Here is the 2026/27 ERSC research agenda from Compliance Standards:
1) Introductory Sector Report
A foundational report defining ERSC, the taxonomy, cost drivers, compliance environment, and why the sector matters to enterprise leaders and logistics operators.
2) Special Competitive Landscape Report
The flagship strategic report mapping the competitive space across carrier categories and platforms, identifying strengths, gaps, positioning dynamics, and implications for buyers and operators. This is the report you are working on now.
3) 12 Monthly Intelligence Briefs
One brief per month tracking carrier policy changes, lithium battery compliance developments, surcharge and accessorial dynamics, reverse-logistics platform moves, retail and OEM return signals, enterprise refresh and data-center decommissioning signals, and other ERSC market shifts.
———————————————————- tentative schedule
1) Introductory Sector Report
A foundational report defining ERSC, the taxonomy, cost drivers, compliance environment, and why the sector matters to enterprise leaders and logistics operators.
12 Monthly Intelligence Briefs Calendar
June 2026 through May 2027
- June 2026 — Accessorial Inflation and Cost-to-Serve Signals
Focus: accessorial drivers in ERSC and ITAD, invoice variability, packaging-related cost leakage, cost-control levers, carrier fee-change watch. - July 2026 — Lithium-Ion Compliance Watch, Mid-Year Update
Focus: carrier acceptance rules, damaged/defective battery routing constraints, packaging and labeling expectations, PHMSA and IATA developments, refusal and rework patterns. - August 2026 — Enterprise Refresh Logistics and Chain-of-Custody Discipline
Focus: multi-site pickup models, custody documentation practices, secure transport triggers, loss and misroute patterns, best-practice governance. - September 2026 — Retail and OEM Returns Architecture
Focus: Amazon, Best Buy, Apple, Assurant program structures, consolidation behaviors, grading and triage signals, policy changes affecting routing and downstream ITAD flows. - October 2026 — Peak Season Readiness and Surcharge Outlook
Focus: parcel peak programs and surcharge calendars, packaging enforcement, contingency routing, how ITADs and enterprises should restructure flows ahead of peak. - November 2026 — LTL Network Suitability and Damage-Risk Conditions
Focus: terminal-density implications, cross-dock damage exposure, mixed-pallet risk, freight-class sensitivity, appointment performance, carrier behavior shifts for electronics. - December 2026 — Year-End ERSC Recap and 2027 Early Outlook
Focus: consolidated view of carrier rule changes, pricing patterns, platform moves, retail/OEM policy shifts, signals that carry into 2027. - January 2027 — Post-Peak Returns Stress Test and Carrier Performance
Focus: post-holiday return surge behavior, parcel network constraints, surcharge carryover effects, exception patterns, damage and claim pressure, early-year carrier policy adjustments. - February 2027 — Battery Risk, Insurance Pressure, and Carrier Selectivity
Focus: insurance market pressure, lithium-ion incident visibility, tightening acceptance rules, hazmat contract implications, refusal risk trends. - March 2027 — Dedicated Fleet and Contract Carriage Strategies
Focus: when dedicated fleets win, contract carriage economics, lane density requirements, backhaul challenges, SLA stability, hybrid models combining LTL and truckload. - April 2027 — Data Center Decommissioning Logistics Signals
Focus: hyperscale and colocation signals, mover and rigging demand, high-density freight handling, secure movement requirements, capacity constraints. - May 2027 — Reverse Logistics Platforms and Orchestration Capability Index
Focus: platform feature shifts, integration depth, exception-management maturity, battery classification workflows, carrier alignment, implications for ITAD operators and enterprise buyers.