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Lost in Translation: When Distribution Centers Misinterpret Overages and Shortages, Suppliers Lose Millions

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2 years ago

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Consumers don’t generally consider the logistics and complexities involved in the supply chain when they place an item into their physical or virtual shopping cart. But when shelves are empty or “out of stock” appears after clicking on an item online, people want answers. Big box retailers have rolled out a series of initiatives to keep vendors accountable for delivery times and order fulfillment by issuing penalties based on performance. Despite their best efforts, vendors find themselves losing millions of dollars due to perceived receiving discrepancies. Frank Matarazzo, Owner and CEO of Fusion Transport has witnessed firsthand how critical mistakes on the receiving end, such as misread purchase orders and miscalculated inventory are unduly harming vendors and trucking companies.

RUTHERFORD, N.J., June 10, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Things just aren’t adding up in the world of shipping and receiving. The number of warehouses in the United States has grown from approximately 14,600 in 2007 to 22,000 in 2023 in response to changing dynamics in the commerce and distribution industries, such as economic trends, the surge of eCommerce, and other shifts in consumer behavior. (1) Walmart is the biggest retailer in the U.S., comprising nearly one-fourth of the global retail industry; (2) boasting 210 distribution centers (DCs), each of which is at least one million square feet, with each unloading and shipping a minimum of 200 trailers a day. (3) Amazon and Costco round out the top three retailers in the U.S., with Target coming in ninth. (4) The National Retail Federation predicts retail sales will increase 2.5% to 3.5% in 2024, reaching approximately $5.25 trillion. (5) The logistics of inventory tracking, record-keeping, and billing in such a chaotic and fast-moving supply-chain environment is bound to have its challenges. Frank Matarazzo, Owner and CEO of Fusion Transport, observes, “Purchase order [PO] disputes regarding shipment overages and shortages cost vendors and trucking companies millions upon millions of dollars each year. The industry must first recognize that a problem exists when receiving shipments and reconciling purchase orders to what is actually delivered and then agree upon effective solutions that mutually benefit suppliers and retailers.”

“Purchase order disputes over shipment overages and shortages cost vendors and trucking companies millions each year. The industry must recognize and address these issues to find mutually beneficial solutions for suppliers and retailers.”

On-time and fill-rate compliance is where the rubber meets the road in the supply chain gauntlet. Overages and shortages, as their names suggest, occur when the supplier has delivered too much or too little product when judged against the original retailer’s PO. Many retailers are issuing fines to suppliers when there are perceived PO discrepancies. Walmart’s Supplier Quality Excellence Program’s (SQEP) fine structure is $200 per PO per defect and $1 per unit handled, (5) which can add up quickly, leaving vendors underwater. Aside from excessive fines, vendors also lose revenue when retailers choose to keep any excess product without returning it or reimbursing the vendor.

It is common for retailers to issue multiple types of purchase orders to their vendors weekly. To distinguish them, vendors typically deliver multiple pallets, one for each type of order, and they arrive at the DC on the same date and at the same time. Matarazzo explains, “In the case of a mismatched PO, one pallet from the same vendor might be found to be 100 units over and the other 100 units short due to receiving product against the wrong purchase order. It’s not too big of a deal when you are dealing with cans of soup, but when you are dealing with laptop computers, it can be financially devastating to a supplier.”

Chain of custody monitoring is one method of proactively addressing the root causes of the problem. By using detailed documentation and taking photographs at every stage of the process, from picking the product, building the order, staging, loading, and unloading, vendors have clear evidence of how the shipment was ultimately received. Freight should be transacted on the dock with a bill of lading that confirms the details and accuracy of each shipment. However, truck drivers are frequently not allowed on the dock to oversee delivery leading to a lack of transparency, which corrupts the proper chain of custody.
Many distribution centers are under pressure to meet time constraints when unloading and counting a shipment. If they reach their time limit, one workaround is to sign off on a bill of lading as receiving “0” or “STC, Said to Contain or Subject to Count,” assuring the driver that it will all work out in the receiving process. This is clearly not an ideal situation for anyone.

Fusion Transport has 40 years of experience providing full-truckload and less-than-truckload (LTL) services that save their clients time, money, and hassle when moving freight. As the leader in tech-driven freight management solutions, Fusion Transport’s platform integrates assistance with analytics, tracking financials, managing inventory, and maintaining CRM systems, streamlining and automating processes for faster and more accurate tracking of supplies and inventory to reduce cost and improve shipping performance.
Matarazzo advises, “With better collaboration and communication between retailers, suppliers, and the trucking industry, these shipping and receiving challenges can easily become opportunities to make the supply chain more transparent and less complex.”

About Fusion Transport
Freight industry visionary Frank Matarazzo responded to the complex challenges of shipping logistics, consumer demands, and the need for advanced supply chain solutions by creating Fusion Transport. Emerging from two third-party logistics brokerages and based in Rutherford, NJ, Fusion Transport has become a pivotal force in retail consolidation and is now a leader in technology-driven freight management solutions. With over 40 years of expertise, the company is revolutionizing the North American less-than-truckload (LTL) network through a technology-based approach that not only meets market demands but also reduces the inefficiencies typically seen in traditional LTL carrier networks. This innovative strategy offers a more streamlined and cost-effective option for shipping merchandise in LTL quantities across the country, epitomizing the disruptive, customer-focused ethos of Fusion Transport. For more information, visit their website at https://www.fusiontransport.com/.

References:

Schneider, Will. “Exploring the Number of Warehouses in the U.S. from 2007-2023.” Warehousing and Fulfillment | Find the Best Warehousing and Fulfillment Services, 7 Feb. 2024, warehousingandfulfillment.com/warehousing-and-fulfillment-resources/exploring-the-number-of-warehouses-in-the-us-from-2007-2023/.Marcus Lu Article/Editing: “Ranked: The Biggest Retailers in the U.S. by Revenue.” Visual Capitalist, 24 Nov. 2023, visualcapitalist.com/biggest-retailers-in-the-us/#:~:text=Ranked%3A%20America’s%20Biggest%20Retailers,global%20sales%20crossing%20%24600%20billion.”Walmart’s Supply Chain: A Detailed Look at How They Manage It.” Vector, withvector.com/resource/walmarts-supply-chain-a-detailed-look-at-how-they-manage-it/. Accessed 22 May 2024.Tumisang Bogwasi 2X Award-Winning Entrepreneur | Empowering Brands to Generate Leads, et al. “The Biggest USA Retail Companies in 2024.” Brimco, 14 May 2024, brimco.io/the-biggest-usa-retail-companies/.”NRF Forecasts Retail Sales to Reach at Least $5.23 Trillion in 2024.” NRF, 20 Mar. 2024, nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/nrf-forecasts-retail-sales-reach-least-523-trillion-2024.”Walmart’s New SQEP Program: 3 Things for Suppliers to Know.” Harvest Group, 13 Dec. 2022, harvestgroup.com/walmarts-new-sqep-program/.

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ScienceOra Demonstrates AI-Assisted Hydrogen-Production Catalyst Design Workflow at Tencent Global Digital Ecosystem Summit

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October 31, 2026

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The workflow spans literature analysis, candidate design, experimental planning and industrial decision support, extending AI4S into materials research

SHENZHEN, China, Oct. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Wenge AI demonstrated an AI-assisted hydrogen-production catalyst design workflow supported by ScienceOra at the 2026 Tencent Global Digital Ecosystem Summit. The demonstration showed how AI for Science (AI4S) can connect literature analysis, catalyst candidate design, experimental planning and industrial decision support, helping materials researchers translate scientific evidence into actionable research plans.

ScienceOra is Wenge AI’s intelligent research decision platform, built on the ScienceOne Scientific Foundation Model. For specialist research tasks such as materials development, the platform brings together scientific models, professional literature, research data and tools to support information access, research-plan development and scientific decision-making.

From literature analysis to catalyst candidate design

The demonstration focused on the design of a high-entropy alloy catalyst for the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction. To address the need for high activity and durability, ScienceOra searched professional literature and drew on published research methods and elemental properties to support the development of candidate designs. It also cross-checked optimization proposals against relevant literature, providing researchers with references that could be reviewed and verified.

Rather than simply generating material formulations, the workflow connects documentary evidence, materials knowledge and specific design objectives to support more targeted analysis of candidate solutions. Researchers remain responsible for assessing scientific validity and determining subsequent research directions.

From experimental planning to industrial decision support

For experimental planning, ScienceOra can assist in developing research protocols around candidate designs, helping researchers organize experimental variables and producing testing standard operating procedures (SOPs) and related reference information for subsequent validation.

For industrial applications, the platform can also support comparative analysis across dimensions such as the feasibility of scaled hydrogen production, performance at industrially relevant current densities, durability, raw-material availability and compatibility with mass-production synthesis processes. It can then assist in establishing decision priorities, screening criteria and process-improvement recommendations.

Candidate designs, experimental plans, process recommendations and references can be consolidated into a structured research report, helping R&D teams assess scientific evidence alongside engineering constraints. AI provides analytical and decision support, while experimental testing and scientific validation remain essential parts of materials research.

Previously disclosed collaboration reports design efficiency and activity improvements

In a previously disclosed industry–research collaboration on hydrogen-production catalyst design, ScienceOra supported literature analysis and research-plan development. The collaboration reported a 38% improvement in catalyst activity and reduced the design stage from several months to 30 minutes. The case illustrates the potential of domain-specific AI to connect scientific literature, research design and engineering requirements.

ScienceOra was recently made available on Tencent WorkBuddy, with an initial offering of more than 30 research expert agents and skills covering literature analysis, research hypotheses, plan design, modeling and simulation, validation analysis and research communication. The conference demonstration further illustrated how ScienceOra can be applied to specialist materials research, as AI4S moves beyond general information processing toward support for research workflows and industrial R&D decision-making.

For more information, visit https://www.scienceone.ai/portal/.

About Wenge AI

Wenge AI (1956.HK) is a provider of artificial intelligence technology and service platform products for enterprises. With self-developed large models as its core, the company helps enterprises build practical intelligent platforms and applications. Founded by a team of AI scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenge AI has deep technological expertise in large models, cognitive intelligence and complex-system modeling, and is committed to advancing AI from technological capabilities to enterprise-level applications.

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Cake Digital Bank Wins Gold at Qorus-Infosys Finacle Banking Innovation Awards 2026

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October 31, 2026

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ROME, Oct. 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Cake Digital Bank, a digital-only bank from Vietnam, has won Gold at the Qorus-Infosys Finacle Banking Innovation Awards 2026 for its initiative, “Reinventing Financial Experiences Through an AI-First Banking Model.” Cake was the only financial institution from Vietnam recognized at this year’s awards.

The winners were celebrated in Rome, Italy, during Infosys Finacle Conclave 2026. The 13th edition of the awards attracted 538 submissions from 206 financial institutions across 68 countries, with 37 institutions recognized across ten award categories. The selection process combined voting by industry peers with evaluation by an expert jury of 81 senior banking executives.

The award-winning institutions included leading international banking names such as Santander, Commonwealth Bank, DBS, Maybank, and CaixaBank, reflecting the global scope and competitive landscape of the awards.

John Berry, Chairman of Qorus, observed that the banking industry is entering a new era in which AI is becoming integral to innovation, transforming initiatives and expanding the possibilities of financial services.

Building an AI-First Banking Model from the Ground Up

As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly central to banking innovation, financial institutions face a growing challenge: translating technological capabilities into better customer experiences, greater operational efficiency, and sustainable business performance.

Cake’s AI-first approach reflects this industry shift while taking a different starting point. Rather than integrating AI into established banking processes, Cake was built as a digital-only bank from the outset, embedding AI, data, and automation into its technology architecture, operating model, and customer journeys.

This greenfield foundation has enabled Cake to develop an integrated AI-first banking model, where technology supports how the bank makes decisions, manages operations, and delivers financial services at scale.

Supported by its independently developed core banking and card management systems, Cake applies AI across the banking value chain, from customer onboarding, credit assessment, and fraud prevention to risk management, customer service, and personalized financial recommendations.

Beyond operational efficiency, Cake has also invested in localized AI capabilities designed specifically for Vietnamese users, enabling more accessible, responsive, and personalized financial experiences.

Scaling Growth with Efficiency and Sustainable Business Performance

Nearly six years since its launch, Cake has grown to serve more than 8 million customers, demonstrating the scalability of its branchless digital banking model.

Cake achieved positive EBITDA in Q3 2024, just 3.5 years after launch, marking a significant milestone in demonstrating the viability of its digital-only banking model. The bank subsequently recorded 173% year-on-year revenue growth in 2025, followed by a further 121% growth in 2026, reflecting sustained business momentum as it continues to scale. Meanwhile, average revenue per user (ARPU) increased from USD 12 in 2024 to USD 44 in 2026, highlighting Cake’s ability to generate greater value from its growing customer base.

Beyond customer acquisition, Cake’s growth strategy increasingly focuses on deepening customer relationships and expanding the range of financial needs served through its platform and partner ecosystems. This approach reflects the bank’s evolution toward a mature digital banking model, where scale is complemented by stronger customer engagement, operational efficiency, and long-term business sustainability.

Nguyen Huu Quang, CEO of Cake Digital Bank, said:

“Winning Gold at the Qorus-Infosys Finacle Banking Innovation Awards is a meaningful international recognition of Cake’s AI-first banking model. From the beginning, our ambition has been to build a digital bank that combines technological innovation with sustainable business performance, while making financial services simpler, more accessible, and more relevant to customers. This recognition reinforces our commitment to delivering world-class banking experiences for Vietnamese users and continuing to advance our AI-first capabilities.”

The Gold Award marks another milestone in Cake’s development as a next-generation AI-first digital bank. It also demonstrates how a banking model developed and scaled in an emerging market can deliver meaningful customer and business outcomes, contributing practical perspectives to the global conversation on the future of digital banking.

In September 2026, Cake was also named “Vietnam’s Best Digital Bank” by Euromoney under its Group Level Banking Awards, further recognizing the bank’s progress in strategy, technology, and business performance.

About the Qorus-Infosys Finacle Banking Innovation Awards

The Qorus-Infosys Finacle Banking Innovation Awards are jointly organized by Qorus, a global association for retail financial institutions, and Infosys Finacle, a digital banking solutions provider. Now in their 13th edition, the awards recognize innovative initiatives and banking models that deliver meaningful impact across the global financial services industry.

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KSAT and Morehead State University Partner to Expand Lunar Communications Infrastructure

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4 hours ago

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October 30, 2026

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Partnership strengthens the KSAT Lunar Network and supports deep space and lunar exploration

DENVER and MOREHEAD, Ky., Oct. 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT), a leading provider of ground station networks and satellite operations, today announced a strategic partnership with Morehead State University (MSU) to enhance the KSAT Lunar Network, supporting the growing demand for communications and tracking services for deep space and lunar missions.

The partnership leverages MSU Space Science Center’s established deep space communications capabilities, including its 21-meter and 12-meter-class antennas in Morehead, Kentucky, to further increase the KSAT Lunar Network. Together, the partnership enables mission operators to maintain reliable links with spacecraft operating beyond Earth orbit by adding network capacity and resiliency over the Eastern United States.

“Partnering with MSU advances KSAT’s ability to deliver the communications infrastructure required for the accelerated demand for deep space and lunar missions. We are especially thrilled about this partnership as it helps enable science and exploration space missions today, while developing the next-generation workforce to support the long-term development of the U.S. cislunar economy,” said Dan Adams, General Manager of KSAT Inc.

“This partnership reflects our commitment to supporting the future of space exploration through innovation, education, and collaboration,” said Dr. Benjamin K. Malphrus, Executive Director of Space Science Center. “Working with KSAT provides exciting opportunities for our students and researchers while enabling us to contribute directly to the thriving commercial sector.”

KSAT and MSU share a strong commitment and heritage of supporting NASA’s Artemis program, most recently the Artemis II mission, and the broader science and exploration, as well as inspiring the next generation. In addition to expanding KSAT Lunar capabilities, the partnership will create even more opportunities for student involvement and workforce development through KSAT’s internship programs, helping prepare the next generation of engineers and space professionals for careers in the rapidly growing space sector.

About KSAT:

Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT) is the leading commercial provider of Ground Station Services, Earth Observation Services, and Satellite Operations Services. Headquartered in Tromsø, Norway, the company operates the largest commercial satellite ground station network worldwide, including facilities in Svalbard and Antarctica to provide unique southern hemisphere coverage. Through KSAT Inc., KSAT’s U.S. based full-capability subsidiary, KSAT delivers mission-critical infrastructure for customers in government, civil, and commercial space in the United States, as well as the global space industry. 

About MSU:
Morehead State University (MSU) is a comprehensive, regional university located in Appalachian Kentucky in the Daniel Boone National Forest. MSU is known for excellence in STEM fields and pre-professional programs. The Space Science Center is MSU’s Program of Distinction and manages a significant research and development portfolio in small satellite systems, having executed 7 smallsat missions to date. The Center operates a 21-meter ground station and a 12-meter tracking antenna that provides lunar tracking services and smaller aperture ground stations for satellite telecommunications support. The Center also supports innovative undergraduate, graduate and a Doctor of Engineering program in Space Systems Engineering.

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