Articles
Case Studies
Greg Schwartz: Smooth Operator
In the smoothie business, hot weather is a blessing; as temperatures rise, so does demand. But when the sun blazes too long over peach orchards or berry fields, it may ruin the crops. Then, bringing in the fruit needed to whip up a perfect healthy drink becomes a complicated puzzle. That’s why Greg Schwartz, vice […]
Read MoreCreating Calm from Chaos
By automating and reorganizing its warehouse, Red-L Distributors cuts costs and creates a cleaner, safer, less frantic work environment.
Read MoreRemember The Alamo Group’s Inventory Tracking Success
The Alamo Group realizes Texas -sized returns after installing a new wireless inventory control system.
Read MoreJim Calo: Under Armour’s Over Achiever
Active people look to Under Armour’s clothing, footwear, and sports gear to help them stay at the top of their game. Since last October, Jim Calo has been giving Under Armour a similar boost. As the Baltimore firm’s first chief supply chain officer, Calo spends much of his time with the operations team, scouting for […]
Read MoreArrow Hits Replenishment Target
Arrow aims at One Network’s platform to recharge its automated replenishment program, and hits the customer service bull’s eye.
Read MoreNorbert Ore: The Creative Touch
When Norbert Ore looks back at his career, he recalls with special satisfaction a phase that started in 2001, when a job switch took him from Chesapeake Corp. to Georgia-Pacific (GP) LLC, Atlanta. His new position, the one he still holds today, was group director, strategic sourcing and procurement. Even for a supply chain veteran […]
Read MoreRock Around the Stock
Taking its cue from the Q system, Guitar Center’s forecasts and inventory allocation now make beautiful music together.
Read MoreBean There, Returned That
Building its business around high-quality outdoor equipment and clothing, L.L. Bean’s sales channels include seven retail stores, one dozen outlet stores, the Internet, and its nearly 100-year-old catalog. But it’s not just the product that Bean built its reputation on—it’s also the retailer’s 100-percent satisfaction guarantee. The roots of that guarantee trace back to 1912, […]
Read MoreVimal Patel: Taking an Eagle’s-Eye View
When Vimal Patel speaks, everyone listens. As manager of merchandise flow at American Eagle (AE) Outfitters’ Warrendale, Pa., distribution center, his job is to make sure all departments – receiving, replenishment, packing, and shipping – pull together to achieve the facility’s goals. “Every department wants to do well individually, but they don’t always look at […]
Read MoreHassle-Free Electronic Invoicing: Now That’s Hot
HVACR wholesaler heats up efficiency with a cool electronic invoicing system.
Read MoreSteve Lash: Loco Like A Fox
“A chicken is actually corn with feathers,” Steve Lash says. He should know. Lash is director of supply chain management for El Pollo Loco, a restaurant chain that built its success on citrus-marinated, flame-grilled, Mexican-style chicken. With more than 360 stores in seven states, and a 12-state expansion underway, El Pollo Loco (Spanish for The […]
Read MoreBox Ho! RFID Replaces Telescopes
Tired of playing hide and seek with its containers, CIMC finds a new RFID system to help locate product in its yards.
Read MoreHello? I’d Like to Order a New Fulfillment System, Please
A new order fulfillment system keeps catalog retailer Redcats purring.
Read MoreJohn Rickard: Logistics With a Human Touch
Try this logistics experiment: Drop packages of food from a helicopter onto a field filled with football and rugby players and see if anyone gets hurt. That’s the exercise John Rickard and his associates at the relief agency International Rescue Committee (IRC) conducted in 1999 while laying plans for a humanitarian mission in the mountains […]
Read MoreA Labor Management Tool For All Seasons
Raising the heat on worker productivity and efficiency was key for Four Seasons Temperature Control. A labor management system helped it achieve that—plus some cool savings.
Read MoreJ.Jill Arrives Fashionably Light
A new put-to-light system lets women’s clothing retailer J.Jill keep up with growing volume in style.
Read MoreDebbie E. Jackson: Life at the End of the ERP Tunnel
Debbie Jackson is starting to get her life back. It has been on hold since late 2003, while she and her colleagues at Johns Hopkins University endured one of the truly harrowing ordeals of business life: a major ERP implementation. As supply chain procurement team lead for HopkinsOne—the initiative to move all the Johns Hopkins […]
Read MoreI Heard IT Through the Grapevine
When The Henry Wine Group uncorks a new logistics system, accurate inbound freight updates and improved communication pour out.
Read MoreAerial’s DC Makeover: It’s a Beautiful Thing
A beauty supply company gives its DC a makeover. Now productivity comes in permanent waves.
Read MoreBrent Shinall: Bursting with Energy
When Brent Shinall grew bored with his job as manufacturing engineer for hypersonic engine maker Pratt & Whitney, he started exploring new career opportunities. “I saw people in the purchasing department working with suppliers and negotiating contracts, and thought, ‘That looks like more fun,’” he recalls. So when the company’s purchasing manager needed an engineer […]
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