Articles

Commentary

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Reconstructing Supply Chains

I see it every day on my way to work, and if you’re in logistics, you see it too. The demand chain structure that you manage is breaking down and rebuilding itself, just below the surface, and changing into what best serves consumers’ needs. On a major New York artery, I pass a long-vacant big […]

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Do you think self-driving trucks will affect the supply chain in the next two years? How so?

No. I do not believe this is a viable option in the United States. Current research is specific for the European theater on confined and controlled highway systems. The United States will require significant highway infrastructure investment to facilitate self-driving trucks. Bill Carter Vice President of Logistics, CFI Yes. There’s an enormous driver shortage plaguing […]

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Thinking Inside the Unbox

Consumers today judge businesses on many things beyond product performance. Unboxing, for example, is now part of a consumer’s everyday experience. That means daily opportunities for your brand to make a positive impression. Today, 68 percent of shoppers say they are more aware of packaging than they were five years ago, according to a Kantar […]

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5 Ways Your TMS Can Help You Go Green

Some of the most common reasons to implement a Transportation Management System (TMS) include automation, visibility, and optimization, all of which can lead to reduced costs and greater efficiency. However, a TMS also has the ability to help you be more environmentally responsible. Sustainability matters to businesses and individuals—both in terms of what they buy […]

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Looking Beyond Your Desktop

The latest Ransomware attack lays bare hidden risks in your manufacturing, logistics, and supply chain network. You can protect against the ever-evolving threat of Bitcoin pirates by looking deeper into your operations. The attack is introduced into networks with Spear Fishing emails. Once activated, the malware locks and ecrypts your files, and files across all […]

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What’s Your Sourcing Strategy?

Having a current, flexible sourcing strategy can not only reduce costs and increase efficiency, but also serve as a competitive advantage to help organizations increase the top line. Supply chain costs, primarily procurement and transportation, can range from 50 to 70 percent of sales, depending on industry. So it is critical to spend considerable time […]

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5 Steps to Protect Your Supply Chain From Cyber Threats

With cyber threats affecting organizations worldwide, warding off cyber attacks and protecting against cyber espionage is becoming a top priority across industries. Manufacturers, distributors, and organizations, however, are not doing enough to make supply chains more resilient and prepared. Whether your business is large or small, a startup or 40-year veteran, major security issues stem […]

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Finding Untapped Value in Product Returns

The little-known, but dark secret of e-commerce is this: On average, for every three packages a retailer ships, one will be an eventual return. Retailers must shift their focus to processing the continuously increasing number of returns. As retail grows more reliant on analytics, retailers are seeing previously untapped value in data about who is […]

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Robert Finn
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The Keys to Dangerous Goods/Hazmat Shipping Compliance

Dangerous goods (DG)/hazardous materials (hazmat) transport safety and compliance can be challenging, but the right infrastructure and technology can mitigate risk and give your business a competitive edge. There has always been some degree of risk involved in transporting dangerous goods and hazardous materials, with the responsibility for compliance typically assigned solely to the compliance […]

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Jean-Pierre Geronimi
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5 Ways to Cut the Risk of Cargo Theft

Risk models provide a key advantage to firms operating globally, and are the first step in identifying key trade lanes, business partners, and the areas most likely to cause harm. The more you know, the easier it is to manage the risk. While risk modeling is an important part of the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism […]

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We’ve Been Together for 35 Years 

This month marks my 35th anniversary of serving readers as editor of Inbound Logistics. That milestone gave me reason to look back while developing and editing the content for this annual logistics technology issue. Three decades ago, logistics technology primarily consisted of typewriters, pens and pencils, ledgers, paper maps, and hand-typed bills of lading and […]

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Blockchain Set to Shake Up Shipping

International trade is a maze of regulations, and mostly manual, inefficient processes that lack transparency. This is all about to radically change with blockchain technology. Shipping today is riddled with documentation, regulations, and policies that require certificates of origin, letters of credit, bills of lading, vessel manifests, and customs declarations. Blockchain converts documents, such as […]

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Roei Ganzarski
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3 Steps to a Demand-Driven Supply Chain

The on-demand economy means customers expect instant gratification via immediate access and convenient delivery options. Companies must adapt and start optimizing their supply chains to stay competitive. Many companies are still supply driven, constrained by resource capacity, archaic scheduling technologies, and inefficient decision-making. Typically, these businesses match demand by increasing the supply and infrastructure to […]

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Samuel Mueller
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Turn to Technology to Attract the Next Generation of Workers

Supply chain stakeholders have to acknowledge the shortage of workers in the supply chain sector. An estimated 600,000 manufacturing positions in the United States are going unfulfilled due to a lack of qualified workers, according to the 2016 MHI Annual Industry Report. Additionally the survey showed that 58 percent of respondents face a significant challenge […]

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Inbal Axelrod
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Transparency to Efficiency: How IoT Can Increase the Productivity of Your Transportation (Sponsored)

The evolution of business has rapidly increased over the last 25 years. The speed of technological advances has impacted all aspect of business, including the last bastions of manufacturing and transportation operations. Every business has looked to capitalize on technology to increase productivity and leveraging that into higher profit margins. With the Internet of Things, […]

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Helen Sabell
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5 Hacks for Recruiting in Supply Chain Management

Supply chain and logistics requires innovative, logical thinkers to be recruited in order to compete with rapid technology advancements and global expansion. Finding the right candidate for your business is a challenge that requires broad advertising, rigorous interviews, and ultimately some give and take from both sides. Not only does the individual need to be […]

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Keith Biondo
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Redefining Globalism?

Not long ago, Deutsche Bank, Thomas Friedman, and many economic experts announced that globalism is dead. Even technology visionary Peter Thiel recently said, "The tide on globalism is going out." Deutsche Bank chief strategist George Saravelos frames globalism’s death notice this way: "The world has been on a ‘globalizing’ trend since the end of World […]

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