MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics

In this podcast, Jeff Berman, Group News Editor for Logistics Management and the Peerless Media Supply Chain Group, interviews Dr. Chris Caplice, Chief Scientist at DAT Freight & Analytics, which operates the largest truckload freight marketplace in North America and DAT iQ, the industry’s most trusted source of market analysis and truckload pricing data.

The bankruptcy of trucking company Yellow has attracted considerable attention since the story broke early this month. But an aspect of the story that is under-reported is how the demise of a 99-year-old trucker and the loss of an estimated 30,000 jobs offers essential lessons about the transition to the workplace of the future.

Supply chain management is a people business and will remain that way even amid the rise of AI and automation.

Pressure from various stakeholders to make supply chains more sustainable has grown steadily over the last three years and shows no signs of abating.

The capacity for adaptability of human workers is set to become a vital component of the automated workplace of the future, contrary to widely-held assumptions about tech-driven changes.

Fred Smith was an innovative entrepreneur when he founded FedEx in 1973, revolutionizing the industry and introducing a brand new concept. Technology was integral to his success from the start, and remains so to this day.

In such an uncertain environment, resilience attracted much attention, yet the task of building and sustaining resilient supply chains remains extremely challenging for many companies.

James Rice discusses supply chain resilience and how organizations can prepare for the next big problem.

Labor problems are currently one of the most pressing issues in society, especially when it comes to finding talented people for current and future jobs.

Companies are trying all manner of ways to rid themselves of bloated inventories at a time when they typically build inventory for the end-of-year holiday season. How did they find themselves in such a mess?

The MIT CTL Supply Chain Design Initiative conducts innovative research to help companies adopt new supply chain design paradigms.

This executive guide, developed in collaboration between the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Center for Transportation & Logistics (MIT CTL) and Coupa, presents a vision for future-proof, analytics-driven supply chain design.

Companies need to map these critical linkages in their supply chains when evaluating risk and resilience. When one element is disrupted, it is likely that other parts of the system will be impaired as well.

The supply chain is undoubtedly getting greener thanks to corporate commitment and the right technology.