Articles
Commentary
Getting Off the Bench and Into Benchmarking
While watching the Cubs battle the White Sox last summer at at Wrigley Field, I realized that baseball players and supply chain professionals have a few things in common. For instance, veteran ballplayers might try to get through a game by relying on experience and talent. But, by studying strategies, statistics, and individual players, they […]
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Want a Promotion? Get an Education
Success in any career is often measured by advancement, and logistics and supply chain management is no exception. Advancing to a C-suite job will likely require an MBA or a specialized master’s degree. To earn a degree, you don’t have to quit your job, sacrifice your life, and go away to school. If you have […]
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Web-Based WMS Solutions Drive Automotive Supply Chain Efficiency
The U.S. auto industry is facing the greatest adversity in its history. One segment of the industry, however, has thrived—aftermarket auto parts. This segment has grown exponentially during the economic downturn, as consumers have been forced to repair their aging vehicles instead of buying new ones. In an industry where specialization and customer service are […]
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Building Better 3PL Relationships
Third-party logistics (3PL) providers are tremendously popular with shippers for surface transportation in North America. Freight brokers, forwarders, and intermodal marketing companies offer capacity, expertise, technology, and buying power on a scale no shipper can replicate on its own. Not all 3PLs are the same, however. Here are a few tips to help you get […]
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America’s Got Supply Chain Talent
Every state says it wants to attract logistics business that can keep its workforce employed. Florida is actually doing something about it. The state has gotten behind the Talent Supply Chain, an association of state, local, education, and business organizations whose goal is to boost Florida’s economy by encouraging and expanding workforce development, training, and […]
Read MoreAssemble the Fragments
A national transportation policy could help link some good fragments into a coherent plan.
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Today’s Warehouse Plays a New Role
Warehouses are no longer just for storage. In today’s cost-conscious, efficiency-driven environment, many manufacturers are reevaluating their definition of warehousing. Anything that doesn’t lend itself to a high-speed, highly mechanized, low-labor environment is being sent to the warehouse. Driving this evolution is a desire to take links out of the supply chain and make sure […]
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SIN Centers: An Investment in Ideas
Today’s entrepreneurs are developing new ideas, patents, systems, and technologies that could have a profound and sustainable impact on our ability to promote the next generation of green supply chains. For many of them, however, progress is slowed or halted by a lack of reliable funding and effective economic development programs. Every day, more foreign […]
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Warehouse Metrics: Measure What Matters
Today’s warehouse managers often accrue massive amounts of performance data, but sometimes find they can apply little of it toward making productivity gains or customer service improvements. Instead of becoming overwhelmed with data, managers should identify and focus on the most useful metrics to gather, report, and apply. Tools or modules often found in warehouse […]
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Using Distribution and Fulfillment as Strategic Weapons
Distribution center (DC) assets in the supply chain are often relegated to cost center, necessary evil, or even non-value-added status. But focusing only on costs overlooks distribution and fulfillment’s value to the corporation. In Web retailing, for example, price comparison shopping has neutralized cost advantages to the point where consumers make online buying decisions based […]
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Brought!
In tough times, logistics managers react to demand and respond to adversity. Every day, your customers and CEOs raise new questions and challenges, which you meet through creativity, innovation, and a "bring-it" attitude. A logistician’s resilience is valuable when opportunities are ripe, but it’s invaluable when problems persist. This indomitable bring-it attitude was pushed to […]
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Bring It!
Last weekend, I went through a stack of newspaper clippings of economic and industry news from the past year, and made two piles: good news and bad news. Guess which pile was larger? In an ostrich moment, I went to the shredder and irrationally fed the bad news in, sheet by sheet. As I fed […]
Read MoreShaken and Stirred
Let’s ensure infrastructure development is used for long-term economic growth, not short-term political gain.
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New Year, New Insurance Review
The start of the new year is the time to make resolutions, and risk managers should resolve to review their operations to ensure that risk and insurance programs are in order. Your risk review should address several key questions: Are you planning to offer new services? If so, consider your insurance obligations before the transaction […]
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Gearing Up for 100% Air Cargo Screening
A complex shift in the air cargo industry begins in August 2010, when the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will require 100-percent screening of all air cargo carried in passenger planes departing from or arriving at U.S. airports. In response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the TSA created a security mandate with an initial step […]
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ISF Regulation: 10+2 Much?
Effective Jan. 26, 2010, U.S. ocean freight importers must complete a properly executed Importer Security Filing (ISF) before loading cargo onto a vessel at a foreign port. Also known as 10+2, the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regulation, intended to ensure the safety of ocean containers entering U.S. ports, requires U.S. importers or agents to […]
Read MoreOn the Road to Recovery: Strengthening Our Transportation Infrastructure
Although the Dow was recently flirting with 10,000, there is no celebration on Main Street. This is a jobless economic recovery, and without job growth there will be no sustainable economic recovery on either Main or Wall Street. Compounding the loss of jobs is the explosive economic growth of China and its ominous effect on […]
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Less Lip Service, More Customer Service
When times are good, everyone says they are focused on customer service, but admittedly some of that is lip service. When times are bad, are carriers and service providers truly focused on providing you good customer service, or are they cutting customer service corners? Are you as concerned about customer service these days, or is […]
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Eco-operation in Action: Collaborating to Achieve Green Goals
As a company with tens of thousands of suppliers around the globe, Walmart’s bold move to promote a sustainability index has planted new seeds across entire industries. It’s a significant event for manufacturers, and has caused many businesses to take notice of new customer aspirations and re-think their supply chain designs. Walmart’s efforts to reduce […]
Read MoreSelecting Pallet Types: One Size Does Not Fit All
At any given time, nearly 1.5 billion pallets transport products of all shapes and sizes throughout the United States. The majority are wood pallets, which have remained popular with supply chain and logistics managers for decades because they cost less than alternative pallets made of plastic or steel. Because pallets are used across several diverse […]
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