Most Recent Articles

The shipping and distribution industries have been feeling the squeeze of supply chain disruptions ever since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Shipping capacities have been pushed to the brink as shipping containers and distributors are in high demand.

When you’re in the business of selling products, how you get them into your customer’s hands is critical to your success. If you don’t have a well-crafted and executed order fulfillment strategy, there’s a good chance you’re going to run into some challenges.

Holiday season, or “peak season” as it’s known in the industry, is a part of the annual “rhythm of the business” in the warehouse and logistics industry. In the US, it’s generally seen as encompassing the last four months of the year, and accounts for about 60% of all retail sales for the entire year. So there is never any doubt about the importance, the stress and the rewards involved in planning and executing for success every year.

As a major pillar of the distribution industry, shippers and logistics service providers are a critical element of any business’ customer satisfaction goals. But as a facility manager or a business that relies on a shipping partner to help you meet your service goals, how much information do you share between you in order to ensure you can make the relationship as productive as possible? A recent industry survey by Descartes Systems Group, a solutions provider for fleet management operations, provides some useful insights.

With inventories bulging from summer shipments coming in for the holidays, Distribution Centers everywhere are gearing up for the peak retail season. Historically the last four months of the year generate about 60% of a typical retailers’ annual sales, which also means this is the season where many businesses earn their real profit for the year. But how do you make sure all that inventory get out the door as planned and you are not stuck with overstock at the end of the year?

"That Looks Cool! Wonder How I Can Use It?"

For the true gadget lovers, we have the experience of being in a store full of gadgets and machines and occasionally see something that compels us to say, "I am not sure what it is, but how can I find a way to use it?"

If you haven't seen one yet, dimensional scanners definitely fall into that category. No one will be surprised if a true distribution center process nerd brings it home one day for personal use. 

What is a "Dimensional Scanner"?

A dimensional scanner is a specialized equipment that will scan and record the dimensions of an object - of any shape. When paired with a scale, the complete shape, weight and dimensions of any product can be recorded to a database and be the source of efficiency in multiple areas of the business.

...but how can we use a dimensional scanner?