Retail News CRM

Category: Logistics

Retail News Asia is committed to providing both local and global retailers with the latest Logistics news throughout the Asian market. This on a daily base.

  • UPS and SF Holding To Establish a Joint Venture

    UPS and SF Holding To Establish a Joint Venture

    UPS and SF Holding, the parent company of SF Express, today announced plans to establish a joint venture and collaborate to develop and provide international delivery services initially from China to the US, with expansion plans for other destinations. Through this agreement the parties will leverage their complementary networks, service portfolios, technologies and logistics expertise. The joint venture is subject to regulatory approval.

    UPS is the world’s largest express delivery company and a leading global supply chain integrator. SF is a market leader in express delivery in China, with extensive China-wide network coverage, comprehensive service capabilities, and the highest brand recognition in the Chinese small package market.

    “UPS is excited to form a joint venture with SF.  This joint venture will support products that provide competitive benefits to our Chinese customers who trade or seek to trade internationally,” said Ross McCullough, President of UPS Asia Pacific. “Our combined efforts will result in new logistics products and services to simplify and accelerate B2B and B2C customers’ cross-border trade.”

    The joint services offerings combine the strengths of SF’s extensive Chinese network, encompassing more than 13,000 service points in the world’s largest and fastest growing package delivery market, with UPS’s market leading globally integrated network with coverage between more than 220 countries.

    Alignment of the partners’ shipping networks will provide customers with greater coverage, additional routing options, increased capacity, and more choice in transit times and service options.  The joint venture will initially focus on supporting these highly competitive joint service offerings on the China-to-US lane, with planned expansion to markets in the rest of the world.

    “China is leading the world in terms of e-commerce market size, growth, penetration and mobile business usage[i]. Coupled with a rapidly growing and internet-savvy consumer base, it’s imperative thatSF and UPS collaborate to revolutionize the logistics sector.  Together, we aim to bring greater competitive advantages to our customers in China, to succeed globally,” said Alan Wong, Group Vice President of SF.

    The joint venture supports the creation of competitive synergies for UPS and SF through the combined scope and scale of both companies’ complementary networks.  Both companies will utilize their own assets to enhance operational effectiveness and efficiency while aligning business processes in order to provide seamless customer care for all parties shipping out of China.

  • K+N supports Shanghai to Taicang Express

    K+N supports Shanghai to Taicang Express

    Kuehne + Nagel signed a strategic cooperation with Jiangsu Taicang Port Authority and Shanghai Port Authority Zhenghe Terminal to promote a sea link between the Shanghai and Taicang ports.

    The Port of Taicang, located at the south bank of the Yangtze River estuary near Shanghai, is widely considered to be a significant satellite port to Shanghai’s Yangshan megaport. Under the agreement, K+N will cooperate with both port authorities to support the shuttle service which is in line with the Jiangsu Provincial Government strategic development plan to bring greater attention to the Taicang Port area. The sea-link aims to reduce CO2 emissions and improve efficiency by serving as a greener alternative to trucking between Jiangsu and Shanghai. This will have the added benefit of reducing vehicles on Shanghai’s heavily congested roads. The cooperation also intends to showcase Taicang as an international satellite port within the Shanghai Yangtze river estuary area, helping to aggregate high traffic at Shanghai Yangshan port.

    Shao Jian Lin, director of Taicang Port Authority said: “We are very pleased to enter this strategic agreement with K+N, a market leader in global logistics solutions, to support the development of the “Shanghai to Taicang Express” shuttle. We hope this cooperation will place a spotlight on the capabilities and ongoing expansion of Taicang port, ensuring market awareness on an even greater international scale.”

    Markus Johannsen, senior vice president seafreight North Asia, K+N, said: “By leveraging Kuehne + Nagel’s position as a leader in international seafreight, we are well placed to cooperate with the Taicang and Shanghai Port authority. Furthermore, the agreement will enable us to provide our customers a more cost effective, efficient service in the South Jiangsu area, adding even more value to their international supply chains. We are delighted to enter this agreement with Taicang and Shanghai Port authorities and look forward to more opportunities for cooperation in the future.”

  • Unisys launches software to enhance visibility of pharma supply chain

    Unisys launches software to enhance visibility of pharma supply chain

    Unisys Corporation has launched PharmaTrack, new software that combines security, advanced data analytics and compliance technology in a single, unified platform to provide life sciences and healthcare companies enhanced visibility and oversight of the entire global pharmaceutical supply chain and thus help combat theft and counterfeit drugs.

    This newest addition to the Unisys ActiveInsights suite of solutions arose from an overlap of industry needs between two industries in which Unisys has deep domain expertise: life sciences and healthcare, and travel and transportation.

    “When we started talking to people involved in pharmaceutical supply chain management, we quickly realised that Unisys already had developed the technologies in other industries required to address longstanding problems in pharmaceuticals,” said Jeff R. Livingstone, PhD, vice president and global head, Life Sciences and Healthcare, Unisys. “We then started right away to work with the Unisys Travel & Transportation group and other teams to successfully adapt their technologies for our Life Sciences clients.”

    According to the World Health Organisation, dangerous counterfeit drugs make up more than 10 percent of the drug market worldwide. In addition, supply chain theft and materials erroneously compromised by poor environmental quality controls can cost manufacturers billions of dollars annually and likewise put their patients at risk. PharmaTrack helps secure the supply chain by leveraging Unisys’ leading cross-platform analytics to identify and pre-empt fraudulent activity, issuing immediate alerts when product authentication fails.

    PharmaTrack also enables track-and-trace capabilities so companies can verify product shipping information, monitor temperature issues and other environmental factors affecting drug viability and flag potentially counterfeit product at any point in the supply chain. All data tracked and transmitted through PharmaTrack is protected by Unisys’ state-of-the-art Unisys Stealth micro-segmentation security software, preventing unauthorized access while maintaining the confidentiality of shipping contents.

  • DHL teams up with Rugby World Cup 2019

    DHL teams up with Rugby World Cup 2019

    DHL announced that it is the official logistics partner and a worldwide partner of Rugby World Cup 2019. The partnership will see DHL again team up with one of the biggest international sporting events, which will take place in host country Japan from 20 September to 2 November 2019. DHL was official logistics partner of Rugby World Cup 2011 in New Zealand and Rugby World Cup 2015 in England.

    “We are very excited to be continuing our longstanding, successful partnership with the game of Rugby including again being involved in the premier event of such a dynamically growing sport,” said Ken Allen, CEO, DHL Express. “We are also thrilled that it is breaking new ground in Japan, a country with the fourth largest population of rugby players in the world and with great potential to inspire a new generation of Rugby fans with its performances both on and off the pitch. The company has operated in Japan for 45 years and has built up an unrivalled network in the country. We can’t wait to share all the passion and enjoyment that Rugby embodies with our customers, employees and the broader Rugby family in Japan and around the world over the next two and a half years.”

    World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont said: “We are delighted to be extending our long-standing and highly-successful partnership with DHL, the express and logistics global leader. More than a commercial partner, DHL is a world class logistics operator and in an event where success hinges on the details, we know that we have the best possible partner.”

    The partnership continues a longstanding relationship between the logistics provider and the game of rugby. As the official logistics partner of Rugby World Cup 2015, DHL was responsible for the transportation of tournament and team equipment from around the world to England and across the country. DHL delivered over 48 tons of team freight, 1,400 official match balls, and 20 sets of uprights to the 13 match venues, and also delivered over 400,000 tickets to more than 160 countries.

  • Lazada Singapore moves warehouse operations to SingPost hub

    Lazada Singapore moves warehouse operations to SingPost hub

    Lazada, a huge online shopping destination in Southeast Asia, and Singapore Post Limited, the country’s postal and eCommerce logistics service provider, announced that Lazada Singapore has moved its warehouse operations to SingPost Regional eCommerce Logistics Hub in Tampines Logistics Park.

    With investments by Alibaba in both companies, the move allows Lazada and SingPost to leverage on each other’s strengths to meet rising eCommerce demand in Southeast Asia. This combination of strengths in eCommerce and logistics will enable both companies to be in a leading position in the industry to serve a wider spectrum of customers, both in Singapore and the region. This also emphasises Lazada’s aim to work together with the wider eCommerce ecosystem in Singapore.

    “Moving Lazada Singapore’s entire warehouse operations to the SingPost Regional eCommerce Logistics Hub is the next natural step as we seek closer integration with our partners to better serve the needs of Singapore customers,” said Alexis Lanternier, CEO of Lazada Singapore. “With the recent launch of 99SME, our local sellers have access to more than 3.5 million monthly visitors in Singapore. Moving forward, we can help them expand and sell regionally.”

    SingPost Regional eCommerce Logistics Hub consolidates and integrates both warehousing and delivery hub capabilities into one building. With an integrated, end-to-end solution housed in one building, SingPost is able to provide Lazada with improved efficiency, resulting in a faster turnaround time.

    Lanternier added: “This also adequately prepares us for the Great Singapore Sale starting 6 June, and we are bringing in more brands than ever before, local and global. Customers can shop more with the confidence that their orders will be processed and delivered faster.”

    Sam Ang, executive vice president of SingPost, and CEO of Quantium Solutions International said: “Technology plays a big part in our Regional eCommerce Logistics Hub, increasing productivity and efficiency. This collaboration sees Lazada’s eCommerce platform and SingPost’s end-to-end logistics capabilities coming together and it will result in scale and efficiencies for both of us.”

    “Better still, these efficiencies will help the SME eTailers that are connected with the Lazada platform to strengthen their competitiveness in the eCommerce market domestically and internationally. We look forward to working with Lazada and supporting them as they grow in Singapore,” added Ang.

  • DHL: Machine learning to mitigate supplier risks

    DHL: Machine learning to mitigate supplier risks

    DHL introduced a new integral part of its Resilience360 supply chain risk management platform called DHL Supply Watch. The extension of DHL’s early warning system uses machine learning and natural language processing to detect disruptions in a company’s supply base before they cause financial losses or long lasting reputational damage.

    With Supply Watch, DHL Resilience360 is adding a broad range of new risk categories to the system’s existing portfolio to monitor supplier risks on a company level, including financial indicators, mergers & acquisition, environmental damages, supply shortages, quality issues and labor disputes, using publically available data found by monitoring of online and social media sources.

  • China Online Retail Giant Wants to Build a Drone That Can Literally Deliver a Ton of Stuff

    China Online Retail Giant Wants to Build a Drone That Can Literally Deliver a Ton of Stuff

    JD.com, one of the most prominent online retail companies in China, plans to create a drone capable of carrying—literally—a ton for long-distance deliveries.

    The retail giant plans to use the technology for food deliveries to and from agricultural centers in remote areas to cities, the company said.

    “We envision a network that will be able to efficiently transport goods between cities, and even between provinces, in the future,” Wang Zhenhui, chief executive of JD’s logistics business group, said in a statement.

    The company told the drone capable of carrying one ton will likely not be available for two or three years. The drones wouldn’t deliver directly to customers’s doorsteps. Multiple packages would be delivered to a local employee, who will deliver them to customers.

    The retail giant will work on the technology in Shaanxi, a Chinese province, where it reached an agreement to test low-altitude drones and flight routes. The company will also create a research and development center at the Xi’an National Civil Aerospace Industrial Base in that province to develop, manufacture, and test the drones.

    Headquartered in Beijing, JD (jd) has more than 236 million customers and a delivery system with 65,000 employees. The company launched its first drone delivery program in Nov. 2016 for the country’s “Singles’ Day” shopping festival.

    In the United States, e-commerce giant Amazon (amzn) has plans to use drones to deliver packages of up to five pounds to Amazon Prime customers. The company opened testing facilities in the U.K.

  • New APAC Forwarding Index

    New APAC Forwarding Index

    Air and ocean volumes on Asia-Europe trade lanes eastbound and westbound are expected to surge in the coming months, according to the latest survey results for The New APAC Forwarding Index being developed by Mike King & Associates and Logistics Trends & Insights LLC.

    Higher air freight volumes are expected on key lanes to and from APAC, and the outlook for intra-Asia trade is also optimistic. The survey results, compiled by consultants Mike King and Cathy Roberson, are the first step towards the creation of a new Index for Asia forwarding markets which will be published in the coming months. The second survey is open to anyone with insight or business linked to key trade lanes to and from APAC used by forwarders and third parties.

    APAC Ocean Forwarding Markets
    Sixty per cent of survey respondents said ocean freight volumes to and from APAC in April were higher than March, while 54 per cent predicted they would handle higher volumes three months from now.

    “Demand has been higher than we’d anticipated from Europe to Asia, and there has also been some disruption to liner services following blank sailings around Chinese New Year and changes to alliances,” said one respondent. “We expect capacity to be tight well into Q2.”

    Seventy per cent of respondents expect APAC to Europe ocean freight volumes to increase three months from now, while 66.7 per cent forecast that volumes will rise from APAC to North America. However, optimism for the North America – APAC trade was hard to discern. Only 28.6% of respondents saw higher volumes on the lane in April compared to March, while only 43 per cent expect volumes to increase three months from now.

    “Despite uncertainty surrounding liner Alliances leading up to April 1 and the various bedding issues we have seen including terminal congestion in China and a lack of capacity in Europe, optimism is high for the APAC ocean freight market,” said Roberson. “The Europe to APAC trade lane had the highest percentage rate of month-to-month volume gains according to respondents to our first survey. The next most dynamic lanes were APAC to Europe and APAC to North America.

    “The North America to APAC liner trade reported the lowest percentage of respondents recording volume increases in April compared to March which could be the strength of the Greenback catching up with exporters. On most lanes the majority of respondents expect to see higher volumes over the next three months than at present, which bodes well for forwarders and lines.”

    APAC Air Markets
    Fifty-four per cent of survey respondents predicted APAC volumes across all lanes will be higher in three months than at present, with 37 per cent expecting them to remain the same and just 9 per cent lower. Fifty-two per cent of respondents reported that volumes in April compared to March were higher while only 11 per cent said they were lower. As with ocean trades, the most dynamic air cargo lanes in April compared to March were APAC to Europe (73 per cent experienced higher volumes month-on-month), Europe to APAC (55 per centhigher m-o-m) and APAC to North America (63 per cent higher m-o-m).

    “Concerns of a possible protectionist import tax on goods entering the US may be holding some shippers back in the North America region,” said Roberson. “Still, a respectable showing for North America as the economy remains healthy as the first half of the year progresses. Emerging markets volume appears strongest to APAC for air freight with more than half of respondents anticipating higher volumes on the lane three months from now. This is likely due to food imports from such locations as Africa, Chile, Argentina and elsewhere.”

  • Yusen Logistics standardises global fulfilment operations on Manhattan Associates

    Yusen Logistics standardises global fulfilment operations on Manhattan Associates

    Yusen Logistics is deploying Manhattan Associates, warehouse and distribution management solution Manhattan SCALE as the fulfilment engine to power its expanding global logistics services operation. The Manhattan solution being implemented on the Microsoft Azure cloud platform, is driving revenue, profitability and efficiency improvements for Yusen Logistics and its customers and will support Yusen Logistics’ ongoing business growth across the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Asia-Pacific (APAC) and Americas regions.

    Yusen Logistics serves a broad spectrum of industry sectors, offering an extensive range of capabilities including air, sea and road freight services. One of the key business imperatives for Yusen Logistics is an unwavering commitment to delivering solutions that meet the unique requirements of each client. Having operated previously with a number of vendor systems, Yusen Logistics made the decision to standardise on a single Warehouse Management Solution (WMS) that could be deployed globally and provide the requisite level of consistency in service levels its customers increasingly demand.

    Tony Gudger, CIO at Yusen Logistics Europe explains: “We chose Manhattan SCALE as our strategic fulfilment solution based on a number of factors including functionality, extensibility, ease and speed of implementation, global support capability and total cost of solution ownership. Our long-term partnership with Manhattan, which stretches back 14 years and has involved multiple deployments of its various WMS technologies across the globe, also counted significantly in our selection process.”

    Having relied on Microsoft Azure as a cloud services platform since 2012, the deployment of Manhattan SCALE on Azure was a logical decision. During the initial implementations in Southern Europe, Yusen Logistics reported zero issues relating to either Azure or Manhattan SCALE. The company plans to use Manhattan SCALE for the full gamut of local and global customer order fulfilment operations, spanning relatively small, single site distribution hubs to multi-site, multi-channel, high volume throughput supply networks.

    Henri Seroux, senior vice president, EMEA, at Manhattan Associates, commented, “Yusen Logistics’ customers across the globe are increasingly pressured to fulfil orders profitably across multiple sales channels and geographies while simultaneously maximising product availability and customer satisfaction. We are excited to provide the technology, services and support capabilities to drive the next phase of Yusen Logistics’ global success story.”

  • Japan April exports rise for fifth straight month

    Japan April exports rise for fifth straight month

    Japan‘s exports rose in April to mark the fifth straight month of gains, an encouraging sign that more robust overseas demand could underpin a steady economic recovery.

    Exports rose 7.5 percent in April from a year ago, below the median estimate of 7.8 percent annual growth, finance ministry data showed on Monday. It followed a 12.0 percent rise in March.

    The data also showed Japan’s trade surplus with the United States narrowed.
    Japan’s exports are expected to continue rising as global economic growth gains momentum, but concerns about U.S. President Donald Trump’s pledges to adopt protectionist trade policies cloud the outlook for export-reliant Japan.

    The drop in Japan’s trade surplus with the United States, however, could take some pressure off Japan as it makes it more difficult for Trump to justify criticising Japan for its trade practices.

    Exports to the United States increased 2.6 percent in April from a year ago, rising for the third straight month. But Japan’s trade surplus with the United States fell 4.2 percent in April from a year ago to 586.7 billion yen ($5.27 billion).

    Imports surged 15.1 percent versus the median estimate for a 14.8 percent increase.

  • New Zealand optimistic of reviving TPP trade deal

    New Zealand optimistic of reviving TPP trade deal

    New Zealand will be trying to win over other members this weekend when TPP ministers get together in Hanoi on the sidelines of an APEC meeting.

    New Zealand is increasingly optimistic that the 11 remaining countries of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) will move ahead with the trade deal despite the withdrawal of the United States, Trade Minister Todd McClay said.

    Alongside Japan, New Zealand will be trying to win over other members this weekend when TPP ministers get together in Hanoi on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting.

    “I don’t think we should expect any big decision from that ministerial meeting, but certainly I would hope for a very clear direction as far as the process is concerned,” McClay told.

    U.S. President Donald Trump dumped membership of the TPP as one of his first acts in an “America First” policy aiming at bringing manufacturing jobs back to the United States.

    McClay said he thought the original timetable for members to ratify TPP by next March still made sense. So far, only Japan and New Zealand have ratified the deal, but McClay said he believed others would follow.

    “I’ve been talking to many of them and visiting a lot of countries. They all have said at this stage they’re interested in the process and want to stick with it,” he said.

    Among the biggest challenges is keeping Vietnam and Malaysia on board. Their main benefit from TPP would have been greater access to U.S. markets. Without that, there is less impetus for them to make tough reforms on everything from freeing labour rights to strengthening intellectual property protection.

    McClay visited both countries recently.

    “It certainly feels like there is greater interest in moving forward today then there was a couple of months ago,” McClay said.

  • Time for ocean shippers to digitize is now

    Time for ocean shippers to digitize is now

    Digitization is rapidly transforming the ocean container shipping industry, according to INTTRA, a neutral electronic transaction platform, software and information provider for the ocean shipping industry.

    In a new whitepaperBlueprint 2032: How Technology Transforms Ocean Container Shipping – INTTRA reports that the pace of technology innovation is accelerating as businesses seek new and more efficient ways to optimize.

    “Digitization is now a competitive necessity,” says John Fay, CEO of INTTRA. “We’ve reached a tipping point in the global shipping industry when information technology is now the primary means for CEOs and their companies to achieve and increase long-term profitability. We are enabling shippers to rethink processes, and to digitize their operations through our unique position as a neutral service provider.”

  • AU budget a welcome boost for supply chain efficiency

    AU budget a welcome boost for supply chain efficiency

    The significant infrastructure investments contained in Australia’s Federal Budget have the potential to deliver substantial improvements to supply chain efficiency and significantly boost economic growth, according to the Australian Logistics Council (ALC).

    “The Government should be commended for making clear commitments to two significant infrastructure projects crucial to the freight and logistics industry,” said ALC managing director, Michael Kilgariff.

    “The transformative potential of the Inland Rail project has been talked about for decades, with incremental progress being made over the past several years, including a positive assessment of the business case by Infrastructure Australia. The $8.4 billion commitment announced in the Treasurer’s speech tonight will finally allow its construction. At long last, we can stop merely talking about this project’s potential, and instead begin to witness it.”

    “Establishing a safe, reliable port-to-port rail link for freight between Melbourne and Brisbane is the only way we can simultaneously meet Australia’s burgeoning freight task, alleviate congestion on existing freight networks, create regional jobs and boost growth,” he said.

    “To fully unleash the benefits of this project, the line must run to the ports of Melbourne and Brisbane, and comprise efficient rail linkages to the ports of Botany, Kembla and Newcastle in NSW. We must also support the development of intermodal freight hubs at appropriate intervals along the route.”

    “The commitment of $5.3 billion to construct the Western Sydney Airport and the $75 million to duplicate the Port Botany freight rail line likewise bring to fruition critical freight infrastructure projects that will further support economic activity and job creation.”

    “The Budget’s strong focus on infrastructure is timely, coming less than six months after the Federal Government agreed to ALC’s request to develop a National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy. We welcome the measures announced tonight as a positive first step in continuing efforts to deliver a safer, more efficient supply chain. The importance of this is made clear by the industry views outlined in a recent ALC Working Paper,” he said.

    “It’s also pleasing that Infrastructure Australia has been provided with an additional $11.9 million to deliver its core functions of assessing projects and producing an infrastructure pipeline.”

  • Megaport Singapore links up with AliCloud

    Megaport Singapore links up with AliCloud

    Megaport Singapore, a subsidiary of Australia’s Megaport, has entered into an arrangement to provide enterprises with direct and scalable access to Alibaba Cloud via the Megaport global SDN.

    By accessing Alibaba Cloud Express Connect, a high-speed dedicated network connection that securely links customers with their VPCs through Megaport’s SDN, enterprises can scale their cloud connectivity and enable rapid provisioning of capacity to Alibaba Cloud.

    From a single global account, Megaport customers can cut down latency and deploy globally on Alibaba Cloud’s network of cloud regions.

    Alibaba Cloud’s customers will be able to access Megaport’s global network in more than 20 major markets in the Asia Pacific, North American, and European regions with 150 points of presence.

    Alibaba Cloud will extend its edge closer to enterprises, provide consistent network performance for its customers, and expand its direct access capabilities around the world.

    “Megaport’s extensive global footprint is strengthened by our partnership with Alibaba Cloud,” said Vincent English, Chief Executive Officer of Megaport.

    “Direct, dedicated access to Alibaba Cloud’s services adds value to our platform. This partnership enables customers globally to directly access services from the leading cloud provider based in China. Partnering with China’s largest public cloud provider aligns with our strategy to enrich our Ecosystem and provides greater service options for our customers.”

  • Infor M3 integrates to GT Nexus supply chain network

    Infor M3 integrates to GT Nexus supply chain network

    Infor, a provider of business applications specialised by industry and built for the cloud, announced the availability of a standard Infor ION integration between Infor M3 and GT Nexus Order Collaboration. This integration will better support fashion and distribution companies in sourcing discrete products by providing more visibility and a single version of purchase order information with suppliers.

    Infor M3 is an enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution that offers ultimate flexibility in operations, technology, and scale. As a multi-site, multi-country, and multi-company solution, Infor M3 empowers organisations to adapt to changing business needs and provides flexibility in managing mixed-mode and complex environments, with the agility to make quick adjustments at any time. GT Nexus is a supply chain network platform that leading companies use to orchestrate their supply chains. GT Nexus connects companies to their supply chain partners (suppliers, manufacturers, 3PLs, carriers, etc.) to enable visibility, collaboration, and automated execution of supply chain processes.

    GT Nexus Order Collaboration is ideal for companies that operate globally or internationally, and are looking to better align with their suppliers. By integrating GT Nexus Order Collaboration with Infor M3, organisations can instantly connect with suppliers to share, confirm, and negotiate purchase orders. In addition, users can track the status of their suppliers’ negotiations and confirmations directly on the Infor M3 order screen. By electronically sharing, confirming, and negotiating purchase orders, companies have the tools to reduce time-to-market and the risk of errors.