Online grocery shopping has taken off during the pandemic, and companies are introducing a new type of store meant to fulfill online orders. But part of the reason the future is unclear is not everyone is online ordering experiences have been stellar, says Terry Esper, associate professor of logistics.

From the disclosure of delivery information designed to improve our online shopping satisfaction to examining the biases that we may not know we hold, research by Logistics Professor Terry Esper is helping companies reexamine and improve driver safety and their delivery processes.

Professor Terry Esper continues the conversation of racism affecting delivery drivers and offers some suggestions for addressing the problem.

As our reliance on delivery services increases amid a backdrop of unrest, Associate Professor of Logistics Terry Esper, a recognized expert in "last-mile" logistics, shares his thoughts and professional insights about the tough conversations and safety considerations necessary to protect black delivery drivers.

Despite the fact that the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is very different than past events that have disrupted supply chains, it holds lessons for sourcing managers.

As part of the “There’s a Better Way” podcast, Aravind Chandrasekaran, associate director of the Center for Operational Excellence, talks with Keely Croxton, associate professor of logistics in the Department of Marketing and Logistics, about the effect the COVID-19 pandemic has had on downstream supply chains with manufacturers, distributors, retailers and consumers.

Michael Knemeyer, professor of logistics at Fisher, says until companies are able to synchronize supply and demand, the current COVID-19 pandemic will continue to be problematic for global supply chains. 

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has placed never-before-seen focus and demand on global supply chains. Michael Knemeyer, professor of logistics at Fisher, says that while the disruption has been unprecedented, supply chains will become more resilient because of lessons learned from the pandemic.

John Gray, professor of operations at Fisher, and his colleagues look at the policy solutions to fix the gaping deficiencies in global supply chains revealed anew by new coronavirus.

Two and a half years since Walmart began testing Jet black, its white-glove concierge shopping service dubbed, the retail giant said it will end the service. Fisher's Annibal Sodero says data sets gleaned from a Jet black venture would be rich for a retailer like Walmart.

Free shipping, one-hour delivery and pick-up in store, are all phrases consumers are seeing more and more. As part of the “There’s a Better Way” podcast, Aravind Chandrasekaran, associate director of the Center for Operational Excellence, talks with Dr. Terry Esper, associate professor of logistics at The Ohio State University, to discuss the recent changes to the field and how it's affecting the way we go about our every day lives.

Terry Esper, associate professor of logistics at Fisher, says mentorship and continuous learning can help shrink the gender gap in logistics: “Young women should actively seek out mentors, and the earlier in their career, the better. One of the major concerns that we’ve heard through the annual study of women in the professional ranks is that they’ve often struggled with keeping up with the changing trends in the field. Hence, young women should enter the career with a resolve to stay abreast of the ‘latest and greatest’ through continuous learning and professional organization affiliations.”

See why Tom Goldsby, the Harry T. Mangurian Jr. Foundation Professor and chair of the department of marketing and logistics at Fisher, was the only academic selected to be a part of DC Velocity's 2019 Rainmakers list.

Fisher's Terry Esper discussed the “consumer-centric” supply chain at the WERC Annual Conference for Logistics Professionals in Columbus, saying that 67 percent of business buyers have switched vendors to get a more consumer-like experience, and in the days of Amazon, logistics matters more than it ever has.

Retailers are now expecting supply chain companies to provide consumer-level speed, convenience and flexibility. Terry Esper, associate professor says that 67 percent of business buyers have switched vendors to get a more consumer-like experience, and in the days of Amazon, logistics matters more than it ever has.

Thanks to the popularity of delivery services like GrubHub, UberEats and Amazon Prime Now, consumers are influencing companies’ supply chain strategies whether they know it or not.

In his research, Vince Castillo, assistant professor of logistics at Fisher, examined how crowdsourced delivery is impacting the most important — and costly — aspect of the retail supply chain.

As part of the "There's a Better Way" podcast, Aravind Chandrasekaran, associate director of the Center for Operational Excellence, talks with Thomas Goldsby, professor of logistics and the Harry T. Mangurian Jr. Foundation Professor in Business at Fisher, about the retail revolution and how retailers aren't able to survive if they're not willing to adapt to new consumer demands.

Is there a link between the perception of a company's supply chain relationships and its credit rating? Research by Fisher's Tom Goldsby, the Harry T. Mangurian Jr. Foundation Professor in Business, Keely Croxton and their colleagues seeks to find out.