For some time now, imports to the United States have far exceeded exports. Containerization has contributed to this imbalance. In fact, shipping goods via containers has radically changed the face of global transportation. The shipping container is an interchangeable unit that can accommodate all shapes and sizes of cargo. Planners can track it and change modes of transportation according to the demands of shippers....

Written by Garret Weigel | March 29, 2019 | Supply Chain

The pharmaceutical distribution supply chain will be the focus of a three-part series over the next several weeks. Why? This topic has only gained in importance since the turn of the 21st century. As medications, delivery methods, and technologies change rapidly to meet expanding patient needs, manufacturers and distributors must adapt and evolve. They have the obligation to ensure that medicines and vaccines are...

Written by Garret Weigel | March 27, 2019 | Pharmacy Safety, Supply Chain

Food safety should be top of mind for foodservice organizations. The idea is surprisingly simple: keep food free of foodborne illness. The implementation of temperature controlled food safety, however, is surprisingly difficult: monitor and maintain temperature of each and every perishable food item that will be consumed. The complexity of monitoring food from farm to fork inevitably leads to negligence. Food...

Written by Garret Weigel | March 22, 2019 | Food Safety, HACCP

"In the freight industry, the year-round produce that we enjoy impacts the supply and demand for trucks, affects capacity, and freight rates as well," writes FreightWaves Market Expert Michael Crosby on their website. "Strawberries and lettuce from California, tomatoes and oranges from Florida or grapefruit and pecans from Texas definitely influence the freight markets, but there’s more than inland transportation...

Written by Garret Weigel | March 20, 2019 | Food Safety, Connected Facility, HACCP, Supply Chain

The National Football League has 32 teams. Each weekend during football season somebody is playing at home and somebody is playing away. This amounts to a significant logistical feat – or at least it is for one East Coast team.

Written by Garret Weigel | March 15, 2019 | Supply Chain

It’s pretty remarkable how inpatient, outpatient, and pharmaceutical services have become integrated by new technologies. We often take for granted that doctors can now submit our prescriptions electronically to a pharmacy, which can match them to our online profiles to check for side effect complications, and then send them by express delivery to our front doors. Not long ago these steps had to be conducted...

Written by Garret Weigel | March 13, 2019 | Pharmacy Safety