Articles

Checking In

Sky. Falling or Not?

Trade uncertainty. Tariffs. Protectionism. Retaliation. Supply chain disruption. What is happening? For the past year, we have been hearing shouted warnings that global trade as we know it will end in 2017…no, in 2018….no, in 2019. “The future of the global trade system faces more risk and uncertainty than at any time since it was […]

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The Human Experience

I am adding something to the acronym alphabet soup: HX or the Human Experience. In the ever-evolving supply chain process—shaped by automation, co-bots, and the global search for the lowest skilled hourly wage—are the cards irrevocably stacked against the humanity who grind the operational logistics gears that make it all happen? Recent developments in supply […]

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Status Grow? Yes.

I often disagree with IL’s publisher, but I can’t argue with his perspective in this edition. There is a great opportunity for growth in many business sectors, and supply chain excellence is fundamentally important in that economic environment. It wasn’t always that way, however. This publication’s mission since its inception in 1981 has been to […]

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Status Quo? No.

The coming year is destined to be one of some major and minor changes in business operations. Given your role in logistics, you will face a perfect storm of new. Here are some events and trends that will drive change and the need to think flexibly and laterally, and adapt operations accordingly. Domestic trucking capacity […]

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CX in the Era of Supply Chain Impatience

Whether your customer is the end consumer or B2B buyer, supply chain and customer service performance expectations are converging. Providing an excellent customer experience (CX) requires super-expedited and sometimes free delivery. E-commerce customers increasingly choose to pay for same-day delivery, according to a DHL survey. Here at Inbound Logistics, we call that supply chain impatience […]

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Stop, Look, Listen

We all know the best way to approach an unguarded railroad crossing is to stop, look, and listen. That same advice applies when examing the economy, which will likely roar through 2018 at full speed. While it is tempting to climb aboard and enjoy the ride, that is the exact wrong approach from a supply […]

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Masters of the Future

I have a secret: I can see the future. Anyone who reads business media can tell you that many professionals in my generation fear for the future of the workforce. Doomsayers claim that all millennials are lazy, and Generation Z is needy and co-dependent on Google and their devices. I’m lucky, however. I get an […]

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The Economy Will Grow. Is That Bad News?

For this annual trucking issue, we surveyed both shippers and carriers on important issues impacting the trucking industry. Most importantly, we solicited their views on the state of the economy as we head into 2018. The good news: not one shipper or carrier responding to our survey thinks that the economy will head south in […]

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It Happens Automagically

I heard the phrase “it happens automagically” not long ago, and it reminded me of an editorial I wrote in 2000, when I mused that one day we’d have “a global internet without wires, melded with interaction free detection—finding something without looking.” Today, it is real and it happened sooner than I expected. The Internet […]

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Bad News, Good News

Why does logistics giant XPO Logistics invest $500 million annually on IT to drive its business? The explosion in e-commerce, according to Brad Jacobs, CEO of XPO. But it’s not only consumers who have been acculturated to supply chain impatience. Purchasing, buyers, and supply managers in industrial sectors also feel the need for speed—and for […]

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