Amazon Using Logistics for FBA Orders, Pushing Ahead on Drones

| Mike O'Brien

An Amazon executive said the company at this point is just using its recent investments in logistics and transportation to handle internal capacity, including servicing sellers using its Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) program where it handles third-party orders. See what else he said about the company’s logistics focus, as well as the status of its drone delivery program.

Dealing with Digital Disruption in Ecommerce Operations

| Mike O'Brien

Jim Tompkins, founder and CEO of Tompkins International, talks about the need to go beyond continuous improvement to total reinvention in order to address continual digital disruption. This will be the theme of Jim’s breakfast keynote address at Operations Summit 2017 on Tuesday, March 28 in Pittsburgh. Come gain insights from his experience working with major corporations on their supply chain strategy and execution.

9 Mistakes to Avoid in Your ERP or OMS Selection

| Curt Barry

Studies show that more than 50% of all ERP and OMS systems are not installed on time and within budget. A significant number of companies spend 8 to 12 months after go live adapting to the new system. What are some of the mistakes that lead to poor ERP or OMS implementations? Here are 9 mistakes to avoid in order to increase your chances of success.

warehouse, distribution center, fulfillment center, ecommerce, ecommerce fulfillment

Ecommerce Drives Booming Canadian Warehouse Market

| Mike O'Brien

Pure Industrial Real Estate Trust, with FedEx and Best Buy as clients, said ecommerce will make up 50% of its Canadian warehouses, up from 30% today. See what other plans the company has, including wooing Amazon as a client north of the border.

New FedEx Fulfillment Service Targets SMB Market

| Mike O'Brien

FedEx Supply Chain, rebranded from the company’s 2016 acquisition of Genco, is rolling out FedEx Fulfillment, a solution that provides a full suite of warehouse, inventory management and delivery services for small- to medium-sized businesses that is directly competitive with Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA).

Get to a Single Version of the Truth in Your DTC Operations Analytics

| Curt Barry

There often isn’t a “single version of the truth,” one official set of figures for sales, inventory, plan and history in DTC operations. For management to have confidence in the integrity of the data they’re using, the time has come to advocate and budget for projects that resolve these problems.

Amazon Planning a $1.5B Air Hub in Kentucky

| Mike O'Brien

Amazon plans to build a $1.5 billion air hub at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky airport in Hebron, KY, part of its ever-growing logistics enterprise. Observers continue to believe Amazon’s endgame is to handle shipping and distribution not only for its own fast-growing ecommerce business but for other retailers as well.

OMS, order management system, omnichannel retail, ecommerce fulfillment, warehouse management system, WMS, omnichannel fulfillment

6 Ways Benchmarking Data Can Improve Your DTC Operations

| Curt Barry

Having the opportunity to benchmark your DTC operations against your peers will help you determine where you need to focus your effort and investments to reach and exceed customer expectations. For an in-depth discussion on a joint benchmarking study between Multichannel Merchant and F. Curtis Barry & Co., join us at Operations Summit 2017, March 27-29 in Pittsburgh.

warehouse, distribution center, fulfillment center, ecommerce, ecommerce fulfillment

Supply of Warehouse Space Catching Up with Demand

| Mike O'Brien

After years of an extremely tight market for commercial warehouse space, mostly due to the booming growth in ecommerce, a rapid increase in development including spec projects has been slowly closing the gap. See what the numbers show and how the market is trending.