The Supply Chainer

25-year milestone spurs battery-powered tracking push and ‘deploy once’ claims Fresh off its 25th anniversary, Digital Matter is pitching a new wave of battery-powered asset trackers and a broadened presence in North America and Europe aimed at lowering truck rolls, extending device life, and tightening indoor and outdoor visibility. The company says this next chapter will ride an expanded leadership team and its largest product cycle yet. For supply chain operators wrestling

Fast-fashion giant Shein has quietly leased a massive warehouse near Ho Chi Minh City—its first in Vietnam—in a strategic hedge against rising U.S.–China trade tensions. Already, companies are feeling the ripple effects: logistics teams are recalibrating transport routes, customs processes, and inventory buffers to accommodate this new sourcing node. Citing unnamed sources, Reuters reports Shein’s move aims to sidestep U.S. duties imposed on Chinese shipments by rerouting thr

Global container markets have moved decisively beyond the pre–Lunar New Year bump, and pricing behavior suggests the industry has already entered the traditional late-winter lull. Despite operational disruptions in both the US and Europe, underlying demand signals remain muted, reinforcing concerns about capacity oversupply and margin compression across major east–west lanes. The most striking development has been the speed of the correction. Asia–US West Coast spot rates fel

As logistics operators seek broader asset visibility without adding infrastructure, software-based approaches to tracking are gaining momentum. The latest example comes from Blecon, which has launched a solution designed to convert existing frontline mobile devices into a distributed Bluetooth tracking network. Turning Existing Devices Into The Network London-based Blecon announced the launch of Blecon Agent, a software application developed for devices from Zebra Technologie

As procurement leaders push for diversification amid geopolitical exposure and supplier concentration, many are discovering that multi-sourcing strategies do not automatically translate into operational resilience. The execution layer between contract signature and day-to-day delivery is increasingly where risk accumulates. While supplier portfolios may look balanced on paper, coordination complexity grows with every additional partner. Without disciplined governance, sourcin

Aera Technology and Lokad both argue that supply chains struggling with volatility are facing a decision-making crisis—not a data shortage. Decision-Making Is the Real Bottleneck For all the talk of digital transformation, many supply chains today are choking on complexity. There’s no shortage of dashboards, alerts, or reports. What’s missing, according to two companies pushing the frontiers of decision automation, is the ability to turn all that data into coordinated, reliab

Escalating geopolitical tensions in the Gulf are forcing governments to reassess how energy policy underpins broader supply chain resilience. With maritime chokepoints, regional infrastructure, and cross-border energy flows exposed to disruption, continuity planning is increasingly treated as an operational discipline rather than a strategic abstraction. Why Energy Policy Matters For Supply Chains Now Energy availability remains a foundational input for logistics, manufacturi

Global freight markets entered February under renewed pressure as winter weather disruptions, easing pre–Lunar New Year demand, and persistent trade policy uncertainty combined to weigh on both ocean and air cargo dynamics. While operational disruptions mounted across key regions, pricing trends underscored how fragile demand remains across major trade lanes. Disruptions Rise As Rates Continue To Slide Severe winter weather has complicated logistics on both sides of the Atlan

As logistics, materials handling, and industrial services companies grapple with skills shortages, apprenticeships are increasingly viewed as a practical pipeline for building long-term technical capability. For many employers, the challenge is not just attracting young talent, but offering training paths that translate quickly into real operational contribution. Choosing Skills Over University In response to a query from The Supply Chainer, Harvey Swan, a newly qualified pai

Procurement teams are under growing pressure to deliver savings faster while managing volatility across energy, industrial, and manufacturing supply chains. As cost pressures persist and sourcing cycles remain slow in many organizations, interest is rising in AI-driven procurement tools that promise not just visibility, but execution speed and measurable financial impact. Why Speed And Savings Matter Now Traditional sourcing processes often stretch over weeks, limiting how qu

Rising labor constraints, tighter service-level expectations, and persistent execution gaps are pushing warehouse operators to move beyond visibility and toward real-time decision automation on the warehouse floor. As distribution environments grow more complex, the ability to translate frontline data capture directly into automated actions is increasingly viewed as an operational necessity rather than a technology upgrade. Why Decision Automation Has Become Urgent The pressu