Improving Supply Chain Visibility Projects
Having visibility into the supply chain allows companies to gather and utilize information effectively. It also helps them better communicate with customers and partners. Because of this, supply chain visibility (SCV) systems are a much sought-after logistics tool. If used successfully, SCV systems can cut logistics costs, improve resource planning, and allow your organization to […]
Read MoreTechnology Moves Forwarders Forward
Freight forwarders are hardly a lonely breed; more than 10,000 ply their trade in the United States, according to government statistics. In this brutally competitive business, what makes one freight forwarder or logistics provider rise above the pack to be among the few that evolve successfully into genuine partners to their customers? There is no […]
Read MoreThe Six Hidden Costs of Reverse Logistics
Due to both human nature and training, logistics professionals tend to be forward focused. They are learning, however, that their companies can realize dramatic cost savings by applying forward-focused processes and automation to optimize reverse logistics operations. Reverse logistics is no small matter in the supply chain. Industrial equipment return rates are approximately 4 percent […]
Read MoreLots of Shipments, Loads of Savings
Big Lots nets bigger savings and biggest efficiencies by optimizing less-than-truckload shipments.
Read MoreAll the News…?
Walking past the newsstand last weekend, a New York Times headline caught my attention: As Trucking Rules Are Eased, A Debate on Safety Intensifies. I picked up the article, hoping to learn about safety concerns and actions the industry is taking to address them. Sandwiched between the first and last paragraph of the article, both […]
Read MoreSupply Chain Roundup: The Hottest Trends of 2006
MORE TO THE STORY: Still a Gap When it comes to the supply chain, 2006 was a year of mixed outcomes. The cost of fuel skyrocketed, causing considerable pain in the transport sectors and in industries heavily dependent on petroleum-based materials. Companies hedged their bets by embracing strategies such as shifting to alternate modes and […]
Read MoreThe Unexpected Happens: Is Your Supply Chain Prepared?
Relatively few companies have a detailed and tested plan for responding to potential supply chain disruptions – great or small. Those that do have a distinct advantage.
Read MoreMoving Up: The New Supply Chain Executive
The transformation to an integrated supply chain boosts the role, responsibilities, and compensation of today’s supply chain executives.
Read MoreGlobal Logistics—December 2006
Chinas Truckload Market Opening Up While China has long been a hotspot for low-cost sourcing and manufacturing, logistics companies have largely stayed away from competing in its domestic transportation market. But Wisconsin-based trucking and logistics company Schneider National Inc. is looking to break the mold and tap into one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. Schneider […]
Read MoreMichael Mahon: Rolling in Dough
When the music store he managed went out of business, Denver jazz bassist Mike Mahon needed a new day job. He found one driving a delivery truck for Otis Spunkmeyer, a manufacturer and distributor of frozen cookie dough and ready-made bakery products. Soon, Mahon spotted an opportunity that looked too good to pass up. Otis […]
Read More2006: A Year of Supply Chain Changes
The logistics industry continued to undergo fundamental changes in 2006, as shippers demanded increased services from their providers. To meet that need, numerous logistics providers contemplated expanding their core services. One European forwarder, for example, weighed the benefits of providing domestic trucking to a company wanting an integrated service for shipping goods to the United […]
Read MoreTMS Soothes Transportation Woes
Thanks to increased global trade and visibility demands, TMS applications are enjoying widespread popularity. Transportation management may never be the same. With all the negatives swirling around the transportation industry these days—high fuel prices, tight capacity, and the driver shortage, to mention a few—it is hard to imagine any company sustaining, let alone decreasing its […]
Read MoreVendor/Carrier Accountability: We’ll Drink to That!
A beverage distributor’s thirst for visibility is quenched by a tool that sets delivery performance standards and makes sure they’re met.
Read MoreTrends-December 2006
Global trade works in interesting ways, especially when it comes to port activity. While some pundits predict freight will be diverted to alternate ports on the East and West coasts to avoid traffic at the ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach, others see continued growth at the Southern California ports, based on stateside and transshipment demand […]
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