Articles
Feature Stories
Site Selection Decisions: A Matter of Data
The supply chain may be global, but regional factors such as population density and facility costs determine where and how businesses store and distribute inventory.
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Inbound Logistics Summer Reading Guide 2011
Whether you drop a couple of these tomes into your beach bag or download the whole list to your e-reader, diving into the latest books from supply chain and logistics experts will help you sharpen your skills and advance your knowledge on everything from warehouse optimization to transportation planning.
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Looking Beyond Rates: The Road to Smoother Carrier Contract Negotiations
Carrier-supplied data can provide valuable insight for writing contracts, but shippers who want to pave the way to strong business relationships must dig deeper.
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The Box That Rocked the Boat
The emergence of containers in the 1950s sparked an ocean shipping revolution that reshaped ports, trade lanes, and the world economy. What other changes are on the horizon for this dynamic industry?
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Full Circle: Reverse Logistics Keeps Products Green to the End
Smart strategies to reuse, refurbish, and recycle products and raw materials not only benefit the environment, but also save money and increase profits.
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Career Solutions: Working Smarter
Earning a graduate degree while employed can be challenging. But for those who make the effort, the rewards can include greater job satisfaction, the potential for promotion, and a salary uptick. Thinking about going back to school while holding on to your job? These professionals will inspire you.
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Green on the Ground
When comparing environmental sustainability solutions, which ground transport mode is greener?
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The Rail/Ag Connection: An American Revival
As U.S. growers and railroads embark on a new era of relevance, they are encountering new opportunities working together—and old grievances working apart.
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Warehouse Fitness Guide: Simple Exercises to Get Your Warehouse in Shape
A warehouse is an assemblage of parts that work together to keep the whole body healthy and alive. Companies that operate warehouses use many different strategies to keep those parts running in top form. Among other benefits, the strategies aim to save money, increase productivity, eliminate waste, improve service, gain greater flexibility, and reduce carbon […]
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Stacking Up Pallet Pros and Cons
As shippers look to uncover efficiencies and economies in their supply chain, pallet management presents an area ripe for picking.
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New Kids in Town: 3PLs Move Into the TMS Market
MORE TO THE STORY: Software House or 3PL? Addressing Your TMS Needs Changing the TMS Scene If you want to manage transportation in-house, you contract with a software vendor for a transportation management system (TMS). If you want to outsource, you ask a third-party logistics (3PL) provider to handle transportation for you. Those have been […]
Read MoreFinance & The Supply Chain: Show Me the Money
Innovative supply chain management delivers financial benefits to your bottom line.
Read MoreHigh Tech: The Rise of SaaS and the Cloud
Supply chain technology is going to the cloud—yet the forecast is anything but gray. Cloud-based multi-tenant solutions help companies achieve better execution, visibility, cost savings, and collaboration with trading partners across the supply chain.
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Asia: Manufacturing Dynamo or Consumer Powerhouse?
Asia today is not just about manufacturing; it’s also emerging as a consumer powerhouse. To seize the opportunity, manufacturers and retailers alike are rewiring their global supply chain strategies.
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The Last Mile’s Lasting Impact
From traditional heavy goods shipments to the new influx of e-commerce-fueled home deliveries, the last mile plays a crucial role in the supply chain. Get it wrong, and you risk alienating consumers; get it right, and you may just gain a customer for life.
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A New Day Dawns for 3PL Partnerships
Most logistics outsourcers today use an RFQ to select their 3PLs. But that model is outdated and ineffective. A handful of forward-thinking shippers and logistics providers are instead embracing a collaborative outsourcing method, with powerful results.
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Continuing Education: Making the Right Selection
Directions:
Consider all the available options
Make your choice
Commit to the investment
Dive in and enjoy the benefits
The Perfect Storm: Weathering a Chassis Crisis
Economic recession, cost-conscious ocean carriers, a half-baked federal mandate, and ambivalent ports have dropped another heavy load on the U.S. trucking industry. But who’s the real victim of a widespread chassis shortage? And who’s to blame?
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4PLs Take Control
Much like air traffic controllers, 4PLs guide transportation operations, manage product flow, and sometimes help avert disaster.
Read MoreSupply Chain Gain: Global Growth
Contingency suppliers, sourcing differentiation, special incentives, and a host of other strategies generate improvements in supply chains that reach around the world.
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