Viewpoint
Bringing Risk Management into the Heart of the Supply Chain
Supply chain management experience is vital to corporate risk management planning, write Carlos Alvarenga of Accenture.
Delivering Procure-To-Pay Success
As e-invoicing and procure-to-pay networks have evolved into broad-based business networks, advancements now enable professionals to finally connect all the dots in the supply chain, writes Shan Haq of Transcepta.
Is Slow Steaming Good for the Supply Chain?
Lars Kloch of SBS Worldwide, looks at the impact of slow steaming containerships on supply chain reliability, speed, and transport costs.
To Rebuild America’s Economy, Keep Products at Home
Rebuilding the U.S. economy through trade requires enabling domestic manufacturers to regain home markets, writes Alan Tonelson of the U.S. Business and Industry Council.
Understanding Warehouseman’s Liens
Parties storing goods in warehouses need to be alert to liens on their goods, writes Ron Leibman of Riker, Danzig, Scherer, Hyland, & Perretti LLP. To avoid unpleasant surprises, both parties to a warehousing agreement must understand their rights and the documents that cover their transactions.
Tracking Tools Protect Food Shipment Freshness
Monitoring the pallet-level temperature of fresh, frozen, and packaged foods allows shippers and transporters to more effectively manage the quality and safety of products as they move through the supply chain, writes Kevin Payne of Intelleflex.
Surveying the Home Delivery Landscape
Retailers and shippers need to find ways to meet consumers’ changing demand for home delivery services, while maintaining adequate margins and finding new avenues for continued growth, writes Foster Finley of AlixPartners.
Maximizing Productivity in E-commerce Warehousing and Distribution Operations
Continuous e-commerce growth has prompted an increasing number of retailers to use third-party logistics (3PL) providers for handling their direct-to-consumer fulfillment. Jeffrey B. Graves of Sedlak Management Consultants explains that for retail logistics executives, assessing 3PL capabilities that best fit their company’s requirements can be a challenge, yet critical for optimum return on investment (ROI)
3PLs Create a Unified Supply Chain Voice
Warehouses, third-party logistics providers, and other supply chain businesses are making an effort to manage their collective public image in the face of union disputes and other issues. Joel Anderson, president and CEO of the International Warehouse Logistics Association (IWLA), explains how IWLA’s Public Policy Center seeks to help them achieve their goals.
Are You in the Dark About Labor Visibility?
Workforce management gives companies the tools they need to improve overall performance – whether they’re looking to cut labor costs, improve productivity, or create better revenue growth and bottom-line profitability, writes Malysa O’Connor of Kronos.
Sorting Out Savings Opportunities in Your E-Commerce Warehouse
Savvy distribution and supply chain managers should be looking at sortation and its related disciplines as a means of addressing problems and achieving savings, writes Jay Moris of Invata Intralogistics.
Mitigating Facilitation Risk
Logistics professionals and companies should adopt and continuously update a risk-based export compliance program to minimize facilitation risk, writes Michael E. Burke of Arnall Golden Gregor.
Crossdocking Streamlines Freight Movement
Inbound raw materials and components and outbound shipments that are centrally crossdocked, then line-hauled to final destination, support Lean manufacturing and ensure just-in-time inventory, writes David J. DiSanto of DiSanto & Associates.
Return to Sender: Managing Reverse Logistics
While many factors influence customer loyalty, a well-run returns process has proven to drive repeat orders and improve consumer satisfaction. Paul Galpin of P2P Mailing outlines three points companies should consider when designing their reverse logistics.
“Second Mouse” Opportunities for Logistics Firms
Logistics providers can become valued partners to both U.S. customers and Chinese suppliers, linking them together with the full power of fast-learner economics, writes George F. Brown Jr., Blue Canyon Partners.
How Supply Chain Executives Can Earn a Place in the C-Suite
By managing supply chain interdependencies and adopting a full view of service and cost, supply chain executives can amplify their organizational scope and heighten their financial contribution to attain the C-designation they deserve, writes Terry Harris, Chicago Consulting.
Logistics Providers Steer Auto Industry on Road to Recovery
As automotive production levels return to pre-recession levels, consistently delivering quality products has become one of the defining characteristics of successful carmakers and logistics service providers, writes J. Scot Sharland, Automotive Industry Action Group.
Helping Truck Drivers Address Job Stress
Providing an avenue to address truck driver problems helps increase productivity and improve driver retention, writes therapist Buck Black of TruckerTherapy.com.
FMCSA Abandons Carrier Oversight
Recent pronouncements by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration signal the agency’s retreat from its statutory and historical oversight of carrier safety in favor of placing more due diligence responsibilities on shippers and brokers.
Ports Can Help Ensure Ship-Shape Supply Chains
Ports must take a proactive role in managing the supply chain so it runs as efficiently as possible, writes Kevin Doherty of Montreal Gateway Terminals Partnership.
Load Boards Evolve Into Social Networking Tools
Trucking load boards have evolved from bulletin boards in truck stops to sophisticated social networking-style tools on handheld computers. Charles Myers of uShip.com outlines the benefits of the evolved load board.
3PLs: Going Beyond Savings to True Value
Third-party logistics (3PL) providers offer shippers a variety of beneficial supply chain services, writes Dan Lockwood of Unishippers Global.
The Truth Behind “Made in the USA”
The time is right to bring overseas manufacturing back to the United States. U.S. entrepreneurs - and entrepreneurial companies - can domestically manufacture quality products, bring them to market as the low-cost producers, and yield a sustainable profitable business model, writes Elisha Tropper of Cambridge Security Seals.
Four Simple Questions for Improved Picking Performance
Slotting is the concept of using data analysis to assign every part a location based on its specific attributes. Determining the best type of storage equipment, stock quantity, and location for each stock keeping unit (SKU) yields more efficient picking operations, writes Christian Rueckerl.
VMS Lifts Warehouse Labor Productivity
Vehicle management systems allow lift truck operators to complete pre-operation checklists electronically, saving valuable production time, writes Joe LaFergola of The Raymond Corporation.
Shipper’s Choice: One Freight Forwarder or Many?
Shippers should consider the advantages of placing their supply chain needs in the hands of a single freight forwarder or multiple agents, writes Julian Keeling, Consolidators International Inc.
Is Intermodal Right For You?
ChemLogix’s Stephen Hamilton explains why limited truck capacity and fuel costs make intermodal an attractive transportation alternative.
Refrigerated Trucks Haul More Than Just Perishables
No longer hauling just fresh produce and other groceries, today’s truck and trailer refrigeration systems also keep other high-value loads at ideal temperatures and humidity levels so they arrive safely at their final destinations, writes Thermo King’s Tom Kampf.
Managing the Three V’s of Logistics
A combination of factors such as increased competition and global security threats have increased the pressure on companies to improve logistics efficiencies. Page Siplon, executive director, Georgia Center of Innovation for Logistics, addresses these factors and offers strategies for handling them.
Embracing Interstate 2.0: A Rail-based Transportation Vision
Gil Carmichael, founding chairman of the Intermodal Transportation Institute at the University of Denver, explains how the United States can create new economic vitality by producing a safe, energy efficient, and environmentally friendly multimodal transportation policy in which rail once again plays a dominant role.
The Surprising Upside to CSA 2010
CSA 2010 guidelines can benefit shippers by increasing carrier attention to driver safety, writes David Strand, Wholesale Truck & Finance.
10 Ways to Gain Control Over Parcel Transportation Costs
The amount of effort top-tier shippers put into carrier management directly affects the results they achieve in controlling parcel transportation costs, writes Harold Friedman of Data2Logistics.
Five Market Concerns Driving Shipper Cost Increases
John Haber, NPI, outlines five market concerns that will have the biggest impact on shipper spending in the near future.
How the Driver Shortage Impacts Capacity
Although a driver shortage is imminent, many supply chain professionals have yet to grasp how it will affect capacity. Here's a guide.
Driven to Succeed: Building a Safer Fleet
Dan Steere of GreenRoad offers tips for encouraging truck driver safety.
Supplier Disruptions: Preparing for the Unpredictable
Chandler Hall of BravoSolution explains how to reduce the frequency and severity of disruptions by fostering collaborative relationships with your suppliers.
Digitizing the Global Supply Chain
Global supply chain visibility and detail can only be achieved by modern electronic data transmissions that are already available and can reduce the costs of international cargo movement.
Strengthening Your China Operations
Learn five strategies for keeping your Far East concerns running smoothly.
Why You Should Vest With Your Outsourcing Partners, Now!
Vested outsourcing yields innovative logistics relationships that deliver results, writes Kate Vitasek of the University of Tennessee's Center for Executive Education.
Reducing Risk with Trade Disruption Insurance
Robert L. Sobel of Cook, Hall, and Hyde outlines how shippers can benefit from trade disruption insurance.
Building Better 3PL Relationships
Third-party logistics providers can provide capacity, expertise, technology, and buying power. Chip Smith, president of CS Advisory Group, discusses how to ensure you're getting the most from your 3PL.
Using Distribution and Fulfillment as Strategic Weapons
Smart companies carefully select and intelligently apply automation not only to boost productivity, but also to turn the distribution center into a competitive weapon, writes Mick Mountz of Kiva Systems Inc.
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