Wall Street is buzzing and XPO Logistics shares have risen sharply amid rumors of a buyout by Home Depot. XPO Logistics is a top ten global provider of cutting edge supply chain solutions to the most successful companies in the world. The company operates as a highly integrated network of people, technology, and physical assets. They use their network to help customers manage their goods more efficiently throughout their supply chains. As of the end of 2016, XPO served more than 50,000 customers and operated with over 87,000 employees and 1,425 locations in 34 countries.

When Elon Musk recently announced that Tesla would start building electric semi-trucks that would have 500-mile range, and come with a version of Tesla’s Autopilot driving aid, the world realized it wasn’t a matter of if, but when these new trucks would be hitting the highways. The pace of technological innovation is advancing at an exponential rate. With advanced hardware, software and connectivity becoming accessible and cost effective on a global scale, we’re experiencing an innovation shift from desiring “better gadgets” to discovering entire new business categories built around technology.

Brick and mortar mall retailers may not be dead, but many are on life support. The challenge is how to attract shoppers back to malls when online shopping and home delivery is so effortless. What is going to motivate these shoppers to return to the traditional mode of shopping? Here are some ways retailers are trying to reinvent the shopping experience and lure back their customers.

Years ago, the term "Expedited Service" would send chills down the spine of the accountants, and almost always get someone a good thrashing for whatever went wrong to create the need to call an expedited carrier. As today's supply chain and inventory systems have evolved into a complicated dance of extreme efficiencies and razor thin inventory levels, expedited freight transportation has matured along with them as an integral cog that is the wheel of the 21st century supply chain philosophy. The additional costs of premium transportation can now be justified with the new supply chain savings.

Ok, I'll bite. What is level 5? Ford announced it’s skipping over Level 3 and will put a fleet of Level 4 autonomous vehicles on the road in 2021. Mobileye and Delphi promised Level 4/5 self-drivers by 2019. There's little reason to define levels prior to this point so let's explore what level 3, 4, and 5 autonomous vehicles are.

According to FreightWatch International, the risk of cargo theft incidents is much higher during the holiday season, and the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend should demand additional supply chain security measures for retailers looking to protect their precious holiday merchandise.

The ELD (Electronic Logging Device) mandate is roughly 30 days away.  The effective date, which has been pushed back several times, is now December 18.  The electronic logging device (ELD) rule – congressionally mandated as a part of MAP-21 – is intended to help create a safer work environment for drivers, and make it easier and faster to accurately track, manage, and share records of duty status (RODS) data. An ELD synchronizes with a vehicle engine to automatically record driving time, for easier, more accurate hours of service (HOS) recording. 

The use of commercial robotics technology is hardly new. What is new is the myriad of fundamental applications today's technology is offering to speed service and enhance efficiency. Recently, Lowes tested customer service robots in some stores to help shoppers locate their products. I'm all for it.  I can never find anyone in my local Lowes to help me. Now Walmart is testing robots equipped with scanning technology to improve product management. The robots come equipped with cameras to scan aisles, assessing the level of stock, number of missing products, and misplaced items abandoned by shoppers in order to facilitate more accuracy in pricing, purchasing, inventory management, and ultimately, increase sales. The robots simply scan the aisles transmitting replenishment, pricing exceptions, and misplaced product data to stocking employees. These scanning robots do the job an estimated 3 times faster than staff. Walmart explains that in addition to moving employees to more productive tasks, the company is hoping to save customers time and make “stores more convenient and easier to shop, ensuring that products are available when our customers want them.”

Walmart has acquired Brooklyn-based delivery startup Parcel, the retail giant’s sixth technology startup acquisition in the past 14 months.  This move is just a singular acquisition toward an aggressive common industry goal; catch up with Amazon.  It makes sense.  The best online ordering system means nothing without boots, or in this case, wheels, on the ground.  

Three Square Market, (32M) is offering implanted chip technology to all of their employees on August 1st, 2017. 32M is a technology company specializing in RFID technology, touting its application as a vehicle to enhance identity protection.  Employees will be implanted with a RFID chip allowing them to make purchases in their break room micro market, open doors, login to computers, use the copy machine, etc.  This program, offered by 32M, is optional for all employees. The company is expecting over 50 staff members to be voluntarily chipped.  The big picture with this technology is providing convenience to its chip holders for everything they would use a credit, debit or personnel ID card for in the workplace.  Is it the next best thing or another chapter in George Orwell's best seller, 1984?