Articles
Commentary
Filling the Manufacturing Skills Gap With Technology
Small and medium businesses (SMBs) are growing at an accelerated rate. This is all good news for manufacturers as they are seeing an increase in orders. But along with the growth, there’s the reality that manufacturers are dealing with a skills gap. Its tough to attract and retain the kind of talent they need to […]
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Managing the Aerospace Supply Chain
Today’s aftermarket aerospace and defense supply chain requirements are changing how companies secure the critical spare parts needed to improve customer service, enhance product uptime and profitability, and increase customer loyalty and retention. It’s nothing short of a global logistical transformation. Budget cuts are helping fuel the transformation, with the need to maintain existing military […]
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Contingency Planning Keeps Freight Moving
In the last few years, everything from a massive earthquake in Japan, to hurricanes on the East Coast threatened our supply chain – a supply chain that increasingly knows no international borders. Whether operations are focused in a small geographic area or span countries and modes, all disruptions have the potential to ripple through our […]
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Steps to Take When Choosing a Bar-Code Scanning System
Managers must carefully consider all factors of their operation before selecting a new bar-coding system.
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Keeping Vendor Risk Under Control During the Holiday Season
‘Tis the season to be jolly. Yet, for logistics managers, ‘tis perhaps the most stressful time of the year. With businesses offering customers attractive deals and promises of just-in-time delivery, logistics managers are under tremendous pressure to make sure that customer orders are fulfilled in time. Nobody wants to see their name in front-page headline […]
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Five LED Lighting Myths Debunked
In an effort to run greener and leaner, many companies have considered making the switch to LED lighting in their industrial and hazardous facilities. In fact, interest in and adoption rate of LED for both new construction and retrofit has been growing rapidly in many applications, including light industrial, such as warehousing, packaging, shipping, and […]
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Service With A Demand-driven Smile
What does it mean for retailers to deliver exceptional customer service? Is it matching expectations? Cost-competitive pricing? Dependability? Options? Most consumers expect "all of the above" and then some from their retailers and e-tailers. Demand expectations are also hyper-sensitized because consumers are faced with infinite choices. SKU proliferation extends beyond the store shelf. However demand […]
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Supply Chain Integration + Collaboration = Time Travel?
Debunking these five myths helps retailers and manufacturers see the real value of dedicated returns management.
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Four Reasons Retailers Should Pay Attention to Reverse Logistics
Many retailers have long emphasized agility and cost-efficient movement of freight to stores or customers. However, they often neglect reverse logistics, resulting in missed opportunities for the entire consumer goods supply chain. The multi-channel model—which enables consumers to buy anytime, anywhere—has significantly impacted the retail industry and given rise to the following reasons why retailers […]
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The Ins and Outs of Crossdocking Solutions
Crossdocking—immediately converting inbound deliveries to outbound shipments—has become popular among shippers and third-party logistics (3PL) providers, because it reduces inventory costs and improves delivery times by eliminating intermediate warehousing activity. Effective crossdocking requires continuous real-time visibility of shipments from supplier to end customer. Unfortunately, typical enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems don’t provide granular details specific […]
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Five Key Questions to Ask a Vendor Before Buying Supply Chain Software
Cloud-based systems have changed the game for software in the supply chain, and their benefits are being applauded at every level of the spectrum. It puts software development into the hands of technology professionals and allows supply chain providers to continue focusing on their core competencies. This means that supply chain providers have access to […]
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Ensuring Business Sustainability During Disasters, Disruptions, and Service Failures
We have seen horrific natural disasters in recent years that taxed both supply chains and our core businesses. Approximately 85 percent of global supply chains experienced at least one significant disruption during 2013. This affects both an organization’s bottom line and its ability to be there for customers. Businesses that survive natural disasters, operational interruptions, […]
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Avoiding Christmas Past: Use Technology to Ensure Timely Holiday Deliveries
The holiday season is quickly approaching, and that means it’s only a matter of time before Santa’s sleigh is filled up with presents from online orders and cross-country relatives. FedEx is anticipating an increase in holiday shipments of 8.8 percent, and UPS is anticipating an 11 percent increase over 2013. Will UPS and FedEx be […]
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Adapting Your Supply Chain for the Future…Now
Supply chain practitioners are adept at identifying and adapting to changes in the real world, both in the long and short term. Two examples: One company is preparing its supply chain process for an anticipated explosion of products that don’t exist yet, and many logistics and supply chain practitioners are dealing with satisfying consumer demand […]
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Why BYOD Can Actually Cost You Money
Millions of people have fallen in love with the same object—their smartphone. Many users build their personal lives around mobile devices, but smartphones have made their mark in the professional world as well. The transportation and logistics sectors are no exception. The bring your own device (BYOD) movement has been a major consequence of the […]
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3PL Partnerships Can Ease Burden on LATAM Manufacturers
Latin America is fast becoming the destination of choice for companies looking to expand their global footprint. The significant increase in companies establishing manufacturing facilities and distribution centers there over the past several years showcases the impact the region is having on the global economy. Many Latin American governments have orchestrated multiple free trade agreements, […]
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Why Retailers Put Their Sleighbells on in May
The sun is shining and the weather is warm, yet the world’s top retailers are humming holiday tunes and preparing for the busy season ahead. Retailers often prep for holiday delivery logistics months in advance, but 2014 saw them beginning preparations earlier than ever—in May. And who could blame them? We all remember last year’s […]
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Three Ways a WCS Can Improve Your Operation
Just as customer expectations have become more diverse and specific over the past few years, retailers are evolving in the way they fulfill those orders. There just doesn’t seem to be a one-size-fits-all solution for distribution in the current landscape. Big retailers are automating as much of their facilities as possible and are adopting new […]
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Intermodal Transportation’s Solution to Our Evolving Supply Chain Demands
One of the top supply chain trends impacting the transportation industry today is intermodal transportation. Over the past few years, capacity has been squeezed with driver shortages, increased demand, increased fuel prices, and heightened government oversight. All these extenuating circumstances affect everything from pricing to timing of loads, and executives are looking for the answer […]
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Modal Harmony in a Discordant Market
When U.S. gas prices hit all-time highs in summer 2008, surpassing $4 per gallon and $140 per barrel, shippers felt the pinch. For some, it pushed the needle in a new direction. Shippers such as Welch’s used the 2008 gas crisis as a burning platform to test intermodal solutions in certain lanes. It was a […]
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