White Paper Digest

Advanced Communications Technology in a Rugged Tablet

Offered by: DRS Technologies

Mobile computing has evolved from a specialty to a requirement for productive, task-oriented, and customer-focused employees. Rugged tablets like the ARMOR™ X10gx from DRS Technologies have changed how and where employees work, increasing their ability to connect and share information with colleagues and customers, and delivering the communications mobility needed to put the right person in the right place with the right information.

Growing Your 3PL by Supporting Multi-Channel Warehousing

Offered by: 3PL Central

The fast-growing trend toward multi-channel distribution could provide your 3PL with one of its largest growth opportunities in years. To learn what your 3PL must do to prosper in this new environment, download 3PL Central’s latest whitepaper, Growing Your 3PL by Supporting Multi-Channel Warehousing, today.

Visibility in the Import Supply Chain: Getting a Clear View into Competitive Advantage

Offered by: GT Nexus

This whitepaper describes how leading importers are reaping the benefits of end-to-end global supply chain visibility and control. Using concrete examples from the field, this document focuses on specific areas of the importer operation, and shows how a clear view of the end-to-end supply chain can deliver unprecedented value to the bottom line.

Border Hassles That Can Put the Canadian Market Out of Reach: What Your Business Should Know

Offered by: Purolator International, Inc.

This whitepaper discusses regulatory and logistical hurdles U.S. businesses must be aware of when shipping across the U.S./Canadian border. These challenges must be understood and addressed as part of the cross-border experience. Transporting goods into Canada is a complicated process. Regulations and protocols are constantly changing and U.S. businesses must entrust their Canadian-bound shipments to a qualified logistics provider that ensures shipments are afforded every trade enhancement, priority clearance review, and duty/ tax reduction to which they are entitled.

Grocery Retailers and Food Manufacturers Collaborate to Save Up to 22%

Offered by: Ryder

Beyond the grocery aisle, a complex and often costly and inefficient supply chain interconnects food manufacturers and grocery retailers. To meet consumer demands, grocery retailers are sourcing from a wider base of manufacturers and placing more orders. And, because they have limited warehouse space, they are requiring more frequent replenishment. Food manufacturers face pressure to increase efficiency, reduce costs, and compete smarter. Trends and challenges like these are driving a new focus on collaboration among consumer-packaged goods trading partners. This whitepaper explores how a collaborative mixing and consolidation program delivers improved supply chain efficiency, predictability, and costs savings.

Adopting a Values-Driven Corporate Culture to Create Resiliency

Offered by: LEGACY Supply Chain Services

The present economy has served as a reminder that there are no guarantees in business. Many companies are finding themselves struggling to stay afloat, and many are sinking. In better economic days, a company could survive with a moderate profit margin achieved through dedicated attention to its bottom line. Focusing on values increases performance levels, improves service, reduces employee variability, and supports sustainability.

2012 Temperature-Controlled Transportation Report

Offered by: RWI Transportation

This study, based on a survey of North American shippers, examines the top challenges faced in temperature-controlled transportation. It provides interesting insights and information about best practices, common challenges, and emerging trends in today's temperature-controlled market. The report is provided by RWI Transportation, an asset-based logistics company providing temperature-controlled transportation. RWI manages in excess of 100,000 shipments annually, including both temperature-controlled and dry freight.

Logistics Flow Control: Gaining Command of the Inbound Supply Chain

Offered by: Descartes

Retailers want their goods to seamlessly flow through their distribution network. To meet retailers' inbound supply chain needs, Descartes created Logistics Flow Control, a comprehensive, cloud-based, multi-party solution that spans the entire process to collaboratively bring together all of the parties to simultaneously manage commercial, logistics and customs inbound processes.

The ABCs of EDI - A Comprehensive Guide for 3PL Warehouses

Offered by: 3PL Central

Your 3PL’s ability to support EDI can often be the difference between winning a new customer – or losing an existing account. To ensure your warehouse management system (WMS) is up to the challenge, download 3PL Central’s must-have whitepaper, The ABCs of EDI today.

Adopting a Values-Driven Corporate Culture to Create Resiliency

Offered by: TMSi Logistics

The present economy has served as a reminder that there are no guarantees in business. Many companies are finding themselves struggling to stay afloat and many are sinking. In better economic days, a company could survive with a moderate profit margin achieved through dedicated attention to its bottom line. Focusing on values increases performance levels, improves service, reduces employee variability, and supports sustainability. For more information, download the whitepaper.

Retaining Your 3PL Clients - The Three Keys to Retaining Clients Over the Long Term

Offered by: 3PL Central

Long-term customers are the lifeblood of your 3PL business. Keeping them loyal, therefore, is paramount to the success of your operation. Filled with tips, real-world tactics, and strategies for success, 3PL Central’s latest whitepaper, Retaining Your 3PL Clients - The Three Keys to Retaining Clients Over the Long Term, was created to help you keep your customers for years to come. Download today!

The Perfect Labor Management Storm – Steering Clear of Driver Hazards, Cost Damage, and Areas of Poor Visibility

Offered by: Kronos

Growing pressures including driver shortages, HOS regulations, and increasing competition are causing capacity shortages and escalating costs, cutting into already razor-thin profit margins. While some issues, such as weak economic recovery and rising fuel prices, are out of your control, labor is not. Discover how labor management solutions can help you optimize your labor resources by uncovering hidden capacity, consistently enforcing attendance and safety policies, improving hiring efficiency, and controlling costs to boost profit margins. Download this whitepaper today!

Key Strategies for Automating the Import Supply Chain

Offered by: Amber Road

New Global Trade Management (GTM) technologies are increasingly important to automate global operations across procurement, logistics, and trade compliance business processes. Download this whitepaper, Key Strategies for Automating the Import Supply Chain, to discover steps to drive performance, reduce costs and simplify your import supply chain.

VIDEO! Crate & Barrel—Why Speed to Deploy eCommerce Solution Matters

Offered by: Kiva Systems

Crate and Barrel was able to exceed customer expectations during peak season by rolling out their Kiva Systems solution in six months, opposed to more traditional automation that would have taken 12 to 18 months to implement. The speed to deploy material handling, add capacity, and change operations is critical for long-term success. Watch how Crate & Barrel did it!

3PL Warehouse Guide: 7 Essentials for Supporting eCommerce Fulfillment

Offered by: 3PL Central

Holiday eCommerce sales are booming! In fact, this year’s totals are expected to rise 16.8% to $46.7 billion. Few expect next year to be any different. To make sure your 3PL gets its share of this fast-growing market segment, download 3PL Central’s free whitepaper, 7 Essentials for Supporting eCommerce Fulfillment. Filled with operational tips and best practices, this whitepaper contains everything your 3PL needs to ensure it can handle the complex eCommerce fulfillment process flawlessly. Download here!

Aberdeen Group: Supply Chain Visibility Excellence—Fostering Security, Resiliency, and Efficiency

Offered by: Amber Road

This new report from Aberdeen Group focuses on gaining visibility into critical elements across the end-to-end logistics network for improving cost and service. Additionally, it takes a look at how best-in-class companies are streamlining their supply chains.

Creating a Distribution Powerhouse: Why Rapid Deployment Matters

Offered by: Kiva Systems

Create a distribution powerhouse with Kiva Systems! The speed to deploy material handling, add capacity, and change operations is critical for long-term success. Fast system deployment can be the difference between kicking the competition out of the water and limiting your growth. Read about Kiva Systems’ way to rapid deployment, then make the right automation decision for your business!

Improving Customer and Driver Satisfaction with Mobile Technology

Offered by: Panasonic Solutions Company

Labatt Food Service is a San Antonio, Texas-based distributor of food and food-related products to restaurants in Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. The company is widely recognized in the food service distribution industry as an innovative, customer-focused and high-energy leader. In 2008, Labatt decided to use technology to improve driver satisfaction and delivery efficiency. After exhaustive research, the company selected the Panasonic Toughbook^® U1 running on the AT&T mobile broadband network as their solution. Since adopting the solution, Labatt has seen process efficiency improvements and a reduction in fuel consumption. And, driver turnover has been cut in half.

Lean Guiding Principles for the Supply Chain—Principle 5: Continuous Improvement

Offered by: Ryder

Ryder’s Lean Guiding Principles are the foundation for operational excellence in all its customers’ warehouses. Principle 5 is Continuous Improvement: small incremental, ongoing changes that combine to deliver significant gains in quality and efficiency. The stream of continuous improvements creates a powerful and constant force, promoting high performance throughout a facility and producing tremendous employee pride. Learn more here.

Aberdeen Group Report: Globalization — Linking Supply Chain Transformation to the Profit and Loss Statement

Offered by: Management Dynamics

This report from the Aberdeen Group looks at how 56 companies with active C-level involvement are approaching the global expansion of their supply chains relative to their peers. It is intended to serve as a decision framework for supply chain transformations that yield positive net contribution to the company's bottom line.

GTM Best Practices Survey: Balancing the Growth of Global Trade and Regulations

Offered by: Kewill

This informative report is based on responses from 800-plus logistics and export professionals in an industry survey on the state of global trade management. The report also provides industry benchmark data on the preparation time and error rates for export documentation, denied party screening, and license determination. Focus areas of report:

• How shippers need to prepare for Export Control Reform
• How shippers can prepare for these changes
• Ways to mitigate compliance risk
• Automated Export System filings

Creating a Distribution Powerhouse: Why Rapid Deployment Matters

Offered by: KIVA Systems

Ask yourself this: what would your opportunity costs be if your distribution operations could not accommodate changes in volumes, product assortments, or delivery timelines? The speed to deploy material handling, add capacity, and change operations is critical for long-term success. Fast system deployment can be the difference between kicking the competition out of the water and limiting your growth. Read this whitepaper to learn how to create a distribution powerhouse.

Improving Customer and Driver Satisfaction with Mobile Technology

Offered by: Panasonic Solutions Company

Labatt Food Service is a San Antonio, Texas-based distributor of food and food-related products to restaurants in Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. The company is widely recognized in the food service distribution industry as an innovative, customer-focused and high-energy leader. In 2008, Labatt decided to use technology to improve driver satisfaction and delivery efficiency. After exhaustive research, the company selected the Panasonic Toughbook^® U1 running on the AT&T mobile broadband network as their solution. Since adopting the solution, Labatt has seen process efficiency improvements and a reduction in fuel consumption. And, driver turnover has been cut in half.

Lean Guiding Principles for the Supply Chain - Principle 4: Short Lead Time

Offered by: Ryder

Ryder's Lean Guiding Principles are the foundation for operational excellence in all its customers’ warehouses. Principle 4 is Short Lead Time: improving quality and profitability with a steady flow of inventory arriving exactly when it's needed. Implementing short lead time ensures that a facility can meet increases in customer demand without having to ramp up resources. This results in significant savings, ultimately strengthening the company's bottom line.
Learn more here.

Border Hassles That Can Put the Canadian Market Out of Reach: What Your Business Should Know

Offered by: Purolator International, Inc.

This whitepaper discusses regulatory and logistical hurdles U.S. businesses must be aware of when shipping across the U.S./Canadian border. These challenges must be understood and addressed as part of the cross-border experience. Transporting goods into Canada is a complicated process. Regulations and protocols are constantly changing and U.S. businesses must entrust their Canadian-bound shipments to a qualified logistics provider that ensures shipments are afforded every trade enhancement, priority clearance review, and duty/tax reduction to which they are entitled.

10+2 Vital Facts about the Importer Security Filing

Offered by: Management Dynamics

This eBook covers 12 vital facts that importers must be aware of to successfully comply with the ISF regulations, aka 10+2, including answers to many frequently asked questions.

Going Global: Building a Sustainable Logistics Model in the Age of Globalization

Offered by: C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.

Globalization has created boundless opportunities for both large and small companies around the world and has also ushered in a more competitive business environment. This C.H. Robinson whitepaper reviews the essential areas of expertise that a company must master in transportation and logistics in order to capitalize on these opportunities. Topics include:

• Understanding globalization and the changing world.
• Global transportation essentials.
• Why global business requires a global TMS.

Parcel Shipping/LTL Freight: Industry Survey Findings & 10 Best Practice Recommendations

Offered by: Kewill

Kewill’s latest whitepaper features results from the 5th annual survey on the state of the parcel shipping and LTL markets. The results are based on responses from more than 800 logistics professionals, almost three-quarters of whom have global responsibility in their jobs. The report also provides 10 Recommendations for Shipping Best Practices. Focus areas of the report include:

• Economic environment and its effect on shipping operations.
• Carrier and service selection.
• Mode optimization.
• Optimization planning tools.

Secondary Market Sales

Offered by: GENCO ATC

To protect retail sales of new product, some retailers and manufacturers do not aggressively resell returns and other distressed inventory in the secondary market. But new brand protection strategies can reduce or eliminate brand protection risks while maximizing recovery value on store returns, excess inventory, closeouts, irregulars, and seasonal items.

Creating a Distribution Powerhouse: Why Rapid Deployment Matters

Offered by: Kiva Systems

Ask yourself this: what would your opportunity costs be if your distribution operations could not accommodate changes in volumes, product assortments, or delivery timelines? The speed to deploy material handling, add capacity, and change operations is critical for long-term success. Fast system deployment can be the difference between kicking the competition out of the water and limiting your growth. Read this whitepaper to learn how to create a distribution powerhouse.

Improving Customer and Driver Satisfaction with Mobile Technology

Offered by: Panasonic Solutions Company

Labatt Food Service is a San Antonio, Texas-based distributor of food and food-related products to restaurants in Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. The company is widely recognized in the food service distribution industry as an innovative, customer-focused and high-energy leader. In 2008, Labatt decided to use technology to improve driver satisfaction and delivery efficiency. After exhaustive research, the company selected the Panasonic Toughbook^® U1 running on the AT&T mobile broadband network as their solution. Since adopting the solution, Labatt has seen process efficiency improvements and a reduction in fuel consumption. And, driver turnover has been cut in half.

Border Hassles That Can Put the Canadian Market Out of Reach: What Your Business Should Know

Offered by: Purolator International, Inc.

This whitepaper discusses regulatory and logistical hurdles U.S. businesses must be aware of when shipping across the U.S./Canadian border. These challenges must be understood and addressed as part of the cross-border experience. Transporting goods into Canada is a complicated process. Regulations and protocols are constantly changing and U.S. businesses must entrust their Canadian-bound shipments to a qualified logistics provider that ensures shipments are afforded every trade enhancement, priority clearance review, and duty/tax reduction to which they are entitled.

5 Lean Guiding Principles for the Supply Chain - Principle 3: Standardization

Offered by: Ryder

Ryder's Lean Guiding Principles are the foundation for operational excellence in all its customers' warehouses. Principle 3 is Standardization: ensuring all work follows established, well-tested procedures. With processes designed to make work flow correctly, employees have the instructions and tools they need to meet customer expectations

Improving Customer and Driver Satisfaction with Mobile Technology

Offered by: Panasonic Solutions Company

Labatt Food Service is a San Antonio, Texas-based distributor of food and food-related products to restaurants in Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. The company is widely recognized in the food service distribution industry as an innovative, customer-focused and high-energy leader. In 2008, Labatt decided to use technology to improve driver satisfaction and delivery efficiency. After exhaustive research, the company selected the Panasonic Toughbook^® U1 running on the AT&T mobile broadband network as their solution. Since adopting the solution, Labatt has seen process efficiency improvements and a reduction in fuel consumption. And, driver turnover has been cut in half.

Leveraging Free Trade Agreements to Achieve the Next Level of Savings from Global Sourcing

Offered by: Management Dynamics

Companies are now leveraging free trade agreements to reduce landed costs — specifically duties — to achieve the next level of low-cost country sourcing. This whitepaper addresses key findings from an industry survey of companies' FTA usage, and delivers best practices for building a portfolio of trade agreement programs to reduce the cost of purchased parts in your supply network.

3PL Warehouse Guide: 7 Essentials for Supporting eCommerce Fulfillment

Offered by: 3PL Central

Is your 3PL ready for 2011’s estimated $35 billion eCommerce holiday shopping season? Predicted to grow by another 10% this year, holiday eCommerce sales will have an enormous impact on your customers’ profits — provided your 3PL can handle the complex eCommerce order, fulfillment, and return processes flawlessly. To learn what you need to know to provide your customers with the support they need, download 3PL Central’s free whitepaper, 7 Essentials for Supporting eCommerce Fulfillment today.

Effectively Manage CSA 2010 Safety & Compliance

Offered by: Kronos

The Compliance, Safety and Accountability (CSA) initiative aims to further improve highway safety. CSA tracks the safety records of all individual drivers across multiple employers and holds carriers and drivers responsible for safety and performance. This paper discusses how workforce management can help you meet CSA requirements by improving the enforcement of HOS requirements and management of safety policies, incidents and driver certifications.

Warehouse Transparency: A Competitive Advantage For 3PL Warehouse Owners and Their Customers

Offered by: 3PL Central

The era of transparency has arrived, bringing with it unprecedented opportunities for 3PL warehouses to strengthen their customer relationships, achieve new levels of efficiency, and reach new heights of customer satisfaction and profitability. To learn more, download 3PL Central's whitepaper Warehouse Transparency: A Competitive Advantage for 3PL Warehouse Operators and Their Customers. Written by industry experts, it identifies the features your 3PL WMS will need to prosper in this new age of heightened customer expectations.

Winning the Expired Products Battle

Offered by: GENCO ATC

Between $3 billion and $5 billion is lost each year to unsaleables. The explosion in expired products has led some retailers to establish stringent requirements for guarantees of remaining shelf life at the time of delivery to retailers and wholesalers. Discover the formula-driven approach that is successfully being used by a manufacturer with its trading partners.

5 Lean Guiding Principles for the Supply Chain Principle 1: People Involvement

Offered by: Ryder

Ryder's Lean Guiding Principles are the foundation for operational excellence in all its customers' warehouses. The most important of the Lean Guiding Principles is People Involvement: engaging every employee to root out waste, eliminate problems, and make improvements. Nothing happens in a company without people to drive it forward. Learn more by downloading this free whitepaper.

Rethinking Your Reslotting Strategy

Offered by: Optricity

This whitepaper focuses on the elements that go into achieving a solid reslotting strategy. Slot maintenance performed in sync with distribution center dynamics helps achieve optimal slotting. Leveraging opportunities such as product volume and mix changes, seasonal demands, and promotions allows for reslotting that increases picking efficiency. Identifying inflection points and reslotting at the appropriate time using underutilized labor at standard rates minimizes costs and improves payback cycles. Once a company determines its slotting strategy and establishes business rules, it can employ slotting technology to achieve a reslotting strategy that minimizes costs and optimizes efficiency. Find out more by downloading this free whitepaper.

Real-World Network Optimization

Offered by: Kuehne + Nagel

Logistics network optimization can yield significant systems-wide warehousing, transportation, and inventory savings. But many companies mistakenly conduct optimization studies that are almost exclusively data-driven. Download this whitepaper to discover a better solution: a six-step approach that weighs the strategic and practical, in conjunction with data analysis, to deliver optimal results.

Supply Chain Visibility Excellence: Fostering Security, Resiliency, and Efficiency

Offered by: Management Dynamics

The increased complexity of global supply chains has led to longer lead times, more pipeline inventory, and the need to control downstream and upstream logistics. This report focuses on gaining visibility into critical elements across the end-to-end logistics network to improve cost and service.

Fighting Against Excess

Offered by: TMSi Logistics

A 3PL can identify and initiate right-sized solutions for streamlined operations that satisfy you — and your customers. To learn how a qualified 3PL can save big in warehouse management, download TMSi Logistics' complimentary whitepaper.

Optimizing Strategies for 3PL Warehouse Operators

Offered by: 3PL Central

Harnessed properly, the data produced by your 3PL warehouse management software can have an enormous impact on your strategic planning, your ability to service customers — and your bottom line. Written by industry experts, 3PL Central's whitepaper, Optimizing Strategies for 3PL Warehouse Operators, will show you how to segment that data in the three most mission-critical categories of attributes. Download this whitepaper for information that could well change the way you look at your data — and warehouse management software — from this day forward.

Supply Chain Security: Preventing Cargo Theft

Offered by: Ryder

Today's economy is driven by a global supply chain. Goods are moved around the world 24/7 — packaged and transported by air, rail, sea, or truck. As the supply chain grows more complex, so does the ability to secure them. One of the biggest challenges affecting businesses today is cargo theft, and the resulting potential disruption of the supply chain. Learn some best practices in security that will help your company combat the risks and dangers of cargo theft.

Product Lifecycle Logistics Can Reduce Supply Chain Costs an Average of 10%-20%

Offered by: GENCO ATC

A product begins its life with maximum profit potential during the manufacturing process. But as that product moves through an increasingly complex global supply chain, excess time and handling costs erode its profit. Product Lifecycle Logistics is a game-changing approach to treating the supply chain as a continuous whole and, in the process, lowering supply chain costs an average of 10 to 20 percent.

Inventory in Motion: A Direct Alternative to Global Fulfillment

Offered by: UPS Supply Chain Solutions

Logistics visionaries have talked for years about eliminating or at least reducing the role of inventory in modern supply chains. What is appealing in this vision is the reduction in logistics costs and the fulfillment cycle. Learn how a direct-to-store or distribution bypass approach to global fulfillment can lead to a leaner supply chain by downloading this free whitepaper today.

Reverse Lifecycle Management: The Next Opportunity in Reverse Logistics

Offered By: Kewill

This whitepaper discusses the many challenges in the Reverse Logistics (RL) industry and the business case for implementing an integrated, end-to-end, enterprise system for managing reverse supply chains. The report is supported by an extensive market research study of over 250 reverse logistics professionals conducted by Blumberg Advisory Group, Inc. In addition, a new holistic concept for understanding end-to-end Reverse Logistics processes is introduced—Reverse Lifecycle Management (RLM). In this complimentary report on Reverse Logistics you will learn:

• Key characteristics of RL supply chains and resulting business challenges.
• How to achieve end-to-end integration of business functions related to RL.
• Critical market trends of RL and their impact on IT requirements.
• Key elements and business benefits of a successful RLM system.
• Ways to optimize financial and operations performance with better utilization of RL assets and resources.

Ten Best Practices for Motor Freight Optimization

Offered By: LMS

These proven freight optimization tactics will help you reduce transportation costs and increase asset utilization without compromising service to your customers. This comprehensive, how-to whitepaper details the best practices for optimizing your motor freight operations. Learn how to best control costs and service—regardless of market conditions.

5 Top 3PL Billing Challenges And How to Conquer Them

Offered By: 3PL Central

3PLs face many challenges, particularly when they want to implement a solid billing process. Without a doubt, a 3PL must strive to understand each customer's unique process and address these challenges in order to streamline the billing process. Get this free whitepaper and learn the top five billing challenges that all 3PLs face, as well as strategies to overcome them. Learn more about supporting multiple billing schedules, transaction charges, storage fees, invoicing, and more.

Nine Telltale Signs You Should Replace Your Current WMS

Offered By: HighJump Software

Is an inflexible or legacy warehouse management system (WMS) putting your business at risk? You rely on a warehouse management system to maintain ongoing operations, support changing customer requirements, keep up with new industry regulations, and simply get product out the door on a daily basis. What happens when you're no longer able to get the job done? In this new industry report, Nine Telltale Signs You Should Replace Your Current WMS, you'll learn to analyze the operational factors influenced by your WMS—and find out whether your system is constraining your company's growth and global reach.

ERP Implementations: Streamlining through Supply Chain Outsourcing

Offered By: Ryder

Outsourcing non-core activities, like logistics and warehouse management, reduces the complexity, risks, costs and time to go-live of ERP systems. It's common for companies implementing all-encompassing ERP systems to have at least some problems, delays and cost overruns. For The Hershey Company, Levi Strauss and Company, and Whirlpool, those problems had a dramatic effect on the companies' bottom lines. Outsourcing is a proven method to achieve world-class logistics and warehousing operations in a fraction of the time—and risk—of implementing an ERP system.

Competitive Marketing Analysis-Wholesale Trade

Offered By: Ameren Economic Development

Among the Midwest's largest utilities, Ameren's Illinois and Missouri service area has an unusually strong set of assets for distribution centers and related business facilities. Ameren's whitepaper, Competitive Marketing Analysis-Wholesale Trade, discusses how selected business costs range from 18 percent to 27 percent below the national average for distribution centers. Learn how Ameren's advantages of least-cost option, market access, and connectivity can work for you.

The Truth About Electric Lift Trucks

Offered By: Yale

Examine the beneficial advancements made in the lift truck and materials handling industries throughout the past decade in this exploratory whitepaper from Yale.

The ABCs of EDI: A Comprehensive Guide for 3PL Warehouses

Offered By: 3PL Central

EDI means a lot of things to a lot of people. As a public warehouse, EDI support often means the difference between winning and losing a customer. Straightforward and instructional, the The ABCs of EDI whitepaper covers the basics of 3PL warehouse EDI and outlines the critical touchpoints your warehouse management system (WMS) must have in order to be "EDI friendly." Most importantly, it will give you the EDI answers you need to improve your bottom line.

Parcel Shipping & Global Trade Management 2010 Industry Survey Findings & 10 Best Practice Recommendations

Offered By: Kewill

For the fourth year, Kewill has conducted a benchmarking survey of logistics professionals. The research findings are detailed in this whitepaper that also provides 10 recommendations for best practices. Focus areas of the report include:

• Parcel Shipping
• Carrier Management and LTL Flexibility
• Export Documentation
• Restricted/Denied Party Screening

Download the report today!

Competitive Marketing Analysis-Wholesale Trade

Offered By: Ameren Economic Development

Among the Midwest's largest utilities, Ameren's Illinois and Missouri service area has an unusually strong set of assets for distribution centers and related business facilities. Ameren's whitepaper, Competitive Marketing Analysis-Wholesale Trade, discusses how selected business costs range from 18 percent to 27 percent below the national average for distribution centers. Learn how Ameren's advantages of least-cost option, market access, and connectivity can work for you.

Nine Telltale Signs You Should Replace Your Current WMS

Offered By: HighJump Software

Is an inflexible or legacy warehouse management system (WMS) putting your business at risk? You rely on a warehouse management system to maintain ongoing operations, support changing customer requirements, keep up with new industry regulations, and simply get product out the door on a daily basis. What happens when you're no longer able to get the job done? In this new industry report, Nine Telltale Signs You Should Replace Your Current WMS, you'll learn to analyze the operational factors influenced by your WMS—and find out whether your system is constraining your company's growth and global reach.

Freight Management Today: More Freight, Fewer Trucks and Drivers

Offered By: PLS Logistics Services

Freight volumes rising. A market with diminished capacity. These factors have created a dangerous imbalance to which shippers have been slow to respond. Learn the steps you can take now to manage freight requirements during this capacity crunch to avoid supply chain disruptions and protect your market share. PLS' new whitepaper reveals:

• The capacity crunch—how we got here.
• How are shippers reacting to clear signs of a capacity shortage.
• Strategies you can use to lock in capacity at reasonable rates.

Maximize Uptime and Profits Through Effective Fleet Management Practices

Offered By: Yale

Proper maintenance and efficient fleet management programs can do wonders for your bottom line. Find out how to make your lift truck fleet work harder for you with Yale's fleet management whitepaper.

Inventory Management Pitfalls: 8 Reasons Why You Should Kiss Excel Good-Bye

Offered By: 3PL Central

Written specifically for 3PLs, this free whitepaper details the eight reasons why managing inventory on spreadsheets is limiting your profits and business growth. Learn why even smaller/simpler warehouse operations will run into issues managing inventory on spreadsheets. Download the "Inventory Management Pitfalls: 8 Reasons Why You Should Kiss Excel Good-Bye" whitepaper and start growing your 3PL warehousing business today.

Nine Telltale Signs You Should Replace Your Current WMS

Offered By: High Jump

Is an inflexible or legacy warehouse management system (WMS) putting your business at risk? You rely on a warehouse management systems to maintain ongoing operations, support changing customer requirements, keep up with new industry regulations, and simply get product out the door on a daily basis. What happens when you're no longer able to get the job done? In this new industry report, "Nine Telltale Signs You Should Replace Your Current WMS," you'll learn to analyze the operational factors influenced by your WMS — and find out whether your system is constraining your company's growth and global reach.

Offered By: Management Dynamics

Struggling with out-of-control freight costs? You've got a TMS solution in place—but let's face it, those solutions are oriented to managing domestic transportation, and just aren't set up to handle the complexities of global containerized transportation and airfreight. Download Management Dynamics' whitepaper, Best Practices to Reduce International Freight Costs, to learn how you can benefit from contract automation to meet, even exceed, your aggressive budget commitments.

2010 Distribution Network Trends Report

Offered By: Saddle Creek Corporation

Manufacturers, distributors and retailers are making significant changes to their supply chain distribution networks as a result of recent economic challenges. According to an industry survey sponsored by Saddle Creek Corporation, the top three areas of change include transportation, warehouse size and/or configuration, and shipment consolidation. Learn more about these and other emerging trends in the design and management of distribution networks in the 2010 Distribution Network Trends Report.

7 "Must-Have" WMS Features for Today's 3PL

Offered By: 3PL Central

Running a 3PL warehouse has very unique requirements—and ensuring your Warehouse Manager System (WMS) supports this demanding multi-customer, multi-user environment is crucial. 7 "Must-Have" WMS Features for Today's 3PL details the key elements of a 3PL-focused WMS. Learn about the special features that will help you run your operation more efficiently and profitably.

Offered By: Arigo

Staples brand products are an important part of the company's commitment to offer quality products at a great value. Staples Brands Group operates a $3 billion private label business representing more than 23 percent of total sales. Learn how Staples Brands Group uses Strategic Global Sourcing to drive the lowest possible product costs with 99-percent on-time deliveries across global suppliers and customers. Download this whitepaper to learn how Global Sourcing is easy for Staples Brands Group.

ERP Implementations Streamlining through Supply Chain Outsourcing

Offered By: Ryder

Outsourcing non-core activities, like logistics and warehouse management, reduces the complexity, risks, costs and time to go-live of ERP systems. It's common for companies implementing all-encompassing ERP systems to have at least some problems, delays and cost overruns. For The Hershey Company, Levi Strauss and Company, and Whirlpool, those problems had a dramatic effect on the companies' bottom lines. Outsourcing is a proven method to achieve world-class logistics and warehousing operations in a fraction of the time—and risk—of implementing an ERP system.

Offered By: 3PL Central

This free whitepaper tackles the top five 3PL billing challenges and outlines industry best practices that ensure revenue optimization in today's multi-client 3PL environment. Download now to learn how to improve billing and invoicing processes, and structure transaction and storage fees designed to maximize 3PL profits. This whitepaper presents real-world billing and invoicing principles designed to save time and boost 3PL profitability.

Collaborative Distribution: How CPG Manufacturers and Retailers Can Save Millions and Embrace the Green Revolution

Offered By: Kane is Able

Every day, CPG products make their way to the country's largest retailers. Goods from different manufacturers shipping to the exact same destinations, but all following their own line of supply. This redundancy inflates costs, blocks our roads, and pollutes our air. We need an alternate model for CPG product distribution. A free whitepaper by Kane Is Able, Inc. explains how Collaborative Distribution could be the next major advance in supply chain management. Download now.

Considering China's Warehousing Options

Offered By: C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.

Pursuing warehouse solutions in China may be a fast-growing trend, but is it the right move for your business? For many companies, the benefits of implementing a warehouse solution in China far outweigh potential drawbacks. In Considering China's Warehousing Options, you'll learn:

• Why China is a warehousing hotspot
• Available warehouse options & programs
• Benefits of warehousing in China
• Challenges to consider
• 4 key implementation strategies
• Advantages of outsourcing to a global 3PL

Four Ways 3PLs Can Harness Technology to Attract Customers and Drive Profitability

Offered By: HighJump Software

Just released — a new study showing 3PLs, brokers, and warehouse operators four solid ways to leverage today's low-cost logistics IT to attract customers and serve them more completely. If you provide logistics solutions, you'll want to download this four-point action plan that covers attracting new business, increasing billing speed and accuracy, providing granular inventory visibility, and expanding service to existing customers.

Trade Agreement Management: Survey Results and Best Practice Research

Offered By: Management Dynamics

This report outlines how and why companies can implement and benefit from building a portfolio of foreign trade agreements. After surveying more than 300 respondents across various industries and sizes, we have uncovered key characteristics of successful trade agreements programs, and divulge vital information related to program management challenges, monetary savings, legal responsibilities, and strategies to help your firm sustain an effective program.

Enhancing "The Perfect Order" in Distribution and Logistics

Offered By: Kronos

Today's workforce management strategies can drive you closer to "the perfect order." A more effective use of labor can take your organization to a new level of productivity and profitability:

• Gain visibility into supply chain operations to improve service levels.
• Access complete and accurate job and labor costing to increase profitability.
• Gather real-time data on labor capacity and order status to cost-effectively allocate labor.

Organizations that leverage the power of workforce management will be best positioned to compete and win in the 21st-century marketplace. Find out how.

SaaS WMS: A Perfect Fit for Today's 3PL

Offered By: 3PL Central

3PL Central focuses on the top reasons why a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) Warehouse Management System (WMS) offers today's 3PLs the most robust functionality options at the greatest ROI. Today's ever-changing business climate requires scalability and nimble flexibility; an SaaS-based WMS is perfectly positioned to help 3PL operators become the strongest link in their customer's supply chain. Download SaaS WMS: A Perfect Fit for Today's 3PL and learn:

• Why pay-as-you-go software benefits both the 3PL and its customers.
• How 3PLs can achieve scalability within the SaaS environment.
• What rapid WMS setup can mean in a fast-paced 3PL world.

Outsourcing to Improve Supply Chain Agility

Offered By: Ryder

Delivering on a high-performance supply chain network is the competitive imperative to compete in the 21st century. The intensity of change in today's market requires agility, speed, and responsiveness from your supply chain. It is a critical time to examine how other companies are extending beyond traditional, functional outsourcing relationships to gain advantage and increase their agility and responsiveness to global market volatility. Companies outsource in a multitude of industries to meet market challenges by accelerating change and improving overall productivity and profitability.

Flexing the Workforce: Using Overall Labor Effectiveness to Manage Fluctuating Demand

Offered By: Kronos

Kronos gives you real-time visibility into key productivity measurements so you can contain costs and do more with the workforce you have, even when your demand fluctuates. Download Flexing the Workforce: Using Overall Labor Effectiveness to Manage Fluctuating Demand to learn how to:

• Allocate workers on the fly to understaffed orders before delivery times are compromised
• Improve invoice accuracy to staffing firms when you use contract or temporary workers
• Minimize unnecessary and excessive use of premium pay types

7"Must-Have" WMS Features for Today's 3PL

Offered By: 3PL Central

Running a 3PL warehouse has very unique requirements -- and ensuring your Warehouse Manager System (WMS) supports this demanding multi-customer, multi-user environment is crucial. 7"Must-Have" WMS Features for Today's 3PL details the key elements of a 3PL-focused WMS. Learn about the special features that will help you run your operation more efficiently and profitably.

Managing Transportation Costs

Offered By: Ryder

The transportation industry is in the throes of the most dramatic changes in its history. The best way for companies to mitigate rising costs and improve customer service is by building a successful shipper/carrier relationship. Collaborating with core carriers allows companies to identify smart solutions for business process enhancements, rather than simply resorting to cost-cutting exercises that may have an adverse effect on service levels, profitability and the company's reputation.

Five Tips to Help Reduce Costs and Boost Productivity in a Challenging Economy

Offered By: Kronos

Learn how automating key labor-related functions -- such as time and attendance, scheduling, HR, and payroll -- can help your business protect profitability. Falling demand and unprecedented economic challenges are driving companies to reduce costs and maintain, even improve, productivity. Because labor consumes more than 40 percent of the average operating budget, it can be your largest drain, or your largest asset. Click for five tips to manage your workforce to control costs and improve productivity, even during tough economic times.

Automating the Import Supply Chain

Offered By: Management Dynamics

Global Trade Management (GTM) technologies are increasingly important to automate global operations across procurement, logistics, and trade compliance business processes. A GTM platform can effectively synchronize the procure-to-pay process and navigate the complexities of emerging preferential trade agreements to deliver on the promise of optimal low-cost country sourcing strategies. The whitepaper will explore these trends in detail and propose a framework for GTM that can support the complete automation of the import supply chain.

Collaborative Outsourcing^TM: Powerful New Ideas for Freight Management

Offered By: C.H. Robinson

New approaches to outsourcing help drive down costs and build smarter, stronger supply chains for the long term. In this whitepaper, C.H. Robinson introduces some of the new thinking that is shaping today's most successful transportation outsourcing models. Learn about new options and what makes a successful outsource for all or part of a freight network.

Transportation Management Systems & Supply Chain Sustainability

Offered By: Werner Enterprises

One of the greatest concerns for transportation executives is driving efficiencies within their supply chains and reducing costs. Transportation Management Systems (TMS) are one of the most effective measures for reducing costs and eliminating inefficiencies. These platforms focus on long-term savings rather than immediate cost avoidance. This inherent characteristic adds stability, reliability and transportation process cost controls. Successful TMS solutions provide connectivity, optimization, transparency and collaboration.

Optimizing DC Networks for Global Sourcing

Offered By: Ryder Supply Chain Solutions

Flexibility in DC networks is the competitive edge your company needs to be successful in an economy where the global supply chain grows more complex every day. Outsourcing DCs provides companies the flexibility to add new products, markets, sources of goods, and capabilities while keeping their focus on their core business. To learn more about how outsourcing distribution centers offers more flexibility and less risk, download Ryder's whitepaper.