Never has such a bright spotlight been shone on the supply chain as a vital strategic component of business success. The industry is undergoing significant transformation across several key areas, from digitalization to sustainability and building resiliency. Sitting down with John Wharff, Senior Sales Engineering Manager at EasyPost, we walk through five critical aspects that organizations must focus on addressing, solving, and optimizing to futureproof their supply chain strategies in 2024 and beyond. 1. Sustainability: Sustainability is no longer a competitive advantage, but an expectation. So, how can companies most successfully embrace sustainable supply chain practices? 2. Returns: According to the National Retail Federation, returns for 2023 totaled 743 billion. So, how can companies make the returns process more efficient and cost effective? 3. Reliability: How can we best improve the performance and reliability of our supply chains, and what performance standards and metrics are both realistic and achievable? 4. Data: How we can access, translate, and use data, not just for better visibility, but to also empower teams with the ability to make more informed decisions? 5. Omnichannel: How important is omnichannel fulfilment, and how can approaches be optimized to cut costs, improve the customer experience, and improve operational…

The Buzz is Supply Chain Now’s regular Monday livestream, held at 12 noon ET each week. This show focuses on some of the leading stories from global supply chain and global business, always with special guests – the most important of which is the live audience! In this week’s episode of The Buzz, hosts Mary Kate Love and Katherine Hintz bring you the second marketing edition of The Buzz! Together they tackle top news by discussing: The uptick in influencer and celebrity marketing The impact of Amazon Prime Day on consumer shopping habits and supply chain, noting the potential strain on delivery and reverse logistics due to increased purchases and returns Costco’s decision to increase its membership fee due to inflation and rising supply chain costs, while maintaining a high customer retention rate The importance of customer experience for customer retention And so much more!