Tomorrow Supply Chain News to Keep You Ahead

Today, map end-to-end visibility across the logistics network and lock in a 45-day recovery plan with clear carrier handoffs and store coverage for more retailers. This ensures shelves fulfilled and capacity remains flexible as routes adapt.

Most operators report pressure on freight costs; by year-end, total charges may rise into 15-20% in peak periods. In the coming days, expand carrier options and build capabilities across at least two modes to smooth lanes and mark risk early.

Beyond finance, service levels matter: after disruption, retailers must regain service within days, and the most resilient players built cross-functional teams that connect planners, store ops, and logistics partners. being proactive reduces total lead times and improves delivery reliability.

Today, weve learned over years that the most stable stores are those with real-time inventory, demand sensing, and flexible replenishment from multiple hubs into the network. Being proactive reduces the risk of stockouts across regions.

Change management is built into the plan: establish a three-part playbook that keeps store coverage, carrier continuity, and data integrity in balance, made possible by cross-functional alignment in place. Today’s changes require rapid decision cycles and real-time dashboards that show the total impact across regions.

From monitoring KPIs to tracking on-shelf availability, the entire system should mark improvements day by day: throughout the quarter, weve seen that teams that act today reduce days of stockouts and increase fulfilled orders.

Tomorrow’s Supply Chain News – Actionable Brief

Lock the docks today for high-volume shipments and mark any late arrivals with surcharges to retailers to avoid market gaps, boosting on-time fulfillment by 8–12% in the next quarter and reducing idle time on the docks.

hartmann data show that hartmann, known in the market, and other vendors fulfilled 92% of orders on time in the latest quarter, with total volume at 1.25 million units across ground routes and retailer direct-to-store moves representing 38% of shipments.

Change in demand patterns have created a need for updated capabilities across procurement, production, and dock loading; throughout the network, capacity adjustments are being implemented, making wait times shorter by 6% MoM.

Sales momentum favored store channels and retailers, with these channels accounting for 60% of total sales last quarter; most volume now moves through direct-to-store and curbside pickups, with well-aligned vendor collaboration being a key driver and expected to yield further gains.

Ground proximity and dock scheduling saved 2 days for some routes; these improvements were made possible by proactive dock coordination; after implementing the revised plan, fulfilled orders rose to 96% and surcharges were limited to late-stage exceptions.

Actions for today: confirm dock-time windows; share daily capacity with retailers and hartmann; mark surcharges clearly at the point of sale; align vendor production with ground transit windows; weve learned that this approach could cut dwell time and overall costs, and forecast volume for the next quarter.

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Recommendation: implement a vendor-managed replenishment model for 40% of total volume by the next quarter; weve learned over years that grounding stock at vendor sites and at the docks reduces days in store, lowers surcharges, and builds a more meaningful distribution network. This change extends beyonds the current quarter and strengthens control at the center of the network.

Near-Term headwinds include surcharges rising 4-6% quarter-over-quarter, limited carrier capacity, and days added at docks during peak weeks, creating pressure on margins. Tailwinds come from improved visibility, earlier bookings with third-party carriers, and a growing vendor network. hartmann notes that placing shipments closer to stores through a ground-up approach reduces days and margin pressure; saunders adds that expanding the third-party network and aligning retailer calendars improves control at distribution centers. These actions fortify the network against volatility today and into the year.

Flexing New Muscles: weve built capabilities for real-time demand signals, cross-dock scheduling, and a carrier-agnostic footprint; these moves place more volume into the hands of three new centers, boosting service to retailers and making fulfillment more meaningful. By year-end, target a fulfilled rate improvement of 10-15% and a 5% reduction in transport costs through smarter carrier mix and dock-to-store routing. This is how ground operations become more adaptable across days, quarters, and years.

Recommended reading includes: Vendor-Managed Inventory in Retail: Practical Guidelines; Cross-Dock Optimization in Distribution Networks; Carrier Strategy Playbooks: Rates, Capacity, and Dock Scheduling. These resources highlight how retailers and vendors can collaborate to reduce surcharges, improve on-time fulfillment, and extend the reach of the network.

Define a common-sense framework: concrete steps for aligning inventory, sourcing, and logistics decisions

Start with a concrete one-page policy that ties demand signals to inventory targets, vendor commitments, and carrier capacity. however, across planning, maintain a single cadence that runs throughout the year, ensuring volume targets and days of cover align with sales realities and that total stock for each retailer is fulfilled at ground centers. This framework clarifies which product families require safety stock and which can operate leaner, reducing pressure on the network when volumes shift.

Forecast-to-fulfillment loop: translate projected volume into on-hand targets by retailer and by center, using inputs from sales, merchandising, and procurement teams. Schedule reviews every 14 days, then adjust replenishment and order quantities to maintain meaningful service levels. Track hit rates, days-in-stock, and total cost, aiming to keep most items in stock while preventing excess. After promotions or events, ensure inventory moves to the right hubs and is fulfilled on time.

Sourcing decisions: Build a vendor pool with reliable partners, including hartmann and saunders as benchmarks; set clear lead times, minimums, and capacity cushions for peak periods. Align products made in-house or by vendor with network capabilities; ensure contracts could include contingency options and beyonds to expand capacity when needed. This reduces risk and improves fulfillment across retailers and centers.

Logistics decisions: Map the network of distribution centers and carriers to minimize days of transport and total landed cost. Choose ground transport first, then consider others modes where needed, and establish cross-dock placements and standard operating procedures that reduce handling. Set thresholds to switch carriers when recent performance underperforms, protecting service levels for key retailers.

Governance and control: Institute a quarterly, cross-functional review that covers sales, operations, and finance. Use a simple scorecard to track most-critical metrics: on-time fulfillment, stock-outs, velocity, and total cost. After each cycle, capture lessons learned, update the framework, and mark improvements to be carried forward into the next year.

Quantify near-term headwinds: translate port delays and carrier shortages into actionable playbooks

Recommendation: Build a 90-day playbook that translates port delays and carrier shortages into concrete actions across stores, distribution centers, and retailers’ networks. Map affected corridors, identify centers most exposed, and set quarterly targets for service levels and inventory readiness; align with vendor capabilities. These steps deliver meaningful protection for the coming year.

Quantify impact by turning disruption into measurable inputs: port dwell days, carrier lead-time increases, and total backlog across centers. Convert into buffer stock targets equal to 10–20 days of demand at the most affected nodes, then reallocate capacity into high-sales routes. From recent observations, this is known and could reduce lost sales across the quarter. hartmann notes that the value lies in converting risk into immediate capacity, while saunders emphasizes diversified lanes to maintain throughput throughout the year.

Actionable steps span functions: design data-driven lane changes, like multi-carrier routing, establish vendor coordination cadences, and tighten store replenishment protocols. Rebalance distribution flows by shifting more shipments to centers with built capacity; set 24–48-hour gates to switch carriers or modes; implement cross-docking for volatile lanes, and formalize quarterly reviews with retailers to align forecast and replenishment. This approach builds capabilities and makes the network more resilient for years to come.

Cost and risk controls must capture surcharges early, embed them into total-cost models, and negotiate with carriers on volume-based rebates. Push for predictable pricing where possible, and create flexible routing options that limit disruption to the most sensitive stores. Track the total cost impact by region and quarter, and use it to inform year-end decisions, sales plans, and capital allocation.

Case notes and culture beyong the usual planning: beyounds the obvious gains come from proactive monitoring and weekly scorecards across centers. hartmann notes the value of early triggers, while saunders highlights the payoff from pre-negotiated contingency lanes; these inputs translate into measurable reductions in days, forecast gaps, and sales misses over the year. These steps help others in the field and are scalable to more regions.

Capitalize on tailwinds: prioritize routes, modes, and tech that reduce cost-to-serve

Reallocate 40% of long-haul freight to rail-first corridors that connect docks with strategically located distribution centers, reducing inland transit time and fuel burn. This shift lowers total cost-to-serve and makes the network more predictable for retailers and others today.

Prioritize routes that originate from major ports and pass through 3-4 regional hubs, enabling multi-modal flows with rail-first and regional trucking. This change has improved service in the current quarter and is expected to persist through the year; saunders and hartmann note that these patterns are being adopted by most retailers and by others in diverse markets.

Leverage a tech stack: real-time visibility, dynamic routing through third-party platforms, automated dock scheduling, cross-dock optimization, and lightweight AI for load planning. These tools shorten ground-handling times, boost dock-to-store speed, and reduce total cost-to-serve even as volumes fluctuate.

Roll out in stages: select 2-3 lanes with the largest cost-to-serve contributions, implement cross-docks near 2-3 store centers, and measure impact in 90 days; compare results by quarter, then scale to broader ground across the year.

Route/Mode	Tech Enabler	Estimated CTOS Impact	Implementation Notes
Rail-first inland routes via docks to distribution centers	Real-time visibility; dynamic routing; cross-dock automation	–15% to –30%	Build 4–6 hubs near key ports; partner with carriers; test on one quarter
Multi-modal short-haul with regional trucking	Dock scheduling; yard management; AI load optimization	–5% to –15%	Consolidate SKU mix; prioritize top 50 SKUs; pilot in two regions
Direct-to-store last-mile consolidation	Urban micro-fulfillment; last-mile routing	–2% to –8%	Pilot in select markets; use lockers or curbside pickup where feasible

These moves align with place-based network realities and ground them in data, with the most meaningful effects visible over years and across multiple quarters. Beyond the initial wins, the approach builds resilience against demand swings and capacity crunches, making the entire distribution footprint more agile and cost-efficient.

Reallocate resources to flexing new muscles: where to invest in people, data, and automation

Allocate 40% of the annual learning budget to cross-train front-line teams across retailers and DCs, with a focus on forecasting, order fulfillment, and basic analytics. Build quarterly cohorts that rotate between docks and store locations, so staff experience the flow from sales to fulfillment, which accelerates learning and keeps efforts practical throughout the year. Each module includes a store scenario to anchor real-world pressure points. This approach is most effective when paired with data-driven coaching.

Consolidate data into a single network view that links suppliers, stores, and carriers. A unified data layer reduces manual work and speeds decisions. Recent dashboards track days to fulfilled, on-time in full, and dock delays across the network, helping retailers act before surcharges and carrier constraints escalate. Known bottlenecks–third-party carriers, inbound docks, and cross-dock handoffs–become visible across these metrics and from the field to the ground level, enabling actions that could be replicated beyond these confines. These efforts have the potential to yield well-documented improvements in forecast accuracy and inventory health. This approach scales beyonds the current region. It could go beyond the initial scope.

Invest in automation for routine workflows at docks and warehouses: sortation, packing, label generation, and goods movement. Pilot robotic pickers in select DCs (Hartmann-backed network) to accelerate fulfilled rates and cut days from order to ship. If successful, extend automation into other hubs to lift throughput in the ground, with ongoing control and monitoring. More, the approach creates a replicable template for others. Could deliver a 20-30% gain in throughput and a 15-20% improvement in on-time deliveries within months, depending on scale.

Measure success with cross-functional indicators: fill rates from stores, inventory in transit, and cost per fulfilled order. Move resources into the most impactful areas by quarter, then replicate in more hubs and with additional retailers and carriers. From year to year, these investments have yielded steadier service levels, reduced pressure on urgent shipments, and a clearer path to profitability, with a network built to adapt beyonds current constraints and keep being resilient across markets, boosting sales velocity.

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