Three retail giants to take part in a green supply chain scheme
On Tuesday, it was announced that more retailers are participating in supply chain sustainability schemes. Tesco, Target and CVS Health are the latest retailers to take part in a supply chain initiative run by CDP (formerly known as Carbon Disclosure Project). CDP runs a global disclosure system that enables companies, cities, states and regions to measure and manage their environmental impact. This program will help the retailers cut their overall carbon emissions, address deforestation and encourage water efficiency in their supply chains.
As companies have been successfully reducing their direct emissions, they are now focusing on and collecting environmental data from other parts of their supply chain operations. This way, CDP can monitor their overall environmental impact better, which enables the retailer’s whole supply chain network to operate more efficiently and make more sustainable choices. Outside of this initiative, Tesco has its own goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050 and Target wants to source 100% renewable electricity for its operations in an effort to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2025.
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Volvo and FedEx successfully showcase their platooning system in America
More and more companies have been investing in platooning technology to improve their logistics operations as it can reduce fuel usage, improve the driver experience and generate more efficient driving. After conducting tests on their platooning system for a few months, Volvo and FedEx finally exhibited their system on Wednesday using three twin trucks on a public highway in North Carolina. The North Carolina Turnpike Authority, that helps speed up the implementation of needed transportation improvements, was also involved in this collaboration and project.
In this showcase, professional truck drivers each towed double 28-foot trailers for 18 miles moving in and out of traffic, communicating with wireless vehicle-to-vehicle technology that Volvo describes as Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control. The trucks travelled at speeds of up to 62 mph with a time gap of 1.5 seconds. With this vehicle-to-vehicle technology, the driver in the lead vehicle controls the brakes of the following trucks; once the lead truck brakes, a command is simultaneously transmitted to the other trucks.
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XPO Logistics to use augmented reality (AR) tool to reduce return rates
Returns can be a costly and time consuming process for retailers and third party logistics providers. Therefore, companies are trying to overcome this with technology. This week, XPO Logistics, the largest provider of last mile logistics services for heavy goods in North America, announced it is adding a new augmented reality feature to its consumer self-service platform – Ship XPO. The goal is to increase efficiency and reduce the likelihood of returns. This new feature will be accessible to customers nationwide later this year.
The AR feature will enable consumers to visualize how products will fit in their home so they can make a more informed decision before making a purchase. As a result, the risk of returns would decrease and could ultimately save retailers a lot of money by preventing returns. This new feature and the recent addition of voice integration technology to the Ship XPO platform, where consumers can track their purchases using Amazon Echo or Google Home, will also improve the shopping experience for consumers.
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Have a great weekend!
