News, Notes & Resources

"Family isn’t always blood. It’s the people in your life who want you in theirs. The ones who accept you for who you are. The ones who would do anything to see you smile, and who love you no matter what." --- Maya Angelou

Good Sunday morning all and welcome to this edition (No. 84) of "With That Said" (WTS), an almost-weekly newsletter powered by your friends here at Supply Chain Now. Today, June 16th, we celebrate Father's Day in the United States. A big THANK YOU to all those fathers out there. And we send our thoughts & prayers to those that are honoring the memory of a loved one today.

Now let's move on to news & views from around the globe:

--- The Port of Baltimore officially reopened last week, after a cargo ship disaster that took place on March 26th. Maryland Port Administration Executive Director Jonathan Daniels told Supply Chain Dive : “We’ve seen a significant recovery in the roll-on/roll-off cargo that is really a staple of the port. We’re finally seeing the container vessels return in earnest.” Daniels expects normal volume to return in 2025. Read the article in full here.

--- The cocoa market is going bonkers, as the price per metric ton has more than tripled in the last year, having hit an all-time high in April of over $11,000. Many candy & food manufacturers are insulated from these higher prices due to long term contracts, but those renewal conversations are gonna be tough. According to CNBC : "West Africa, which grows the majority of the world’s cocoa supply, has been hit by crop disease and lower prices paid to farmers at the point of sale, called farmgate pricing, that push them to grow more lucrative crops such as rubber instead of cocoa. This season’s cocoa crop is expected to experience the largest deficit in at least six decades, according to a Rabobank report from May." Read the article in full here.

--- A recent headline in The Wall Street Journal declares: "The AI Revolution is Already Losing Steam". We imagine they'll get a few clicks from the headline, but what are your thoughts? One passage from the WSJ piece: "Evidence suggests AI isn’t nearly the productivity booster it has been touted as, says Peter Cappelli, a professor of management at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. While these systems can help some people do their jobs, they can’t actually replace them. This means they are unlikely to help companies save on payroll. He compares it to the way that self-driving trucks have been slow to arrive, in part because it turns out that driving a truck is just one part of a truck driver’s job." Read the article in full here AND join us for "The Buzz" on Monday as Scott Luton & Kim Reuter discuss AI with John DeSarbo with ZS (join us here).

--- Speaking of AI, Irma Rastegayeva✨Influence Through Storytelling™️ shares interesting data from a recent survey by Microsoft & LinkedIn , who polled 31,000 from 31 countries around the world. Irma says according to the findings: "Employees are experiencing burnout, are overwhelmed, want and need AI for increased productivity and to help them be more creative. Employers need to show ROI on any investment in AI tools and devices, and are looking for solutions that will work for their business. According to the report, 78% of GAI users are bringing their own tools to work and using them on a regular basis, often out of necessity." Besides the productivity & workforce concerns, how does this impact cyber risk? Read more in full here.

--- In one of his latest newsletters, Pascal BORNET shares that 5 films made with OpenAI's Sora model will be featured at the Tribeca Festival. Pascal says "OpenAI trained select Tribeca alumni on Sora, a text-to-video generator, and will use their feedback to improve it before its public release later this year." Read the newsletter in full here (and don't miss this video of a Stanford robot cooking shrimp & more here).

--- In his latest "Good News" message shared last Friday morning, Scott Luton talks about some exciting new developments here at SCN, including the relaunch of the popular series Supply Chain Now En Español , led by Sofia Rivas Herrera . Learn more here.

PACKING PERFORMANCE: Our friends over at OMNIA Partners recently shared a great read by Trinity Packaging Supply on how AI can be leveraged to optimize your packaging operations. Give it a read here: https://tinyurl.com/ycxh36tm

Now check out these resources and tools from past SCN guests:

--- From Board : "Staying ahead of the curve is crucial in today's dynamic retail environment. Our 2024 Retail Predictions guide provides valuable insights from industry experts, helping you navigate challenges and capitalize on opportunities." Check out Board's retail industry guide that includes 3 things that you must be able to plan for: click here

--- From Tevon E. Taylor & Pegasus Logistics Group : "Cross-border logistics is like the lifeline of trade between two countries sharing a common frontier. In our context, this crucial part is the intricate yet intriguing landscape between Mexico and the US. This field isn’t merely about moving goods from one place to another; it’s about orchestrating a symphony of different transportation routes, each with its melody and rhythm." Check out this guide that offers proven best practices for navigating cross-border logistics: click here

--- From SPS Commerce : "As a logistics provider, you need to stay in lockstep with your customers wherever, whatever and however they sell. SPS for 3PLs helps you onboard customers quickly and accurately, standardize and automate how you operate together, and ensure you have all the information needed to run an efficient warehouse." SPS currently works with over 1,000 3PLs and have implemented over 500,000 retail connections across a variety of systems, file formats, and retailer requirements. Learn more about how SPS can deliver for your 3PL operation: click here

--- From Optimas Solutions : "There are a number of benefits (for manufacturers) to utilizing engineering and quality services, from enhancing the efficiency of fastener concepts all the way through to the final product and ensuring the products meet desired quality and engineered requirements for the assembly line." Read this blog (or listen to the podcast) which offers five key reasons why manufacturers should utilize engineering and quality services: click here

--- From Walter Mitchell & the Tai Software team: "Tai TMS is a comprehensive Transportation Management System designed to save you time and help scale the growth of your operation. Tai is a multi-modal platform that provides full-scale automation in the shipment lifecycle of both FTL and LTL loads. Through direct integrations with all major carriers and load boards, Tai TMS allows you to go from quote to delivered without manual intervention, empowering your company to dedicate valuable resources to business growth." Check out a recent livestream here where Walter "Mitch" Mitchell joined Scott to discuss AI's impact in transportation & logistics here AND schedule a demo with the Tai team here

HEART BREAK: In this interview at Gartner Supply Chain Symposium 2024, Christine Barnhart, CPIM, PMP , Chief Marketing & Industry Officer with Nulogy , shares with Scott why supply chain leaders must "break up the love affair" with spreadsheets. She also shares some big opportunities that exist right now, especially in manufacturing-centric ecosystems, when it comes to synchronization: https://tinyurl.com/3na8d9jv

DOMESTIC FREIGHT MARKET: Check out the U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index for Q1 2024, which offers up actionable insights and valuable data from across the freight market. Download a free copy: https://bit.ly/scn-us-bank

MONDAY AT NOON: Join us for a new episode of "The Buzz", where Scott & Kimberly Reuter - Global Ecommerce-Supply Chain-Startup Ops will share news & analysis from across global industry. We will also welcome in a special guest, as John DeSarbo from ZS will join, as well. Join us Monday at 12 noon ET / 5 pm CET: https://tinyurl.com/49kmxdy6

TUESDAY AT NOON: Check out a LIVE webinar where the topic will be focused on: "How to Accelerate AI-Driven Decision Intelligence with Smart Data Fabric". Scott & Billy Ray Taylor will welcome in Mark S. Holmes & Ming Zhou from InterSystems . What's the difference between a data fabric & a "smart" data fabric? Learn that and a whole lot more from a team that's been doing big things with innovative tech for decades: https://tinyurl.com/2bf4ayz4

THURSDAY AT NOON: Join us for a livestream event that will offer up a master class in materials management. You'll learn how organizations (especially FMCG) are implementing a purpose-built platform to ensure cost-efficient and time-effective materials management across the ecosystem, leading to superior fulfillment rates, agile responsiveness and increased customer satisfaction. Scott & Kim will host Kevin Wong & Michael King from Nulogy for a great chat. Join us Thursday at 12 noon ET / 5 pm CET: https://tinyurl.com/23dap8ww

ONE MORE THING: In this interview at Gartner Supply Chain Symposium 2024, Tim Nelson FRSA with Hope for Justice and Slave-Free Alliance shares with Scott the incredibly noble mission he & his team are on to eradicate modern slavery & human trafficking from the face of the planet. Tim also shares ways that you can join & support their mission. Check it out on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/2shfph47

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