A circular economy is an alternative to a traditional linear economy (make, use, dispose) in which we keep resources in use for as long as possible, extract the maximum value from them whilst in use, then recover and regenerate products and materials at the end of each service life.
Companies and governments have been discussing the challenges that lie ahead as we enter a period of rapid innovation and change unlike any the world has ever seen. In a previous post we have made a number of observations about the increasing importance of data and connectivity in realizing the Fourth Industrial Revolution and singled … More Will Open Data Save Supply Chains?
The circular economy is a generic term for an industrial economy that is, by design or intention, restorative and in which material flows are of two types, biological nutrients, designed to re-enter the biosphere safely, and technical nutrients, which are designed to circulate at high quality without entering the biosphere. The term encompasses more than … More Is the Circular Economy a Myth?
The importance of customer centricity and speed in today’s consumer economy is well understood. Examples are everywhere, from custom vending machines that integrate with social media to companies such as Netflix and Uber. Consumers increasingly expect products to be individualized to their unique specifications and to be delivered on demand. The extended supply chain, from … More How The Network Economy Is Revolutionizing Supply Chains
Do you realize that we produce 500 million pallets a year in the US alone to replace the worn pallets that we discard each year? The number of pallets out there is truly staggering. Nearly 2 billion wooden pallets are currently in circulation in the US, with a majority of them replaced each year. This … More Here’s how we can eliminate wooden pallets in the supply chain
As risks in the supply chain continue to occur and customer demand continues to be less tolerant of disruptions, more companies are recognizing the importance of creating and managing a visible supply chain. Although different interpretations and definitions abound, one way to think of supply chain visibility is: The right information, in actionable detail, on … More How to Gain “True” Visibility in the Supply Chain
Empty back hauls are the downfall of the trucking industry. Once a truck delivers its load, whether at one location or several along the way, it either returns to the depot empty or has to make a return trip to pick up cargo because there was no room on the truck as it did its … More How We Can Eliminate 50% of GHG Emissions from the Supply Chain
It seems that there’s a robot available for every conceivable position imaginable these days and it can get quite unnerving if you stop to think about it. What human position or function can you think of that isn’t vulnerable to robotic transplanting? Technology feeds on itself and expands exponentially. What used to take a machine … More Robotics and Job Security in the Supply Chain
We stand on the brink of a technological revolution that will fundamentally alter the way we live, work, and relate to one another. In its scale, scope, and complexity, the transformation will be unlike anything humankind has experienced before. We do not yet know just how it will unfold, but one thing is clear: the … More The Fourth Industrial Revolution And How It Will Affect Supply Chains
For those unfamiliar with the supply or reverse chain industries, consider the lowly wooden pallet as a shining example of the complexity of many of the world’s largest international supply chains. The wooden pallet? Are you serious? How could such a simple concept possibly be the cause of complexity in any application? Here’s a short … More Supply Chains Are Costing Us More Than You Know!
According to the Carbon Footprint Calculator found under the “Fleet Tools” drop-down menu at Fleet News in the UK, there is 11.91 Kg of CO2 created with every gallon of diesel burned. If that figure is accurate then let’s apply it to the number of miles traveled by the US fleet. According to Business Insider a single class 8 … More Cool it! Supply Chain’s Carbon Footprint Quantified
Circular Supply Chains Inc. 