Heroic Logistics Saves the Day for DC Comics
The DC Comics team leaps into action to create special 3D covers for 52 titles, fighting evil production setbacks along the way.
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Supply Chain Analytics: Overcoming Obstacles to Stay Ahead of Your Competitors
Leveraging data analysis and technology integration can generate powerful insights to transform today’s supply chains. Companies continue to struggle, however, with the best techniques to get the right information in the hands of their decision-makers. Many manufacturers and shippers report their organization is not aligned around key performance metrics. Simply including analytics in your strategy […]
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Plan, Write, and Implement a Successful Software Project
Thankfully, most software projects succeed. Look around, virtually everything is running on software, and it all (pretty much) works. Maybe an out-of-the-box solution will work, or maybe you need to buy and modify that out-of-the-box software to suit your needs. Or maybe you will write your own. The worry, of course, is that software projects […]
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Looking for One Logistics Partner That Does Everything with Excellence?
An Enterprise Logistics Provider Delivers Holistic Solutions that Transform Your Business.
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PVMI: A New Approach to Supply Chain Control
Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) solutions are focused on keeping inventory off the manufacturer’s books until it is needed to fulfill customer orders. DB Schenker takes a broader view as part of a standardized solution called Production Vendor Managed Inventory (PVMI)—which enables the OEM to gain comprehensive supply chain control, something much more powerful than just […]
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Transportation Planning – A Manual Headache Or an Optimized Dream
Fluctuating fuel prices, Hours of Service rules, and other factors make optimized routing and scheduling vital.
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Know Thy Partner: Beyond C-TPAT
The globalization of supply chains has caused a major shift in trade partnerships. Partners are changing more rapidly than in years past. Relationships tend to be more focused on who can supply products cheaper, faster, at better quality, and U.S. companies are looking worldwide for competitive parts’ sources. With this new globally spread supply chain […]
Read MoreHow to Deploy a Successful Improvement Program
Think the $30 million APL Logistics has saved through continuous improvement initiatives is unusual? Think again. According to the company’s foremost Lean/Six Sigma/JDI professional, with the right resources and level of commitment, many companies can make these disciplines work equally well. Here, the company offers hints to help your organization deploy a successful improvement program—and […]
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Five Ways to Drive Efficiency In International Logistics
If your international supply chain partners aren’t able to operate at optimal efficiency, they pass increased pricing on to your company. When partners don’t meet your expectations, it’s difficult to standardize the logistics flow, which reduces efficiency and decreases their level of commitment to your goals. Add the extra time your personnel spend working through […]
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Maximize Nearshoring Value to Minimize Supply Chain Complexity
Latin America—particularly Mexico—continues to gain favor as a sourcing hotspot. Its close proximity to the U.S. border has always been a draw, but recent developments have shifted the global trade landscape in favor of the Western hemisphere. Nearsourcing may never entirely replace production in Asia, but trading partners in the Americas should be an essential […]
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Creating Meaningful Logistics Training Programs on a Budget
Training costs are often among the first budget items to be reduced or eliminated. Smart companies, however, recognize the vital role logistics training plays in keeping their teams ahead of the competition, and choose to manage their training budget carefully. To effectively manage training dollars, every department should distinguish between essential and recommended training. Essential […]
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Minimizing the Financial Impact of Peak Season Returns
As the supply chain world settles in for a long winter’s nap, the reverse logistics world is shifting into overdrive to handle peak returns season. Both retailers and manufacturers report that the percent of returns for 2014 is roughly the same as it was by this point in 2013. The rate of returns for holiday […]
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Brokers Are Commoditizing LTL Carriers… And That’s a Good Thing
Much discussion in the transportation industry centers around how less-than-truckload (LTL) resellers, or brokers, are commoditizing the LTL carrier marketplace. While carriers don’t claim that brokers are packaging up their contracts and listing them on the Chicago Board of Trade to be exchanged like pork belly futures contracts, some do believe resellers are stripping the […]
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Global Logistics—January 2014
Supplier Risk Threatens Expansion Nearly seven out of 10 business leaders believe supplier risk analysis will become more complex as they expand into new global markets, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit report Strategies for Managing Customer and Supplier Risks, sponsored by Dun & Bradstreet. Adverse events associated with suppliers are becoming more frequent and […]
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Trends—January 2014
Getting Demand Forecasting in Hand In the demand-driven logistics domain, forecasting is king. Companies that are best able to predict sputters and spikes, then react and execute against those signals, will gain a competitive advantage. But given today’s market uncertainty—the economy, consumer purchasing power and appetite for new products, sliding holiday seasonality, and emerging omni-channel […]
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Sean Vasquez: Heard It Through the Grapevine
Sean Vasquez is EDI and transportation manager at Sun-Maid Growers of California in Kingsburg, Calif. He has worked for the company since 2010, and held his current position since 2013. Responsibilities: Managing all electronic data interchange (EDI) functions; working with the IT department and trading partners to resolve EDI issues; managing transportation policies, rates, and […]
Read MoreBuilding a Core Carrier Program
When developing a base of reliable core motor carriers, customer service and on-time success typically drive the selection process. But don’t overlook factors such as company stability and labor quality. Streamline your carrier program to a select few using the following tips. 1. Look beyond cost. When selecting partners, don’t focus solely on cost-cutting strategies. […]
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Well, There’s One Thing That’s Certain…
If there’s one certainty, it’s that some things never change—sometimes for the worse, but often for the better. Consider this issue you are now thumbing or clicking through. The 2014 Logistics Planner marks Inbound Logistics‘ 20th anniversary of publishing what has become an industry standard. Such longevity is validation that our mission-based focus remains as […]
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Year of Uncertainty?
2014 is shaping up as a year of uncertainty. Retail sales are off, the stock market is skittish. Healthcare, energy, and regulatory policies are in flux, and unemployment levels and consumer confidence are scary. Uncertainty reigns for many. In the face of all this, growth is assured for some of us. The others are tasked […]
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163 Ways to Supercharge Your Supply Chain
Supply chain gone stale? Inbound Logistics compiled these actionable tips to help revitalize your warehousing, 3PL, trucking, and global logistics operations.
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