How to Negotiate Ocean Carrier Contracts
MORE TO THE STORY: WHEN YOU APPROACH THE TABLE What you put into contract negotiations dictates what you get in return. So begin by putting together a prospectus of your industry and your company and where it is moving—with input from all departments and levels of management within the extended enterprise. Assess and understand where […]
How to Drive Excellence in Food Service
MORE TO THE STORY: FOOD LOGISTICS EXCELLENCE A LA CARTE Concerns over food product safety and integrity have ramped up efforts in the food supply chain to improve service, efficiency, and transparency—despite already robust regulatory oversight. Picking up and delivering shipments on time with no claims is the expectation among food service companies. Service is […]
How to Capitalize on Importer Security Filing (10+2)
MORE TO THE STORY: MAKE 10+2 WORK FOR YOU Sometimes opportunities present themselves in the unlikeliest places—in the bureaucracy of Customs compliance, for example. When U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) introduced the idea of Importer Security Filing (10+2) early in 2008, many global shippers and consignees greeted the proposal with reservations. The mandate requires […]
How to Gain Supply Chain Visibility
MORE TO THE STORY: 6 STEPS TO SUPPLY CHAIN ENLIGHTENMENT If there is one buzzword that continues to define supply chain management, itπs visibility. Everyone wants it but few seem to ever approach true nirvana. Part of the difficulty in this endless search for total insight and control is that companies have different interpretations of […]
Global Logistics-Nov
In a move that will get CN a little closer to its customers, the Montreal-based Class I is acquiring three principal railway subsidiaries of the Quebec Railway Corp. (QRC) and a QRC rail-freight ferry operation. The purchase comprises 540 track miles of rail line CN formerly owned in eastern Ontario, eastern Quebec, and northern New […]
Global Logistics-Nov 2008
In a move that will get CN a little closer to its customers, the Montreal-based Class I is acquiring three principal railway subsidiaries of the Quebec Railway Corp. (QRC) and a QRC rail-freight ferry operation. The purchase comprises 540 track miles of rail line CN formerly owned in eastern Ontario, eastern Quebec, and northern New […]
Trends-November 2008
Outsourcing demands spin third-party logistics providers in countless directions, a reality manifest in the array of value-added services today’s players bring to the market. Look no further than where 3PLs have evolved from—warehousing, transportation, forwarding, freight payment, truck lease, chemical, automotive, electronics—and the level of complexity, breadth of resources, and geographic scope they now wield. […]
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 […]
Can 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 […]
Community 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 […]
Boeing, 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 […]
Making a Commitment To Supply Chain Quality
Wedding jewelry manufacturer Benchmark ties the knot with a software tool that marries forecasting and inventory control.
Maritime Logistics: Staying Afloat
Ocean carriers toss out lifelines to help shippers navigate economic riptides.
New 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 […]
Pacific 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.
Memphis: 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.
Great 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.
James 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 […]
Diagnosing 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 […]
Hazmat 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 […]
Distribution by the Book
Automated routing helps Scholastic Book Fairs turn the page on inefficiency..
Global 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 […]
Trends-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 […]
Importing Food Safely
With recent incidents of food contamination making headline news, tracking the food supply chain has never been more important. Here are some tips on ensuring food import safety and accountability from Michael Lahar, food and drug administration team leader for A.N. Deringer Inc., a St. Alban’s, Vt.-based third-party logistics provider. 1. Verify your trading partners […]
Real-Time Location Systems Cover Your Assets
The ability to track assets in a broad geographic area, typically outdoors, is key to transportation management. Satellite and cellular network-based technologies are often used for real-time asset tracking outdoors. But to track assets indoors—in factories, warehouses, or other controlled environments—Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and cellular-based systems lack sufficient signal strength. Alternative techniques employing low-cost […]
Urban Outfitters Sales Into the Wind
Urban Outfitters struts its stuff through aggressive growth, a unique customer perspective, and a supply chain that pulls it all together.
The Short Loop is Better
Suppose, for some unknown reason, the hot/cold water valves for your shower were installed in the basement, next to the water heater. When you wanted to take a shower, you’d have to go to the basement, turn the water on, then walk upstairs to the bathroom. If you needed to adjust the water temperature or […]
Ground Tactics: Optimizing Transportation Networks
Battle-weary shippers design strategic networks to withstand market challenges.
Trucking Perspectives 2008
Our annual Motor Freight Market Insight Survey provides an in-depth look at the trucking sector. Motor carriers and Inbound Logistics readers address growth areas and obstacles.
Freight Payment Services: Dollars & Sense
Freight payment services are no longer just about paying your carriers quickly. Today’s freight payment service providers have expanded their portfolios to offer an array of cost-cutting, productivity, and efficiency benefits.
Purchasing Managers: Shop Talk
Purchasing managers juggle a To-Do list of stressful, business-critical tasks—from striking the best deals to projecting demand to staying abreast of financial and political changes worldwide. Listen in as four purchasing managers chat about challenges and shoot the breeze on strategy.
Steve Schad: Navigating a Career in Supply Chain Management
As a college student studying business management, Steve Schad thought a lot about links, but not the ones in the supply chain. “I thought I’d be on the PGA tour,” says this avid golfer. “But that didn’t work out.” What did work out was a 30-year career in supply chain management and operations. And for […]
A Behind-the-Screens Look at Air Cargo
Q: I am an air consolidator and arrange to ship cargo to domestic and international destinations. I understand that the Transportation Security Administration is developing a system to subject 100 percent of domestic and international cargo to security screening. Are you familiar with this initiative, and how will it affect my operations? A: Last year, […]
Keeping Our Heads Above Water
Water is one of the world’s biggest challenges. There is plenty of it, but it is often in the wrong place (favored industrialized nations), at the wrong time (a hurricane or flood), and in the wrong form (polluted or invaded by salt). Poor logistics, supply chain, and financial management, with some political issues thrown in, […]
Cultivating Healthy Carrier Relationships
Developing robust relationships with your carriers can be challenging, but it’s essential to establishing well-defined expectations. Capacity shortages and other carrier-related service issues will inevitably occur, so you and your carriers must work together to sustain a mutually beneficial relationship when times get tough. The following best practices can help you maximize value within your […]
Global Logistics-September 2008
Building on successful efforts in China, India, and the United Kingdom, FedEx Express is introducing its first domestic offering in Latin America—FedEx Express Nacional. The new service, which debuts Oct. 6, 2008, provides domestic next-business-day shipping, online tracking and tracing, and a money-back guarantee to businesses across Mexico. “Adding domestic service to our portfolio of […]
Trends-September 2008
On Aug. 10, 2008, JDA Software signed a definitive agreement to acquire i2 Technologies for approximately $346 million, uniting two key rivals in the transportation management system (TMS) space. While the implications for current customers won’t become manifest until JDA releases its much-anticipated product roadmap, it is clear that the situation for mid-sized companies seeking […]
Selecting Global Trade Management Software
Looking for guidance on selecting a flexible global trade management software (GTM) package that easily integrates into your supply chain strategy? Here’s some advice from Brian Hodgson, vice president of marketing and business development for Kewill Americas, Marlborough, Mass. 1. Set clear requirements and well-defined scope. Determine, for example, whether you need import or export […]
Customer Service: The Two Percent That Matters Most
Evidence abounds that American industry’s customer service system is broken. For example, 80 percent of companies believe they provide superior customer service – yet only eight percent of their customers report having received superior service, according to a recent Bain & Company survey. A business that is unaware of its customers’ perceptions is headed for […]
E-Commerce Tools Can Speed Ocean Trade
In the days before e-commerce, the only way to orchestrate an ocean container shipment was to call and fax every party to the shipment. This world still exists, but it’s fast being superseded by e-commerce tools that free shippers to manage supply chain risk and efficiently serve customers instead of chasing down details and coping […]
All the Low-Hanging Fruit Have Not Yet Been Picked
Many retail logistics practitioners who are good at their jobs will swear to you that all the low-hanging fruit on their optimized logistics tree has already been picked. Sure, one way to face today’s challenges is to cut transportation and logistics costs. But what’s hanging on the other side of the tree in the orchard […]
Put-to-Light Loves lucy
A new put-to-light system keeps women’s activewear provider lucy on the go.
Retail Logistics: Open for Renovation
Retailers are deploying a number of survival strategies and tactics to cope with the U.S. economic downturn.
Fast Food Logistics: Having it Your Way
Variety and freshness are paramount to keeping fast-food customers hungry for more and supply lines and inventory ripe and ready for change. Fast-food chains look to logistics service providers with a similar craving for made-to-order selectivity, quality, and service—all at an affordable cost.
Snapshot–Food Logistics: A Lineup of Challenges
With safety and recalls, sustainability, rising costs, and infrastructure improvements the usual suspects, food companies investigate strategies for locking down supply chain management efficiencies.
Shawn Surber: Going Whole Hog
Farmers feed the world, and Shawn Surber moves the feed. As logistics manager for Premier Feeds in Wilmington, Ohio, Surber coordinates ingredient flow into three feed plants and product delivery to distributors and farmers in his region. He manages a 26-truck fleet, occasionally hopping into the driver’s seat himself. When needed, he also lends a […]
Inventions Light the Way
The public knows Thomas Edison as the man who invented the light bulb. But what Edison really invented was a system for generating and distributing electricity into cities, and eventually into rural communities. This was a gigantic and, at the time, novel undertaking. In our industry, Malcom McLean is recognized for inventing the shipping container. […]
For Your Eyes Only: Safeguarding EDI File Data
We all want the convenience of sharing information seamlessly across departments and business partners. To eliminate cumbersome manual processes, manufacturers share Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) documents—such as shipping notices and purchase orders—with 3PLs, sourcing companies, expeditors, and freight forwarders so that these parties have the information they need. EDI documents bring manufacturers added convenience and […]
Painting a Picture Of Private Fleet Profit
Sherwin-Williams’ private fleet integrates its dispatch system with PeopleNet to brush up on efficiency.
Trends-August 2008
West Coast ports have endured their fair share of growing pains lately, what with congestion and capacity recurring quandaries for stateside shippers and consignees. Still, the ports are moving forward with efforts to increase throughput efficiency by spreading existing traffic across more hours and optimizing valuable port assets. PierPASS’ OffPeak program, for example, has diverted […]
Global Logistics-August 2008
Logistics service providers are no strangers to handling mission-critical projects. So when natural disasters strike, they serve an important role helping first responders and humanitarian relief agencies bring food and supplies to those in need. They may also bank some valuable experience for helping commercial shippers manage their own supply chain adversities. Cyclone Nargis, which […]
How to Request 3PL Proposals
Thoroughness and honesty are the keys to a successful 3PL request for proposal (RFP) bid process, according to Will O’Shea, chief sales and marketing officer for Atlanta, Ga.-based logistics provider 3PD Inc. Here are his tips for getting the best results from your 3PL RFP. 1. Be selective. If you send out RFPs in a […]
Get Peace of Mind by Choosing the Right LTL Carrier
In the harried world of logistics, selecting a less-than-truckload (LTL) carrier is one of the most important decisions a shipper will make. LTL carriers that know and properly value the variables affecting the cost of goods delivered and the overall customer experience can mean the difference between keeping you satisfied or losing your business. Shippers […]
GTM Technology: Why Not?
Global trade management (GTM) software simplifies trade compliance, provides visibility across the supply chain, and offers effective manufacturing cost sourcing. Yet the international supply chains of large companies are 50 percent automated at best, according to Aberdeen Group. This statistic begs the question: Why aren’t more companies investing in GTM software? Some businesses develop their […]
Change: Count On It
In my 25 years with Inbound Logistics, I can recall few times of such rapid change. One was the dot.com era and the promise that new technology would help us make our logistics networks more efficient and our companies more responsive to customer demands. Another was the advent and meteoric growth of the 3PL segment […]
Supply Chain Bifocalism: Go Short or Long?(Biondo)
When economic times get tight, even the most visionary business logistics managers feel pressure to set strategic goals aside and focus on savings derived from process optimization and operational ROI. Are you balancing strategic with tactical plays as you head down the field to the goal line of supply chain efficiency? Consider these questions: Q: […]
Genetic Engineering
DNA technology provider Applied Biosystems spliced planning and training to create a double helix of WMS success.
3PL Elements: Outsourcing = A Formula for Change
When shippers mix the 3PL elements of expertise, process efficiency, and technology into their supply chain, the results are potent. Eureka! A stronger, more efficient, and cost-effective logistics operation! Step into the logistics lab for a look at how and why outsourcing can give businesses a positive charge.
From the Back Room to the Boardroom: Logistics Gets on the Agenda
Supply chain management is no longer a backroom function. It has secured its place at the boardroom table, and greatly impacts corporate success.
Project Logistics: Mission Possible
Their mission, should they decide to accept it, is to transport sensitive materials around the globe. They’ll grapple with issues of size, time, cost, scheduling, security, and fragility. Failure is not an option. They are project logistics professionals.
Green Packaging: Waste Not, Want Not
By moving beyond conventional packaging methods and materials, companies can reduce their carbon footprints as well as their transportation spend and warehousing costs.
Snapshot: Sewing Up the Apparel Supply Chain
Weak supplier relationships, restrictive trade regulations, and brand counterfeiting can put a wrinkle in garment transport. How do apparel shippers keep from getting tied up in knots.
Fresh Water Rising: Charting Great Lakes Shipping
A once-flourishing means of transportation is poised to not only withstand change, but also thrive on it.
Summer Reading Guide 2008
After you pack the picnic basket with sandwiches, potato salad, and lemonade, toss in one of these interesting summer reads. You’ll quench your appetite and your thirst for supply chain knowledge at the same time.
Growth and Structure of the Third-Party Logistics Industry
In these challenging economic times, it may be difficult to think of industries that achieve meaningful growth irrespective of the economic cycle. Historical trends, however, suggest that the third party logistics (“3PL”) industry has been able to accomplish just that. During the last recession, gross revenues for the domestic industry grew 17.8% from $65.3 billion […]
Determining When to Outsource Supply Chain Management Services
In today’s highly competitive and dynamic global business environment with vastly extended supply chains, companies can often be confused by the many logistics options and sources available to them when seeking to implement a highly visible supply chain management (SCM) solution. Before making a decision on how to best integrate advancing technologies into your company’s […]
Jose Flores: Zooming Right Along
On April 24, 2008, Jose Flores broke a record. That day marked his 45th year at Yamaha Corporation, and with that milestone he became the Japanese company’s longest-serving U.S. employee. Since Flores joined Yamaha in 1963, much of his work has had a strong logistics component. Currently, he’s administration manager in Yamaha Motor Corp. USA’s […]
A Matter of Life and Death
Q: I am a freight forwarder providing a service in which I deliver ISO tanks to my customer, who fills them with hazardous liquids and gas. Once the tanks are filled, I arrange to have them transported from my customer’s facility to their destination, usually in a foreign country. I recently read about a case […]
Fuel for Thought
The current fuel-cost crisis has U.S. truckers caught between a rock and a hard place. Any solution comes with a complex price tag, and has to reflect the common good. But who knows what the solution is? In March 2008, Americans drove 11 billion miles fewer than they did in March 2007, the largest drop […]
Revving the Procurement Engine
A high-powered search tool steers Harris Corporation’s engineers through immense volumes of data to locate top-value product components.
Incoterms Let Importers Control Their Destiny
Global import and export merchandise trade is currently valued at nearly $12 trillion, according to the World Trade Organization, some 75 times more than in the mid-1960s. Despite this growth, many companies still use the same trading contract terms and structure that were prevalent decades ago. As a result, importers are missing a major opportunity […]
Trends-July 2008
With Washington abuzz about the fall presidential election, the Federal Reserve dodging rumors of recession-fed inflation, and news outlets awash with images of flood-ravaged Midwest farms and independent truckers protesting rising fuel costs, this year’s annual State of Logistics Report echoed prevailing political and economic circumstances – with some difficult-to-swallow truths, easily digestible speculations, and […]
Global Logistics-July 2008
As European manufacturing capacity gradually migrates to cheaper locations farther east, once-prominent producers such as Germany are filling the economic void by developing transportation, distribution, and logistics capabilities. As a reflection of this shifting dynamic, Ernst & Young’s Location Germany 2008: Germany and Europe—International Manager Assessment report touts Germany as the top investment destination in Western Europe. […]
Managing Expedited Shipments
There are two kinds of expedited shipments: critical and time-sensitive. Knowing the difference between the two and understanding your customers’ supply chains can help you make decisions that translate into cost-effective expedited shipment strategies. Here’s some advice from Greg Humes, president of Detroit-based third-party logistics provider NLM. 1. Hire the right people. Employing a staff […]
3PL or Freight Forwarder: What’s in a Name?
After 30 years in the transportation business, I am still waiting for a clear, simple explanation of the differences between third-party logistics providers (3PLs) and freight forwarders or consolidators. Is 3PL just a fancy name for a freight forwarder, or do they actually provide services that an old-fashioned consolidator does not? Yes, there are differences […]
Airfreight Logistics: Plane and Simple Strategies
Although high fuel costs cloud the view, airfreight forwarders still play a vital role in transportation and supply chain strategies.
IL Exclusive Research:2008 Airfreight Forwarders Perspectives
In a recent survey, Inbound Logistics asked airfreight forwarders how they are expanding their global coverage and services to meet shipper and corporate expectations. Listen in as they air their thoughts.
Learning for Life
Logistics professionals who pursue continuing education keep up with industry innovations and move ahead in their careers.
Chemical Logistics—June 2008
Chemical Supply Chain Comes of Age Chemical shippers now view supply chain management as integral to success. For years chemical supply chain managers have been trying to educate senior management that logistics is not just a line-item cost, but a vital part of the organization, as important as manufacturing and sales. Their mission is far […]
Latin American Logistics: A New World Venture
To distribute its quality writing instruments in Mexico, Pilot Corporation of America relies on its 3PL not just for storage and transportation, but also a competitive edge.
Autumn Bayles: Taking the Cake
Autumn Bayles has a big job, but it’s also a sweet one. Most people who grew up in the mid-Atlantic region know the Tastykake brand as a popular lunchbox staple. Bayles’ employer, the Tasty Baking Company, has been turning out snack-sized cakes and pies under that name in Philadelphia since 1914. During three tough years […]
Our Wiki, Wiki Ways
The best way to move forward in these challenging times is to innovate collaboratively – emphasizing the quality of openness and the values of networked connectivity, shared knowledge, and rapid information exchange. Humanity has generally been successful when “we the people” act in concert – but we didn’t arrive at the “we” factor overnight. Adam […]
Yard Guard
Armed with a powerful visibility tool, Continental Tire North America keeps watch over its trailers.
Trends-June 2008
In light of the recent and sudden news that New Jersey-based LTL trucking company Jevic Transportation terminated operations and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, motor freight carriers will likely find the road noticeably more barren this summer. If the past is any indicator, the industry will be beset by further insolvency as trucking companies continue […]
Boosting Supply Chain Visibility
Improving supply chain visibility is a top priority of companies striving to maximize global operations performance. Nathan Pieri, senior vice president of marketing and product management for East Rutherford, N.J.-based Management Dynamics, a global trade management solutions provider, offers these tips for using technology to increase visibility. 1. Look at the big picture.Make sure your […]
Improving Fleet Management Performance
The nation’s trucks hauled 10.7 billion tons of freight in 2005, according to the American Trucking Associations’ truck tonnage index. This figure represents nearly 70 percent of tonnage, including manufactured and retail goods, carried by all domestic freight transportation modes. Yet many in the trucking industry have been slow to recognize the strategic importance of […]
Four Fast Ways to Cut Transport Spend
Transportation costs have become a bullish line item in virtually every corporate budget. Fuel costs have hit an all-time high and companies’ shipping needs are only becoming more complex. No wonder carriers are raising rates and transportation costs are rising. But the truth is, many companies simply lose control over transportation costs as shipping demands […]
Less Pie in the Sky And More Meat and Potatoes
When asked about the economy, Harry S Truman said he wished for a one-handed economic advisor so he could never say, “on the other hand.” In certain sectors, the economy is bad and likely to get worse. Why? Could it be that the decades without a national energy policy are coming home to roost as […]
A Sorted Tale
A new automated sorter helps AWBC get the right books to the right place and into the hands of eager bookworms.
Warehouse Labor Performance: And the Winner is…Everyone
Looking for award-winning performance incentives for your warehouse workforce? The nominees are: Measuring Productivity Setting Labor Standards Implementing Gainsharing Programs Training Workers for Results Promoting Safe Practices
Getting Lean and Going Green: Innovations in Warehouse Operations
When warehouses and DCs explore innovative ways to optimize flow and reduce waste, the benefits can be bottom-line friendly and eco-friendly, too.
U.S. Economic Development: The Great Divide
When it comes to economic development, there are two Americas — communities that invest in transportation infrastructure and those that don’t. Here are three that do.
Spokane: Hub of the Inland Northwest
Looking for easy access to major U.S. markets? A gateway for international trade free of traffic snarls? Inexpensive utilities and real estate with plenty of room to expand logistics or manufacturing operations? Spokane is just what you’re looking for.
Fred Clark: Just What the Doctor Ordered
In January 2003, Army sergeant Fred Clark was on leave at his home in Fort Hood, Texas, when his colonel called him into the office. Clark, a senior logistician, learned that the Army was moving him to a different unit, which would deploy to Kuwait in 10 days. For 48 hours, Clark and his new […]
Seattle’s Second-Best?
When people think of Seattle, they are reminded of its coffee, salmon, and fir trees. It’s also the hometown of American titans such as UPS, Boeing, and Starbucks. But as these companies grow, and take their operations elsewhere to compete globally, cities such as Seattle are losing a vital part of their economic identity. The […]
Technology Standards Hold the Key to Security
Since the advent of globalization, logisticians have sought a technology that provides real-time tracking of goods, documents, and information across supply chains. Considered a luxury for many years, the development of a Supply Chain Technology Standard (SCTS) has become an operational mandate to meet the need for heightened security. Unfortunately, no single technology creates real-time, […]
Global Logistics-May 2008
The allure of Central America and the Caribbean as a New World for exploration beguiled 16th-century European traders eager to exploit its wealth of natural resources and labor. Today, the region is attracting colonization of a new order and under its own terms—and U.S. trading partners are equally captivated. As China sourcing becomes more complicated, […]
Generating Accurate Global Documentation
Improper documentation can stop import shipments dead in their tracks and you may not even know they are stuck. Beth Peterson, president of BPE Global, offers advice for achieving fast, reliable customs clearance.
Selecting the Right Warehouse Management System
The typical warehouse buzzes with activity every day. Products arrive at the loading docks, forklift drivers shift pallets around the floor, automated retrieval systems pull goods for shipment. Warehouse management systems (WMS) provide tools for keeping track of all that action. Today, dozens of technology vendors – from well-established to relatively new – offer warehouse […]