Articles
Commentary
Seeking Innovation? Stop IT Overspending
Today’s supply chain is one of the most exciting arenas for business innovation. Mobility, cloud computing, big data, and new production techniques such as 3-D printing are breaking down barriers between retailers, consumers, manufacturers, and suppliers. The technology trends driving supply chain innovation are also driving IT costs through the roof. Eighty-nine percent of IT […]
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Visions of Customer Service
Tighter links are being forged between customer service and logistics in the retail supply chain. As competition between traditional and online shopping choices heats up, expedited transportation offerings and blended supply chain networks play a pivotal role. Simply put, delivery speed and logistics agility provide the customer service levels needed to win. The main advantage […]
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Tapping Technology To Improve Lean Warehouses
Lean is traditionally thought of as a methodology for using visual signals, optimized layouts, and streamlined processes to improve material and information flow. But technology also plays a critical role in Lean operations, especially for companies managing global supply chains. Implementing forecasting, advanced planning and scheduling, distribution requirements planning, and transportation and warehouse management systems […]
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Improving Efficiencies and Costs in the Energy Supply Chain
Maintenance, logistics, and materials management professionals in upstream and downstream production are facing challenging times. Price volatility and increasing operating costs are causing energy companies to scrutinize sourcing strategies and the costs associated with vendor managed inventory (VMI), consignment, and integrated supplier programs. Additionally, more difficult oil and gas extraction methods — such as tar […]
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Optimized Operations Are Green Operations
Many companies in the ocean shipping industry are coping with increasing operating costs, below break-even performance, and aggressive price competition. Under these circumstances, the environmental impact of shipping, and ways to minimize its harmful emissions, are pushed into the shadow of more urgent cost-cutting activities. In the meantime, governments around the world continue introducing environmental […]
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Shining the Light on Pioneers and Prospects
During its annual conference in October, the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) commemorated its 50th anniversary. Important milestones like this breed nostalgia. Understandably, then, much of this year’s conference in Denver focused on honoring pioneers who helped shape our industry. While it was interesting to look back, many conversations I had with CSCMP […]
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Plan Early for Peak Returns Season
By late fall, supply chain executives worldwide are well prepared for the high-volume year-end holiday season. But following close behind it is peak returns season. Now is the time to plan for managing the returns, overstocks, and recalls businesses will process between mid-December and early March. During peak returns season, companies handle up to 45 […]
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Nearshoring in Mexico: The Benefits of Shared Borders
Offshore manufacturing has been synonymous with the Pacific Rim for decades, and it’s still often the best option for saving a line of business that might otherwise decline because of rising labor costs. As the offshoring trend has progressed, however, the drawbacks of moving production far from demand have become more obvious. For example, the […]
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Using SmartWay Data to Inform Transportation Purchasing Decisions
In 2014, SmartWay will celebrate 10 years of providing the transportation industry with tools to measure, benchmark, and take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve fuel efficiency. Partnering with groups such as SmartWay allows shippers and third-party logistics (3PL) providers to equip themselves with actionable data and, in turn, use that information to […]
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Putting a Lean Spin on Reverse Logistics
Reverse logistics—the processes involved with handling products returned by customers—is often overlooked during supply chain planning. As a result, it is frequently a source of waste, because companies lack Lean procedures for handling defective, damaged, mislabeled, or incorrectly shipped items when customers return them. Recently, businesses have started paying more attention to their reverse logistics […]
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