Articles

Commentary

Shan Haq

Delivering Procure-To-Pay Success

The next step in inbound logistics goes beyond delivering goods. As e-invoicing and procure-to-pay networks have evolved into broad-based business networks, advancements now enable professionals to finally connect all the dots in the supply chain. Over a secure cloud-based network, customers share accurate, actionable data with suppliers around the world, enabling immediate electronic transactions and […]

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Paul A. Myerson

Are Your Processes Adding Value or Waste?

Packaging helps protect and preserve products, but these days companies tend to over-package and over-protect. Excess packaging illustrates the waste known in Lean methodology as overprocessing. Added processing that doesn’t bring value to goods or services in the customer’s eyes creates unnecessary waste. When trying to eliminate overprocessing waste, start by focusing on standardized work. […]

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Kyle Gholston

6 Secrets to Finding the Right 3PL

To help mitigate a potential capacity shortage, many shippers are turning to third-party logistics (3PL) providers to help cover lanes that otherwise would be difficult to fill. If you are looking to partner with a 3PL, these guidelines can help you secure a beneficial service provider relationship. 1. Choose carefully. Until recently, Internet access and […]

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Lars Kloch

Is Slow Steaming Good for the Supply Chain?

When shipping lines began promoting slow steaming—operating ships at lower speeds to reduce fuel costs and carbon emissions—they highlighted its environmental benefits. Slow speeds reduce fuel consumption and, therefore, the output of harmful emissions, helping shippers reduce their carbon footprint and reinforce their green image. Sailing ships at slower speeds does significantly reduce fuel consumption. […]

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Felecia Stratton

Navigating New IT Pathways

Logistics information technology is many things, but static isn’t one of them. In the supply chain, cloud computing opened new ways for logistics managers to deploy best-of-breed solutions, capture and disperse information, and execute change. Mobile communication enables practitioners to seed the cloud from anywhere, then feed off that shared data. Social media offers a […]

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Alan Tonelson

To Rebuild America’s Economy, Keep Products at Home

Despite anecdotal evidence of a comeback brewing in domestic industry, wide-ranging new data repeatedly point to major—even mounting—manufacturing woes, including flatlining growth and record trade deficits. More importantly, advanced domestic manufacturing keeps failing a crucial competitive test: holding onto markets in its own enormous American backyard. Imports continue to gain at the expense of U.S. […]

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