Articles
Commentary
Prepare Today for the Workforce of Tomorrow
In the past decade, consumers have embraced the internet to gain control of the shopping landscape. Shoppers no longer clip coupons or wander big box stores without information. Instead, they compare prices, seek out deals, and research and review products on their smartphones—from wherever they happen to be. In response, retailers have to increase consumer […]
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Panama Canal Expansion: Four Keys to Unlocking its Potential
The Panama Canal’s new set of locks offers the opportunity to increase ocean transportation by more than twice the number of containers on one ship, creating a potential sea change in economies of scale. Here’s what shippers need to know. Today’s global macroeconomic and cross-border logistics environment is already incredibly complex, with higher U.S. domestic […]
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Does Your Supply Chain Need an Alignment?
If your supply chain isn’t aligned with your overall competitive strategy, then performance may fall short of expectations, with higher costs, poor execution, and reduced revenue and profits. When a company develops a strategic growth plan, it has to decide which priorities—cost, quality, time or flexibility—to focus on. It must then manage the supply chain […]
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How Secure Is Your Air and Ocean Cargo?
Air and ocean cargo security remains a high priority for supply chain managers across the globe. While cargo theft has been a concern for years, organizations also contend with the risk of terrorist groups uncovering vulnerabilities in global supply chains to carry out illicit cross-border operations. While the United States introduced the C-TPAT program in […]
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10 Steps for a Win-Win Shipper-Forwarder Partnership
While many companies rely on forwarders and brokers for compliance, it is ultimately the importer/exporter’s responsibility. Here are 10 key steps to create a win-win partnership with your forwarder where compliance is the top goal. Create SOPs. Standard operating procedures (SOPs) clearly communicate how you expect the forwarder to proceed in certain situations and should […]
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Dialing In to the Secondhand Smartphone Market
More than any other mobile device, our gadget-centric society loves smartphones. The next big thing is always right around the corner. And that’s the phone we want. This compelling trend has spawned a budding market for secondhand smartphones. Many consumers are content to chase the next product generation one or two years behind if it […]
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Warehouse Fires Can Cripple Your Business. Preventing Them Just Got Easier.
As warehouse heights have increased with the help of new materials handling technology, so have the risks. That’s why fire codes often require property owners to install dense arrangements of expensive sprinklers throughout the racks. Fortunately, alternative designs can make this “in-rack” sprinkler protection far less cumbersome and costly. The proper sprinklers can be essential […]
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How the Panama Canal Expansion Will Shake Up U.S. Shipping
The expansion of the Panama Canal, expected to be completed by the end of June 2016, will rewrite the rules of shipping, with far-ranging impacts for logistics managers, retailers, railroads, and public infrastructure across the United States. More than a decade in the making, the canal expansion not only increases the number of ships that […]
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How Real-Time Information Can Transform Your Supply Chain
In the world of supply chain management, timing is everything. As same-day shipping is quickly becoming the new standard for many e-commerce retailers, companies are beginning to appreciate the true value of a highly effective supply chain management solution and its role in maintaining effective global operations and consistent customer satisfaction. Enhancing your supply chain […]
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SOLAS Container Weight Verification: What Shippers Need to Know Now
Container stack collapses; vessel instability; injury to dock and vessel workers; damage to cargo, ships, and port machinery; insurance claims; and significant environmental impact have added to the urgency for an accurate container weight. As a result, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) implemented the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) requirement to verify container weight […]
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