Panasonic to acquire U.S. supply chain software firm Blue Yonder for $7.1 billion
In its biggest acquisition in a decade, Panasonic Corp said it will buy U.S. supply chain software company Blue Yonder in a deal worth $7.1 billion, to tap growing demand from companies as the COVID pandemic tests their resilience to disruption.
“The need for more intelligent, autonomous and edge-aware supply chains has been dramatically heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Panasonic said. The company has in recent years focused more on building parts and supplying services to other businesses, such as batteries for Tesla’s electric cars.
The Japanese company deepened its partnership with Blue Yonder in May last year, gaining a seat on its board after acquiring a minority stake. The Blue Yonder deal will be Panasonic’s largest acquisition since it spent 800 billion yen to make Sanyo Electric and Panasonic Electric Works wholly owned subsidiaries in 2011.
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Suez effects to stretch into June and container shortage to worsen
The loss in ocean capacity as a result from carrier schedule changes after the Suez Canal blockage is expected to stretch into June. When the Suez became blocked, ships arrived late to ports of call, and carriers had to respond by blanking sailings that were scheduled on these late ships.
The Port of Antwerp said the blockage is expected to result in delayed ship calls and general operational challenges throughout Q2. These altered schedules and delays have even resulted in carriers unloading cargo in the incorrect port as they attempt to quickly turn ships around and get capacity back to Asia.
Port congestion and delays at both origins and destinations are expected to make the container shortage in Asia worse over the next few weeks before easing in early June. The disruptions are occurring at a time when many ports, especially in the US and Europe, are already congested.
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BSI joins Innovate UK to help digitize UK’s fresh produce supply chains
The business improvement and standards company British Standards Institution (BSI) has joined a new Innovate UK project as a consortium partner to help digitize the UK’s fresh produce supply chains. The two-year ‘Trusted Bytes’ initiative led by Produce Logistics will see the use of digital technology in order to facilitate the flow of goods across international borders and increase efficiency for the UK food sector.
This will help to create proof of food provenance by digitizing critical border transfer processes, while also providing seamless real-time digital connectivity to supply chain operators. It will also enable a trusted data exchange which connects the supply chain with central government and other critical partners, enhancing cross border transition, compliance, and security.
“We’re delighted to be a part of this initiative which aims to drive productivity within UK and international supply chains,” said Dan Purtell, Group Innovation Director at BSI. “By bringing together our expertise in supply chain security and trade compliance with the latest technology, we can help improve transparency, increase resilience and enhance long-term sustainability.”
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Have a nice weekend.
