Articles

Commentary

Keith Biondo
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Knowledge is Power

There are 13,000 unfilled supply chain positions nationwide, according to recent labor surveys. I think there are more. A lot more. To fill those positions, we need young professionals who possess the knowledge and skills necessary to manage the supply chains of the future. Schools and universities are doing their part to develop curriculums that […]

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Doug Surrett
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Time to Get Cracking on Compliance

As the global marketplace expands and countries start to flex their economic muscle, the rules that keep goods moving across borders will only get more complex. How can your company keep up? Automating your import/export processes is one smart step. A future-oriented customs management suite that goes beyond electronic customs declarations, with flexible integration and […]

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Valerie Metzker
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Retail Combats a $351-Billion Problem

The next time you think about returning an item to Amazon, be forewarned: Return too many items in one year, and you might just be exiled for good. Amazon’s controversial decision to ban return-happy customers in an effort to reduce returns costs shows the lengths retailers are willing to go. Last year, total merchandise returns […]

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Jeff Lau
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Is Your Supply Chain Ready for 2019?

Some of the most relevant topics in today’s headlines—technology, commerce, international relations, the legal landscape, and even immigration policy—will impact supply chains over the next 12 months and beyond. The key for supply chain and logistics professionals is to contextualize these issues and think strategically about how they will play out. Here are a few […]

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Andrea McFarling
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Minimize Returns While Improving Sales

The popularity of free shipping has led to a growth of online sales. It has also created a problem: a large number of online returns. The shipping world defines the returns process as reverse logistics. Minimizing costs and even making a profit in reverse logistics is critical to an e-commerce company’s health. Here are some […]

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MaryAnn Holder
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Fighting Counterfeit Products

As pharmaceutical and food supply chains become more global, the risk of fraud, substitution, and counterfeiting increases. Consumers are demanding more transparency and safety adherence as these issues arise. Consumers are also increasingly concerned about the source of their products and the conditions under which they are manufactured. In the pharma supply chain, patients are […]

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Keith Biondo
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When Worlds Collide

In retail there are two worlds or approaches: online and traditional. It appears the online retailers have been winning in the market with all types of consumers, even in manufacturing and industrial products. But don’t count the traditional retail world out yet. Good supply chain management practices, along with blended approaches to serving the customer, […]

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Mohammed (Mo) Hajibashi
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Today’s Technology, Tomorrow’s Demand

The late actress Carrie Fisher said, “instant gratification takes too long.” Her prescience is spot-on. Consumers don’t just want convenient, personalized products and services—they want them immediately. Speed and flexibility are the most significant aspects of meeting this heightened sense of “must have it now.” Consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies are in a fierce race […]

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Andrew Berke and Charles Boesch
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Using Technology to Cut Freight Costs

The bad news: Tight capacity and higher freight rates are the new normal. The good news: There are ways to handle the impacts far better than your competition. Aside from securing reduced freight rates from your carriers, here’s how you can cut freight expense while improving service: Coordinate business intelligence Improve load planning Provide carriers […]

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Peter Belden
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Using FTZs to Treat Pharma Challenges

Every day, pharmaceutical manufacturers navigate complicated regulations while managing costs and reducing risk. Foreign trade zones (FTZs) can help, but only if manufacturers understand what they are, their potential benefits, and how to best use them. FTZs—areas in or next to U.S. ports of entry under the control of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) but […]

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Chris Mehlfelder
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Maximizing Global E-Commerce Profits

With 7 billion prospective customers out there, how can e-commerce companies not grow wealthy by expanding internationally? But, as with most things in business, international e-commerce is not as simple as it sounds. It takes work, planning, and investment, but the profit potential is very real. When branching out internationally, you’ll be able to get […]

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Paul A. Myerson
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Riding Out the Rapids

It seems that we are moving from crisis to crisis—tariffs, a plummeting stock market, cyber-attacks, recalls—at an ever-increasing pace. While we can’t avoid these crises, we can minimize their impact with a lean, agile supply chain. While that’s easy to say, it’s hard to do. Some key components to focus on include: Supply chain visibility, […]

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Jack Tarkoff
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The Cure for Meeting Pharma Requirements

Complying with global pharmaceutical serialization and traceability regulations without collaboration and system interoperability represents a significant challenge for pharmaceutical trading partners. Collaboration preempts disagreements among supply chain trading partners simply because complete, accurate data is important to both parties. Contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs) are a crucial component of the pharma manufacturing ecosystem, and many pharmaceutical […]

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