The hottest Supply Chain Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Business Topics

More Than Meets the Eye

Doomberg • 8671 implied HN points • 31 May 23
📰 News Energy Infrastructure Policy Supply Chain Disasters
  1. The Great Ice Storm of 1998 had devastating impacts on areas in lower Quebec, parts of New England, and the Northeast megalopolis.
  2. The US power industry is facing a growing supply chain crisis, particularly with a chronic shortage of transformers, risking grid reliability.
  3. Industry leaders are urging for a $1 billion appropriation to address the transformer shortage and accelerate production via the Defense Production Act.

The cocoa question

Asian Century Stocks • 805 implied HN points • 10 Jan 24
💰 Finance Commodities Markets Stocks Economics Supply Chain
  1. Cocoa prices have spiked due to poor crops in West Africa, leading to challenges for chocolate producers.
  2. The tightness in the cocoa market is expected to persist, but historically, markets tend to return to balance within three years.
  3. High cocoa prices impact processors and chocolate manufacturers, who eventually pass on costs to consumers over approximately two years.

Finding the Sweet Spot: Nvidia's Goldilocks Quarter

Mule’s Musings • 295 implied HN points • 22 Feb 24
💼 Business Technology Finance Earnings Supply Chain Stock Market
  1. Nvidia's quarterly results exceeded expectations, with significant revenue growth in the Datacenter segment despite challenges like China's revenue dropping to almost zero.
  2. Nvidia achieved its highest gross margin ever, despite expectations that it would decrease in the future, hinting at potential pricing strategies for new products like B100.
  3. Nvidia is facing supply constraints but anticipates strong demand for upcoming products like B100, suggesting promising revenue growth opportunities and potential bottlenecks in the networking industry.
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STEERing the battery industry in right direction

Intercalation Station • 707 implied HN points • 09 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Energy Storage Market Trends Supply Chain Government support
  1. Sodium-ion battery technology has potential cost advantages and safety improvements but faces challenges in integration and market scale.
  2. Li-ion will likely continue to dominate the energy storage market by 2030, and the need for medium to long duration storage solutions is being assessed.
  3. Addressing material limitations in energy storage requires improved material sourcing, supply chain transparency, economic considerations, technical challenges, and community support.

A few basic truths about offshore wind

Jérôme à Paris • 510 implied HN points • 10 Oct 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewable Energy Offshore Wind Decarbonization Energy transition Supply Chain
  1. Offshore wind was meant to be more expensive and a side show in the energy transition.
  2. Banks took construction risks initially, leading to offshore wind being almost as cheap as onshore wind in some regions.
  3. Offshore wind is necessary in some places due to geographical constraints and can provide diversification in renewable energy systems.

Software Maker 3CX Was Compromised in First-of-its-Kind Threaded Supply-Chain Hack

Zero Day • 1139 implied HN points • 20 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Cybersecurity Software Supply Chain Malware
  1. Hackers compromised a software maker by embedding malware in another company's program, leading to a chain of infections.
  2. This breach shows the potential for threaded supply-chain hacks to infect multiple software suppliers and customers.
  3. Financially motivated North Korean hackers were behind the attack on 3CX and it's recommended that compromised software be deleted immediately.

210: It's (Not Necessarily) Fair to Mock Apple's "Mother Nature" Video

Hardcore Software • 393 implied HN points • 14 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Environment Manufacturing Sustainability Supply Chain
  1. Apple's efforts to fight climate change go beyond the criticized video and involve significant, strategic initiatives.
  2. Apple's vertical integration approach to packaging optimizes materials, reduces waste, and enhances profitability.
  3. Apple's focus on sustainability extends to materials used in products, manufacturing processes, and transit efficiency, all contributing to environmental and financial benefits.

Elon Musk Book Review (Part 2 of 2): Operations Excellence

Mike Talks AI • 58 implied HN points • 05 Feb 24
💼 Business Operations Supply Chain Efficiency Product Design Cost reduction
  1. Operations excellence is key: Musk focused on improving efficiency and revolutionizing industries through operational excellence.
  2. Design the right factory: Musk emphasized the importance of well-designed factories and involvement of design engineers in manufacturing processes.
  3. The Algorithm for operations excellence: Musk's framework involves questioning requirements, deleting parts/processes, simplifying, accelerating cycle time, and automating last.

90 Percent of Everything.

News Items • 275 implied HN points • 01 Sep 23
💼 Business Shipping Globalization Supply Chain Geopolitics ESG
  1. Shipping is responsible for transporting 90% of everything, making it extremely efficient and cheap, which has changed the world economy.
  2. The supply of container ships and oil tankers is extremely tight, with high rates and very few new deliveries coming online, potentially leading to future disruptions and inflation.
  3. Global shipping is a critical indicator of economic activity and can be impacted by geopolitics, ESG trends, and global trade patterns like deglobalization.

How to use blockchain to ramp up your global supply chain

The Green Techpreneur • 20 implied HN points • 01 Mar 24
💼 Business Blockchain Sustainability Supply Chain Entrepreneurship
  1. Blockchain can be used to bring transparency to supply chains by tracking transactions and transport from farmers to consumers.
  2. To succeed as a greentech entrepreneur, be prepared for financial challenges at the start and prioritize storytelling to engage consumers.
  3. Implementing blockchain in the supply chain can face challenges like educating farmers in remote areas and motivating consumers to engage with the technology.

Rethinking the Retail Apocalypse: A Closer Look at Retail’s Evolution

Gad’s Newsletter • 23 implied HN points • 12 Feb 24
💼 Business Retail E-commerce Consumer behavior Supply Chain
  1. Despite the rise of online shopping, physical retail locations still play a crucial role in the retail landscape.
  2. The concept of omnichannel retailing, combining online and physical sales channels, has become essential for many retailers.
  3. Understanding consumer preferences and integrating online and offline channels intelligently is crucial for the future of retail.

Beyond Gigafactories

Material World • 229 implied HN points • 29 May 23
🕹 Technology Industrialization Energy transition Supply Chain
  1. Gigafactories are important for countries' car industries to keep high-skilled jobs and stay competitive in the shift to electric vehicles.
  2. The value in electric cars is mainly in the battery, which is prompting the need for countries to develop their own battery and component manufacturing.
  3. Building gigafactories is just the start - countries also need to focus on producing the chemicals and materials that go into batteries to truly benefit from the electric vehicle market.

Knowde

Axial • 37 implied HN points • 14 Dec 23
💼 Business Startup E-commerce Supply Chain Innovation Marketplace
  1. Axial partners with great founders and inventors in early-stage life sciences companies
  2. Knowde aims to modernize the global chemical industry through its B2B marketplace
  3. Knowde's platform streamlines chemical procurement for buyers and provides digital storefronts for suppliers

Five Lessons from Walmart's Innovative Approach to Network Design

Mike Talks AI • 157 implied HN points • 09 May 23
💼 Business Supply Chain Innovation Visualization Project management
  1. Walmart's innovative approach to network design involved building a second model for transition planning.
  2. Linking strategic design to load planning and using simulation for execution is crucial in network design.
  3. Visualization is important in gaining approval and support for large-scale network design projects.

Delivering a Revamped Mailbox

Splitting Infinity • 19 implied HN points • 28 Nov 23
🕹 Technology Automation Robots Shipping Supply Chain Innovation
  1. Automation of the supply chain is crucial for lowering shipping costs and reaching more people at a lower cost.
  2. Innovative mailboxes can revolutionize how goods are delivered, making it bidirectional and enabling easier access to global markets for home producers.
  3. Automated mailboxes have the potential to streamline product returns, recycling, and extend the sharing economy to every household item.

Data Deep Dive: Predicting China's Exports Using AIS Vessel Tracking Data (+ Other Uses)

The Data Score • 59 implied HN points • 28 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Data Analysis Risk management Supply Chain
  1. AIS vessel tracking data can predict China's exports, monitor global trade, and understand real-time economic activity.
  2. Data cleansing is crucial for turning raw AIS data into actionable insights. Cleaning the data involves filtering out anomalies and ensuring accuracy.
  3. It's important to consider limitations like the exclusive focus on large commercial ships, uncertainties in cargo data, and vessel behavior anomalies when analyzing AIS data.

ChatGPT and Supply Chain: Podcast Guest, Three Lessons, and Research Opportunities

Mike Talks AI • 58 implied HN points • 13 Jun 23
🕹 Technology AI Supply Chain Podcast Research Data science
  1. Supply chain professionals can use ChatGPT as a 'loss leader' to educate leaders about AI's potential for supply chains.
  2. ChatGPT can help supply chain teams build more AI algorithms by breaking down syntax barriers and expanding team capabilities.
  3. Exploring how ChatGPT can turn vast supply chain data into valuable insights is an important research opportunity.

Cryoport

axialdaily • 39 implied HN points • 11 Apr 23
💼 Business Biotech Logistics Investing Supply Chain Healthcare
  1. Axial partners with great founders and inventors in early-stage life sciences companies.
  2. Cryoport is a leading biotech logistics company for cell therapies and more, with over $200M in annual sales.
  3. Cryoport's IntegriCell platform streamlines distribution with strategic locations across the US.