Articles
Commentary
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 […]
Read More
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 […]
Read MoreGOOD QUESTION | How will the Internet of Things affect the supply chain?
Like the air we breathe, IoT in logistics is becoming omnipresent. Go without it…and you’ll notice! J.P. Wiggins Vice President of Logistics 3Gtms The concept of IoT has been in the supply chain for years through the use of intelligent sensors. Current IoT technology extends the concept to a wider variety of devices that give […]
Read More
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 […]
Read More
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 […]
Read More
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 […]
Read More
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 […]
Read More
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 […]
Read More
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 […]
Read More
GOOD QUESTION | What movie/TV show/song title best describes your job?
Readers pick the song/movie/TV show title that best describes their job.
Read More
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 […]
Read More
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 […]
Read More
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 […]
Read More
Truck Driver Health Should Drive Business Decisions
Truck drivers are vital to the flow of the supply chain yet this key resource is being drained at an alarming rate. The average life expectancy for long-haul truck drivers is 61 years. As the current truck driver workforce ages and with fewer young people choosing a career as a truck driver, it leaves the […]
Read More
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, […]
Read More
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 […]
Read More
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 […]
Read More
GOOD QUESTION | What part of working in supply chain do you find the most rewarding?
We have a material impact on the experience our clients deliver for their customers. The convergence of technology and physical movement makes supply chain automation exciting and rewarding. The ability of leaders in the space to use logistics as a competitive differentiator has made it even more interesting. Chris Lingamfelter President, White Systems For me, […]
Read More
Predictive Analytics Takes Forecasting to a New Level
Technology users in 2012 generated 2.5 exabytes of data per day, three-quarters of which is text, audio, or video messages. That’s a lot of data for companies to review and potentially leverage, and is one reason for the increasing use of predictive analytics, a cost-effective way to filter through and utilize large amounts of data. […]
Read More
Today’s Competitive Supply Chain: Digital, Smaller, More Resilient
Historically, the supply chain and manufacturing industry has been relatively slow to embrace the opportunities presented by the digital revolution. Technology is advancing quickly, and it’s time to buck this trend. Whether it’s recognizing the crucial strategic strength and impact offered by the Internet of Things (IoT), taking advantage of the dramatic increase in automation, […]
Read More