Finding Supply Chain Feng Shui
Business process improvement is especially important in today’s economic climate. Businesses are sensitive to fixed costs when the economy is swinging like a pendulum. There’s shared recognition that they have to stick to their principal business to grow out of the recession; and logistics execution and supply chain excellence is too important to ignore. That’s […]
Read MoreChoosing the Right Airfreight Forwarder
In a global supply chain, timing and visibility are critical. So is selecting the best freight forwarder. Vito Losurdo, vice president of global airfreight services at UPS, offers the following advice for picking the best airfreight forwarder for your business. 1. Look for a broad portfolio. Partner with an established forwarder that provides a comprehensive […]
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Matthew Wood: Finding a Cure for High Freight Costs
Matthew Wood is manager of the freight program, supply chain management, at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. He has held this position since 2012. Responsibilities: Managing freight expenditures for all items purchased by organizations within Mayo Clinic; helping departments find ways to reduce their freight costs; marketing those services to other healthcare organizations. Experience: More […]
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Extended LEAN™ Increases Speed to Competitive Advantage. Continuous Improvement Method Takes Companies from Surviving to Thriving
Most operations and logistics leaders have spent at least part of their careers implementing LEAN principles within companies to improve quality, cost and delivery performance. The majority likely learned basic LEAN methods in week-long doses of kaizen ("good change" in Japanese) events trying to reduce wastes. Today many of those early adopters—and new LEAN thinkers […]
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Trends—July 2013
The 24th Annual State of Logistics Report: ‘Business Unusual’ Defines New Normal A long and winding path toward recovery has arrived at a seminal question: "Is this the new normal?" That was the topic and title of the annual State of Logistics presentation at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., in June 2013. That […]
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Global Logistics—July 2013
Brazilian Shippers Safer by Sea Poor road infrastructure and rampant larceny are forcing some Brazilian shippers to consider unconventional transport options. Case in point: Paranapanema, the country’s largest refined copper producer, has shifted domestic shipments from trucks to slow-moving ocean freighters, according to Bloomberg Businessweek. Although the mode shift nearly triples transport times, it cuts […]
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Mobility Solutions That Improve Field Productivity
The freight and logistics industry is truly a mobile world. People, products, and packages are constantly on the move from one location to another, and employees are increasingly using smartphones in their daily lives—with all the benefits of continuous, high-bandwidth connectivity, stronger device capabilities, and more targeted applications. So how can the industry take advantage […]
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3PLs Can Provide Soft Cost Savings for Small Businesses
Shipping is the second-largest cost many small businesses incur, after labor. Despite the challenges they face—including high gas prices, advancing technologies, and competitive markets—small companies must continue to move products from Point A to Point B. To keep productivity high and customers happy, some small businesses seek ways to cut shipping costs, including engaging third-party […]
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Preparation: Your Best Asset in Managing Supply Chain Disruptions
Supply disruptions occur daily, caused by delayed deliveries; weather impacts on inbound supply; and prolonged standstills associated with natural disasters, port labor strikes, or critical supplier failures. Whatever the reason for the disruption, supply chain managers prove their value by delivering—no matter the circumstances. An active risk management process helps identify a range of possible […]
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Business Process Improvement? Flexibility.
In his futile search for the Fountain of Youth, Ponce de León walked right past untold riches. If you are not evaluating your third-party logistics providers for their ability to drive strategic improvements in your enterprise, you may be doing the same thing. Thirty-three percent of respondents to our annual 3PL Perspectives market research survey […]
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