HEROES OF THE
SUPPLY CHAIN
Whoever would have thought that the turn of a new decade would bring such a cataclysmic event to our world? Our economy was hum-
ming along. Times were good, and business was booming.
Then along comes a pestilence in the form of a microscopicvirus that has shaken our world to its core.
Tens of thousands of Americans have died. Hundreds ofthousands have become ill. Millions have lost their jobs.And tens of millions have been isolated and socially distanced from friends and loved ones. History will look backon the Covid- 19 pandemic as a turning point in our lives.
And while all of this has been going on, manufacturers continue to produce goods, warehouses process orders, trucksroll and deliver, and supply chains continue to function.
It has not been without a hitch, but supply chain hascertainly been among the few bright spots during the pandemic. Finally, every American is aware of what supplychain professionals do each and every day without fanfare.Warehouse workers and drivers continue to show up forwork, risking their health and their emotional well-being tokeep freight moving.
In the following pages, we salute some of the manyindividuals and companies who have used their talentsand resources to bring healing and hope, deliver comfort,and save lives during the Covid- 19 crisis. We thank theseunsung heroes who have quietly gone about their work tomake sure the rest of us have what we need to make lifeappear almost normal.
In this special report, we celebrate the amazing people and companies in our
industry who have stepped up with hard work, impressive innovations, and
extraordinary measures to help meet Covid- 19–related supply chain challenges.
Logistics firms dig deeper into
technology to manage Covid- 19
volatility
Stepping up their use of technology isone of the many ways logistics firmsare meeting volatile business conditionsbrought on by the Covid- 19 pandemic. Fort Wayne, Indiana-based CircleLogistics and White Plains, New York-based Capital Logistics are two examples of companies digging deeper intovisibility tools to help monitor andmanage freight shipments, especially for critical food andmedical supply chains.
Both companies said this spring they were using Descartes
Systems Group’s MacroPoint real-time freight visibility
solution to track critical loads for customers such as the
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and
major grocery brands. Circle Logistics said it shifted its
entire transportation network to manage a 700% increase
in volume from customers moving critical freight, includ-
ing personal protective equipment
(PPE), respirators, cots for FEMA, and
grocery loads. Company leaders said
the platform allows it to better track
the movement of goods under volatile
conditions.
At Capital Logistics, leaders are alsointegrating Descartes’ Aljex cloud-basedtransportation management system(TMS) to manage volatility. Designed for freight brokers,the system automates planning, freight tendering, anddispatching as well as back-office functions includingaccounting, invoicing, and reporting. The integration withMacroPoint provides real-time freight visibility to automat
