Data in a Flash: Utilizing EDI
Q: Where did EDI come from? Heine: Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) has been used in various forms since the 1960s. Today, all Fortune 1000 companies use EDI, as do millions of other businesses. In the transportation field, big retailers led the way in implementing EDI. In the mid-1980s, EDI standards emerged, and each type of […]
Read MoreBenchmarking Data Supports Pricing Decisions
Q: How can shippers and logistics service providers (LSPs) ensure that their business methods and metrics conform to best practices for the industry? Schrader: The best transportation companies identify and measure their key performance indicators and strive for continuous improvement. Most companies have done a good job using their transportation management system or enterprise resource […]
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The Secrets to a Successful Global Trade Management Program
Q: What are the elements of a successful global trade management program? Madzy: Global trade management is a dilemma for most organizations because it is an enterprise-wide discipline that needs to be developed. In today’s decentralized and outsourced business climate, it is difficult to bring together all the resources and expertise required to develop and […]
Read MoreVoice Technology Frees the Warehouse Workforce
Q: The supply chain and logistics sector has been positively impacted by a wide variety of input and output technologies. What are the most exciting changes inside the warehouse today? Wills: Over the past few years, a lot of companies have integrated and benefited from voice technology, which frees the warehouse workforce to use their […]
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Global Trade Management Software: International Trading Made Easier
Q: What role does technology play in optimizing global supply chains? Preuninger: Many companies have seen the value in using global trade management (GTM) software to lower costs, ensure regulatory compliance, improve customer service, and automate facets of their supply chain operations. Two capabilities that leading companies are using today to weather the downturn are […]
Read MoreEnsuring Successful System Integration
Q: What factors make software system integration necessary? Rodriguez: Variety among parties is a fact in the supply chain. Because of that variety, there is no software system that covers the immensity of combinations and scenarios that can occur in today’s supply chain. In the same way, there is no software right for every supply […]
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Enhanced Visibility: The Future of TMS
Q: How does a SaaS transportation management system (TMS) encourage collaboration, and why is collaboration important in today’s challenging economic environment? Timmer: In a SaaS multi-tenant TMS environment, all community members of the transportation network operate from the same instance of the TMS software, regardless of their point or date of entry into the network […]
Read MoreAchieving Air and Ocean Freight Flexibility
Q: There has been a trend of airfreight traffic shifting to freight forwarding by sea. How can air freight compete? Zinner: The shift toward ocean freight is purely cost-driven. The real question is how to make air freight a less expensive and, therefore, a more competitive option. Both air and ocean shipments often have the […]
Read MoreTMS Helps Shippers Rise Above the Status Quo
Q: What supply chain technology challenges or issues do today’s business leaders face? McCarrick: One of the biggest challenges facing business leaders today is how to effectively and efficiently control cost. Freightquote.com works with shippers to find the optimal pricing solution to assist them in better controlling their transportation budget. For example, many of our […]
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The New Breed of Cloud-Based TMS
Q: How can today’s manufacturers deal with increasing regulations, demand volatility, and shifting global trade currents? Kontoravdis: We live in exciting and challenging times. The Internet is bringing new ways of collaborating, communicating, and transacting across borders. At the same time, globalization brings economies and supply chains closer than ever before. Recently, supply chain issues […]
Read MoreChoosing the Right Tools for the Job
Q: What does the profusion of cloud-based value chain applications and services tell us about the future of supply chain automation? O’Leary: We believe EXTOL and other technology vendors will continue to offer both cloud-based and on-premise delivery of supply chain automation products and services, for the foreseeable future. Cloud-based offerings bring new delivery options […]
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Third-Party Services Can Simplify Global Trade Complexity
Q: Why do companies have such a hard time embracing global trade management? Hazen: Companies may not understand the complexity behind constantly changing regulations. The diversity of individual governments and cultures presents difficulties in embracing global trade management. Companies spend significant resources dealing with basic needs to ensure a successful, seamless process with each trading […]
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The Future Ain’t What It Used to Be
As baseball’s Bard of Brooklyn, Yogi Berra, once said, “It is tough making predictions, especially about the future.” Those who orchestrate supply networks and supporting transportation and logistics operations in volatile economic times face stark reminders of how difficult predicting future product flow requirements can be. As if that weren’t true enough, Yogi also said, […]
Read MoreGoing Mobile: Optimizing Inventory Management
One of the easiest ways to save money in your organization is by operating efficiently and productively, with no wasted resources. Central to this strategy is having the right amount of product at the right time—no more, no less. By optimizing inventory, organizations are able to improve customer service levels up to 25 percent, according […]
Read MoreAvoid Big Losses When Shipping Big Machinery
In their journey from manufacturer to customer, large pieces of sophisticated machinery often sustain costly damage due to lack of care and attention in packaging and handling. The losses, however, often go beyond the machinery’s value. Businesses can also suffer significant production shortfalls if their facilities grind to a halt as they wait for replacement […]
Read More10 Ways to Gain Control Over Parcel Transportation Costs
The amount of effort shippers put into carrier management directly correlates to their success at controlling transportation costs. Incumbent carriers often know more about their client’s shipments than the shipper does. But shippers can tilt the actionable information scales in their favor to achieve lower parcel transportation costs. Here are 10 points shippers should consider […]
Read MoreCheryl Harrity: Cooking Up World-Class Service
NAME: Cheryl Harrity TITLE: Corporate director of supply chain COMPANY: MGP Ingredients, Inc., Atchison, Kansas, since 2010 PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE INCLUDES: Traffic specialist, fleet supervisor, warehouse supervisor, Acme Markets; consultant, logistics practice, KPMG Peat Marwick; vice president of transportation, CS Integrated; professor, Letter of Appointment, University of Nevada, Reno; practice lead, supply chain, APQC; partner, NaviChain […]
Read MoreMad About Trade
Can Americans stop being angry about trade and instead get excited about the value it creates?
Read MoreReducing Ocean Freight Costs
The best way to maximize ocean freight purchasing efficiencies is effective planning. Get a clear understanding of your shipments’ scope, frequency, and quantity, then cement relationships with carriers to better plan your containers, advises Mark Malambri, senior vice president, global ocean products for Houston-based CEVA Logistics. Malambri offers the following tips to help shippers reduce […]
Read MoreHigh Tech: The Rise of SaaS and the Cloud
Supply chain technology is going to the cloud—yet the forecast is anything but gray. Cloud-based multi-tenant solutions help companies achieve better execution, visibility, cost savings, and collaboration with trading partners across the supply chain.
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