Articles
Commentary
Panama: Leveraging Opportunities Beyond the Canal
It’s not only shipping lines, railroads, logistics service providers, and multinational firms that want to know to what extent the Panama Canal expansion project will affect business. Every company will be affected plenty, and must be prepared to modify existing distribution operations to reflect the changing world. Why will the Panama Canal expansion have such […]
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Innovation in Business Processes from Northwest Arkansas
Northwest Arkansas is a hotbed for innovations in supply chain management, the effects of which span the globe. Although some argue that various aspects of these innovations started elsewhere, they have, at the very least, been perfected and rolled out broadly in Northwest Arkansas. Though these innovations have been in areas of data science and […]
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Optimizing the Fashion Supply Chain
The debate in fashion over inventory as an asset or a liability may never see an end. Only a few years ago, the CEO of one the largest fashion retailers in the United States said, “I’d rather lose sales than carry (risky) inventory.” What an incredible statement. The head of a major retailer willing to […]
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Taking a Smarter Approach to WMS RFPs
To understand where request for proposals (RFPs) for warehouse management systems (WMS) often go wrong, imagine for a moment you are being interviewed for admission to your dream college. You try to demonstrate the specific reasons why you would be a great addition to that school. But instead of engaging in a friendly dialog, the […]
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How to Create a Forklift Safety Culture
You’re going to remember the time when you thought it wouldn’t happen to you. One of your industry contacts was telling you how they paid substantial OSHA fines for allowing operators to use forklifts even after the operators completed pre-use operational compliance checklists that showed the forklifts were non-compliant. The individual said he didn’t know […]
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Measuring the Value of Warehouse Data
In today’s highly global manufacturing and supply chain economy, it’s no surprise that manufacturers need to embrace better communication to manage cultural, geographic, and language differences so as to operate effectively. In the end, better communication means better efficiency, less waste, and higher customer satisfaction. Complex, global economic issues have only increased the difficulty in […]
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Forklift Design Reaches New Heights
The evolution of forklift design in the past 60 years has had a positive impact on overall building design and distribution productivity. The question of “when is high enough too high” is still being asked and the answer continues to be, not yet. The progression from almost exclusive use of the sit down counterbalanced truck […]
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Defending Against the Global Recall Threat
As international supply chains and distribution networks grow in prevalence and complexity, operating risks and logistics are becoming increasingly difficult to mitigate. The challenge of managing the multitude of variables is compounded by the speed at which today’s supply chain must operate. One key area affected by the global economy is product recalls. The number […]
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Reaching for the Stars
The United States is challenged by a lack of skilled and technical workers. Some claim widespread offshoring created a generation of job attrition and lost experience. But offshoring is only a symptom of the real problem. Previously, the U.S. education system failed to see and appreciate the true worth of blue- and gray-collar workers, and […]
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Lean Retail: It’s About Time – and Money
Thanks to forward-thinking retailers such as Walmart and OfficeMax, Lean thinking is spreading in a variety of manufacturing sectors, including consumer goods, apparel, and food and beverage. These retailers have dramatically changed how products are ordered, moving inventory rapidly through their distribution centers to stores by gathering and sharing point-of-sale data with suppliers, and using […]
Read MoreNeed Warehouse Capacity? Outsourcing Gives You an In
To find the right solutions to today’s complex warehousing, real estate, and supply chain challenges, growing companies have three options: hire someone with the expertise you need; train someone on your staff; or enlist help from someone outside your company who already has the skills you need. Shippers should consider seeking that outside help from […]
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5 Issues to Consider Before Selecting Your Next Site
For companies evaluating prospective manufacturing sites, transportation cost and service considerations are paramount. Here are five critical supply chain issues businesses must consider when evaluating sites for expansion or relocation. Fuel costs. The price of U.S. diesel fuel has remained higher than $3 per gallon for more than three years, with no sign of dropping. […]
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Technology Convergence of Forces Offers Improvements for Logistics Sector
A convergence of technology trends is transforming the logistics sector, creating enormous opportunities to operate more safely, efficiently, and competitively. Technology research firm Gartner describes what’s happening in business and our society in general as a nexus of technology and human forces: Social – the technology linkage between people, and the connectivity that enables work […]
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Fight Inventory Pain Points
We’ve all experienced inventory management pains. Inaccurate inventory counts that cause mishaps, delays because of inaccuracy resulting in dissatisfied customers, costly end-of-year write-offs, and wasted time spent looking for lost inventory, are the most common pain points sited by businesses. While all these things can happen, the best part is, they don’t have to. There’s […]
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The Importance of Contingency Planning in Automotive Supply Chains
Emergency logistics specialists have been championing the benefits of focused supply chain management for a long time, and the adoption of such policies by vehicle manufacturers is enabling the introduction of new, dynamic, and higher-risk logistics strategies. Supply chain contingency can not only safeguard current operations, but provide support for the increasingly fleet-footed manufacturing footprint […]
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Dispelling Five Common Myths about Voice-Directed Work
Nearly one million workers use voice-directed technology daily in warehousing and logistics applications. These tools can help improve worker safety and reduce employee-training time. Yet many companies still resist investing in voice-directed solutions – often because of one of the following five common misconceptions. Myth: Voice is only applicable for picking workflows. Fact: Voice is […]
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What Transportation Providers Gain From an Integrated TMS Platform
Transportation service providers with trucking assets have an edge with customers. Compared to their non-asset counterparts, they can directly control the equipment, drivers and facilities to ensure capacity and customer service, keeping commitments and adapting quickly to market change. Keeping pace with the demands of the marketplace has become increasingly complex, however. Few carriers operate […]
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Preparing for New Trade Regulations
Major trade regulation changes are affecting the global supply chain, unprecedented in both number and magnitude. Although the changes impact some industries more than others, every company that imports into, or exports from, the United States or Canada will be affected. The majority of the regulations require new licensing, while others mandate significant software updates. […]
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You Say You Need a Bigger Warehouse?
If you think you need a bigger warehouse, you are not alone. Seventy-one percent of warehouse operators responding to an April 2014 Motorola Solutions survey have their sights set on expanding warehouse operations. Thirty-five percent of respondents say they want either more warehouse space or more locations, while 38 percent want to expand the size […]
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Liquidate Inventory or Leave Money on the Table
Reverse logistics programs aim to efficiently remove returned and obsolete inventory from the primary sales channel to maximize recovery values while minimizing related financial risk. Retailers and manufacturers liquidate more than 95 percent of overstock inventory and customer returns on the secondary market. When evaluating the effectiveness of their returns process, many executives focus on […]
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