Alwayse Engineering Ltd has entered a strategic partnership with Rapid Racking Ltd, the UK's leading specialist in shelving and racking solutions, to integrate its precision range of ball transfer units into custom tables for roll-on/roll-off capability.

Portnox, provider of cloud-native, zero trust access control solutions, today unveiled the results of its latest survey, ‘CISO Perspectives for 2025’, revealing critical insights into the challenges faced by Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) at large enterprises.

TotalEnergies, the global integrated energy company, has selected IBS Software to transform its personnel logistics and tracking operations in Iraq through its affiliate TotalEnergies Exploration Production Ratawi Hub (TEPRH).

IFS, the provider of enterprise cloud and Industrial AI software, has announced that the world’s largest independent renewable energy company, RES, has selected IFS Cloud to support its business as it seeks to align operational procedures and continued global growth.

The Great South West Partnership has released its anticipated report on the region’s high value manufacturing sector, positioning the area as a key player in the UK's renewed Industrial Strategy.

A survey by workplace expert Acas has found that 20% of workers in manufacturing believe women do not get paid as much as men at their organisation.

Quadient (Euronext: QDT), a global automation platform powering secure and sustainable business connections, has partnered with Co-op in the UK to deliver further parcel locker growth and added convenience to its communities.

As we look ahead to the next year, retailers are focusing on strategic priorities that leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance operational efficiency and elevate customer satisfaction as Rory O’Connor, founder & CEO of Scurri, explains.

22 October 2024 – Established trims, packaging, RFID*, and variable data solutions provider Trimco Group announces the launch of its exclusive new FSC™-certified (FSC C137962) and plastic-free RAIN RFID inlay** series – Trimco Group PaperMark. The inlays replace the PET substrate usually used in the RFID inlays with an FSC-certified paper substrate.

A silent crisis of ‘serial returns’ is eroding retail profit margins as uncovered in the Annual Returns Benchmark Report 2024* conducted by returns specialist ZigZag, in partnership with Retail Economics, accounting for 1 in 10 (11% of) online shoppers that make returns, are generating a quarter (24%) of all online non-food returns.

By Philipp Pfister, Chief Customer Experience Officer at Transporeon (a Trimble company)

There’s no denying that the transport sector is a prominent cog across most global industries. As the saying goes, “There is no production without procurement logistics, and no trade without delivery traffic.”

The team at fulfilmentcrowd – a global fulfilment provider, driven by technology, for high growth omnichannel brands - shares common pain points for retailers as peak season approaches, offering advice on how retailers can salvage a bad peak, including considerations for switching fulfilment provider during mid-season.

It is becoming increasingly difficult for brands to cut through the noise of the loud marketing trends and tactics nowadays, and to truly connect with the right people. Consumers want more than just a great product – they want experiences that surprise, delight, and feel personal - that’s where the power of unexpected brand partnerships comes in.

Descartes Systems Group has released findings from its 2024 Home Delivery Sustainability Report: The Environmentally Conscious Consumer Under Pressure survey, which examined online consumer sentiment of retailers’ sustainability practices around their delivery operations.

It has recently emerged that consumer habits amongst Gen Z are changing, with many now turning to social media for retail therapy. Weighing in on this growing phenomenon of social media shopping, Nick Drewe, founder of the online discount platform Wethrift, offers his insights:

Rituals, the wellbeing beauty brand, has selected RELEX Solutions, provider of unified supply chain and retail planning solutions to deliver comprehensive, end-to-end supply chain optimisation capabilities.

GreyOrange Inc. has introduced SoftFence, a virtual shielding technology from its retail software as a service (SaaS) platform, gStore. Designed to enhance store execution through real-time inventory management and intelligent tasking, gStore is already trusted for implementing over 250 overhead RFID-enabled stores, which is a global first.

Blue Yonder, the digital supply chain transformation solutions provider, has released the findings of its first European Consumer Retail Returns Survey, which examines how consumers across the continent are experiencing and reacting to increasingly stringent returns policies.

Forter, the Trust Platform for digital commerce, has released findings from its 2024 Consumer Trust Premium Report, which explores the evolving relationship between consumer shopping habits and brand trust, based on 2,000 survey respondents in the US and UK.

Braehead Foods, one of Scotland’s largest food wholesalers, is using Podfather’s fleet planning, route optimisation and ePOD software to streamline deliveries following their partnership with national food service company Reynolds.

At GroceryShop, Bazaarvoice, the platform for full-funnel authentic user-generated content (UGC) and social commerce solutions, announced Bazaarvoice Vibe – a comprehensive solution designed to help marketers source, amplify and optimise user- and creator-generated content across all channels, all from one place. Global general availability begins 1 November. 

Business technology solutions provider, Brother, claims to have become the first print vendor to remanufacture its inkjet cartridges, as part of a new free service to help users contribute to circular economies.

John Galt Solutions has launched Galt Connect, a hub connecting Atlas Planning Platform customers with technology partners and solution extensions to enhance their supply chain planning strategies and elevate operations. 

By Stephen Dombroski, Director of Consumer Markets, QAD

From erratic customer behaviour to seasonal demand spikes, and the ever-increasing expectations of consumers, businesses must navigate these complexities to ensure efficient procurement and delivery of goods.

ECI Software Solutions, provider of business management software and services, has introduced Ridder iQ, the business management software designed to cater to the specific needs of SMEs that are discreet manufacturing companies requiring tighter integration between engineering, R&D and production processes.

Manhattan Associates has introduced Manhattan Active Supply Chain Planning (SCP), claimed to be the industry’s first unified business planning platform that enables bi-directional collaboration between supply chain planning and execution systems. 

In fact, up until the last few years, this service has traditionally been enjoyed free of charge for the majority of online shoppers.  However, due to an increased desire to reduce the cost impact on a retailer’s revenue, many retailers are now charging  for returns. For example, since the pandemic began, several fast fashion retailers have taken up the practice.

Blue Yonder, the supply chain solutions provider, has released its largest product update in the history of the company, launching what it describes as the first set of interoperable solutions across the entire supply chain – from planning to warehouse, transportation, and commerce – delivered on the company’s Luminate Cognitive Platform.

Manufacturing & Logistics IT spoke with leading representatives from the analyst and vendor communities to discuss some of the most important key talking points and areas of innovation taking place within demand forecasting and planning technology.

With a more fragmented and volatile playing field becoming the norm, companies need to be able to make better more accurate decisions to manage anticipated and actual demand as well as execute and fulfil orders.

By Tiffany Adams, freelance writer.

You've surely heard that we're living in an era of rapid technological transformation. In every sector and industry, businesses are scrambling to keep up with innovations and technological developments. One area where technology has brought a significant impact is resource management. In this article, you'll learn how technology shapes resource management practices, why it matters, and why you should care. Keep reading to discover the fascinating intersection of technology and resource management.

By Stephen Dombroski, Director, Consumer Markets, QAD.

In today's dynamic business landscape, companies are continually striving to strike a balance between long-term strategic planning and short-term operational execution.

Another success for Greenplan: the EPG (Ehrhardt Partner Group) route planning solution has been included in the 2023 Gartner Market Guide for Vehicle Routing and Scheduling after just two years on the market. This milestone places Greenplan at the forefront of global route planning and execution systems.

Logility, Inc., the prescriptive supply chain planning solutions provider, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Garvis, a visionary SaaS startup that combines large language models (ChatGPT) with AI-native demand forecasting.

The new partnership between supply chain software provider EPG and route planning solutions provider Greenplan has already reached a significant milestone, with the news that time-critical logistics specialist DANX is rolling out Greenplan in its Denmark operations.

Supply chain planning has huge potential to reduce the environmental impact of production and transportation, and supply chain solutions play a pivotal role in making this happen. Carlijn Goedhart, Sustainability Lead at DELMIA take a closer look at the dynamics of sustainable supply chain planning and the impact it can have on the world.

o9 Solutions, the enterprise AI software platform provider for transforming planning and decision-making, has announced that Perfetti Van Melle has selected the o9 Digital Brain platform to transform its supply chain planning capabilities and accelerate its digital transformation journey.

By Jack Stones, freelance writer.

The success of any business in today's fast-paced commercial world depends heavily on logistics. Any supply chain's foundation is efficient logistics, guaranteeing that products are delivered on schedule and that customers' expectations are satisfied.

Epicor has acquired DSPanel, a global provider of cloud-based Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) solutions and existing Epicor ISV partner.

The ecommerce funding and planning platform 8fig has announced the launch of “Freight with 8fig”, a new service that helps ecommerce sellers manage freight workflows within the platform. A critical pain point in the ecommerce arena, 8fig’s latest addition helps sellers source competitive freight quotes and credit terms.

Brand Evangelists for Beauty (Be for Beauty) was created 5 years ago by Colette Laxton & Mark Curry. Over the last couple of years, the company has faced strong growth.

CJ Lang & Son Ltd, the wholesaler for SPAR in Scotland, and the major Scottish convenience store franchise with over 300 stores across the country, has selected RELEX, provider of unified supply chain and retail planning solutions, to automate and optimise its supply chain processes.

o9 Solutions, the enterprise AI software platform provider for transforming planning and decision-making, and analyst firm Supply Chain Insights, has announced that LKQ Europe captured significant supply chain planning insights as a result of the company’s participation in a pilot programme designed to test outside-in planning concepts through Project Zebra.

Goodloading - recognised as one of the top logistics startups in Europe, is currently working on a new version of the loading planner. Very soon, not one, but dozens of algorithms will be interacting with users. These include machine learning-based ones, which will evolve through the created projects.

By Alex Edwards, Head of Communications EU, Protolabs.

It’s fair to say that the past five years have stress-tested the UK manufacturing sector. Not only have manufacturers had to deal with a global pandemic, but they’ve also faced geopolitical uncertainty, a cost of living crisis and the after effects of Brexit.

Commenting on the speech by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Stephen Phipson, Chief Executive of Make UK, said: “Industry will welcome the Chancellor’s commitment to a vision for the economy which has a long-term industrial strategy at its heart.

Optimised supply chain management benefits extend well beyond the bottom line. More and more companies across various sectors are turning to Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems to keep up with market demands and maintain a competitive edge.

Baker Hughes, an energy technology company, has launched CarbonEdge, powered by Cordant, an end-to-end, risk-based digital solution for CCUS operations that provides support for regulatory reporting and operational risk management.

Slimstock has announced that Sally Europe, the UK and Continental Europe operating arm of Sally Beauty, has leveraged its forecasting, replenishment and supply chain optimisation platform, to support a transformation initiative.

By Nidhi Gupta, CEO of Portcast.

The manufacturing industry is undergoing a profound transformation in the wake of the post-pandemic era. With volumes stabilising, profit margins narrowing, and rivals multiplying, setting themselves apart in all aspects of business has become paramount for manufacturing companies.

By Jefferson Frank, freelance writer.

Running a business requires you to take care of multiple tasks every single day. From managing customer orders to tracking financial transactions, there are endless jobs that demand your attention. It's no secret that many companies struggle with managing all of these functions efficiently, especially back-office operations, which are the backbone of any organisation, but they are often time-consuming, manual, and error-prone.