Articles
Commentary
Mitigating Facilitation Risk
Facilitation is a unique risk for logistics professionals and companies. It is unlawful for logistics professionals or providers to facilitate transactions with any person or entity sanctioned by the U.S. government. The U.S. Justice Department has pursued facilitation cases against half a dozen logistics companies in recent months, and penalties include up to 10 years […]
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3PL Value-Adds Mean Millions
You hate to say it, but everyone knows it: Today’s third-party logistics (3PL) relationship is transitional. Many 3PLs live and die by the freight rates they offer clients. Why? Because your shippers see the relationship as transactional, and trucking-focused. Shippers write checks for shipping expenses nearly every day, and freight is in the forefront of […]
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Filling the Cloud with High-Quality Data
The millions of dollars spent on supply chain software are squandered if data flowing through it lacks integrity. An attractive, feature-laden application is like a Ferrari—it only runs well when the right fuel flows through the engine. In this case, data is the fuel that powers this impressive vehicle. Without it, only the glitzy exterior […]
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Crossdocking Streamlines Freight Movement
How can an organization eliminate or reduce waste and increase speed in their supply chain? One answer is to replace warehouses and/or manufacturing locations with crossdock facilities or “landing pads.” Tremendous pressure from global competition and just-in-time (JIT) operations in the marketplace has spurred many manufacturers to adopt a lean production philosophy—and a lean supply […]
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The Future of Predictive Analytics Looks Certain
One recurring talking point at the Council of Supply Chain Management Professional’s (CSCMP) September 2012 conference in Atlanta was the importance of predictive analytics. This subset of statistics captures patterns within large volumes of information to predict supply chain behavior and events—in effect, forecasting future demand based on past demand. The emergence of cloud networking […]
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Return to Sender: Managing Reverse Logistics
Most e-commerce businesses focus time and money on providing customers with efficient and flexible delivery options. Many companies, however, neglect to extend this attention to the return of unwanted goods. While many factors influence customer loyalty, a well-run returns process drives repeat orders and improves consumer satisfaction. Eighty-five percent of consumers surveyed by research firm […]
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Eliminating Wasted Motion
At some point in our careers, most of us have felt we’ve wasted time or effort accomplishing a job that should have been easier, more efficient, and possibly safer to do. One way to help workers make better use of their time and effort is to identify and eliminate sources of wasted motion. In a […]
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Handling Change: There’s an App for That
Eighty-nine percent of business leaders are either experiencing or anticipating external volatility or change to impact their business, according to a recent survey. And 91 percent expect internal change in products, channels, services, or markets to create planning challenges. Given that most business leaders must manage some sort of change within their demand-supply networks, why […]
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“Second Mouse” Opportunities for Logistics Firms
The saying, "The second mouse gets the cheese" represents an analogy for what is happening today in China’s "fast-learner" economy. The ability to quickly learn and copy products and technologies developed elsewhere has propelled numerous Chinese firms to global stature. These firms will soon become a force in the United States. Examples of China’s ability […]
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Can Your Global Supply Chain Withstand a Crisis?
Natural disasters, fluctuating oil prices, and other global factors continue to disrupt the flow of essential equipment and goods for manufacturers worldwide. For many companies, it has triggered a critical question: Can our organization’s supply chain withstand a major upheaval? It is an important question, because the flow of money through a supply channel determines […]
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How Supply Chain Executives Can Earn a Place in the C-Suite
First there was Chief Executive Officer, then Chief Operating, Chief Financial, and Chief Marketing Officers joined the "C-suite." Isn’t it time Chief Supply Chain Officers took their place at the top? Despite supply chain’s functional cachet in business circles, many top supply chain executives don’t even report to the CEO. Why is that? Service and […]
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Logistics Providers Steer Auto Industry on Road to Recovery
The automotive industry is rapidly rebounding from its recession lows as consumer demand for new vehicles grows. In response, auto manufacturers and their suppliers are quickly increasing manufacturing output. While this is great news for automakers and the overall financial health of the auto industry, there is a downside: The quick spike is severely straining […]
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Wireless Workstations Unplug Savings
Thanks to wireless technology, carts with on-board power supplies are opening new frontiers of efficiency, productivity, and profitability in distribution centers (DCs). These mobile- powered workstations (MPWs) carry computers, bar-code scanners, and printers, reducing paperwork and operator travel. DC employees can waste countless hours walking to and from deskbound computers to perform tasks such as […]
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Better Efficiency Begins at the Loading Dock
Productivity in the less-than-truckload (LTL) freight transportation industry demands and depends upon efficient operations. Shippers and carriers must collaborate to orchestrate consistent on-time pickups and deliveries. By working together to align the processes by which shippers tender freight and carriers receive it, supply chain partners can achieve greater efficiency at the loading dock, and improve […]
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Cutting Through the Noise
Any noise in the trucking industry is better than the alternative. The rumble of engines coming to life, and air horns sounding off with more certain frequency, are welcome signs as the economy waffles between recession and recovery. Still, a growing din in Washington threatens to drown out these echoes of progress. The U.S. Federal […]
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Mobile TMS Applications Improve Supply Chain Visibility
Online applications for mobile devices are emerging in ways that can finally close or reduce many of the information gaps in the supply chain between transportation planning, the shipping/receiving dock, customers, and even accounts payable. These mobile applications are enabling shippers to interface directly and more effectively with logistic partners; access logistics information in non-traditional […]
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Using Social Media to Your Advantage in Transportation and Logistics
With more than one billion people using social networks today, social media is forging a new era in business opportunity and engagement, creating two-way communication that enables customer feedback and response in real-time. As the transportation and logistics sector grows, it is essential to work strategically to leverage technology and media to drive efficiencies and […]
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Helping Truck Drivers Address Job Stress
Change is a well-established cause of stress. In 1967, psychologists developed a stress scale that lists 43 stressful life events that can contribute to illness. Changes in financial state, job responsibilities, employment conditions, and working hours; trouble with an employer; and revision of personal habits place a person at a moderate risk of physical illness […]
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Trucking as a Driver to Economic Recovery
Trucking serves as a barometer of the U.S. economy, representing more than 67 percent of tonnage carried by all domestic freight transportation modes, including manufactured and retail goods. Forty-four percent of all wage earners in the United States work in the transportation sector. The trucking industry also accounts for five percent of the nation’s gross […]
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Improving Logistics and Distribution Processes at International Subsidiaries
Large enterprises continue to set up international subsidiary operations to find opportunities for growth. These subsidiary operations include sales and distribution offices, small operating divisions, customer service units, and joint ventures. They often need to develop their own logistics and distribution mechanisms to receive inbound shipments, store inventory and deliver orders to their customers. Unlike […]
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