Articles
Commentary
How to Prepare for Proposed China Tariffs
At the stroke of midnight July 6, 2018, tariffs against imports of tens of billions in yearly value of Chinese goods took effect for goods entered into or withdrawn from warehouses for consumption. Here’s what you should know: The 25-percent duties are based on country of origin, not country of export, and apply only to […]
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Driverless Trucks: A Different Idea
I admire and respect the individuals and companies working on perfecting driverless trucks. However, I don’t believe driverless trucks are an innovative concept. In fact, I believe just the opposite: Designing driverless trucks is the wrong solution for transportation. There is so much effort and capital being directed at wanting to make trucks driverless that […]
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Dual Dynamics
If you are using a third-party logistics (3PL) provider for truck brokerage alone, you are leaving money on the table. I wrote that eight years ago, when commenting on the results of our annual 3PL market research. Why did I say that? Because logistics providers have evolved and developed an array of solutions that bring […]
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Are You Ready for Omnichannel Retail?
An omnichannel retail strategy provides a consistent shopping experience across different channels and devices, requiring your supply chain to offer a smooth, positive experience for customers—no matter where and how they interact with your brand. Some supply chain challenges to address when dealing with an omnichannel retail strategy include: Supply chain visibility. Consumer expectations are […]
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What’s Driving Truck Regulation?
The trucking industry presents a rich example of the intersection between the public’s demand for safety and consumers’ demand for low-priced goods delivered when they want them. The essence of the trucking intersection is the presence of very large vehicles mixed among the very small vehicles motorists drive. Even the dumbest motorist knows that when […]
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Industrial Development Returns to the Rails
The United States’ inadequate supply of Class A industrial space located close to international shipping facilities adds complexity and cost to distribution networks. With sky-high land acquisition and development costs, and limited land availability around the busiest ports, companies are forced to scatter operations in several smaller facilities or pay premium prices for adequate space. […]
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IoT: Where We Are, What Comes Next
The Internet of Things (IoT) is set to disrupt all industries, including the supply chain. While excitement around this disruptive technology is enticing, IoT still has a long way to go. Supply chain executives must be thoughtful and selective when it comes to investing in it. Let’s break down some benefits and drawbacks of IoT […]
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Recall Logistics: The Value of Information
Massive recalls—such as the contaminated romaine lettuce in summer 2018 that led to the deaths of five people—provide some lessons helpful to anyone facing a future recall. With any recall, the first step is alerting the public and removing any harmful product from store shelves and customers’ homes. Unlike the romaine lettuce recall, the majority […]
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5 Ways to Mitigate High Freight Rates
Consistent economic growth in industries dependent on logistics has increased freight demand, creating more loads than available trucks. Spot market rates are up 25 to 35 percent over 2017, and analysts expect tight capacity and higher costs to continue into 2019. The main factors impacting the current freight market during this historic time include: Driver […]
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Why do you use a third-party logistics provider?
We use 3PLs in regions where it is too costly for us to perform services in-house at the service level we require. 3PLs tend to have more density in the regions we use them in, and they can leverage their other partnerships to give us the service level we need at the best possible cost. […]
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If you could speed the development of a supply chain-disrupting technology, what would it be and why?
Heavyweight drones that move ocean containers from a port to a distribution center within 50 miles are well into development. Once integrated into air traffic control systems, this technology becomes a game changer for road congestion and cost containment.
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GDPR: Privacy, Yes. Innovation, No
If you spend too much time clearing privacy protection notices from your email box, thank the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). But what exactly is this regulation and how might it impact future supply chain technological innovation? GDPR is a new rule with the goal of protecting European Union residents’ personal data and adding privacy […]
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Last-Mile Technology Needs a Radical Rethink
We need to stop viewing last-mile logistics as solely a delivery challenge. The broader challenge is ensuring processes and their supporting technologies work together to allow supply chains to meet the market’s insatiable appetite for faster, more precise deliveries. Supply chain management technology is boldly exploring sophisticated new developments such as driverless vehicles and the […]
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4 Ways to Tell If Your Alcohol Carrier Knows the Hard Stuff
Transporting alcohol is a time- and temperature- sensitive move that requires superior logistics. Selecting a carrier that can meet the stringent requirements and provide value to a shipper’s business is crucial. To demonstrate they would be a good fit for your business, consider alcohol carriers that: Know the law. Every state has its own process […]
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Can You Handle the IoT Big Data Onslaught?
Supply chain managers (SCMs) recognize the potential benefits of big data platforms, leveraged and fed by the Internet of Things (IoT). Yet, the combination of IoT and real-time data collection creates an overwhelming data flow, threatening to drown organizations unprepared for the influx of that data. Companies need to understand their analytical goals and underlying […]
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Demanding Service
It is exactly the wrong time to abandon a demand-driven approach to the supply chain.
Read MoreGOOD QUESTION | What’s the first thing you would do to solve the warehouse labor shortage?
Make the job dynamic to attract and retain workers. Often, a warehouse role is one-dimensional. Operators can create job enrichment by cross-training workers and rotating them through all the functions required to run the warehouse. Also, connecting their specific job and function to the success of the company, and to the benefit of the customer, […]
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Don’t Let Your Office Go to Waste
When analyzing your supply chain for efficiency improvements, it can be easy to ignore administrative activities. But office activities can constitute approximately 50 percent of the order-to-shipment lead time, and about 60 to 80 percent of all cost pertaining to meeting your customers’ needs. Many companies treat office activities in the supply chain and elsewhere […]
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Truck Driver Shortage Solution: Recruit Generation Z
Truck driver retention and recruitment consistently top the list of concerns for the transportation sector. The industry will need to hire roughly 900,000 new drivers to keep up with demand throughout the next decade, according to the American Trucking Associations. As millennials become more seasoned professionals and more immersed in their current industries, leaders at […]
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Keeping Order Changes in Check
Today, retailers face not just competitive pressures, but also heightened consumer expectations for convenience and a wide product selection. As a result, the retail grocery industry is working to increase flexibility in the supply chain and clean up disjointed practices that add unnecessary cost and, ultimately, negatively impact the consumer experience. Recently, a retail grocery […]
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