Logistics Leadership: The New Spirit of St. Louis
Site selection decision-makers choose the St. Louis area for its central location, outstanding transportation infrastructure, and dedication to pursuing economic growth.
Keeping Intermodal In Your Sites
Eyeing a new location for your plant or DC? Make sure it’s rail/intermodal accessible, and served by progressive transportation providers.
The Best of Both Worlds: The Benefits of TMS with Integrated Fleet Management Tools
Q: With transportation management systems (TMS) solutions achieving maturity as a technology, what will be the next innovation in transportation automation? A: The continually tightening trucking capacity in North America is prompting shippers to dramatically increase their use of private and dedicated fleets. Adding to this dynamic, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s mandate to […]
Inbound Logistics: A Grassroots Revolution
Q: Many companies neglect their inbound supply chain operations in favor of their outbound supply chain. Why is that? A: Senior executives are more attuned to customer needs, and, in turn, the outbound, customer-facing supply chain. Its gravity naturally pulls their attention, and, as a result, policies and tactics abound for outbound material flow. This […]
Understanding the Auto Aftermarket Supply Chain
Q: What are some trends in the automotive aftermarket supply chain? A: One ongoing development is suppliers are increasing their ship-direct activity. They are shipping parts directly to the dealer, or they may ship to a primary distribution center or field DC, bypassing the national distribution center. This approach benefits the shipper during a surge […]
Stack, Store & Transport: The Indispensable Pallet
Pallets are a vital piece of warehouse equipment for storing and moving products.
Shipment Visibility: SilverStaff Passes the Test
Medical testing lab SilverStaff’s pain points included inbound shipment pickup service and visibility. UPS delivered the remedy.
How the Hub-and-Spoke Model Transformed the Transportation Industry
In the past, the transportation and distribution industry was guided by the principles of point-to-point or direct-route operations. Transportation networks were disorganized, and shipping, aviation, and transit companies were losing money. As technology has developed, the logistics sector has found faster and more cost-effective ways of shipping freight. The hub-and-spoke model was born from industry’s […]
Is Your Freight Payment Company Equipped to Audit Your Invoices?
Businesses use freight payment companies (FPCs) to decrease internal administration costs and maintain detailed back-up information for their finance departments. They rely on FPCs to review weekly transportation invoices for accuracy and make payments on their behalf. Some companies also count on FPCs to audit their invoices. Companies can gain several benefits by partnering with […]
Leading Change and Innovation in Transportation and Logistics
Online retailer Amazon.com has been experimenting with small, unmanned aircraft for package delivery for implementation perhaps as early as 2015. Amazon is not alone in evaluating drones as a means to improve its transportation and logistics. The German Deutsche Post is also currently conducting tests. Time will tell whether or not drones will join other […]
Georgia’s Supply Chain Industry Steers the Next Generation of Workers
Today’s global economy is a vast competitive network, challenged by increased government regulation, changing technology, jittery financial markets, and a myriad of niche-specific customer requirements. Baby Boomers, Generation Xers, and early Millennials built this system in the 1980s and ’90s, but as they retire it is vital to groom a new generation to pass their […]
Networked Track Sensors Keep Rails and Workers Safe
The current state of rail integrity and safety is a critical issue for logistics managers who increasingly rely on intermodal transportation. Intermodal rail traffic has significantly increased during the past two decades, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. In addition to increased rail traffic, aging infrastructure complicate intermodal shipping. In 2011, the Federal Railroad […]
The Power of Demand-Driven
The inbound logistics concept has a lot of pull in today’s marketplace—and for good reason. Consignees want control. Having visibility to product and processes at different supply chain touch points empowers you to make smart decisions about positioning and moving inventory. Companies embrace this enthusiasm for demand-driven practices in countless ways. For example, some importers […]
Tapping Social Media to Power Your Supply Chain
Social media provides a platform for companies to share knowledge and opinions, and broadcast information to an audience of followers. It also generates valuable data about how your customers think, shop, vote, and spend their leisure time. Many companies have jumped into social media to improve supply chain operations. Cindi Hane, vice president of technical […]
Bob Kalland Knows the Drill
Bob Kalland is inventory and logistics manager for Atlas Copco Mining and Rock (MR) Excavation, located in Commerce City, Colo. The company is a unit of Atlas Copco, a Swedish manufacturer of industrial tooling and equipment. He has held this position since 2011. Responsibilities: Managing all inventory and logistics for the MR business. Experience: Inventory […]
Trends—April 2014
Shopping for Retail Trends The National Retail Federation (NRF) drew a record 30,000-plus attendees to its January 2014 BIG Apple Conference to "touch and feel" the latest hot trends and innovations in the retail industry. For some attendees, like Mark Ledbetter, global vice president for SAP Retail, the reality is even more compelling. Ledbetter, who […]
Global Logistics—April 2014
U.S. Creates ‘Single Window’ for Import/Export Data Transmission The U.S. government has always been light years behind the private sector in technology innovation and implementation. So President Barack Obama’s executive order to streamline U.S. import and export documentation shines a ray of light on the trade community as the government emerges from the Dark Ages […]
Plan Better Truck Routes: Long-range Itinerary Generation Enhances Operations
Not so long ago, route planning, fleet optimization, and driver allocation relied almost exclusively on the guile, instincts, and experience of operations managers and dispatch personnel. Long-range forecasting was theoretical at best. The tools used static data, and couldn’t handle the inevitable adjustments required by the dynamics of day-to-day operations. This is changing fast. While […]
Fusing Big Data and the Supply Chain: The Future is NOW
Only 8% of shippers and 5% of 3PLs surveyed have implemented Big Data initiatives involving the supply chain, according to the 2014 18th Annual Third-Party Logistics Study produced by Dr. C. John Langley and Capgemini Consulting. Conversely, nearly all shippers and third-party logistics providers believe Big Data is vital in future 3PL efforts to help […]
Invest in Productivity
Start with what I consider low-hanging fruit—any investment in productivity that pays for itself in less than one year. Think about that return: 100 percent in one year. If you bought a portfolio of stocks and it went up 15 percent in one year, you would be a savvy investor. Earn 20 to 30 percent, […]
Access to Reliable Transportation Regardless of Transportation Market Conditions
Over the past 25 years I’ve been in Supply Chain, I’ve come to the realization transportation rates are difficult to forecast due to elastic variables (perceived or real) in the supply chain. Depending upon your role and point of view, rates could increase by low single digits or double digits over the next year. You […]
Automating Key Steps to Strategically Optimize Inbound Supply Chains
The increasing growth and complexity of global trade means organizations must work with a range of partners, suppliers and functional teams within the organization. Best in class companies use a variety of global trade automation tools to lower inbound costs and improve processes. According to a recent AberdeenGroup report, "Strategic Inbound Optimization: Foreign Trade Zones […]
Laying the Foundation For a Long-Term 3PL Partnership
Many companies start working with a third-party logistics (3PL) provider to fix an isolated problem at the lowest possible cost. Unfortunately, these relationships are often short-lived and serve only to fill an operational gap. But thoughtfully planned 3PL partnerships can produce invaluable results using a long-term approach that focuses on sustainable operational gains, rather than […]
Streamlining Inventory Through SKU Rationalization
While supply chain and logistics managers pursuing Lean operations generally seek to eliminate excess inventory, sales and marketing programs often lead companies to increase the volume of products they keep in stock. During the past few decades, the number of stockkeeping units (SKUs) retailers offer has soared. For example, in 1970, the average grocery store […]
Leveraging Big Data
Think big – but start small – when mining big data to propel your supply chain forward.
2014 Top 100 Logistics IT Providers
Information is power. Inbound Logistics’ annual logistics IT research survey uncovers the latest trends powering the supply chain, and reveals the Top 100 sector leaders.
Connect, Secure, and Manage the Supply Chain
Q: How are transport and logistics firms using mobility to improve employee engagement? A: Mobility once meant giving each driver a cell phone. Today, however, connected devices with communication applications allow drivers to get news and road updates, connect with family, and do business anywhere and anytime. By accessing training programs while waiting for a […]
Maximizing the Benefits of Your TMS
Q: What are the best ways to get the full benefit of a transportation management system (TMS)? A: First, work with your solution provider to configure the system to meet your unique requirements and workflow, and to automate managing your transportation network. A system you can implement quickly and that meets your requirements enables you […]
Accessible Capital, Trustworthy Partners Key to Managing Freight Costs
Q: What is the key to managing freight spend in today’s environment? A: In addition to the slow growth economy, the transportation industry has been hit with significant economic and industry challenges, including increasing regulations, driver shortages, fluctuating fuel costs, and a tight credit environment. Carrier costs are going up—costs that will likely get passed […]
The Fundamentals of Successful Value Chain Partnerships
Q: How can value chain partners cooperate to create and share efficiencies? A: With an unprecedented global reach, access to new markets, increased regulation, and huge advances in technology, today’s supply chain environment is more complex than ever. Coupled with increasing customer demands for speed, flexibility, cost efficiency, quality, and customization, it is very difficult […]
Big Data Tools Enable Predictive and Prescriptive Analytics
Q: What is different in transportation technology today compared to five years ago? A: Two words: big data. It has become significantly less expensive in the past five years to store and analyze large amounts of data. Due to these decreased costs, companies can now afford to use data to gain additional insight into their […]
Get Real: What ROI to Expect from Your TMS Implementation
Q: Transportation management system (TMS) solution providers routinely claim their automation tools will deliver cost savings as high as 25 to 30 percent of annual transportation spend. Is this accurate? A: Sales representatives have a tendency to oversell things in their pursuit of new clients. This is problematic for the industry because it discredits TMS […]
Avoiding Pitfalls to TMS Implementation
Q: What can go wrong when launching a transportation management system (TMS)? A: Implementing a TMS is a proven way to reduce cost and gain control of your organization’s transportation expenses. Yet many companies implement systems only to fall short of the return on investment (ROI) they expected. Sometimes the problem stems from failure to […]
Untangling the Complications of Free Trade Agreements
Q: Why should companies consider trade agreements when looking to find the best sourcing option? A: Companies need to factor into their sourcing decisions the opportunities provided by free trade agreements if they are to truly reduce lead times and take advantage of cost savings available throughout their supply chain. By incorporating trade agreements into […]
Keys to Developing Strong Supply Chain Partnerships
Q: How can value chain partners collaborate to enhance performance and efficiencies? A: Collaboration among supply chain partners can improve supply chain performance, create new capabilities, and increase efficiencies. Meeting to review performance objectives helps build stronger partnerships based on definable measurements and greater transparency, and encourages more effective supply chain practices. Part of this […]
Efficient and Compliant Hazmat Shipping: Today You Can Have Both
Q: What are the common hazmat violations, and what are the consequences for shippers and carriers? A: In the United States, both the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulate hazardous material (or dangerous goods) transportation. Penalties can range from a few thousand dollars to more than one million dollars, and […]
Shipment Monitoring Technology: Picking Up the Signals
From basic to complex, tracking devices give shippers the power to locate and secure cargo at any point in the supply chain.
Cold Storage: Optimization by Degrees
As the food industry gets a taste of rising prices, fluctuating energy costs, and new regulations, shippers develop a growing appetite for 3PLs and refrigerated public warehouses to help drive greater efficiency inside the four walls.
Protecting High-Value Cargo: A Sense of Security
When moving one-of-a-kind artwork, luxury items, and high-priced electronics, call in the cargo cops. That’s a 10-4.
Heading North: Navigating Alaska’s Supply Chain
The road to success in the Last Frontier is paved with logistics demands and challenges.
A New Spin on Global Trade
Some important trends shaping global logistics and supply chain activity may not get the wide coverage they deserve. Sure, plenty of analysis and commentary point to the usual—changing economies and currency values impacting supply lines, nearshoring and reshoring, burgeoning consumer markets affording growth opportunities to those with agile enterprises and flexible supply chains, and lane-altering […]
Selecting a Bar-code Scanning System
Bar-code tools can rapidly streamline inventory processing, but choosing the proper system requires examining the current technology, understanding the types of providers, and reviewing internal processes to match needs with a solution. Brian Sutter, director of marketing at Wasp Barcode Technologies, offers these tips for navigating the process. 1. Take a test drive. Training staff […]
Ax Torres: Plowing Ahead
Ax Torres is outbound shipping supervisor at AGCO Corporation, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of agricultural machinery. Based at the AGCO Parts Division in Batavia, Ill., he has worked in this position since 2013. Responsibilities: Supervise outbound processing and shipping of parts; monitor warehouse functions and supervise materials handling operators; work with carrier procurement […]
Trends—March 2014
Is the Jones Act Worth its Salt? A briny tale about a man named Jones, complete with international intrigue, American protectionism, twisted truths, and misplaced blame unfolded recently when a 40,000-ton shipment of road salt bound for New Jersey got waylaid in Searsport, Maine. The man in question is Wesley Jones, the U.S. senator from […]
Global Logistics—March 2014
Dutch, Belgian Ports Launch Single Information System Dutch and Belgian port authorities implemented a single cross-border port information system for vessels entering the Zeeland Seaports in Vlissingen and Terneuzen (Netherlands)—which are situated where the Ghent-Terneuzen Canal meets the North Sea— and the Port of Ghent (Belgium), located 36 miles farther inland. Ships that sail into […]
The Benefits of Using a Foreign Trade Zone
From large manufacturers to individuals, any size importer or exporter can take advantage of a foreign-trade zone (FTZ). However, many companies are unaware of the sizeable cost savings and other benefits they can achieve by taking advantage of an FTZ program. Utilizing an FTZ can significantly reduce costs from customs duties, taxes and tariffs; improve […]
5 Lift Truck Innovations That Will Change Your Warehouse
New developments affect the lift truck market every day, and it’s only a matter of time before you’ll see these features and tools in your own warehouse. Here are five lift truck innovations worth knowing about. Device mounts. When warehouse managers first tried using tablet computers and other inventory devices on lift trucks, it didn’t […]
5 Steps for Improving Your Logistics Training
Training is often viewed as an employee benefit, rather than an investment in the business. That’s why in difficult economic times, training and employee development are among the first budget items to go. To avoid these cuts, you must align educational programs with your company’s business objectives, and position them to drive results. Here are […]
How to Profit from Outsourcing
More companies outsource the reverse logistics function than any other part of the supply chain. In fact, most Fortune 1000 retailers and consumer goods manufacturers outsource part or all of their reverse logistics processes, and experts expect this trend to continue growing globally over the next 20 years. Why do companies such as Walmart, Dell, […]
A Strategic Approach to Strengthening Supply Chains
Q: What is a leveraged platform? A: A leveraged platform means a logistics service provider employs the same best practices to manage its own supply chain needs as it does for its client base. Benefits to shippers include mode optimization and greater usage of co-load products, as well as intermodal conversion from truckload (TL), or […]
Global Trade in the Key of GTM
When orchestrating international shipments, global trade management solutions help trading partners sing the same tune.
Steering Clear of Supply Chain Disruptions
No one knows whether the 2014 U.S. West Coast port labor negotiations will go smoothly or result in import and export traffic disruptions. Evaluate your supply chain now and implement contingency plans to avoid trouble later.
Georgia: Logistics Sweet Spot
Many elements make The Peach State appealing to site selection teams. But the seeds of its success are firmly planted in its logistics assets.
Finding Cost Savings: It’s the Whole Package
Looking at packaging and freight costs together boxes up logistics and transportation efficiencies.
E-Commerce DC Site Selection: Connecting the Dots
Online and omni-channel retailers set their sites on distribution network optimization, picking fulfillment locations that suit shifting consumer demand.
Cloud-based System Furnishes Supply Chain Visibility
Faced with long lead times and potential production delays, Badcock Home Furniture & More sets the table for supply chain efficiency with a cloud-based global logistics solution.
Benchmarking Career Development
When a professional discipline evolves at hyper speed, career development follows. But actually, it should lead. Keeping up with change—often precipitated by new generations of talent, innovation, and technological know-how—instinctively raises expectations, and inspires personal growth and enrichment. That’s particularly true of supply chain management. In a literal sense, learning on the job is part […]
Boosting Warehouse Productivity
Achieving warehouse productivity goals such as reducing picking times and increasing throughput rates can be challenging. Chris Castaldi, director of business development at Carlstadt, N.J.-based materials handling systems integrator W&H Systems, offers these tips for improving warehouse productivity. 1. Use automated picking operations. Pick-to-voice or pick-to-light systems speed picking and reduce errors by quickly providing […]
Jason Shefrin: Asset-Light, By Design
Jason Shefrin is executive vice president, global sourcing, at InterDesign Inc., a major designer and producer of housewares and home fashions. He has worked for the Solon, Ohio-based firm since 2011. Responsibilities: Product development, quality assurance, vendor management, global supply chain operations, logistics and transportation management. Experience: Senior consultant, Cleveland Consulting Associates (CSC Consulting); founding […]
Trends—February 2014
Canadian Pacific: All Aboard the Profit Train Canadian Pacific Railway‘s renaissance under the tutelage of CEO Hunter Harrison continues unabated. After the veteran railroader’s first full year in charge, the Calgary, Alberta-based railroad posted high-water marks in 2013—despite disruptive spring floods . Canadian Pacific reported total record revenue of $6.1 billion in 2013, with net […]
Global—February 2014
Serving Returning Customers In a fickle economy, retailers want consumers to be less discreet about their discretionary spending. One way they can encourage that is to make it easier for customers to return impulse buys or unwanted holiday gifts. But returns can add significant costs, especially when it involves cross-border business. Take, for example, online […]
Scaling Supply Chain Partnerships
Partnerships are an interesting phenomenon in business. It astounds me that so many companies look for partnerships to remain static over time, even as market conditions change. Partnerships can’t maintain a status quo, regardless of the industry. They need to evolve. Scaling your supply chain can trigger some significant adjustments in the requirements of nature […]
How the Changing Chassis Market Affects Your Supply Chain
The change in marine chassis provisioning continues to be of concern to maritime shippers, thanks to a long-term trend of separating ocean transportation from inland logistics. That trend began in the mid-2000s, when carriers limited the inland destinations they would serve. As ocean carriers are disintermediated from the market, chassis users and providers will develop […]
Collaborative Programs: Not a Chore But an Opportunity
Many corporate executives view the supply chain and logistics function as a source of savings through cost reduction. Their position is understandable, as supply chain and logistics costs can represent 50 to 70 percent of a company’s sales dollars. Making these operations more efficient and effective can have a great impact on the bottom line. […]
Using Operational Analytics to Achieve a Digitized, Visible Supply Chain
To assure a succcessful future, companies must add value to their customers and organizations, and drive competitive advantage. The best way to achieve this is by developing a system based on operational analytics. Operational analytics come from analyses done on the fly as part of standard business processes. Planning, inventory management, and control are examples […]
Career Solutions: Certifiably Savvy
Want to stand out from the crowd and take your supply chain career to the next level without pursuing a full academic degree? A certification or certificate program might help you make the cut.
Managing Retail Returns: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Retailers have to cope with all kinds of returns—from apparel that just didn’t suit the customer, to expired products that are no longer saleable, to recalls endangering public safety. Here’s how retailers handle this range of returned goods to recover maximum value.
Cosmetics Logistics: The Beauty of an Optimized Supply Chain
Makeup and skin care companies follow a multi-step logistics routine to manage retailer requirements and smooth the wrinkles caused by supply and demand friction.
Same Day Delivery: The Amazing Race
The same-day delivery race puts crowdsourcing, bicycles, and delivery vans on the same team.
Site Selection: Follow the Signs to Competitive Advantage
The ideal combination of logistics and business assets points manufacturing and distribution site selection decisions in the right direction.
The New 3PL Partnership: More Bang for Your Buck
Sure, third-party logistics providers will tune your transportation transactions. But their real value lies in strategic relationships that optimize your entire enterprise.
Cross-Border Trade: Made in Mexico
Got the nearshoring bug? Here are the challenges, benefits, and secrets to success for manufacturing south of the border.
Cargo Security: Protecting the Supply Chain
Whether on a truck, in a warehouse, or at a port, your shipments are vulnerable to theft. Learn how to reduce that risk and keep your valuable cargo safe.
Materials Handling Meets Big Data
By studying warehouse equipment and labor performance data, you can help your operations achieve top marks for productivity, safety, and equipment utilization.
7 Steps to Selecting a WMS
In the market for a warehouse management system? The right solution can help improve order fulfillment, boost inventory visibility, and automate data collection. Follow these simple steps for choosing a WMS, and you’ll soon be on your way to an optimized warehouse operation.
Inbound Logistics Winter Reading Guide 2014
If the polar vortex makes you want to hibernate, wake up your supply chain knowledge with the latest books by industry experts. Best practices and insights on everything from demand-driven processes to global logistics strategies will get you ready to spring into action.
Automotive Logistics: The Upside of Resiliency
Assembling supply chains that are both lean and resilient helps carmakers steer through risks and disruptions without taking a hit.
The Direct Sales Supply Chain: Where There’s a Will There’s Amway
George Calvert, chief supply chain and R&D officer for Amway, calls on Inbound Logistics to talk about the direct sales business and how Amway’s supply chain is adapting to globalization, new technology, and changing consumer behavior.
Controlling Costs in the Healthcare Supply Chain
Increasing regulation, supply chain inefficiency, and product security concerns plague healthcare companies already crippled by rising costs. Treating the ailments with high-tech tools and optimized logistics provides relief.
Aerospace Logistics: Building for Growth
Supply chain improvements, and specialized service providers, keep the aerospace industry flying high.
Perishable Logistics: Cold Chain on a Plane
Careful planning for perishable air cargo helps shippers keep their cool.
Risk Mitigation: Supply Chain Safety Net
Meeting demand without overinvesting in safety stock can be a real balancing act. Risk mitigation strategies protect shippers from landing hard when supply chain disruptions occur.
Setting the E-Commerce Gold Standard
As chief supply chain officer for flash sales superstar Gilt, Chris Halkyard’s bright idea to optimize the company’s DC network helped spark supply chain efficiency gains.
FTZ Basics and Benefits
Foreign Trade Zones can help global shippers maximize savings and minimize operational costs. Speeding customs clearance and eliminating paperwork seals the deal.
Rail Trends Recap: Shared Strategies, Mixed Signals
From growing pains to safety to regulation, the rail industry will cross many challenges in the year ahead, and they all affect shippers. Inbound Logistics brings you aboard with Rail Trends conference coverage.
Reader Profile Reunion: Where Are They Now? 2014 Edition
Inbound Logistics checks back with some of the supply chain professionals we’ve introduced over the years in our Reader Profile column. Enjoy this visit with four old friends, each of whom has moved on to new supply chain adventures.
Weathering Climate Change and Supply Chain Risk
Companies have become more aware than ever of the considerable risks that climate change poses to their businesses and supply chains. A current or future risk related to climate change was identified by 70 percent of the 2,500 companies responding to Reducing Risk and Driving Business Value, a 2012 survey conducted by the Carbon Disclosure […]
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.
Drafting a New Route Planning System
Molson Coors Canada’s new delivery planning system taps routing, pallet building, and truck loading functionality to optimize shipment flow.
DSW Tries On New SKUs and Stocks
Shoe retailer DSW pairs a new replenishment system with an automated materials handling solution to step up inventory control.
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 […]
Looking for One Logistics Partner That Does Everything with Excellence?
An Enterprise Logistics Provider Delivers Holistic Solutions that Transform Your Business.
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 […]
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.
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 […]
How 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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]