What Is FIFO in Warehousing & Inventory Management?
FIFO, or First In, First Out, is an inventory management method where the oldest stock is used, picked, packed, or shipped before newer stock. The first pallet in should be the first pallet out. The oldest case should be picked before the newer case. The product that has been sitting in storage longest should leave…
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Why “Fast Shipping” Made Everyone Less Patient
Fast shipping changed the way people wait. A shopper orders coffee filters at 10 pm and feels annoyed when the delivery estimate says Friday. A parent buys a birthday gift on Tuesday and expects it before the weekend. Someone runs out of contact solution, pet food, printer ink, or phone chargers and assumes the internet…
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Differences Between Dead Stock vs Slow-Moving Inventory
Slow-moving inventory still has a way to a sale, even if it’s taking longer than it should. Dead stock, or obsolete inventory, is inventory that’s no longer expected to sell normally because demand has dried up, the item is outdated, damaged, expired, or no longer relevant. Who are we? Speed Commerce is an end-to-end provider of…
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Is a 3PL the Same as a Warehouse?
No, they aren’t the same and mixing these up is one of the fastest ways to sign the wrong contract, miss a shipping deadline, and find yourself explaining to a customer why their order is sitting on a shelf instead of on their doorstep. Every 3PL has a warehouse. Not every warehouse is a 3PL….
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The Best AI Use Cases for Small Business
Almost every small business in North America has now used AI for something. Writing emails. Drafting social posts. Making a quick logo. Summarizing a meeting. The tools work, the novelty has worn off, and adoption is basically a done deal. So why do most businesses still feel like AI isn’t really moving the needle? A…
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How Much US Oil Transits Through the Strait of Hormuz?
Roughly 20 million barrels per day of crude oil, condensate, and refined petroleum products passed through the strait in 2024 and 2025. This volume accounts for about one-fifth of all seaborne oil trade worldwide. Most of the crude heads to buyers in Asia, with China receiving the largest share. The route also carries significant volumes…
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How Dependent Is the US Economy on Foreign Oil?
Updated March 30th, 2026 While global oil markets mean price spikes will still sting (see 2026), the US is far less exposed than it was decades ago, and much less vulnerable than most other major economies. The United States now produces enough petroleum overall that it’s no longer the kind of country people picture when…
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Differences Between Safety Stock vs Buffer Stock
Safety stock and buffer stock both refer to extra inventory you keep on hand. Both exist to prevent stockouts, and yet they protect against completely different problems, and confusing the two is one of the most common (and costly) mistakes in inventory management. Who are we? Speed Commerce is an end-to-end provider of outsourced customer experience…
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How The Strait of Hormuz Disruption Could Affect eCommerce Shipping Costs and Delivery Times
Online sellers don’t spend much time thinking about a narrow waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman (even though they should). Still, when that route is disrupted, the consequences can be dire. The Strait of Hormuz carries around 20 million barrels per day of oil and petroleum products, along with major volumes…
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What Is Shipped Through the Red Sea & the Bab al-Mandab Strait?
The Bab al-Mandab can hit a wider chunk of the global economy being positioned at the southern entrance to the Red Sea, which means it helps feed the Suez route. If trouble flares there, the hardship isn’t limited to crude cargoes. It can hit containers, retail inventory, industrial inputs, grains, fuels, and freight schedules across…
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