logistics – OM in the News

Zipline Drones to Serve 10,000 Locations This Year

Zipline’s amazing delivery drone technology, which launched in Rwanda six years ago, has now made over a half a million deliveries of life-saving supplies in several African nations and Japan.

Currently, Zipline drones deliver to 3,000 hospitals around the world, and the company plans to serve 10,000 locations by the end of the year. Its sights are set on active drone delivery systems for a variety of purposes in the U.S. by the end of 2023.

Video Spotlight:

By Lisa M. Spencer|2023-04-26T07:44:14+00:00April 26, 2023|Tags: healthcare, logistics, medical supply chain, product design, quality, redundancy, reliability, safety, service design, sustainability, technology|

Big Changes for Krispy Kreme’s Logistics Model

Beloved doughnut maker Krispy Kreme is making big changes in how it services customers.

Customers currently have two ways to enjoy Krispy Kreme doughnuts: a trip to a local Krispy Kreme shop for “Hot Now” doughnuts, which is referred to as DFD—delivered fresh daily. Or a trip to a grocery store for pre-made / pre-packaged doughnuts, which is referred to as CPG—consumer packaged goods.

However, Krispy Kreme executives just announced the planned closing of the CPG facility in Concord, North Carolina, as […]

By James Kirby Easterling|2023-04-22T22:46:57+00:00April 23, 2023|Tags: customer service, hub and spoke, logistics, market share, strategy|

Another Self-Operating Warehouse in California

JD.com is adding a third self-operating warehouse and distribution center in California.

Automated warehouses provide merchants with improved logistics infrastructure that allows JD.com to extend its order cut-off time by an hour. This will be the company’s fifth US warehouse; the Chinese e-commerce giant is working to achieve two-day delivery for the entire US.

Video Spotlight:

JD.com’s Automated Warehouse in California (Mar 1, 2023, JD.com, Inc.)

This post is based on the Supply Chain Dive article,

By Anita Lee-Post, Ph.D.|2023-04-21T03:40:07+00:00April 21, 2023|Tags: distribution centers, logistics, warehouse|

The Chronic Pain of Drug Shortages

Despite repeated warnings that critical drugs have been and will remain in short supply, corrective action has been painfully elusive.

A confluence of factors contribute to the persistence of the problem. These factors have been identified multiple times over the years, but addressing them and their effects on patients’ health requires overall system changes that call for full congressional and business cooperation. The current blog does not cover the policy changes needed for improvement; they are beyond its scope. However, it […]

By Corinne M. Karuppan, Ph.D.|2023-04-03T19:59:23+00:00April 5, 2023|Tags: bullwhip effect, competitivness, continuous replenishment, flexible-manufacturing, inventory management, JIT, lead time, logistics, outsourcing, productivity, respsonsive supply chain design, safety stock, shortage, sourcing, strategic capacity management, supply chain management|