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A strong supply chain ensures the right goods are available at the right time, in the right place, and in the right quantities. An effective supply chain strengthens everything from customer loyalty and company reputation to market resilience and consumer safety. But supply chains are notoriously vulnerable to costly disruption, tampering, and theft. In todays world of rapidly shifting consumer demands, ensuring supply chain integrity is critical to maintaining a healthy supply chain, which can mean the difference between keeping pace with and falling behind the competition. Impinj surveyed 1,000 US supply chain professionals across a variety of industries for its Supply Chain Integrity Outlook 2025 report. We defined supply chain integrity as the reliability, security, and accuracy of all elements within the supply chain, ensuring that products and services are delivered as intended. We discovered that integrity matters a great deal to supply chain leaders. But theres also a glaring supply chain data accuracy gap that could mean significant headaches for organizations in 2025. Supply chain managers facing data blind spot More than nine out of 10 supply chain managers believe they are equipped to achieve accurate, 360°, real-time inventory visibility, yet just 33% consistently do so. This data blind spot affects the ability to make the informed, data-driven decisions necessary to optimize inventory, boost efficiency, and lower costs. As a result, many companies are struggling to reach the level of insights, visibility, and accuracy required to support supply chain integrity and respond quickly to demand, leading to system-wide impacts across a range of issues, including counterfeiting, theft, sustainability, and the effective use of AI across the supply chain. Disruption from viral trends Viral trends can be a boon to retailers by driving increased sales. But they become a headache for supply chain leaders when they lack visibility into the goods in their supply chain. As a result, more than half of supply chain leaders say they face challenges in responding quickly to shifting demand. They’re also struggling to keep pace with changes in customer shopping habits and demand driven by popular online storefronts like Facebook Marketplace and Instagram Shops. Rapid peaks in customer demand, driven by viral trends, can happen without warning, potentially putting organizations without real-time inventory insights on the back foot. Effective AI strategies require accurate data AI has the potential to revolutionize supply chains. Think efficiency, real-time decision-making, and predictive analytics for inventory management. But effective AI strategies are built on accurate data. In the survey, inaccurate data is the most frequently cited obstacle to implementing AI for supply chain improvements, followed by data availability and real-time data access. These findings emphasize the need to correct supply chain inaccuracies now, giving supply chain leaders a solid foundation for adopting AI and other groundbreaking future innovations that rely on good data. Fighting faux merchandise, shrink, and theft Most respondents, particularly in retail (65%), say they are plagued with counterfeit goods in the supply chain, regardless of the size of their business. Reducing shrink and theft is also a challenge for most (60%) organizations. These remain systemic issues for supply chain leaders, particularly those in the food, grocery, and restaurant sector, where 82% report challenges reducing shrink. Improving supply chain sustainability Supply chain managers are under pressure to reduce the environmental impact of their operations. Over a quarter of respondents report difficulties in reducing the environmental impact of their organizations supply chain, while nearly half (49%) are concerned about meeting the EUs upcoming Digital Product Passport (DPP) mandate. A scattershot approach to addressing supply chain integrity Almost all supply chain professionals surveyed say they plan to invest in improving their organization’s supply chain in the next year. However, the best course of action may not be obvious, which is why many respondents are attempting a mix of strategies. Retail supply managers are adopting new technologies for the authentication of goods in transit and general goods verification, and theyre introducing more authentication checkpoints throughout the supply chain. Meanwhile, the food sector is looking to technology for shopfloor surveillance and food waste reduction. To improve sustainability, respondents across sectors cite several strategies, including measurement of their sustainability efforts and improving last-mile delivery efficiency. This scattershot approach may portend an underlying problem: putting narrowly scoped measures into practice could contribute to the general lack of real-time visibility and data accuracy. Real-time visibility can bridge the gap Supply chain integrity matters. Without it, supply chains become insecure and unreliable. Our research shows a pressing need for organizations to address data accuracy gaps for greater supply chain and business — resiliency. Visibility into everything that enters and moves through a supply chain can have enormous positive impact, delivering real-time insights that help organizations power more robust forecasting and decision-making for a nimbler response to supply chain stressors. Technologies like RAIN RFID are helping supply chain managers drive more accurate data insights to power everything from supply chain automation and AI to advanced anti-counterfeiting, loss prevention and shipment planning. As todays supply chains face increasing threats from climate change, geopolitical instability, and constantly changing consumer tastes, unaddressed supply chain data gaps are a growing liability that organizations cannot afford to ignore. Jeff Dossett is Chief Revenue Officer at Impinj
Category:
E-Commerce
Imagine this: A team meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. in California. For software developers in Mumbai, its 5:30 a.m. the next dayprime sleeping hours or, at best, the tail end of an exhausting night shift. In Poland, where other team members are based, its already 1 a.m., and the developers are long offline. Awkward timing for a call, to say the least. How do these time zone differences impact overall efficiency? As more projects rely on globally distributed teams with members from every corner of the world, this question is becoming increasingly urgent. This is underscored by a study conducted by Harvard Business School professor Prithwiraj Choudhury. It found that even a one-hour time difference leads to an 11% drop in real-time communication, like calls or video chats, and a 19% reduction in opportunities to connect during the workday. Communication gaps like these ripple through team dynamics, causing stress, forcing employees to catch up outside work hours, and reducing overall efficiency. The cost of poor communication is significant. Grammarly reported that U.S. businesses lose over $1.2 trillion annually due to inefficiencies caused by miscommunication. This is why time zone alignment makes such a big difference. Teams operating within overlapping hours collaborate more effectively, experience less stress, and work more efficiently. This is the driving force behind nearshoringthe practice of outsourcing to nearby regions with overlapping working hours. Harmony across time zones: How nearshoring drives collaboration Nearshoring solves the headaches of time zone misalignment. By working with LATAM teams, U.S. companies can collaborate in real time and have fewer scheduling conflicts. The regions expanding tech talent, driven by investments in education and connectivity, makes it an ideal partner. Nearshoring means real-time communication, stronger relationships, and a workforce that boosts both productivity and mental health. As distributed teams strive for efficiency and balance, time zone alignment shouldnt be an afterthought. Prioritizing schedules that support seamless collaboration and reduce stress enables companies to unlock the true potential of remote work. Its about more than convenienceits about creating frameworks that build trust, clarity, and alignment across teams. How? Observing our distributed teams at work, a handful of recommendations come to mind: Implement a collaboration framework: Working remotely across close time zones requires clear guidelines for communication, support, and task ownership. A well-structured framework ensures that responsibilities are clear and minimizes interventionslike being pulled into a late-night Zoom meeting when family time beckons. This clarity and communication allows team members to focus on their work without sacrificing their personal lives. Poor collaboration doesnt just create personal frustration; it can significantly impact business. When teammates are constantly catching up, replying to endless emails, or joining irrelevant calls, stress levels quickly escalate. Stress-related conditions cost U.S. businesses over $300 billion annually due to absenteeism. With the right framework, teams stay productive and maintain mental well-being. Minimize time zone-related challenges: To secure top tech talent, weve expanded our hiring reach to ensure both expertise and seamless collaboration with U.S.-based clients. We focus on time zones that allow overlapping schedules, making nearshoring a clear advantage over traditional outsourcing. Nearshoring eliminates the complexity of scheduling across divergent time zones, enabling real-time collaboration, removing blockers, and supporting time-sensitive solutions. Our team members frequently highlight the mental health benefits of this alignment. Adequate sleep and greater control over their schedules stand out as key contributors to their well-being. Shared schedules also streamline Agile and Scrum methodologies, ensuring planning, daily standups, and retrospectives happen without conflicts. Get Culture Right: While diverse perspectives foster creative problem-solving, mismatched working styles can create friction. In our experience working with distributed teams across LATAM, weve found that clear communication, prompt resolution of blockers, and a strong sense of ownership are critical to success. These traitspaired with a hands-on approach to tackling bottlenecksbuild trust and ensure progress. Nearshoring supports these expectations by fostering a shared work culture where feedback is encouraged, mistakes are treated as learning opportunities, and collaboration thrives. This alignment ensures teams deliver both innovation and reliability. Optimize scheduling with the right tools: As recent studies show, work schedules have a direct impact on mental health. Effective scheduling is key to maintaining mental health and productivity. Tools like Jira and Asana enable asynchronous work by tracking tasks, assigning ownership, and setting clear deadlines. Platforms like Slack and Zoom keep teams connected and ensure communication is well-documented. Integrations between tools, such as Slack notifications for Google Calendar or Jira updates, centralize information and prevent missed tasks. Leveraging these solutions simplifies collaboration and supports balanced, efficient workflows. As we become more attuned to the importance of mental health, its clear that aligning time zones isnt just practicalits transformative. Collaborating with teams in aligned time zones simplifies workflows, reduces stress, and fosters a healthier, more efficient work environment. Thoughtful scheduling, cultural alignment, and nearshoring make remote collaboration effective and enjoyable simply by paying better attention to how we manage the most precious resource at our disposal: time. Nacho De Marco is the cofounder and CEO of BairesDev.
Category:
E-Commerce
Multiple earthquakes are rattling Santorini, a volcanic island in Greece, prompting authorities to dispatch rescuers with tents, a sniffer dog and drones, and to shut schools on four islands. Residents have been warned to avoid indoor gatherings, check escape routes, stay away from cliffs and to drain swimming pools to reduce potential structural damage to buildings in the event of a large earthquake. Greece lies in a highly seismically active part of the world, and earthquakes are frequent. The vast majority cause no injuries and little or no damage, but the country has also seen deadly quakes. Earthquakes can’t be predicted, but authorities are taking measures as a precaution. Santorini, one of Greeces most popular tourist destinations, took its present crescent shape following a massive volcanic eruption in antiquity. Now, millions of visitors each year come to see its dramatic scenery of whitewashed houses and blue-domed churches clinging to the cliff along the flooded caldera, or volcanic crater. Last week, scientists said they had noticed increased volcanic activity in the caldera, but say this isn’t linked to the earthquakes. Heres a look at the current situation: What’s going on? About 200 quakes with magnitudes between 3 and 4.9 were registered from Saturday to Monday afternoon between Santorini and the nearby island of Amorgos, authorities said. Seismologist Gerasimos Papadopoulos said on Greeces ERT television that the seismic activity began on Jan. 24, but intensified Saturday, with increasing frequency and magnitudes. The fault line producing the current earthquakes runs for about 120 kilometers (75 miles), but only the southern part between Santorini and Amorgos has been activated. The earthquakes have epicenters beneath the seabed, roughly 30-40 kilometers (18-25 miles) from any of the islands. Scientists say this is good news, as an epicenter beneath land could potentially be more destructive. But a large quake could also trigger a tsunami, so authorities have warned people to stay away from coastal areas and head inland if they feel a significant earthquake. So far, there has been no damage or injuries reported, although some minor rock slides have occurred. Could the earthquakes trigger a volcanic eruption? Santorini lies along the Hellenic Volcanic Arc, which stretches from the Peloponnese in southern Greece through the Cycladic islands. Last Wednesday, Greeces Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Ministry announced monitoring sensors had picked up mild seismic-volcanic activity inside the islands caldera. Similar volcanic activity had been recorded in 2011, when it lasted for 14 months and ended without any major issues. Another volcano a submarine one called Kolumbo lies about 8 kilometers (5 miles) northeast of Santorini, nearer to the epicenter of the current earthquakes. But seismologists say the quakes aren’t related to the volcanoes. A meeting between government officials and scientists determined that seismic activity within Santorinis caldera remains at the same low levels as in recent days, the Civil Protection Ministry said Monday, but that it was particularly increased between Santorini and Amorgos. What are authorities worried about? Scientists are still trying to determine definitively whether the multiple quakes are foreshocks smaller earthquakes before a major temblor. Papadopoulos said that there was a high probability they are. Santorinis main villages are built along the rim of the volcanos caldera producing the dramatic scenery of cascading whitewashed houses and sunset viewpoints that make the island so popular, but also raising concerns in the event of a major earthquake. The sheer cliffs also make some areas prone to rock slides. What precautions are being taken? Authorities sent a team of rescuers with a sniffer dog and drones to Santorini, where they set up tents in a basketball court next to the islands main hospital as a staging area. Push alerts have been sent to cellphones warning people to stay away from areas where rock slides could occur, and banning access to some coastal areas. Residents and hotels have been asked to drain swimming pools, as the water movement in a major quake could destabilize buildings. People have been told to avoid old buildings and check for exit routes when in built-up areas. Schools on Santorini, as well as the nearby islands of Anafi, Amorgos and Ios, will remain shut all week. What’s the history? The fault line that has been activated was the site of Greeces largest quake in the last century: a 7.7 magnitude temblor dubbed the Amorgos earthquake that struck in 1956, triggering a roughly 20-meter (65-foot) tsunami, causing significant damage in Amorgos and Santorini and killing more than 50 people. Santorini is also the site of one of the largest volcanic eruptions in human history. Known as the Minoan eruption, it occurred around 1,600 B.C. and destroyed much of the formerly round island, giving Santorini its current shape. The eruption is believed to have contributed to the decline of the ancient Minoan civilization. Although it’s still an active volcano, the last notable eruption occurred in 1950. What we must realize is that the Santorini volcano produces very large explosions every 20,000 years, Efthymios Lekkas, seismologist and head of the scientific monitoring committee for the Hellenic Volcanic Arc, said last week. Its been 3,000 years since the last explosion, so we have a very long time ahead of us before we face a big explosion. Elena Becatoros, Associated Press
Category:
E-Commerce
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