In this discussion, Robert Bowman from Supply Chain Brain speaks with Natalia Andreyeva, vice-president of market-strategy for North America with 4flow. They are an American provider of supply chain consulting, software and fourth-party logistics (4PL) services. In this interview, she talks about the gaps that occur between supply chain ambition and execution. The biggest challenge that supply chains are facing today is the need for resilience in the face of constant market v

The final mile is not simply the last step in the delivery process — it’s also the final moment of truth, where the customer experience is either won or lost for many companies. But delivering on that promise is becoming increasingly difficult. Expectations for speed, visibility, flexibility, and reliability continue to rise, while operational complexity and customer expectations keep growing. So, what separates final mile leaders from the rest? The meaning of final mile deli

Many logistics businesses assume that B2B buying decisions are driven primarily by rational evaluation. The belief is that if a company has the strongest operational capability, the best technical solution, or the most competitive pricing, the market will naturally respond accordingly. In practice, however, buying decisions are rarely that straightforward. Across industries such as logistics, engineering, manufacturing and technology, organisations regularly lose opportunitie

Gartner has revealed a productivity gap as individual AI gains fail to translate into team-level improvements, with low confidence in restructuring operations A productivity disconnect is emerging between individual AI users and broader supply chain teams. According to Gartner, only 36% of Chief Procurement Officers show high confidence in their capacity to restructure roles and workflows around AI technologies. The finding came from research presented at the Gartner Supply C

The strain on port capacity in southern Africa owing to the rerouting of global shipping traffic caused by the Middle East conflict poses an immediate risk to the viability of projects, but a programme of infrastructure updates should help reduce these risks in future, an expert has said. Speaking at a Pinsent Masons event on geopolitics and construction contracts for EMEA projects on Thursday, Johannesburg-based Angela Lawrence of Pinsent Masons said the current capacity cru

In this discussion, Robert Bowman from Supply Chain Brain speaks with Christine Barnhart, head of industry engagement with Miebach, and Andrew Driscoll, commercial lead-life sciences with OMP. For years, says Barnhart, companies managed their data, technology and business processes in silos. Even artificial intelligence couldn’t address the problem — “it allows you to get to the wrong answer faster.” What’s needed now is for companies to step back and view the big picture. Wh

Reports of supply chains adopting generative AI are rich with stellar results: fewer errors, faster response times, leaps in productivity. The problem: For the moment, such outcomes are rare. That’s because the number of businesses and supply chains to have taken GenAI beyond the pilot stage to full implementation is relatively small. So finds a new report on AI readiness from GEP, a vendor of AI-driven procurement software, and the University of Virginia’s Darden School of B

Organizations across manufacturing, retail and distribution are deploying artificial intelligence to optimize individual functions, including demand forecasting, warehouse slotting, carrier selection and last-mile routing. The results at the node level are often impressive, but something unexpected is happening at the network level: The constraints are moving instead of disappearing. When AI is deployed function by function, each team improves its own performance in relative

Same-day delivery promises speed, convenience and competitive advantage, but its role in the future of logistics is far from straightforward. Same-day delivery has long been heralded as the next frontier in retail logistics, but its role is more complex than a simple end state for the industry. Research from McKinsey suggests consumer expectations have already shifted significantly. Speed is no longer viewed as a premium add-on but part of a new normal influencing purchasing

Copper mining in Namibia is seeing a significant revival as of April 2026, driven by a national strategy to diversify the mining sector beyond uranium and diamonds. The industry is currently defined by the restart of historical "brownfield" mines and the advancement of massive new porphyry deposits. Key Mining Developments Orion Minerals: Aims to start Prieska Mine production in the Northern Cape, with funding to be secured by mid-2026. Copper 360 & Jubilee Metals: Reopening

In this discussion, Robert Bowman from Supply Chain Brain speaks with Cris Lauer, account executive at Enveyo. To offset the market power wielded by parcel giants FedEx, UPS and the U.S. Postal Service, shippers need to explore alternative services. Diversification mitigates risk and, in the end, provides better service. There are plenty of players from which to choose. “There are so many regional carriers coming out of the woodwork,” says Lauer, offering lower cost as well a

The MODEX trade show , produced by MHI, is North America's largest manufacturing and supply chain event. "Modex" is held biennially in Atlanta, Georgia. MODEX 2026 just concluded (April 13–16, 2026) and the event showcased robotics, AI, material handling equipment, and last-mile logistics. Keynote speakers featured were leaders from The Home Depot and NASCAR icon Dale Earnhardt, Jr.. At the most recent event, more than 70% of supply chain executives say that artificial intel

In this discussion, John Maytham from Cape Talk Radio interviews Gavin Kelly, the CEO of the Road Freight Association, to unpack what this latest fuel shock means for transport operators and the broader economy. South Africa is at an average increase of 47% to the diesel price. This has a massive impact, especially on small and mid-sized operators. At payment terms of 60 to 90 days, as is the industry standard, this puts significant pressure on cash flows. Keys to reducing di

Project44, the global leader in supply chain decision intelligence and context-fueled AI, today announced its acquisition of LunaPath.ai in an all-cash transaction. LunaPath is an AI-native logistics automation company specializing in orchestration and execution-focused agents. The acquisition accelerates project44’s AI Agent Orchestration strategy, embedding LunaPath’s automation capabilities to eliminate repetitive freight work and turn insight into coordinated, real-time e

In this discussion, Robert Bowman from Supply Chain Brain speaks with Mahesh Rajasekharan, the CEO of Cleo . They are a Supply Chain as a Service, software and network provider. He offers a perspective on how supply chain leaders are approaching 2026 after a volatile 2025. Last year found supply chain organizations confronting extreme volatility in multiple forms, and the situation continues in 2026, Rajasekharan says. But one thing is different: As geopolitical tensions domi

Flight cuts and soaring jet fuel costs highlight structural vulnerabilities in airline networks, reshaping cargo capacity, rates and global logistics. Global air cargo networks are under pressure as rising jet fuel costs and geopolitical tensions expose structural vulnerabilities in airline operations. Major carriers such as United Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines and Air New Zealand are trimming schedules, affecting cargo capacity and increasing logistical complexity for comp

In this discussion, Russell Goodman from Supply Chain Brain speaks with Joshua Haun, vice president of business development at UniUni . He explains that as the use of alternative carriers increases, carrier diversification is the new norm in supply chain. Haun believes the growth of alternative carriers was inevitable, given the number of rate increases imposed by traditional carriers, not to mention the disruption in the industry caused by international shippers, especially

In the past several weeks, gold crossed $5,000 an ounce, dropped, then rebounded, only to drop again. Silver spiked and then plunged. The U.S. dollar rallied to a five-week high and its strongest position since late 2024, temporary reclaiming its global defacto standard status. Energy markets, meanwhile, continue to respond to instability in Venezuela and war in Iran. For investors, this whiplash reflects anxiety and unpredictability — and good luck finding a safe haven. For

A Gartner survey of 509 supply-chain leaders found changes in working, driven by advancements in agentic AI, will be the most influential driver of performance in the years to come. Supply chains are set to become increasingly autonomous as AI is set to resolve 60% of disruptions without human intervention by 2031, according to new research from Gartner. As global trade uncertainty and geopolitical tensions mount, supply chains face growing risks of mismanagement, delayed re

In this discussion, Russell Goodman from Supply Chain Brain speaks with James Wee, senior vice president and general manager of fleet at Descartes . He explains that artificial intelligence isn't just in the conversation throughout the supply chain. It's delivering real, measurable value in fleet and last-mile operations. Ask fleet operators what’s top of mind today, and expense reduction in last-mile delivery may be at the head the list, Wee says. Not far behind are higher e