Ken Cottrill
- Host, MIT Supply Chain Frontiers (Podcast)
- Editorial Director, MIT Supply Chain
- None, MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics
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Articles by Ken Cottrill
Logistics key to supercharging EV battery recycling
Recycling the battery packs that power electric vehicles will help boost the market for EVs, improve the industry’s environmental footprint, and grow this multi-billion dollar industry. But first, the industry must overcome two major challenges: increasing unit volumes and developing an efficient reverse supply chain for used batteries.
Survey: In-store shopping sentiment up 21%
E-commerce activity remains robust, but a growing number of consumers are reintegrating physical stores into their shopping journeys in 2024, emphasizing the need for retailers to focus on omnichannel business strategies. That’s according to an e-commerce study from Ryder System, Inc., released this week.
Reinke moves from TIA to IANA in top office
Transportation industry veteran Anne Reinke will become president & CEO of trade group the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) at the end of the year, stepping into the position from her previous post leading third party logistics (3PL) trade group the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA), both organizations said today. Reinke will take her new job upon the retirement of Joni Casey at the end of the year.
Driverless parcel delivery debuts in Switzerland
Two European companies are among the most recent firms to put autonomous last-mile delivery to the test with a project in Bern, Switzerland, that debuted this month. Swiss transportation and logistics company Planzer has teamed up with fellow Swiss firm Loxo, which develops autonomous driving software solutions, for a two-year pilot project in which a Loxo-equipped, Planzer parcel delivery van will handle last-mile logistics in Bern’s city center.
Florida braces for impact of Hurricane Helene
Serious inland flooding and widespread power outages are likely to sweep across Florida and other Southeast states in coming days with the arrival of Hurricane Helene, which is now predicted to make landfall Thursday evening along Florida’s northwest coast as a major hurricane, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Dock strike: Shippers seek ways to minimize the damage
As the hours tick down toward a “seemingly imminent” strike by East Coast and Gulf Coast dockworkers, experts are warning that the impacts of that move would mushroom well-beyond the actual strike locations, causing prevalent shipping delays, container ship congestion, port congestion on West coast ports, and stranded freight.
How to get the most out of academic research
(Photo: Pexels/fauxels) Companies can engage with academia on various levels through educational programs and the cross-sharing of knowledge. Another channel to engagement is research. Subscribe to our weekly e-mail update Don’t miss out on the best in supply chain. Get premium resources and in-depth, comprehensive feature articles written by the industry's top experts – delivered. Sorry, but your login has failed. Please recheck your login information and resubmit.
To improve supply chain sustainability, strike while the iron is broken
Companies can find it challenging to meet the increasing demand to make their supply chains sustainable—except when external events force their hands. Our research shows that when large-scale disruptions compel companies to rethink their operations, improving sustainability is often part of the redesigned supply chains that emerge from such crises. Counterintuitively, supply chain sustainability (SCS) efforts appear to thrive in a crisis.
AgeLab’s Bryan Reimer named to US Department of Transportation innovation committee
Bryan Reimer, research scientist at the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics’ (MIT CTL) AgeLab, has been appointed by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT) to the Transforming Transportation Advisory Committee (TTAC). The committee advises the DoT and the secretary of transportation about plans and approaches for transportation innovation.
How Digital Technologies Could Boost Tiny Retailers in Developing Countries
Independently operated micro-retailers that typically serve fewer than 100 households in local communities account for most retail business in developing countries. In Latin America, for example, these “nanostores” account for an estimated 40% to 70% of consumer-packaged goods (CPG) companies’ sales, making it the largest channel in terms of sales volume.
This Is Not the Time to Downgrade Supply Chain Sustainability
The uncertain economic and political outlook might persuade some companies to dial back their efforts to improve the sustainability of their supply chains. Some enterprises may even be more amenable to bolstering their sustainability credentials with greenwashing. Our extensive research shows that both courses of action are ill-advised.
Remodeling supply chain teams for data ROI
How are practitioners harnessing these talents to innovate and improve supply chain performance? By James B Rice, Jr. and Ken Cottrill · January 4, 2023 By James B Rice, Jr. and Ken Cottrill · January 4, 2023 Companies recruit specialists to help them generate, manage and interpret the flood of data that is the lifeblood of modern supply chains. Hence, job titles such as data analyst, data engineer and data scientist are relatively recent additions to the supply chain management discipline.
How to Get Consumers to Accept Slower Deliveries on Online Orders
Many consumers will accept longer delivery times for orders if the environmental benefit is explained to them. Consumers want their online orders delivered as quickly as possible, but the extra fuel burned to make those deliveries is bad for the environment. Is there a way for companies to persuade buyers to wait longer for packages without alienating them—and to lower companies’ delivery costs and carbon footprint at the same time? Our research suggests there is.
Will just transition agendas reshape supply chain sustainability goals?
The concept of supporting a "just transition" is becoming more visible in sustainability circles, and if it gains ground, it could become part of corporate pledges akin to those that commit companies to net-zero operations by a certain year. Such an outcome has significant implications for supply chain sustainability. Is just transition another short-lived buzzword that will have minimal impact on supply chain operations or is it something more substantial?
Will “Just Transition” Reshape Supply Chain Sustainability Goals?
February 24, 2022 · By David Correll and Ken Cottrill Is just transition another short-lived buzzword that will have minimal impact on supply chain operations, or is it something more substantial? Will just transition’s star fade after it rises? There are various interpretations of just transition.
Unlocking the value of robots as team players
By Ken Cottrill, Editorial Director for MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics · January 3, 2022 Some 1.8 million industrial robots are in operation around the world, yet these machines are not fully integrated into the human workforce. Research underway at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is facilitating more effective collaboration between humans and machines, and recent advances indicate that human/machine interdependency may not be far off.
Chronicles of the epic mission to deliver Covid vaccines to the world
The race to deliver a Covid-19 vaccine has been likened to a moonshot, but in several ways landing a man on the moon was easier. In his new book, “A Shot in the Arm: How Science, Engineering, and Supply Chains Converged to Vaccinate the World” (MIT CTL Media, 2021), MIT Professor Yossi Sheffi recounts the vaccine’s extraordinary journey from scientific breakthroughs to coronavirus antidote and mass vaccination.
Push to make supply chains more sustainable continues to gain momentum
Much of the effort to make businesses sustainable centers on their supply chains, which were severely disrupted during the Covid-19 pandemic. Yet, according to new research from the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics (CTL), supply chain sustainability (SCS) investments hardly slowed, even as the pandemic raged. The finding, contained in the 2021 State of Supply Chain Sustainability report, puts companies on notice that they ignore the sustainability of their supply chains at their peril.
E-commerce retailers should put more value on green delivery options
As Amazon’s recently launched Climate Pledge Friendly program underlines, giving consumers opportunities to make green purchases can differentiate a brand and burnish its reputation as a sustainable retailer. However, our research shows that online sellers — including Amazon — do not realize the full potential of green purchasing options.
MIT’s Hybrid Engine Could Electrify Long-Haul Trucking
By Ken Cottrill · August 22, 2019 Editor’s Note: Ken Cottrill is Editorial Director of the MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics. He can be contacted at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Battery-powered heavy-duty trucks emit lower volumes of greenhouse gases and polluting particulates than conventional diesel-powered trucks, but they must haul weighty battery units that reduce their revenue-earning payloads.
Mexican retailer Coppel travels alternative route to a fuel-efficient last mile
Vehicle and pedestrian traffic flows on even a hot sunny day in downtown Las Choapas, Veracruz. The recent announcement by UPS that it will start delivering packages on Sundays next year is another sign of the inexorable growth of e-commerce — and the number of delivery trucks on the roads. More vehicles equal more fuel consumed and more carbon dioxide emitted, increasing the pressure on companies to invest in fuel efficiency technology.
An Alternative Route to a Fuel-Efficient Last Mile
By Josué C. Velázquez-Martínez, Karla M. Gámez-Pérez, and Ken Cottrill · August 12, 2019 Editor’s Note: Josué C, Velázquez-Martínez, Director, MIT Sustainable Logistics Initiative (.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)), Karla M.
Trade Policy Whiplash is the New Norm. How Do Companies Maintain the Integrity of Their Supply Chain
By Jim Rice, Kai Trepte and Ken Cottrill · June 18, 2019 Editor’s Note: This feature was written by Jim Rice, Kai Trepte and Ken Cottrill. MIT CTL is planning further research to shed light on these issues. They welcome feedback and participation from SCMR readers. For further information and to provide feedback, please contact Jim Rice, Deputy Director, MIT CTL at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Do You Have the DT’s? Why It’s Time to Bring Digital Transformation Down to Earth
By Dr. Maria Jesus Saenz, James Rice Jnr., Ken Cottrill · April 1, 2019 Editor’s Note: Dr. Maria Jesus Saenz leads the MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics’ (MIT CTL) Digital Supply Chain Transformation Initiative (Digital DC). For more information on the Initiative’s research contact Maria at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) James Rice Jnr. is Deputy Director of MIT CTL.
Trucking Procurement Practices Shifting Gear
By Ken Cottrill · February 28, 2019 Editor’s Note: Ken Cottrill is Global Communications Consultant at MIT CTL. FrieghtLab is launching a research initiative to look at how trucking procurement practices are changing and the implications for supply chains. If you are interested in joining the initiative or want more information, please contact Dr. Chris Caplice, Director of FreightLab, at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
A Fresh Approach to Combatting the Food Desert Scourge
By Ken Cottrill and Christopher Mejia · February 7, 2019 Communities with limited access to sources of nutritional food – commonly called food deserts – represent a major health threat across the globe. Researchers at the MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics (MIT CTL) have identified an innovative approach to combatting this threat: reconfigure supply chains to encourage retailers in these deprived communities to stock healthy foods.
Navigating the road to digital supply chain transformation
By Maria Jesus Saenz and Ken Cottrill · January 7, 2019 It seems that no self-respecting company can be without a digital transformation (DT) strategy these days. But shifting an organization from an analog mindset to the brave new world of digitalization is a long and challenging journey. Where do you start, how do you prepare employees, and once there, how do you engender trust in digitalized processes? These issues were explored from a retail industry perspective at a recent MIT CTL roundtable.
Rushing to adopt AI? Watch out for speed bumps.
Artificial intelligence (AI) along with the AI application known as machine learning have captured the imaginations of supply chain professionals, and many companies are pursuing AI projects. While the technology is starting to make its mark in the supply chain domain, practitioners should not underestimate the amount of preparatory work that needs to be done to provide a strong foundation for AI applications that can yield real value.
Can Your Supply Chain Hear Me Now?
One of the most significant innovations in customer engagement since online shopping began has been the recent surge of conversational commerce devices — devices that can interpret and act on voice commands to conduct business. Simply say “add broccoli to the shopping list,” for example, and it appears. With the Garmin Speak, a navigation device linked to Amazon.com Inc.’s digital assistant Alexa, you can do this even while driving.
The Benefits of Blockchain: Fact or Wishful Thinking?
Blockchain is the new buzzword in supply chain circles. Unfortunately, there are many examples of much-hyped innovations that promised to transform supply chains overnight, only to peter out or take much longer to gain traction than originally claimed. Is blockchain technology any different? We are still early in the process of answering that question. The level of interest and investment in this digital tracking technology suggests that it’s not going away any time soon.
Can we trust the “trust machine?”
Ken Cottrill, Global Communications Consultant for the MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics. In 2015, The Economist magazine famously dubbed blockchain technology “the trust machine” owing to its ability to create trust in business networks. This capability resonates strongly in the supply chain world, where a lack of trust is a major obstacle to high-level collaboration.
The Benefits of Blockchain - Part 3: Fact or Wishful Thinking?
As was mentioned in Part 2 of this series, blockchain is especially well suited to supply chains that have a clear imperative for improving traceability and trust. The smart contract feature of blockchain satisfies these needs. A smart contract is basically computer code housed on a blockchain that defines and executes the terms of an agreement between parties.
The Benefits of Blockchain - Part 4: Fact or Wishful Thinking?
How do companies wash away the hype to get a clear view of what blockchain solutions may or may not do for them—especially where there is no burning platform for evaluating the technology? First, it’s useful to understand what blockchains can and can’t do. Blockchains shine when there is a need for a widely accessible, distributed database of verified, pre-authorized transaction data that does not require a centralized application to police or maintain.
The Benefits of Blockchain - Part 1: Fact or Wishful Thinking?
Editor’s note: This is the first of four articles on block chain. Click here to read Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4 and here to review the results of research into blockchain from APQC. Blockchain is the new buzzword in supply chain circles. Unfortunately, there are many examples of much-hyped innovations that promised to transform supply chains overnight, only to peter out or take much longer to gain traction than originally claimed. Is blockchain technology any different?
The Benefits of Blockchain - Part 2: Fact or Wishful Thinking?
Although blockchain is still early in its development, several benefits of its use in the supply chain are emerging. One of the most prominent ones is the digitization of manual documentation for international trade. But what other supply chain hot spots are there for the technology? Track and trace is one. Establishing chain of custody and verifying ethical and environmental supply chain credentials is another. Trade and supply chain finance applications are also near the top of the list.
The practical realities and opportunities of blockchain
The participants did not want to invest in a direct interface between the sensor and the smart contract; the goal was to test the performance of a smart contract on a relatively modest budget. Also, the two banks and the shipper involved chose to partner with a blockchain vendor to provide the blockchain. The blockchain vendor system is evolving rapidly, and the number of partnering opportunities is increasing.
How Megacity Distribution Models are Changing Urban Logistics
Megacities with 10 million or more inhabitants represent a huge market for goods and services. But they also present some difficult logistics challenges, such as inadequate, traffic-clogged road systems. In order to overcome these obstacles, companies need to develop more efficient last-mile supply chains in these densely populated urban centers. The good news is that many companies already possess the tools they need to streamline the delivery of products to big city customers.
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