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Feature Stories
2022 Inbound Logistics Perspectives: 3PL Market Research Report
Our 17th annual 3PL market research report takes a deep-dish dive into the dynamics of logistics partnerships in 2022. Rampant inflation, including high transportation costs. A tight labor market. Commodities shortages. Uncertainties tied to the war in Ukraine and the pandemic. There seems to be no end to the obstacles ready to frustrate shippers as […]
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Maritime Challenges: Ports Sea It Through
Ports ease rough supply chain conditions with new services, technology, and other initiatives. Even as many books, music, and movies travel electronically, physical goods still need to move, well, physically. More than four-fifths of global merchandise trade by volume travels by sea at some point, according to The Container Port Performance Index 2021, a publication […]
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Technology for SMBs: No Small Matter
Supply chain technology isn’t just for large companies. It’s possible — and necessary — for businesses to invest in new innovations, no matter what their headcount. It was not long ago when supply chain operations were thought of as a backroom affair, running on paper charts and fax machines. But after nearly two years in […]
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Top 10 3PLs: Readers’ Choice Excellence Awards
These third-party logistics providers made the cut, earning your votes by dishing out top-notch customer service and helping you save dough. AND THE WINNERS ARE: 1. Echo Global Logistics 2. Hub Group 3. Kenco 4. SEKO Logistics 5. Sunset Transportation 6. Werner 7. DHL Supply Chain 8. […]
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2022 Summer Reading Guide
Great reads about supply chain and logistics are not all textbooks and white papers. Browse this collection of books, research, and guides that will boost your knowledge and keep you turning the pages. Profit from the Source: Transforming Your Business by Putting Suppliers at the Core By Christian Schuh, Wolfgang Schnellbacher, Alenka Triplat, and […]
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No Matter How You Slice It, 3PLs Deliver
See the Top 100 3PLs. Whether shippers outsource their end-to-end supply chain by the pie, or just a portion of it by the slice, third-party logistics providers are meeting new challenges with updated and expanded menus. As many supply chain professionals have experienced, “U.S.-based supply chains are out of sync,” according to the 2022 State […]
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E-Commerce: The Complete Package
Smart and Sustainable is the only way to go. Two and a half years after the pandemic caused e-commerce to accelerate, packaging and shipping methods continue to evolve. Consumers’ heightened awareness about sustainability and waste within the shipping industry, as well as economic pressures, lead the charge. The writing was on the wall. Of the […]
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Pop Quiz: Supply Chain Educators Answer 6 Pressing Questions
For much of the decade prior to the pandemic, the number of students in supply chain programs couldn’t match industry’s need for supply chain professionals. “The biggest challenge was convincing students it was a real career path,” says Brian Fugate, chair of the department of supply chain management at the University of Arkansas. As the […]
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Grocery Shortages: The Worm in the Apple
It started with toilet paper. Spurred by the onset of the pandemic, consumers bought toilet paper rolls in droves. Sales of the product rose 60% annually in March 2020, according to the Statista Consumer Market Outlook. On April 19, 2020, toilet paper was out of stock in nearly half of U.S. grocery stores, estimated NCSolutions, […]
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Block and Tackle: How to Choose a Freight Bill and Audit Payment Provider
Interest in freight bill audit and payment (FBAP) providers has gained momentum in recent years as the demand for experts to manage transactions between shippers and carriers grows. FBAP providers can help shippers contend with complex transportation processes, while also bringing fresh tools and expertise that can add strategic value to shipper operations. The freight […]
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