Keeping Expedited Costs Down
While expedited shipping can be expensive, it doesn’t have to break the bank. With a little thought and planning, shippers can control the factors driving expedited shipping costs by following these tips from Dave Quinn, president of Belleville, Mich.-based Active On-Demand. 1. Choose the right mode. Utilizing the wrong mode costs shippers the most when […]
Read MoreCan You Afford to Ignore Supply Chain Risk?
As companies gravitate toward a “build anywhere, source anywhere, sell anywhere” mind-set, supply chain risks—entering into long-term contracts at unfavorable prices or sub-optimal quality, excessive dependence on one geography or supplier, lead time variability, and supply disruptions caused by natural disasters—assume greater proportions. Any supply chain setback could negatively impact average operating income and return […]
Read MoreCommunity Service: Supporting Logistics Education
Manufacturing jobs are leaving American shores at an increasing rate. While this presents challenges for manufacturing companies, it also boosts demand for distribution and logistics professionals. Because many products manufactured overseas are ultimately consumed in the United States, the need for warehouses and distribution centers to move those materials from port of entry to point […]
Read MoreBoeing, Boeing Gone?
When times get tough, supply chain/logistics redeployment grows increasingly important. Part of evaluating site locations for your manufacturing and logistics facilities involves considering fundamentals such as proximity to sources and customers, and transport infrastructure. But there is a “softer side” of site selection. As I write this, Boeing is in the midst of a strike […]
Read MoreMaking a Commitment To Supply Chain Quality
Wedding jewelry manufacturer Benchmark ties the knot with a software tool that marries forecasting and inventory control.
Read MoreMaritime Logistics: Staying Afloat
Ocean carriers toss out lifelines to help shippers navigate economic riptides.
Read MoreNew Horizons: 2008 Ocean Carrier Guide
Changes in trade latitudes and changes in shipping attitudes are steering ocean carriers in new directions. As global businesses explore new offshore manufacturing and sourcing locations and more efficient routings for pulling product to U.S. markets, carriers are tacking their sailing schedules, following demand into new ports of call, and developing a dashboard of value-added […]
Read MorePacific Rim Logistics: Proceed with Caution
The road to successful Pacific Rim outsourcing has more than its share of bumps. Here are some turn-by-turn directions to the path of least resistance.
Read MoreMemphis: North America’s Logistics Center
With its wealth of resources, central location, highly developed infrastructure, depth of logistics and transportation services, and talented labor pool, Memphis claims its right to the title “North America’s Logistics Center.” No wonder so many companies can’t help falling in love with Memphis.
Read MoreGreat Logistics Sites: The Pursuit of Excellence
Throughout the United States, local, regional, and state economic development authorities are ramping up investments in transportation and logistics infrastructure to stimulate and sustain business growth.
Read MoreJames Bradley: Supply Chain Management is in His DNA
Is there a gene for supply chain management? If so, James Bradley must have it—his father worked in logistics and supply in the Air Force, and Bradley has been focused on the field since college. If scientists do discover such a gene, chances are they’ll be working with technology from Bradley’s employer, Affymetrix, a Santa […]
Read MoreDiagnosing Complexity
Complexity can be a concern wherever it arises. More often than not, it is perceived as a burden rather than a virtue. Simplicity, on the other hand, has shown great value in science and engineering. Yet even in these areas, complexity still persists. When complexity runs wild it becomes chaos. Some gurus tell us to […]
Read MoreHazmat Education Is the Best Response
Today’s logisticians need to be well-grounded in many areas of hazardous materials (HM) management and alert to the prevalence of these regulated materials throughout the supply chain—in the workplace, in the work process, and in distribution. HM falls into two categories and three broad applications. The two categories are materials inherently hazardous and materials that […]
Read MoreDistribution by the Book
Automated routing helps Scholastic Book Fairs turn the page on inefficiency..
Read MoreGlobal Logistics-Oct 2008
In tough economic times you can’t nickel-and-dime logistics process improvement. That, in itself, is a lesson for struggling retailers. The United Kingdom arm of Woolworths, the original five-and-ten discount chain, knows this reality firsthand, and is making supply chain management and leadership top priorities as it looks to reverse its fortunes. Beset by rampant stockouts […]
Read MoreTrends-October 2008
The New York City Department of Education (DOE) is learning the fundamentals of transportation and vendor management the hard way—and it shows. Facing a $300-million budget deficit, this past spring the DOE decided to revamp its decades-old milk purchasing arrangement and consolidate suppliers, according to the June 18, 2008, edition of the New York Post. “Our […]
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