a new campaign to end empty running with the potential benefit to both businesses and the planet, "It's What's Inside That Matters".

Supply chain professionals have been faced with mounting challenges this year. As we advance toward the holiday season, these challenges are starting to permeate some sectors and have a knock-on effect on the wider industry. But what's causing the dominoes to topple and how can businesses break the cycle of supply chain disruptions – either this year or in the future?

With the predicted online retail boom in full swing and the High Street experiencing a boom in demand following the second national lockdown, 3PLs need to have practical, Covid-secure transport strategies in place if they want to impress customers and reap the rewards of the economic recovery. Here are three steps that 3PLs can take to optimise their transport strategy to reduce delivery times and maximise throughput.

If you want to get 2021 off to a flying start – and let's face it, who doesn't after the year we've had – you'll need to keep up to date with the latest developments in the logistics industry. However, there's so much going on in this fast-moving sector that it can be difficult for busy business owners and warehouse managers to know what to focus on. Here's a quick guide to three of the hottest trends and why you should be embracing them if you want your company to thrive during the Covid recovery.

The following article is based on a real study carried out for a successful subscription model business. However, the principles apply to any business running a distribution operation comprising own fleet and carriers.

The following article is based on a real study carried out for businesses with country wide sales premises. However, the principles apply to any business with multiple distribution centres than need rationalising.