Supply Chain Optimization

Big Companies Hog Gains From Innovation

The Wall Street Journal page 1 detailed how big companies were gaining significant competitive advantage from both scale and innovation.  Examples given include:

The Wall Street Journal page 1 detailed how big companies were gaining significant competitive advantage from both scale and innovation.  Examples given include:
  • A partnership between IKEA and a construction firm to build “factory” apartment buildings.  Cost down 35% – elapsed construction time down 50% 
  • Amazon – where volume drives the ability to deliver directly to the local US Post Office for lower-cost last-mile delivery 
We see it too!  Only the biggest and brightest companies are optimizing order creation and warehouse picking/loading with AutoO2.  (See AutoO2  here )  This gives them lower costs than smaller competitors.  I can only speculate why smaller companies are not grabbing the AutoO2 technological advantage with both hands.  
 
J.B. Hunt reported double-digit increases in revenue per load.  Key points:
  • Intermodal revenue up 16% (Intermodal is about 50% of their business)
  • Brokerage revenue is up 56%
US oil slides – below $68/barrel (down ~4% as of noon EST Monday)