Rediscovering The Classics, Volume II: Committing to Core Carriers
Romancing lowboys and spread-axle hotshots might not sound appealing, but developing Unconditional relationships with core carriers REAPS long-term advantages. Core carrier programs capitalize on matching a ratio of trucking partners to shipment volumes, based on pre-determined service and pricing coefficients. When the trucking market is squeezed, businesses use these partnerships to find capacity; when demand […]
Rediscovering The Classics, Volume III: Truckload Consolidation
In this classic tale of economy by scale, businesses tackle truckload shipments head-on to capture returns in countless ways. The moral? Don’t count your shipments until they’re matched.
Rediscovering The Classics, Volume IV: Inbound Routing Guides
All the supply chain’s a stage so why not command top billing? When businesses actively enforce inbound routing guides and dictate shipment instructions, efficiencies fall into place and economies run wild. Ensuring vendors comply with your transportation requirements is as simple as putting instructions in writing. That’s why a routing guide is an essential tool […]
Rediscovering The Classics, Volume V: Transloading
In today’s lengthening supply chain, a mode alone is a road less traveled. Businesses shift gearS and mix transportation options to account for fluctuations in capacity and freight costs. When shipments switch track, transloads take center stage. The growing importance of intermodalism in the United States raises the stakes for efficiently managing transportation at key […]
Rediscovering The Classics, Volume VI: Crossdocking
Waste not. Want not. Store not. The shortest and fastest distance between supply and demand is in one door and out another. Enterprises rocking high-velocity crossdocks wield greater power flowing visibility and freight through the supply chain. In a perfect world, inventory would never remain static. Product would flow from manufacture to consumption in a […]
Rediscovering The Classics, Volume VII: Labor Management
Managing labor in dynamic supply chain environments forces businesses to “sense” demand shifts to better match resources to need. It also requires “sensibility” in properly training and incenting employees to be productive, and engaging third-party expertise when internal objectivity is lacking. When companies are in periods of flux—experiencing growth or reduction in business, scaling resources […]
Rediscovering The Classics, Volume VIII: Forklift Utilization
Time is money and in a warehouse the forklift is a time saver and a money guzzler. Companies that pay attention to how they use and maintain their fleets can lift economy and efficiency to new heights. In warehouse and distribution facilities, it doesn’t get more basic than using forklifts to move product around. All […]
Ask The Big Wheels
Inbound Logistics asked seven leading trucking executives to tackle some tough questions about the challenging year ahead. Their advice, words of caution, and strategic vision can help you face the challenges of using motor freight in the short term and beyond.
Channel Surfing
Click…Click…Click…. Consumers’ short attention spans demand greater shopping flexibility. For some retailers, that means it’s time to flip the supply chain processes behind their sales channels.
How’d That Get On My Plate
With a nod to the Food Network, and a toast to the Chef, join us as we cut from the table and go straight to the source.
A Day in the Life of a Transportation Manager
Spend some time with the professionals who get business in gear.
Business Guide to Tax Evasion — relax…it’s perfectly legal!
Companies can avoid import duties and other fees by shipping through and manufacturing in a Foreign Trade Zone.
Growing Together
It only takes a brief look at how quickly global economic dominoes fell in unison recently to understand that national economies are more inter-related than ever before. The trading bloc in our hemisphere—NAFTA—is as good an example as any, and one worth probing deeper. It has been more than 15 years since the United States, […]
Captains Of Industry
When Don Dickey retired from the U.S. Navy after a 25-year stint with its Supply Corps, he knew he wanted to do something different. That was, after all, what his Navy experience prepared him for: doing something different at the drop of a hat, every day. Since leaving the Navy in the mid-1990s, Dickey has […]
Supply Chain Visibility: Now You See It
The more transparent the supply chain, the more easily you can spot ways to squeeze value from your operational data.
Snapshot: Entertainment Logistics
Kelly Clarkson’s first album sold four million copies. Her second exploded with 12 million. The third moved an anemic two million. Then four songs for her fourth album were stolen pre-release, and circulated by a hacker who penetrated her co-writer’s Web site. For a musician that may be show business, but for a supply chain […]
A Slice of Time for Logistics
As the global economy shrinks and slows down, manufacturers, suppliers, retailers, and merchandisers have to squeeze every ounce of efficiency from their operations. In the rush to cut costs, however, they sometimes overlook the impact that time has on the ability to sell more products or to be more efficient. Time is a precious commodity […]
Jennifer Hughey: Cleaning Up
Jennifer Hughey wasn’t looking for a career in logistics. But somehow, it sucked her in. In 2003, Hughey was senior finance manager at Whirlpool Corp. when her former boss, Dan Clifford, recruited her to join him at The Eureka Company. Clifford, president of Eureka, now called Electrolux Home Care Products North America, wanted Hughey to […]
Facing the Challenges Ahead
During the past year, global events created new concerns for logistics operators. For some, finding insurance coverage has become increasingly difficult, as insurance companies need to balance the likelihood of a significant loss against the prospect of recovering their payout—a trying task in times of financial uncertainty. Purchasing insurance may well become costlier in the […]
Who Will Strike the New Golden Spike?
When U.S. railroads first managed to connect from East to West, crews drove a golden spike to commemorate the completion of our first transcontinental railway. It happened at Promontory Summit, Utah, in 1869, soon after the Civil War ended. The iconic photograph of Union Pacific’s No. 119 and Central Pacific’s Jupiter No. 60 meeting face […]
High-Stakes Handling: Bally Hits the WMS Jackpot
Unwilling to gamble on warehouse operations, slot machine manufacturer Bally Technologies invested in a sure thing: a new WMS and data collection hardware.
Why You Don’t Want an Obedient 3PL
What is an obedient third-party logistics provider (3PL)? It is one that doesn’t share responsibility for its customers’ success and simply does what it is told. It keeps quiet when it knows the shipper’s request is misguided, and doesn’t offer new ideas for re-thinking project goals. When a shipper views its 3PL simply as a […]
VR Training Combats Trucking Industry’s Critical Driver Shortage
To many of us, truck driving and virtual reality (VR) using simulation are at the opposite end of the technology spectrum. However, VR using proper simulation is the solution to a major problem that exists in the world of trucking and freight movement. That problem is replacing the professional drivers who are retiring. We will […]
Global Logistics-January 2009
It’s not easy gold-mining new business prospects offshore. For small companies without the capital, resources, and partners to survey the globe, stake a claim, and dig in, making cultural inroads and chasing business contacts presents a challenge. FedEx knows a thing or two about spanning the world and helping small and medium-size businesses (SMBs) expand […]
Green Shipping: Taking it Portside
Ports play an important role in reducing the global carbon footprint of maritime shipping, says a new report by the International Transport Forum (ITF). Greenhouse gas emissions from shipping currently represent around 2.6 percent of total global emissions. Without reduction measures, this share could more than triple by 2050. The International Maritime Organization has set […]
Gen Z Shifts Operations Into Hyperdrive
The transition to an autonomous supply chain is underway as Gen Z enters the workforce. Leaders should look to hire Gen Zers and consider these steps when digitizing, says a Gartner report: Automation: Identify and automate all repetitive, non-value-added tasks, like procure-to-pay and customer claim management. Robotic process automation is the primary technology for this. […]
Choosing Voice-Directed Technology
Voice-based warehousing can result in high productivity and accuracy rates, safe working conditions, and a boost in worker morale. It can also have a positive impact on your organization’s bottom line. Paul Lightfoot, CEO and president of Rockaway, N.J.-based solutions provider AL Systems Inc., offers advice for selecting a voice-directed technology vendor. 1. Analyze your […]
Establishing a Successful Industrial Park
Despite a rocky start, the North Carolina Global TransPark (GTP), a state managed and financed multi-modal transportation park, is thriving today. Conceived 20 years ago as an aviation-centered global assembly and distribution point, the 2,400-acre business park, located in the state’s southeastern quadrant near Kinston, encountered its share of problems before landing its first significant […]
Do Your Logistics Partners Value Customer Service?
The most dreaded phrase in the English language just might be: “Please hold for the next available operator.” Good customer service experiences have become few and far between, with more companies either entrusting their customer outreach to computerized voice-prompted systems, or worse, outsourcing to call centers that have little knowledge about the companies they represent. […]
Macro? No, Micro Economics
“The economy is bad so we’d better make cuts that hurt customer service.” OK, no business would set out with this goal, but often the results are the same. And the consequences of poor service in today’s economic climate are irrevocable. While the macro economic news is bad, customer service is all about managing micro […]
Hospital Logistics Gets a Check-Up
Symptoms such as erratic billing rates, supply closet vertigo, and constricted inventory flow have healthcare facilities diagnosing better supply chain management as the cure for what ails them. To improve their condition, they’ll need help from suppliers and service providers.
Customer Service Gets Personal
MORE TO THE STORY: SERVICE BY EXCEPTION Businesses today face the unenviable task of reducing supply chain costs while increasing front-facing service to end customers. Technology and automation help integrate and expedite service, but they don’t allay the problems and emotions—good, bad, and indifferent—that befall poor execution or unforeseeable exceptions. The business-to-consumer universe is rife […]
Standing out in the Crowd
Whether you’re a rookie warehouse operator, a mid-level transportation manager, or a veteran logistician, industry associations can help you make a name for yourself.
Charles Graffeo, Sr.: Wake Up and Smell the Coffee
Coffee drinkers in certain regions of the South should raise their cups in salute to Charles Graffeo, Sr. At Community Coffee Company in Baton Rouge, La., Graffeo is responsible for the whole process chain—purchasing, logistics, manufacturing, and distribution—that takes coffee from bean to cup. Graffeo joined Community Coffee in 2006 as general manager of manufacturing. […]
Managing Data One Byte at a Time
Increasing connectivity, largely a result of the Internet and the facility with which we collect data, has changed the pace and relationships of business. To a great extent, local business no longer exists, as all commerce and trade is tied together by information. This is evident as the world’s economy stumbles. Business is, quite simply, […]
Airfreight Costs Touch Down
Customer service scores big points at Irving, Texas-based Easton-Bell Sports, which manufactures a wide array of sports equipment, including Ridell football and hockey helmets; Easton baseball bats and gloves; Bell bicycle parts and equipment; and a variety of racing, fitness, and yoga products. Easton-Bell’s brand names have been well-known in the sports world for more […]
Trends-December 2008
Pacific Coast ports have anchored U.S. trade during the past two decades, but shifting globalization and sourcing tides are altering domestic transportation currents. These changes are gradually recasting the U.S. intermodal footprint with potentially long-lasting implications, suggests a recent report by Drewry Supply Chain Advisors. Intermodal routings linking major West Coast port gateways with the […]
Global Logistics-December 2008
Imagine what it would be like to slice inventory in half, cut out 2,000 suppliers, and whittle almost $500 million in total costs from your supply chain. With the help of IBM’s Integrated Supply Chain organization, Australia’s leading telecommunications player, Telstra, is bringing this demand-driven vision to reality. In September 2006, Telstra entered a strategic […]
Selecting Pallets: Wood vs. Plastic
Wood remains the most common pallet material used in the United States. But for about five percent of shippers, plastic is a better choice for moving goods. How does a shipper choose? Should you change to a new pallet material? Steven Mazza, president of S&B Pallet Co., Plainfield, N.J., and member of the board of […]
Successfully Managing Long-Tail Inventories
The concept of the long-tail retail environment refers to the extended downward slope of a unit sales curve that, when illustrated graphically, depicts a “long tail” as demand wanes toward zero. Introduced by Wired Editor in Chief Chris Anderson in 2004, the term originally described Internet-based companies, such as iTunes or Amazon.com, whose environments are […]
Green Transportation: On the Road to Sustainability
In the past, transportation efficiency concerns primarily focused on areas such as route optimization, capacity planning, and partner collaboration. Today, efforts to improve service and reduce costs include an additional element: environmental impact. As new and aggressive social, environmental, and political pressures evolve, shippers and carriers must adopt and act upon “green” opportunities. Failure to […]
Getting All, Like, Demand-Driven
Did you know that a 16-year-old girl in Spain is the logistics genius behind one of the most sophisticated and effective retail supply chain operations on the planet? Neither does she. The typical Zara demand signal—to buy or not to buy—sets in motion a demand-driven process that has the global apparel chain retailer, based in […]
Inventory Software Goes With the Flow
New software keeps a small start-up company’s head above water.
Going Critical
When an item really, really, really has to get there—and fast—critical shipment service providers spring into action, STAT!
All I Really Need to Know (about Logistics) I Learned From Rudolph: A Holiday Demand Story
It is both a holiday classic and one of the best depictions of a supply chain solution ever broadcast. The factory floor hums as a shipping deadline approaches, but a logistical disaster looms in the guise of an unexpected storm. The solution turns out to be right at the end of the hero’s red nose. Yes, all you really need to know about logistics you could learn from Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer.
NASCO: North America’s SuperCorridor Coalition
NASCO, the multimodal transportation network running through the heart of trade in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, is all about sustainable, secure, and efficient economic development. See why its future looks so bright.
Snapshot: Pharma Logistics: Prognosis Positive
Pharmaceutical manufacturers, drug distributors, and health care providers are taking a double dose of technology and business process improvement to keep consumers safe and competition one step behind. Transformation in the pharmaceutical marketplace is challenging traditional approaches to manufacturing and distribution. “Pharmaceutical, medical, and medical device margins are collapsing quickly,” says Daniel Carbery, senior vice […]
Bill Justus: Home Sweet Home
Throughout your industry, sales are down. But the cost of materials keeps going up, and those higher prices sure don’t help you draw in hordes of new customers. What to do? Get all your partners working together to drive costs out of the supply chain, says Bill Justus, vice president, supply chain services at David […]
Signed, Sealed, Delivered…But to Whom?
Q: I am a warehouse operator. An insurance company recently refused to provide me with coverage for the wrongful delivery of goods stored in my warehouse, citing the Uniform Commercial Code as the reason. Can you explain the problem? A: The Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) is a body of law that has been accepted, with […]
Curve Appeal
The efficient delivery of goods requires a thoughtful way to negotiate curves and arcs to find the optimal route.
Good Chemistry Yields Better Inventory Management
Chemical manufacturer Celanese experiments with a formula for solving its inventory woes.
How to Manage Risk Among Logistics Partners
MORE TO THE STORY: SAFEGUARDING AGAINST RISKY BUSINESS Businesses face their own unique challenges in today’s waffling economy, with credit largely frozen, consumerism measured, supply lines lengthening, and transportation-related costs reaching record thresholds. Aside from these internal and market-driven obstacles, companies also encounter considerable risk partnering with carriers, forwarders, and third-party logistics providers laying down […]
How to Develop Infrastructure to Support Mission-Critical Logistics
MORE TO THE STORY: 6 STEPS TO SUPPLY CHAIN ENLIGHTENMENT here are critical logistics requirements and then there are mission-critical demands. The difference is end-user impact: a lost customer because of a late shipment, or a lost product line—and countless lost customers—because a critical part can’t be replaced in time. When companies move high-value shipments […]
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. […]