An opinion piece by Inbal Axelrod examines the use of predictive analytics to develop more efficient supply chains. Not a new conversation, but one that’s gaining relevance as analytics and data tools grow in both capability and validity. These technologies can potentially revitalise how the industry approaches supply chain dynamics in the future.

When it comes to the cold chain, technology offers the industry some interesting opportunities to shift transparencies and capabilities. Traditional systems are outdated, limited and introduce unnecessary delays when fresher solutions can transform how operations are handled and real-time data transfer, among other things.  Still in the cold, Lineage Logistics has announced that it is to acquire Preferred Freezer in a deal worth around $US1 billion. The deal will see the company take top spot in the cold storage market.

Manger for Public Medical Supply Chain, Joe Chen, announced that his division is anticipating rapid growth in 2019. In a release, he explained: “Serving as a medical equipment supply company with access to critical spare parts and consumables defines our competitive advantage in the vital medical supply business to over 500 hospitals between China, the US market and Europe.”

The supplier collaboration platform for the construction industry, Command Alkon, has announced that its executives have been named the 2019 Provider Pros to Know by Supply & Demand Chain Executive magazine. The award is given to those execs who are working on, and delivering, innovative supply chain initiatives.

At the 2019 LINK supply chain conference taking place in Orlando, Redwood Logistics talked about the importance of technology in the retail supply chain. The spokesperson, John Centres Executive VP of Sales, said that “For many years the transportation and logistics sector was the last group that got its resources from technology. Now it’s on the forefront of technology because of the on-demand product environment. We have not seen – outside of food – any huge price inflation of consumer products. And that is because of the innovations taking place in the supply chain.”

In other news: the need to increase the fairness of the global supply chain and the companies already engaged; how technology can improve the grocery supply chain; Horizon Robotics raises $600m in funding; M&S and Ocada to start a home delivery service in 2020; and Resolution Foundation shows that retail has the highest employee redundancy rate.