A (Supply) Chain is Only as Strong as Its Weakest Link: Why Labor Management is a Key Component of the Supply Chain
Right now, your supply chain platform probably includes planning software — focused on things like demand, inventory or replenishment — and execution software — focused on transportation, logistics or warehousing — to create a more efficient supply chain. The data and automation provided by these…
How LSPs Can Cut Costs, Reduce Waste and Boost Revenue With Smart Returns Management
Driving down costs across the supply chain is a key goal for third-party logistics (3PL) businesses, particularly during inflationary pressure and labor market shortages. However, while increasingly niche efficiencies and optimizations are being pursued in the outbound logistics journey, reverse logistics still has low-hanging fruit…
Don’t Just Survive Peak Season – Thrive With Peak Planning Strategies
Peak season is a make-or-break period for retailers. With heightened customer expectations and increased order volume, delivering exceptional experiences while maintaining efficiency is paramount. Unfortunately, the pressure to meet demand often leads to reactive strategies that can damage brand reputation and bottom line. A staggering…
Executing Through Uncertainty: The Problem of Inventory Rebalancing
For supply chain professionals, there is always a conundrum when balancing supply and demand. Traditional order management or enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems do their best to execute an optimal balance, and they can be sufficient during normal operations. But a sudden imbalance is enough…
How To Sharpen Up Your Customer Focus With Returns Feedback
Steve Jobs was desperate to make Apple focus on customers. “Some people say, ‘Give the customers what they want.’ But that’s not my approach. Our job is to figure out what they’re going to want before they do.” That’s a classic Jobs quote you’re probably…
How To Talk to Customers About Returns
As in so many things, communication is key when dealing with e-commerce returns. Marketers often discuss brand touchpoints, meaning the website, physical store locations, advertisements, sponsorships, and most crucially, when using, wearing or owning the product. However, one under-appreciated and crucially important brand touchpoint is…
Adding a Decade of First and Last Mile Lessons to Blue Yonder’s Future
Having spent a decade (which I recognize is not a massively long time in this industry!) working in the front line of the first and last mile, I wanted to discuss some of the key changes I’ve seen from our unique perspective as Doddle –…
Schrödinger’s Inventory: Managing Returned Stock
Erwin Schrödinger came up with his now-infamous cat partly out of frustration with the complexities of quantum physics and the apparent impossibility to know with certainty where things would be. That’s a relatable frustration to anyone who works in inventory management! For the unfamiliar, the…
Speedy Refunds: Creating Happy Customers With Fast and Effective Returns
Returns are one of retailers’ biggest problems in today’s e-commerce landscape – with 63% of merchants saying it’s a significant problem for their business. Without effective returns strategies, retailers are experiencing increased costs thanks to processing, sorting and restocking returns – all while damaging the…
Return Fees or Free Returns: Why Not Both?
To cope with rising return rates and shrinking costs, many retailers have opted to start charging for returns. In 2023, the number of retailers charging for returns rose by 31% to 40% in the U.S. Our data shows that 53% of merchants charge for returns,…