Career Solutions: Playing the Job Board Game
Are job boards your winning move? Learn the rules and strategies you’ll need to score your dream job on the web.
Steve Inamorati: Moo-ving up the Supply Chain
Talk about the pressures of supply and demand! With consumers clamoring for natural and organic dairy products, Stonyfield Farm, Londonderry, N.H., has grown by 20 to 30 percent each year. But the company has had a hard time keeping up with growing demand for organic foods. “We’ve experienced an organic milk shortage,” explains Steve Inamorati, […]
Liability Lessons Learned in 2005
This year began with expectations that insurance rates would finally decline as markets recovered from the effects of Sept. 11. Over the past several years, insurers imposed strict underwriting disciplines to restore profitability to the market, which, in turn, attracted new capital. This brought about greater competition and with it, the prospect of softening premiums. […]
Identifying Products: It’s Not Just About RFID
Not all issues surrounding proper identification of products involve RFID. Companies must address some core challenges to reap the maximum benefits of product identification and visibility. In this age of RFID research, development, hype, good works, pilots, case studies, claims, ever-evolving standards, and the force of the big gorillas—super-retailer Wal-Mart and the Department of Defense—it’s […]
Demanding a Better Forecast
A demand forecasting methodology that blends input from multiple sources is the right formula for one chemical manufacturer.
Selecting a Logistics Supplier? Think Supple
We all know why companies outsource logistics functions—outsourcing should allow them to save money and focus on their primary goals. “Should,” however, is the operative word. To turn “should” into “does,” companies need to partner with a supple supplier. What is a supple supplier? One that has no set ideas on best practices when providing […]
Getting Started With RFID
While bar codes took more than 25 years to evolve, RFID is being adopted quickly in the marketplace. By 2007, RFID technology budgets will double, RFID tag purchases will reach 1.6 billion, and 83 percent of today’s pilots will convert to full-scale implementations, predicts Accenture’s global management consulting and technology team. In a 2005 interview […]
Getting Time Limits on Your Side
Shippers are familiar with the rule that they must file claims against carriers in writing within the time limits defined in carriers’ bills of lading or tariffs, or in government statutes or treaties. But rules have exceptions. The Carmack Amendment, for example, states that a motor carrier, freight forwarder, or railroad may not limit the […]
Does RFID Pass the Return on Assets Test?
Proponents rarely discuss RFID without claiming dramatic inventory savings. These savings, however, require businesses to invest in RFID and wait to reap returns. When evaluating investments—such as RFID—aimed at reducing inventory and working capital, consider the impact on Return on Assets (ROA), a proven indicator of an investment’s financial impact. ROA is calculated as revenue […]
Freight Damage Claims: Know, Act, Reap
The Latin phrase Ipsa Scientia Potestas Est may be the most quoted maxim of our information age—knowledge is power. In business we use the “knowledge is power” principle to shape our decisions so we can reap positive long-term rewards. One unsung area where properly applied knowledge yields power is comprehensive management of the freight damage […]
A Ready-Mix Transport Solution
Chemical manufacturer Degussa cements its partnership with a bulk transport provider so it can focus on its core business, meet safety requirements, reduce billing cycle time, and improve customer service.
Diversifying Your Supply Chain Portfolio
Diversification is a sound strategy for investors and logisticians alike. Just as those skilled in arbitrage hedge investments to mitigate risk and allow for modest portfolio growth by taking advantage of small value increases in other areas, supply chain practitioners diversify their proprietary and outsourced logistics assets—abroad and at home—to lay off risk, reduce costs, […]
Food Bank Hungry for an Inventory Management Solution
To feed its need for more efficient warehousing and inventory management, the Food Bank For New York City trades in a manual system for a WMS.
Inventory Velocity: All the Right Moves
The need for speed is clear to retailers, manufacturers, and distributors—especially at this time of year. How are companies speeding their freight and inventory to meet customer demands? By collaborating with technology firms and outside logistics experts to gain greater visibility into the supply chain, increase inventory turns, and get the right products to the right place at the right time.
High Speed Pursuits: Moving Products Faster and Cheaper
A shift is taking place in expedited shipping. While air shipments once reigned supreme—and still do for import and export goods—for domestic expedited cargo, ground transport is catching up. To cut costs and still meet customer demand, savvy shippers incorporate expedited service into their overall transport strategy, making ground a viable expedited option.
Track to the Future
Innovations in web-based communication technologies, global positioning systems, and equipment are taking freight railroads into a new era.
Apparel Logistics & Technology: A Perfect Fit
Technology is the latest accessory to hit the apparel world. By embracing technology solutions, forward-thinking apparel and footwear companies are fashioning tight, visible, integrated supply chains—and reaping the rewards.
Kevin McNelly: Delivering Medical Products, Stat!
Kevin McNelly always keeps an eye on the future. As vice president, supply chain at biotechnology company MedImmune Inc., he must keep materials and finished goods flowing to meet demand for the company’s current products. But he also must make sure that, when the time comes, everything will be in place to satisfy customers with […]
Working on the Railroads
The recent fuel crisis emphasizes just how much we need our national rail system. The rails, with their efficient fuel usage, are a vital link in most supply chains; the only link in others. Rail hubs and intermodal transportation connect shippers to truckers, and to ocean and air carriers. But the fuel crisis has also […]
Riding Out the Storm
An import management system helps chemical distributor Biddle Sawyer navigate in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
Selecting an International Air Carrier
When you ship by air, you need to look at the global picture. With world boundaries changing so frequently, and the European Economic Community continuing to emerge and develop, air cargo customs clearance and shipment tracking have become more challenging. You can simplify these challenges, however, by selecting the right air carrier/forwarder partner. Here’s how, […]
States Targeting Logistics Hit the Bull’s-Eye
How much do you know about state and local economic development policy? Here’s a quiz. Check which industry is most favored in terms of federal, state, and local tax incentives: Industry A, where national employment has grown by 12 percent over the last five years, and will continue to accelerate with the globalization of the […]
Don’t Put All Your Eggs In China’s Basket
I recently gave a speech at a Trans-Pacific Air Cargo Conference in Los Angeles titled, “Don’t Put All Your Eggs in China’s Basket,” and I was practically booed offstage. The audience did not want to hear negative, derogatory, or dismissive talk about the booming China economy. My listeners were the economic counterparts of religious evangelists; […]
Do You Need WMS Best Practices? 10 Telltale Signs
Most supply chain managers can share more horror stories than Stephen King. When you have to deal with demanding customers (aren’t they all?), and super-tight shipment schedules, every so often things are bound to get a little dicey. But if you’ve reached the point where just looking at your warehouse sends chills down your spine, […]
Supply Chain Security: Fact vs. Fiction
Man has always been intrigued by transmutation—transforming one element into another. In days of old, we tried changing lead into gold. Today, some are trying to convert the public’s fear of supply chain vulnerabilities into political currency, or solid gold votes. While concern is warranted, some choose to grandstand by floating obviously impossible solutions against […]
Air Cargo’s Highs and Lows
Today’s air cargo market is deeply divided. Integrators such as UPS and FedEx are soaring, while traditional air cargo carriers—choked by soaring fuel prices, excessive taxes, and government regulation—are experiencing serious turbulence. Buckle your seat belts, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.
Airfreight Forwarding: Small Companies Get on Board
For some small companies, airfreight forwarders play a large part in the flight path to global success. Lacking the resources of larger players, small companies look to air forwarders to cut costs, improve service, provide know-how, and deliver global capability.
On Your Mark, Get Set, Go Global
As companies race to enter new global markets, many rely on 3PLs to help hurdle cultural and business barriers, while also controlling inbound transportation, driving down costs, reducing inventories, and ultimately mitigating potential supply chain bottlenecks.
Managing Inventory: From Fat to Lean
As more businesses source from offshore manufacturers and suppliers, having visibility and control over moving inventory requires both a tactical and strategic lean approach.
Dennis Sheldon: Leading a Plush Life in Logistics
It’s no wonder Dennis Sheldon gets all warm and fuzzy about his job. Since May, he has been deep into plush and stuffing in his role as managing director, logistics for St. Louis-based Build-A-Bear Workshop. Build-A-Bear Workshop gives visitors the chance to make their own teddy bears or other toy animals. Customers stuff and sew […]
Buying Business Insurance? Dig Deeper
Q: It has been four years since the events of Sept. 11 caused the world’s insurance market to restrict coverage and raise prices. Now, many are wondering if Hurricane Katrina will have the same effect on insurance. What do forecasters predict? A: Insurers are still assessing Hurricane Katrina’s financial impact, gathering details on the magnitude […]
Infrastructure: The Weakest Link
A supply chain is only as strong as its weakest links, which today are found in down-to-earth, practical transportation modes—rail, ocean, and trucks—and their support systems. Too many infrastructure links that enable supply chains to operate in the United States are old and antiquated. They are partly clogged with overcapacity, breaking down, or simply just […]
Metro Transit Gets on Schedule
King County Metro Transit was missing the bus, using an outdated system to distribute its 12 million transit schedules. The fix? A new WMS, advanced mobile technology, and additional warehouse equipment.
3PLs Deliver on the Global Promise
Businesses need many qualities to succeed in today’s global market, but uniformity, consistency, and flexibility are the most critical. Strong organizations leverage these qualities to capitalize on the economic benefits of worldwide sourcing and distribution, while satisfying their customers’ needs—whether the customer is around the block or across the ocean. Best-of-breed 3PLs share the same […]
Locating a European Distribution Hub
It’s official. You’ve decided to take your company global, and because it is no longer cost-effective to reach international customers from your U.S. operation, you need to open a European distribution center. Finding the best place to locate that hub is key. The European Union is made up of 25 countries, all with their own […]
Choosing a DC Location: Keeping Success in Site
The decision to build a distribution center comes with expectations that it will help a company reach key markets, hire an appropriate workforce, and maximize profitability while minimizing operating costs. Finding that ideal location in a community that embraces the company’s operations, however, is more difficult than merely choosing any site within a targeted region. […]
‘Model Contracts’ Not the Right Model
During the past few years, "model contracts" drafted by organizations representing shippers, carriers, and brokers have become common. Such agreements, however, are not in shippers’ best interests because, in drafting them, organizations bargain away some of shippers’ rights and remedies without their input. Recently, the American Trucking Associations (ATA)—which represented truckers during model shipper/trucker contract […]
Pulling Back the Curtain on Logistics, Purchasing Practices
Logistics, purchasing, and inventory management can be thankless jobs when everything goes according to plan. No one applauds when manufacturing deadlines are met, quality products ship on time, and workers have the right supplies. But if deliveries arrive damaged, or low inventory halts production, executives pull back the curtain and discover who’s to blame. Bidding, […]
Should You Sell or Outsource In-House Transportation Assets?
Many companies with in-house transportation capabilities in place to support core operations often explore outsourcing to cut costs and liberate capital. Shareholders of these companies—whether public or private—are often better served by viewing these assets as a standalone business for an eventual spin-off or sale as a going concern. Whether to sell, spin off, or […]
Whatever the Obstacle, Truckers Come Through
While covering this industry for more than 20 years, I’ve learned a lot about the people who work in logistics and transportation. One thing that consistently stands out is their passion and dedication to moving our nation’s freight—and economy—forward. This passion and dedication became apparent yet again as we watched Hurricane Katrina play out. The […]
Design for the Future
A high-tech DC design lets Future Electronics increase staff productivity, consolidate orders more effectively, and increase pick rate.
Trucking Tips of the Trade
Transport buyers face tough questions every day. To help find answers, Inbound Logistics turned to transport buyers and service providers for the inside story.
Mission: Critical
Companies are turning to information technology, logistics specialists, and partnerships with premium service carriers to keep their customers’ mission-critical systems running while minimizing their investment in parts inventory. Here’s a look at the unique challenges and solutions driving critical parts logistics today.
Freight Payment Outsourcing: Getting Finances in Ship Shape
Consider this: Because of administrative overhead, it costs large companies about $11 to pay one freight invoice. For a company with 1,000 carrier invoices a month, that’s $11,000. But if a third-party freight payment/auditing firm processes these invoices, companies pay just 5 percent to 10 percent of this benchmark cost per bill. Companies that outsource […]
Masao Nishi: Managing One Big Network
SYSCO Corporation’s supply chain is undergoing a major transformation, and Masao Nishi stands right in the middle of it. The $30-billion food service distributor recently promoted Nishi to assistant vice president of supply chain management, responsible for the flow of product from suppliers to approximately 70 SYSCO broadline operating companies in the United States. Nishi […]
As the World Shrinks, The Supply Chain Grows
In Detroit, the good old days of General Motors viewing Detroit-based Ford and Detroit-based Chrysler as its main competitors are long gone. Even the days when Volkswagen and Japanese auto manufacturers became apparent competitors to the Big Three’s largely myopic corporate managers have disappeared. These were days of nostalgia and naivete; a great deal else […]
Car 54, Where Are You?
A web-based railcar monitoring service helps American Gypsum keep freight on track.
Monitoring LTL Carrier Performance
If you don’t evaluate your less-than-truckload (LTL) carriers monthly, start now. The only product an LTL carrier has to offer is service, so monitoring is crucial. Every aspect of your evaluation should reflect on how the carrier provides—or fails to provide—the service you require and expect. Joe Heilig, senior transportation specialist for EnVista, a logistics […]
Going Mobile: The Time is Right
In today’s fast-paced world, with online stores, just-in-time inventory, and micro-managed supply chains, near real-time supply chain event reporting is critical. Consumers who shop online from the comfort of their bedroom—or in front of the TV with wireless access to a home shopping network—are not satisfied waiting in the dark wondering when packages will be […]
Non-Asset-Based IMCs: Adapting Yet Again
BNSF Railroad’s decision to eliminate rail-owned intermodal equipment by June 2006 is easy to understand. By only accepting private trailers and containers for transit, BNSF’s cost savings and bottom line should swell. Both Wall Street and shareholders applaud the railroad’s move. Will traditional non-asset-based intermodal marketing companies (IMCs) be a casualty of BNSF’s decision? Strong […]
More Lift, Less Drag
There is an inexplicable failure on the part of many in Washington, D.C., to understand that airlines are in business to make money, according to Air Transport Association of America President James May. May’s recent comments to The Wings Club of New York piqued my interest as I sometimes get the impression that our airline […]
Cool Stuff, Blazing Speed
When consumers need the hottest new gadget, they need it cheap and they need it now. That’s why logistics leaders such as Hewlett-Packard power up their supply chain to deliver the goods. Now that’s cool.
SCM: Pharma’s First Aid Kit
Pain points plague the pharmaceutical industry—skyrocketing expenses, stringent regulations, costly product development. Is supply chain management the cure?
Fast Forwarding
Globalization and security concerns are thrusting the air cargo industry into full throttle. From their unique perspective as both service provider and shipper, airfreight forwarders air their views about the growing challenges facing global businesses.
James Carlin: A Strong Man for the Job
When a construction worker on a job site drops a hammer, and no one on the street below gets hurt, James Carlin is one person to thank. His company, Strong Man Building Products Corp., Fairfield, N.J., distributes tarpaulin and netting used in construction, including the huge nets contractors drape over scaffolding to protect their job […]
Protecting High-Value Cargo
Q: My company moves sensitive, high-value instruments throughout North America for hospitals, universities, and government facilities. Because these instruments are difficult to handle, we use special riggers to install them. Given these instruments’ specialized nature, when damage occurs during transit and the instruments must be repaired or replaced, it means significant costs and delays. We […]
ERP and SCM: Making the Marriage Work
Once a cozy nook for enthusiasts, supply chain management has turned into a major focus for enterprises worldwide. That’s why IFS North America has extended its services from pure Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) to offer component supply chain software. “ERP and supply chain management need to work hand-in-hand,” notes Cindy Jaudon, president of IFS North […]
Redi-to-Go Vehicle Tracking
A fleet-tracking system gives Brookshire Brothers tighter control over fuel costs, driver payments, and store deliveries.
Getting ROI from RFID
With so many companies providing RFID systems, and so many expensive choices, how do you buy smart? Here are 10 tips on selecting an RFID system that provides a return on investment, according to a customer survey by Waltham, Mass.-based OAT Systems Inc., an RFID software and services provider. 1. Get educated. Learn best practices […]
7 Tips for Negotiating Small Parcel Contracts
Small businesses are the cornerstone of the U.S. economy, representing 99.7 percent of all U.S. employers, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy. A vast amount of small package freight moves throughout the United States on behalf of these companies, and in most cases, parcel carriers such as FedEx, UPS, and the […]
Not-So-Friendly Foreign Liability Laws
The United States may be the largest trading nation in the world, but U.S. importers do not always dictate the rules by which imports are governed. This is especially the case when it comes to establishing carriers’ liability for lost, damaged, or delayed shipments originating in foreign countries. Some foreign nations have adopted novel rules […]
The RFID Revolution: Desperately Seeking Standards
Radio frequency identification (RFID) is about much more than Wal-Mart. The world’s largest retailer may have singlehandedly caused the intense publicity that surrounds the technology, as it forced suppliers around the globe to scramble to comply with its strict RFID mandate. The real issues, however, extend far beyond Wal-Mart’s four walls. RFID is fundamentally changing […]
Sourcing in China? Give BLPs a VIP Role
As global sourcing continues to lengthen the inbound supply chain, companies are placing more focus at the beginning of the chain, where product originates. The growing number of manufactured products originating in Asian countries such as China presents challenges for manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers that are sourcing inventory there. Companies have not fully developed […]
Diving Into Pool Distribution
By moving from piecemeal to pool distribution, perishable foods provider Chef Solutions cuts costs and boosts customer satisfaction.
Here Comes the Judge; There Goes Your Business
Judicial activism impacts all business. Not content to legislate from the bench on social issues, the courts have now gone off the legal reservation and applied the activist and collectivist bias to business, your business. Whether or not you agree with the results of an activist decision is not the point. The point is that […]
The Great Trane Robbery: Stealing Back Efficiency
A new WMS puts HVAC manufacturer Trane in the comfort zone, helping increase shipping efficiency and improve material flows.
Extreme Outsourcing: Tales from the 3PL Wild Side
When mere execution is not enough to accomplish extraordinary logistics challenges, companies turn to a special breed of 3PLs to deliver extreme results. What makes them special? Stellar leadership, plenty of resources, effective communications, precise project management, a deeply committed team, a passion for achieving a common goal, and sometimes the ability to function well on little sleep. Welcome to extreme outsourcing.
Rethinking Reverse Logistics
Companies have become more aware of the benefits of managing reverse logistics. But now it’s time to decide between merely managing returns more effectively and rethinking reverse logistics’ role as a supply chain strategy.
From Factory to Foxhole: The Battle for Logistics Efficiency
Military and business logistics managers share some challenges—tracking, moving, and storing inventory while maintaining visibility—but the differences are dramatic. For the military, the goal is survival, not profitability. The competition is an enemy force. And the customer is a warfighter on the move in hostile territory.
Supplier Logistics in the Driver’s Seat
Increasing complexity in the automotive supply chain has created a host of global logistics challenges that have auto suppliers operating in overdrive. How are they steering their supply chains in the right direction? By finding creative ways to keep inventories lean, improve velocity, and cut costs to meet manufacturer demands.
Going for (Not So) Broke: The True Cost of RFID
The cost of RFID implementation has been over-hyped and exaggerated. Early cost predictions had vendors seeing green, but in reality, an RFID implementation need not bust your whole technology budget. Find out the true costs of taking the RFID plunge.
Bryan Goins: It’s All About the Execution
In 1994, Bryan Goins joined Associated Food Stores (AFS) to help re-engineer major business processes at the Salt Lake City-based grocery distribution cooperative. It was not an easy transition. ” I went home almost every day for one year asking myself, ‘What have I done?’” Goins says. Goins spent the previous 18 years at Ryder […]
The Care and Feeding of Your Global Supply Chain
When an enterprise goes global, the nature of its supply chain has to change—not once, but continually. Nationwide may be big but worldwide is much, much bigger, with more factors exponentially governing the health of an enterprise operating a complex global supply chain. Scaling up to manage a global supply chain means dealing not just […]
Keeping the Promise
An ATP solution helps integrated circuits manufacturer more consistently make good on commitments to customers.
The Five Inventories: Invisible to Customers, Crucial to the Bottom Line
Investment sage Warren Buffett once described business as a vehicle in which the rear-view mirror is always clearer than the windshield. He was right, and mismanaged logistics is the reason for the mud on the windshield. Failure to see and manage global supply networks in response to demand makes for muddy business indeed. In the […]
Boosting Loading Dock Safety and Productivity
The loading dock is a critical component of the Material Transfer Zone (MTZ), whic. reaches from the drive approach into the shipping/receiving/staging area. The MTZ covers a broad range of concerns including: dock positioning and design, trailer design, load configuration, dock equipment systems, and the interaction between material handling vehicles and product shipments. A smooth-flowing […]
Wringing Benefits from New Hazmat Regulations
With the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) Hazmat Threat Assessment Program firmly in place, motor freight carriers and drivers face a new reality. While the program itself grew from provisions in the federal Patriot Act, and requires states to impose tighter oversight of security risks, the ultimate responsibility for fulfilling its demands falls squarely on carriers […]
Expect the Unexpected: 5 Steps for Retail Supply Chain Preparedness
Unpredictable consumers, demand for low prices, and an ever-quickening pace make the retail/consumer package goods supply chain difficult on a good day. Large-scale interruptions—such as the recent dock workers’ strike and overactive hurricane season—further exacerbate an already challenging landscape. While many interruptions are unavoidable, manufacturers and retailers can—and should—take steps to create more agile supply […]
Following the Retail Trail
Where consumer demand goes, retailers follow. They’ve progressed in tune and in time with customer needs—from the general stores of the Old West, to turn-of-the-century catalogers, to urban centers and department stores, to suburban shopping malls, and now to web retailing. As the fight for customers grows increasingly more competitive, retailers seek any logistics advantage […]
East Side Story: Ocean’s New Direction
The triple-whammy of high container growth, tight capacity, and rising fuel costs crashing in on ocean transport to West Coast ports has shippers flooding the East Coast in search of a more effective solution. Though they face challenges of their own, East Coast ports and carriers are making a strong push to tap into Asian-origin cargo volume.
Logistics at the C-Level. Are We There Yet?
Logistics and supply chain management continue to grow in stature within the corporate world. But merely gaining visibility in the boardroom doesn’t make logistics and supply chain equal players at the senior executive table.
Making Career Building Connections
Katy Keane had not been in the logistics industry very long when she found herself knee deep in what she calls an “ERP remediation” at food manufacturer Borden Foods. The company had just gone live with a full Enterprise Resource Planning system and service levels were tanking. “We couldn’t ship products and customers were threatening […]
Yolande Burnham: Grains, Trains and Supply Chains
Years ago, Yolande Burnham managed shipments of durham wheat, corn, and other grains. Today, rail lines that haul those commodities depend on Burnham’s employer—Union Switch & Signal (US&S), Pittsburgh,Pa.—for the systems they need to operate efficiently and safely. Burnham is vice president, global supply chain and manufacturing for US&S, a leading manufacturer of signaling, automation, […]
Triple Threat: Fighting Multiple Cargo Claims
Q: I am an NVOCC. Recently, I imported a shipment of assorted metal products to the United States. During shipment, some of the goods were damaged, and the receiver filed a claim against me. I paid the claim based on the limited liability in my bill of lading.The goods were insured under a cargo policy […]
Inside the Automated Warehouse
The traditional functions of a warehouse are well known. Unlike its predecessors, however, the modern warehouse is an assemblage of highly evolved automation technologies, making it a core part of the supply chain. Today’s warehouse activities include crossdocking, palletizing, kitting, tagging, and identifying products, as well as storing them in the most time- and space-efficient […]
RFID Bears Fruit
For Ballantine Produce Co., the time is ripe to make a significant move to radio frequency identification (RFID).
Selecting a Freight Broker
The truck capacity shortages shippers experienced last fall are sure to continue as the year goes on. But armed with a good freight broker, you can weather the storm. Many shippers turn to brokers when freight demand far outstrips carrier capacity. Shippers using a broker can access increased capacity without the hassle of managing new […]
Building a Better Warehouse
Choosing the right site for locating a warehouse or distribution center (DC) is a key challenge for any business. Numerous factors—such as access to transportation, an available worker pool, community support, and environmental regulations—converge to make a certain location a prime spot for meeting one company’s transportation and distribution goals, while sounding a death knell […]
The Service Supply Chain: Turning Potential into Profit
A growing number of CFOs and manufacturing executives have discovered the profit potential buried in their service business. The big challenge, however, is transforming that potential into profit. While after-sales service on average represents 24 percent of revenue, it generates a whopping 45 percent of profit, according to a recent AMR Research study. Why? As […]
Bouncing Back from Disaster
A timely IT revamp keeps operations blazing for custom rubber maker CGR Products after a fire knocks out its manufacturing plant.
When Good Warehouses Go Bad
“Our revenues and earnings were negatively affected by the January implementation of our new Warehouse Management System. Revenues were down approximately six percent compared to the first quarter of 2004. During the latter half of January, and through the month of February, we experienced significant difficulty in shipping customer orders. As a result, sales for […]
Picking a Winner
A frustrated beer distributor turns an Internet search for picking software into a magical find.
Best Practices in Today’s Distribution Center
The right people, processes, technology and tools help achieve the right results.
Survival of the Retro-Fittest
Improving processes and upgrading material handling systems in your warehouses and distribution facilities is not only a solid recovery strategy but also good business.
Setting Your Sites
Identifying and evaluating new sites is not about finding the cheapest place; it’s about locating where you can serve customers most effectively, manage inbound flows and inventory most efficiently, and keep costs competitive. Ready for some site seeing? Read on.
Fred Walker: Logistics at the Speed of Life
In his first job after high school, at a Sears Roebuck catalog warehouse, Fred Walker spent his days on roller skates. “We used to skate into a huge elevator to get to the building’s various floors,” recalls Walker. “We picked items, took them back to our tables, and packed them for shipping.” The eight-story building […]
The Three Sides of SCE Implementation
In part one of this two-part article (April 2005), we explored relationship building among partners in a Supply Chain Execution (SCE) software implementation. The players in that successful SCE implementation included: Major Brands, an alcoholic beverage distributor that sought an SCE system to cut costs by improving inbound and outbound shipment processing, and refining picking […]
Getting a Leg Up on Logistics
Leg Avenue jumps feet first into demand forecasting and warehouse management systems to meet demand for its provocative Halloween costumes.
Premium Freight: Costly Expense or Strategic Initiative?
Today’s lean manufacturing environment, shaped by just-in-time stocking and razor-thin margins, has made the use of premium freight a daily reality for manufacturers. Though once used only on occasion to protect plants, shipping goods via premium freight is now a regular occurrence. While this shipping method can be expensive, manufacturers that incorporate premium freight as […]
Negotiating With Railroads
How can you get the best bang for your buck when negotiating with railroads to ship your products? Following a systematic approach and developing a list of priorities helps ensure good rail service at a good price, according to Todd Hoyt, director of business development, supply chain services, BNSF Logistics. 1. Prepare a history. Before […]