Articles
Commentary
Handling the Rigors of Global Compliance
Compliance is an intrinsically complex and often misunderstood part of the global supply chain. Unlike other functions such as purchasing and receiving, which generate a lot of attention and activity, successful compliance is gauged when absolutely nothing happens—when freight leaves its origin and arrives at its destination on time and intact. But as soon as […]
Read MoreFood Retail: It’s a Jungle Out There
I was watching The Discovery Channel with my son the other day and saw a program about a group of cheetah hunting a lone springbok. Menaced from the front, sides, and rear the antelope leapt high in the air, and dodged from side to side to escape the jaws and claws of its larger, faster […]
Read MoreFor SAP, Size No Longer Matters
In this era of business change, even the biggest supply chain technology providers are reaching out to small- and mid-sized companies, creating new products, and making it easier for companies to respond to their offerings. Much of their focus is also targeted toward easier implementation. Industry stalwart SAP has responded to these changes in business […]
Read MoreThe 4 T’s of SC Excellence: Timing, Trust, Transparency, Technology
Last month, 75 years after Charles Lindbergh’s landing in Paris, his grandson Erik recreated the historic trans-Atlantic run. Charles navigated by sight—flying low and sticking his head out the window. Erik flew with advanced avionics and a sealed, heated cabin. What else has—and hasn’t—changed since the original flight? Both flights were as much logistical as […]
Read MoreHuman Resources Vital in the Age of Technology
Technology makes the modern world go ’round, or at the very least makes modern business work. But to build a global freight forwarding network—and make it thrive—technology is not an answer in and of itself. It is a cultural and business evolution. Before implementing technology, freight forwarders must have the right professionals in the right […]
Read MoreTransforming Companies and Services on the Web
Developments in information technology are transforming the logistics industry by expanding the capabilities of logistics providers and enabling them to automate services to enhance customer support. Using the web, a logistics company can offer a variety of services and information to you without requiring them to invest in special software programs. Logistics services providers are […]
Read MoreTapping Into SRM for Supply Strategy and Procurement Execution
Manufacturers today have an opportunity to leverage their supply base for competitive advantage. Unfortunately, most do not have the tools required to tap this value. For the last decade they have focused mainly on growth issues such as supply chain planning and customer relationship management. As the engine of growth has stalled, manufacturers are casting […]
Read More3PL Growth: Strange But True
In any field, find the strangest thing and explore it,” said renowned physicist John Wheeler. “You can learn a lot about your world if you take that approach.” Well, perhaps the strangest thing in our world of transportation is the advent of the 3PL. Many say buying transportation is just about buying a commodity—”I don’t […]
Read MoreClicking Toward Dynamic Carrier Selection
As supply chain technology evolves, service providers continually refine their offerings to deal with specific challenges. One difficulty many companies face is finding the optimal carrier for a shipment. To address this, Clicklogistics, currently being acquired by Yellow Corporation’s Meridian IQ division, recently launched version 3.0 of its web-native transportation management system (TMS) featuring a […]
Read MoreWhole Order Visibility Supports Front Lines of Customer Satisfaction
In the days of dot.com euphoria, an order was an order, plain and simple. Consumers went to Amazon.com to buy a book, then felt the excitement of clicking on “track your package” to follow each step of the delivery. But B2B order tracking is different. No company uses Amazon.com to place complex equipment orders or […]
Read More