Perfect Order Fulfillment: Getting it All Right
The journey through the supply chain is filled with constant movement and activity, and each step holds the potential for delays, wasted money, and errors. The complexities of an extended supply chain make the odds against fulfilling a perfect order overwhelming. The Supply Chain Council describes perfect order fulfillment as a discrete measurement defined as […]
Hanging in the Balance
If one theme threads its way throughout this issue – from cover illustration to featured articles to the logistics solution providers we have selected for our annual Top 100 Logistics IT Providers list—it’s balance. Businesses today routinely balance on the brink between too much and too little – whether it’s forecasting demand, carrying safety inventory, […]
Jack Williams Tire Co. Retreads its Warehouse
A new WMS is where the rubber meets the road.
Balancing Act: Matching Supply to Demand
Three companies at different stages of demand-driven sophistication use greater visibility, automated data flow, and real-time alerts to preserve the delicate balance between suppliers and customers.
TMS Under the Microscope
Companies take a closer look at technology solutions to discover the secret of optimizing transportation operations.
IT Perspectives 2008
Global supply chains are only as flexible as the technology that exists to support them—and thanks to an emerging class of logistics IT providers, and a new breed of sophisticated solutions, there are plenty of options to help enterprises respond more quickly and efficiently to shifting market dynamics.
Small Business Logistics: Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
Small businesses level the playing field by getting a boost from big service providers.
One Good Turn (sponsored by SmartTurn)
Every business wants to grow, but rapid expansion presents challenges as flourishing companies struggle with more complex inventory and warehouse management operations. Osteogenics Biomedical recently faced this situation as it coped with breakneck growth, a small 2,500-square-foot warehouse, and an outdated management system. The Lubbock, Texas-based company is a leader in the development of innovative […]
Snapshot: Beverage Companies Thirst for Supply Chain Efficiency
Beverage makers drink a toast to forecasting, TMS, and WMS solutions, which help them keep shelves stocked when customers’ glasses are half empty.
Barry Schap: Pumping It Up
The United States is expected to produce 13 billion gallons of ethanol in 2008, according to the Renewable Fuels Association. Barry Schaps, senior vice president of logistics at VeraSun Energy in Brookings, S.D., moves most of that supply. By the end of this year, when it completes a merger with U.S. BioEnergy and opens some […]
Taking on One-Offs
Q: I operate a marine terminal, and I have an insurance policy with a $1-million limit to cover loading and discharge operations. A customer wanted me to discharge a heavy piece of machinery valued at $75 million. When I asked my insurance company to increase its limit just for this one operation, it refused to […]
Infrastructure Triage 101
The U.S. logistics system is the nation’s life and supply line and deserves our highest attention. A sobering assessment of our regard for America’s infrastructure is found in the American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) most recent report card. Here are the grades: Rail: C- Aviation: D+ Roads: D Bridges: C Navigable Waterways: D- It’s […]
Welch’s Juices Up Logistics Data
An analysis tool helps put the squeeze on transportation costs.
Choosing a 3PL: Safety First
When negotiating transportation services with a third-party logistics provider (3PL), you may find that they emphasize efficiency, customer service, competitive pricing, and timeliness. Safety is rarely a selling point and may go unmentioned during discussions. When shopping for 3PL services, however, a good safety record should be at the top of your checklist. Contracting with […]
Trends-April 2008
Flipping through Backpacker‘s 2008 Gear Guide recently, I happened upon the magazine’s Zero Impact Challenge – a call to action for outdoor equipment manufacturers to design backpacks with “greener” footprints. In the spirit of environmental awareness, the magazine featured five brands in the process of developing new packs that are lighter, simpler in design, made of […]
Global Logistics-April 2008
Given Belgium’s proximity to mainland European markets; well-developed, multimodal transportation infrastructure; and highly skilled labor force, its potential as an offshore manufacturing, research and development (R&D), and distribution location far exceeds its geographical size. The Port of Antwerp, together with Liege and Brussels airports, places Belgium squarely among Europe’s top-tier cargo crossroads, incenting U.S. businesses […]
Easy Come, Easy Go: Keeping the Yard Running Smoothly
Some companies consider yard management a low priority, but an inefficient strategy can bleed dollars from the bottom line. Wilson Rothschild, industry and product marketing supply chain manager for Infor, an Alpharetta, Ga.-based warehouse management software company, offers these tips for making yard management a strategic imperative. 1. Lead an initiative to review yard management […]
Location-Based Services Put Efficiency on the Map
Enhanced productivity. Cost savings. Revenue increases. Improved customer relations. These are among the most important – and most widely acknowledged – benefits of deploying location-based service (LBS) tools such as geographic positioning systems (GPS) and street-level routing (SLR). Add one more benefit of emerging importance that will have significant impact over time: reduced emissions. Corporations, […]
Can We Create a Viable National Transportation Policy?
State and federal transportation departments, the White House, and Congress have failed to promote and fund a coherent and dynamic national transportation policy to meet the infrastructure demands of our 21st century global business environment. Today’s overburdened and congested infrastructure cannot meet the economic and energy demands of a population that has doubled since 1950. […]
Up and Atom
Some thought leaders, visionaries, and business gurus claim the United States is transforming from an “industrial” to a “post-industrial” economy. More guru-speak: “Wealth in the United States will be created more and more by electrons, and less and less by atoms.” In English, that means our information and service businesses will continue to grow (electrons) […]
The ABCs of WMS
Early childhood education company Kaplan chooses a WMS that makes the grade.
Study Highlights Strategic Role for Logistics (Online Exclusive)
For all the operational advances that have been achieved in chemical logistics in the past few years, and for all the savings that have been realized by producers and shippers, large opportunities for gaining efficiency and saving money remain. The most important advance would be for logistics to be included in the strategic planning stages […]
Congress Plans Changes to Chemical Regulations (Online Exclusive)
Within days of the January 2008 deadline for chemical producers and distributors to file their "top screen" hazard-assessment questionnaire to the Department of Homeland Security, a Congressional subcommittee approved legislation to further tighten handling, transportation, and reporting rules for hazardous materials. Chemical producers, distributors, and carriers responded with a quick and loud call for legislators […]
Brenntag Acquires Schoofs, Names New Regional President (Online Exclusive)
Global chemical distributor Brenntag is not just California dreaming; it has just acquired West Coast specialty chemicals distributor Schoofs, Inc., based in Moraga, Calif. It also named Steven M. Pozzi as president of Brenntag Pacific, based in Santa Fe Springs, Calif. No price was disclosed for the acquisition. The Schoofs operation will become part of […]
Tracking Totes Turns to Technology (Online Exclusive)
As totes and intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) become more sophisticated and more expensive, chemical producers and distributors are seeing them more as a fleet like rail cars or tank trailers rather than as a disposable cost of doing business. Also, strict new rules on tracking and tracing hazardous materials make it imperative for shippers to […]
Globe Spinning
As the world flattens, global sourcing invariably becomes more dynamic. Sophisticated technologies and an emerging crop of offshore suitors are forcing today’s intrepid explorers to balance reason with instinct.
Made in China: Perspectives on the Global Management Giant
What makes logistics in China so challenging? Who’s really to blame for its much-publicized product quality failures? What’s the secret to outsourcing success? A trio of industry experts responds.
Snap Shot: Furniture Logistics
Will the shift to global sourcing – combined with an economic downturn, housing slump, high fuel costs, and lack of visibility – unseat the furniture industry?
Michael Strauss: Putting Military Training On the Line
In the early 1990s, artillery officer Mike Strauss was leading an Army convoy down a German country road in the middle of the night when he got word of a breakdown three-quarters of the way back in line. The stopped vehicle blocked the road so completely that nothing behind it could squeeze past. One of […]
Hamilton on Wry
One misty day, I wandered about the graveyard at Trinity Church in lower Manhattan. I spotted a figure sitting on the steps of a square granite box with four urns at its corners and a truncated pyramid in its center. It was the tomb of Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804), who for many Americans is merely the […]
Holiday Creations Sees the Light
A holiday lights manufacturer takes a shine to its new export management system.
Trends—March 2008
10+2: Anything But Elementary The Importer Security Filing mandate proposed by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has been a hot topic of late – as much for speculation about its loose provisions as for its underlying purpose of tightening offshore supply chain links. When CBP announced its Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) in early […]
Global Logistics-March 2008
China’s rapid economic growth and recurring spikes in consumer prices could give U.S. manufacturers and retailers more reason to consider alternate sourcing locations. Inflation rose to its highest level in more than 11 years in January after devastating snowstorms exacerbated food shortages throughout the country. Consumer prices climbed 7.1 percent from the same month last […]
Clearing Customs Quickly and Efficiently
Efficient customs clearance requires technical knowledge and respect for procedure, as well as an ability to understand the game, speak the language, and build good relationships throughout the supply chain. Mike McCarron, managing partner, MSM Transportation, offers 10 tips for fast, reliable customs clearance. 1. Focus on what you can control. When you ship globally, […]
Community Developers: Take the Intermodal Initiative
My Sears vacuum cleaner, made by Panasonic in Japan a decade ago, quit working recently. Replacing the original relay with a part now made in Indonesia fixed the problem. Clearly, it’s not just America that is outsourcing. Manufacturing worldwide has morphed into production sharing, where companies assemble and sell products made from subassemblies sourced around […]
With SaaS, You Make the Rules
Most companies spend 40 to 80 percent of their annual transportation budget on moving inbound shipments from suppliers. Despite these whopping costs, businesses boast relatively little control over their selection of inbound carriers or their service levels. Instead, most depend on suppliers to correctly assign carriers, then provide tracking information to the buying organization. This […]
Reverse Logistics: It Pays to Do It Right
Returns management and reverse logistics represent a significant source of untapped profitability for many organizations. Specifically, reverse logistics is rapidly emerging as a core driver of competitive advantage and financial performance among leading manufacturers, according to a recent Aberdeen Group report, Revisiting Reverse Logistics in the Customer-Centric Service Chain. Optimizing reverse logistics operations also can […]
Training Daze
The importance of logistics education is often overlooked and underrated, not only here in the United States, but abroad as well. A reader alerted me to a Financial Times article skewering the state of logistics training in the United Kingdom: “Poor productivity and high staff turnover in the UK’s logistics industry are undermining the competitiveness […]
Quenching the Thirst For Enhanced DC Design
A consolidated DC network combined with the right technology provides Southern comfort.
Most Likely to Succeed
From an undergrad learning the fundamentals to a Ph.D candidate conducting groundbreaking research, meet the students pursuing supply chain education at all levels.
Tuned Up: Priming Auto Logistics for Peak Performance
As new challenges drive the need for leaner and faster automotive parts logistics, suppliers ask 3PLs to take the wheel.
Industry Snapshot: Electronics
Is the latest gadget a hit or just hype? Will that newfangled gizmo be cutting- edge for a year or obsolete in a month? Fickle buyers and unpredictable lifecycles can short-circuit the consumer electronics supply chain.
Kathy McCurry: A Wild New Ride
More people would swap their cars for motorcycles if only they knew what to wear. That’s the premise behind Classy Rider Apparel, a business that makes motorcycle jackets with mainstream appeal. In the five years she has been running Classy Rider as a one-woman operation, Kathy McCurry has learned to manage suppliers in China, coordinate […]
The Perils of Trucking: It Takes a Thief
Q: I am expanding into Central and South America and need trucking insurance to cover my cargo. Can you help me? A: This is a common question from shippers who cannot obtain cargo insurance, from forwarders who are unable to get liability insurance, and even from truckers who are required to secure cover before any […]
Solving the Cube
A tissue manufacturer wipes up excess costs with load optimization software.
Logistics Managers Earn Job Security
As recently as a decade ago, most U.S.-based companies’ supply chains were predominantly domestic, and providing manufacturing support to U.S. factories was a booming business. Today, however, global supply chains dominate and the number of U.S. plants to support is dwindling. As a result, many North American supply chain professionals are concerned about how their […]
Trends-February 2008
The push for green compliance is slowly permeating the logistics sector as businesses find greater incentives for designing and constructing distribution and retail facilities with sustainability guidelines in mind. As an example of this emerging trend, ProLogis, the world’s largest owner and developer of distribution facilities, recently introduced a directive mandating that all new developments […]
Global Logistics-February 2008
While many eyes remain fixed on Far East sourcing and offshoring activities, Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries are stealing glances as steady growth in logistics investment and development continues. The logistics industry in CEE and Russia is expected to grow rapidly over the next five years, according to recent Datamonitor research, with nominal logistics […]
Shipping Hazardous Materials Safely
Shipping hazardous materials requires more attention to detail than transporting regular goods. The changes in paperwork and procedures since Sept. 11 have further complicated an already convoluted process. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the International Air Transport Association govern hazmat shipping at the federal and global levels, but transport buyers may encounter additional […]
Combating Congestion: Consider Moving Out
Americans have seen tremendous technological advancement in the past 50 years. We operate and communicate at a faster pace, with one glaring exception: the physical movement of people and products. We still move goods on the same transportation infrastructure that President Eisenhower created in the 1950s. Back then, infrastructure was created to accommodate the growth […]
Shipping Perishables Without Going Bananas
Perishables. It’s a word that can make any shipping manager or logistics provider cringe. The loss of perishable goods in transit means lost revenue. But a host of technologies and new solutions take the fear out of shipping perishable goods such as pharmaceuticals, food, and plants. Choosing the right type of packaging and testing it […]
Tracing the Genealogy of a Food Recall
Anyone who has ever tried to trace their roots back more than a few generations knows how challenging that task can be. Unless you’re of royal lineage, the path back through history tends to be lined with false leads and dead ends. If you do find any information, it’s often on handwritten notes that you […]
Who Ruined the Inventory?
If you got a call from a customer complaining that the temperature-sensitive goods you shipped were ruined, would you be able to track down where and how it happened? If the problem was on their end, could you prove it? What if a supplier sent your company decayed goods? Nobody needs disputes like this wreaking […]
Message On a Bottle
Thanks to new pedigree technology, pharmaceutical manufacturers and sellers no longer find establishing chain of custody a bitter pill to swallow.
High-Speed Sortation Picks Up The Pace
ATS’s new cross-docking facility keeps shipments moving and customers smiling.
The Evolution of Inbound Logistics
From yesterday’s legacies to tomorrow’s visionaries, the theory and practice of inbound logistics is timeless.
The Evolution of Inbound Logistics–The Ford and Toyota Legacy: Origin of the Species
Today, lean manufacturing and demand-driven strategies are considered innovative and sophisticated competencies. But their origins are neither novel nor complex.
The Evolution of Inbound Logistics–Inbound’s Early Adopters: Survival of the Fittest
For a few practitioners, the flow of transportation changed direction, going exactly the opposite way. Push mutated into pull. Soon after, Inbound Traffic Guide magazine materialized, recognizing the paradigm shift from traditional push-oriented ideas. Following demand signals, controlling inbound transportation, and targeting the needs of the stateside consignee were heretical concepts that defied prevailing business […]
The Evolution of Inbound Logistics–Choosing Inbound: Natural Selection
Companies that assume control of their inbound supply chains reap rewards.
The Evolution of Inbound Logistics–Inbound Logistics: A New Order
Companies that assume control of their inbound supply chains reap rewards.
Dirty Jobs
It’s a job and somebody has to do it. Meet the guys who have stepped up to the task.
Ask the Experts
Leading C-level execs* with 260 years of combined logistics and transportation experience address tough industry questions. Their advice, words of caution, and strategic vision can help you face the challenges of 2008 and beyond.
Premium Trucking: The Right Tools for the Right Job
For many high-value shippers, enhanced efficiency, customer service, and profitability offset the cost of investing in DCC, white-glove, and last-mile services.
Sustainability: Green is the New Black
It’s not easy being green. But, driven by impending regulations, consumer pressure, and mandates from corporations such as Wal-Mart, more and more companies are forging ahead with supply chain sustainability efforts.
West Meets East
Make a good impression on potential business partners in China by orienting yourself to some key cultural differences.
Mexico Paves The Road to Properity
Transportation infrastructure lies at the heart of Mexico’s ambitious plans for the future.
Space Exploration: New Frontiers in Site Selection
They might not yet have the clout of their long-in-the- tooth but short-on-space peers, but that’s exactly why shippers are gravitating toward their pull. These new logistics hotspots are committed to going to the ends of the earth—and then some—to meet shipper and consignee needs..
3PLs & PLM: Returns on Investment
Is product lifecycle management the next market opportunity for third-party logistics providers?
Technology + Execution = World Class Global Transportation Management
Several years ago Active On-Demand’s parent company, Active Aero Group (AAG) made the commitment to become the preeminent on-demand global transportation manager and backed it up with a multi-million dollar investment to expand our already industry-leading technology systems. We knew then that our technology had to be linked with exceptional personnel execution and expertise as […]
Waco. We Do.
Greater Waco is a growing dynamic market in Central Texas with a diversified economy. In Waco, we do a lot of different work, make a variety of products and can get them easily to markets throughout North America and around the globe. We also do the things necessary to help businesses compete. Hence, Waco We […]
Logistics Partnerships: Are You Ready to Be a Partner?
According to the most recent GMA Study, manufacturers will expend nearly 7% of their sales on logistics costs. Many of those companies will look to the experts in the logistics marketplace to assist them in controlling and reducing said costs. Many of these manufacturers and others will potentially compile comprehensive RFP’s in the coming year […]
Jamie Meadows: He’s Got Your Back
Jamie Meadows was still completing his college degree when he reported for a summer job at ConAgra Foods in Newport, Tenn. The plant was adding a new ketchup production line and needed some reorganization. “The plant engineer called me into his office, threw a blueprint on the table, and said, ‘Design our warehouse,’” Meadows says. […]
Proper Hazmat Training Needs to Catch Fire
Hazmat shipments are a common feature of U.S. supply chains. Yet for many businesses, training does not match the frequency with which these products are moving. In 1996, 800,000 movements of hazardous material were made daily in the United States, according to U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) estimates. Conservative estimates today put that number closer […]
The Educated Pallet: How Sweet It Is
Imperial Sugar spices up its supply chain by leasing pallets with the smarts to tell where they’ve been and where they’re headed.
Trends-2008
From tracking global containers to maintaining rail tracks, Inbound Logistics takes a closer look at recent legislative rumblings on Capitol Hill, industry causes and concerns, and what they portend for U.S. trade in 2008 and beyond
Trends-Jan 2008
Trucking will increase its share of the nation’s freight pool and continue to dominate domestic freight movement into the next decade, according to the American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) U.S. Freight Transportation Forecast to 2018. Despite recent bumps in the road, the forecast, which reports on the present and future of the entire U.S. freight transportation […]
Global Logistics-January 2008
On the strength of surging Asia-Europe container trade and the strong valuation of the euro, leading North European ports are reporting strong throughput growth for 2007, with annual double-digit percentage increases very much the norm. Even the region’s largest gateway—the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands, where box terminal and overall capacity is under considerable […]
Selecting a Global Trade Management Provider
Language barriers, distance and time differences, security issues, and customs rules make global sourcing difficult to manage. Selecting the right global trade management (GTM) solution can help. Here’s some advice from Graham Napier, CEO of TradeBeam Technologies. 1. Look for immediate value. Identify a GTM provider with solutions that deliver immediate impact in core areas. […]
The Case for a Global Trading Partner Network
America’s appetite for imports continues to grow—in 2006, the United States imported a record $1.6 trillion of goods, according to U.S. Customs. But today’s global trade practices are highly fragmented. A typical overseas purchase, for example, requires the various parties in the logistics process to trade more than 60 different documents across partners, countries, languages, […]
The Best Companies Hire the Best People
In today’s complex business environment, nothing is more important than justifying dollar impact. In sports, when a team wants to win a championship, the least expensive option is never considered. Managers want to ensure a win, regardless of cost. They are looking at Return on Investment (ROI). Likewise, all business functions ranging from sales and […]
One Small Victory
What were the legislators in Michigan thinking? What started out three years ago as a grass roots voter initiative to simplify tax procedures ended up as a six-percent state tax on warehousing and logistics activities. Clearly an anti-labor, anti-business, and anti-economic development move by Michigan lawmakers who forgot they preside over the state with the […]
Gauging Change
A soft economy, increasing global competition, the Mississippi River bridge collapse, and an influx of product recalls give global shippers plenty of reasons to slow down and check the rear-view mirror before accelerating into 2008.
Thinking TMS
As the transportation management systems market broadens, and as software delivery options expand, businesses increasingly have TMS on the brain.
Career Solutions: It’s Who You Know
A well-engineered network of professional contacts provides the structural support to build a logistics career with potential for expansion.
Bethany Adamonis: Ready for the Real World
When Bethany Adamonis headed for her co-op job last January, she didn’t know a great deal about supply chain management, her college major. Up to that point, she’d taken only one course on the subject, an introductory class that was so theoretical she couldn’t see how the principles she learned would play out in the […]
2008: Applying What We Learned
In this last column of 2007, I thought I’d look back at some practical issues addressed last year, and speculate on future trends in supply chain risk and liability. Insurers will broaden their scope. In October, we heard from a logistics operator whose business grew, through an acquisition, from handling and transporting air cargo to […]
Big Makeover for Littlearth
Fun fashion accessory firm wraps its data in a sharp new software ensemble.
Managing the Mess on the High Seas
Logistics managers have given much thought to streamlining land and air transportation. But water transport still lags behind – and the fallout can have significant impact on even the best laid logistics plans. This is especially critical in a world where overseas sourcing has become the norm rather than the exception for North American companies. […]
Global Logistics-December 2007
The friendly skies are taking a stand against countries that fail to clean up their act—and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) is flying cover. Giovanni Bisignani, director general and CEO of the international trade body, recently challenged governments attending the World Air Transport Forum in Cannes, France, to put aside politics and join industry […]
Trends-December 2007
Greening the supply chain isn’t just good for the environment, it’s also good for business. Efforts to create a more sustainable and efficient footprint for freight transportation in the United States and around the world are becoming more transparent thanks to the stewardship of supply chain visionaries. In recent news: FedEx will introduce 10 hybrid-electric/diesel vehicles […]
Managing Warehouse Labor Costs
Ask any warehouse manager, “what is the most difficult cost to control?” and the answer will invariably be labor. Labor costs comprise the largest part of a warehouse’s operating expenses. The ongoing challenge is managing those costs without jeopardizing customer service and reducing productivity. Tim Wills, vice president of PEAK Technologies, Columbia, Md., offers these […]
Technology Collaboration Enables Visibility and Security
Complete Document and Shipment Visibility (CDSV) is a concept that enables trading partners to have 100-percent visibility to the condition, status, and location of international shipments in a paperless environment. The concept allows shipment stakeholders to know the exact status of inventory and finished goods in the pipeline. CDSV also contributes to eliminating supply chain […]
Converting Performance to Profitability
A workplace culture can be productive or disruptive, profitable or unprofitable. It is up to management to decide—or allow someone else to define a company’s culture. The United Nations defines culture as a “set of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual, and emotional features of society or a social group. It encompasses ways of living together, value […]
Changing Directions Involves Tough Choices
Imagine walking into a board meeting in one of the largest companies in the world and telling your management peers you can streamline the company’s global operations from 87 vertical-silo supply chains into a horizontally integrated network of five—then doing it. That’s the story Carly Fiorina shared with Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) […]
Giving Pharmacists a Voice
A new voice-directed picking system administers a dose of distribution improvements to Smith Drug Company.
Expedited Shipping: ”We Need It Yesterday!”
Business is a blur for expedited carriers, and that’s just the way shippers like it.
Retail Channel Convergence: Stock ‘Til It Drops
Changing consumer buying habits compel retailers to integrate in-store, catalog, and online channels to keep inventory on hand and shoppers coming back for more.
NASCO: NorthAmerica’s SuperCorridor Coalition
The multimodal transportation network known as NASCO runs through the heart of trade in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Find out what makes this corridor unique and why companies are banding together to support it.
Melanie Foster: Raisin to Believe
Although Melanie Foster has lived in California’s Sacramento Valley all her life, her influence reaches around the globe. As distribution and transportation manager for Sunsweet Growers Inc., she is one of the people responsible for making sure that much of the world’s supply of prunes and other dried tree fruits reaches customers. “I handle all […]
Making the Right Connection
Bon-Ton gets extra mileage from its transportation management system by linking it to a vendor compliance system.