Manufacturing logistics and procurement – November 2020

The Pallet Report: State of the US pallet industry
The US market developments in the use of pallets are analysed in the annual Pallet Report by Virginia Tech University in collaboration with Modern Materials Handling and Peerless Research Group (PRG). Nearly all (94%) of the companies surveyed are using wood pallets in their operations. This is pretty consistent with previous years’ surveys. Another 37% say they use plastic pallets and 12% use wood composite pallets, which saw a drop from previous years. Another 6% of companies use metal pallets, 4% use cardboard or corrugated, and 1% use pallets from some other material.

Smart Manufacturing
Deloitte and the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation’s (MAPI) new report (2.6 MB), “Accelerating Smart Manufacturing: The Value of an Ecosystem Approach,” examines how smart manufacturing initiatives may have been impacted by COVID-19. It suggests an ecosystem approach to help companies stay on course, accelerate digital transformation and drive productivity and performance.

Dutch government to focus on growth of manufacturing industry
Together with the business community and knowledge institutions, the Dutch government (in Dutch) will be focussing on the growth of the Dutch (manufacturing) industry. This is stated in a report (in Dutch, 377 kB) which State Secretary Mona Keijzer (Economic Affairs and Climate) presented to the House of Representatives on Friday 30 October 2020, also on behalf of Minister Eric Wiebes (EAC).

Supply chain strategies in manufacturing
A new survey (4.4 MB) by Foley & Lardner LLP suggests a potentially drastic shift in the way manufacturing executives think about their supply chains: from a primary focus on minimising lead times and cost to one that prioritises more stability and resilience in the face of disruption.
The PMMI report ‘Newly revamped Total Cost of Ownership: Packaging and Processing Machine Guidelines’ helps CPG companies and OEMs identify, quantify and break down the costs of purchasing and operating machinery. The tool was developed by the OpX Leadership Network convened by PMMI. You can download the report after filling in your details.
Gartner has published their Supply Chain Strategy: Quick Guide to help gain consensus and alignment for supply chain strategies. You can download the guide after filling in your details.

Standardisation for better communication in logistics
A new ISO standard allows users to reduce their costs and address a multitude of issues caused by the present variety of chain of custody systems. ISO 22095 – Chain of custody – General terminology and models addresses issues like risk, loss of time and conditions of production. Its requirements and models are defined independently of sectors, raw materials, products, and issues addressed, from food safety or sustainability to product integrity and quality.
 

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