Articles
Checking In
Supply Chain Bifocalism: Go Short or Long?(Biondo)
When economic times get tight, even the most visionary business logistics managers feel pressure to set strategic goals aside and focus on savings derived from process optimization and operational ROI. Are you balancing strategic with tactical plays as you head down the field to the goal line of supply chain efficiency? Consider these questions: Q: […]
Read MoreLess Pie in the Sky And More Meat and Potatoes
When asked about the economy, Harry S Truman said he wished for a one-handed economic advisor so he could never say, “on the other hand.” In certain sectors, the economy is bad and likely to get worse. Why? Could it be that the decades without a national energy policy are coming home to roost as […]
Read MoreHanging 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, […]
Read MoreUp 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) […]
Read MoreTraining 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 […]
Read MoreOne 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 […]
Read MoreChanging 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) […]
Read MoreRailroad RXR?
The nation is at a crossroads on how to handle the rail industry in the coming decades. While much attention has been paid to the state of the nation’s highways in light of the I-35 bridge collapse, a new Association of American Railroads study indicates that U.S. railroads need an overhaul, too. The National Rail […]
Read MoreManaging Inbound: The Time Is Right
Most readers of this magazine know the value of managing the inbound flow. “But most companies would readily admit they have less control over inbound shipments than outbound shipments,” notes Dan Cushman, chief marketing officer, Werner Enterprises. That is changing, according to readers interviewed for this annual trucking issue. By managing inbound, companies aim to […]
Read MoreHitting the Infrastructure Snooze Button
Folks in our business didn’t need the Minneapolis I-35 bridge collapse to serve as a wake-up call; we talk about maintaining infrastructure constantly. Just one morning before the collapse, I exchanged e-mails with Doug Grane, president of Central States Trucking, who, in a recent guest editorial, wrote: “Most trucking company owners would agree that as […]
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