Kentucky Fried Chicken running out of chicken. It’s unthinkable isn’t it? But that’s exactly what happened after “teething problems” with its new delivery partner was to blame.
Whilst not strictly e-delivery related of course the incident shows just how vulnerable supply chains and the technology behind them can be. And it serves as a stark warning to retailers and delivery partners alike to get processes, technology and handovers right first time. Supply chains are simply too lean for mistakes.
The role of technology in logistics, the supply chain and the last mile will be a key focus of the eDelivery Expo which takes place a month today. The conference, which is held alongside InternetRetailing Expo (IRX), will be held at Birmingham’s NEC on March 21-22 and includes speakers from the likes of Ocado, Waitrose and Deliveroo.
Another of the speakers at the show will be Shop Direct’s head of outbound logistics Chris Haighton who will be talking about the role of visibility and tracking. This week we have interviewed him ahead of the show to find out more about his views on the topic.
Another key topic at EDX will be returns, given its increasingly central role. In our opinion piece this week Andrew Tavener, head of marketing at Descartes, reveals four key things to consider to minimise lost profits and maximise customer satisfaction.
In click and collect news this week we learn of a new plugin for the Shopify ecommerce platform which will allow retailers on the platform to integrate click and collect into their checkout in minutes.
In last mile news XPO Logistics has announced the expansion of its heavy goods last mile services to Europe. Finally Seko Logistics has announced the opening of a new facility in Amsterdam.
Image credit: Fotolia
