Articles
IT Matters: Logistics & Supply Chain Technology
Bouncing Back When Disaster Strikes
When natural disasters strike, businesses often must frantically search for essential items to deliver to beseeching customers. Adept use of sophisticated information tools can help retailers and suppliers “weatherproof” their supply chains. Diverting shipments, moving inventory to forward locations, and anticipating potential spikes in demand, can help moderate the effects of natural disasters. The following […]
Read MoreVisibility: Seeing is Believing
Take a look at this list of avoidable logistics problems: Time wasted manually scheduling shipments and tracking products from channel to channel. Missed opportunities from not knowing the exact quantity of inventory in transit and stock availability. Strained relationships after shipments fail to make their destination on time. The common element is a lack of […]
Read MoreRestricted Party Screening: Who Are You Doing Business With?
Exporters and financial institutions historically used Restricted Party Screening (RPS) solutions to determine whether the names and addresses of their consignees appeared on any “denied parties” lists. Today, companies recognize that they may not deal in any way with certain blacklisted parties. Since Sept. 11, 2001, regulatory agencies have made clear their expectations that companies […]
Read MoreTMS Shopping Made Simple
During my 15 years as a transportation technology professional, I have stood on both sides of the trade show aisle—shopping for and selling transportation management systems (TMS). Navigating the technology marketplace, as I have learned, is no easy task. It can make purchasing a TMS downright frustrating. If you are in the process of selecting […]
Read MoreHitting the Asset-Tracking Trifecta: Bet on Visibility, ROI, and Safety
Throughout the transportation industry, losses due to cargo shrink (theft, damage, and spoilage) total an estimated $100 billion annually. Many companies have turned to RFID to help prevent cargo shrink, monitoring assets throughout the supply chain so they can identify when a particular asset enters or departs one facility or another. This method, however, doesn’t […]
Read MoreTo Hang On, Let Go of Antiquated Processes
In today’s brutally competitive environment, manufacturers are discovering that the only way they can hang on is to let go. They are realizing they must abandon antiquated business processes and take full advantage of the affordable and sophisticated technologies available to them that automate and enhance processes throughout the plant. Letting go is no easy […]
Read More8 Common-Sense Rules for Inventory Management
Inventory management is a hot topic. Books about the subject abound and there are many detailed techniques and practices, which vary by industry. When looking at the big picture, however, you can reduce much of the philosophizing about inventory management to the following eight common-sense principles. 1. If you don’ t know where you are […]
Read MoreTechnology Moves Forwarders Forward
Freight forwarders are hardly a lonely breed; more than 10,000 ply their trade in the United States, according to government statistics. In this brutally competitive business, what makes one freight forwarder or logistics provider rise above the pack to be among the few that evolve successfully into genuine partners to their customers? There is no […]
Read MoreThe Time is Right for Wireless Automation
The public for-hire motor freight market has been growing consistently, while significant consolidation has occurred. Even for the best operators, however, margins remain in the low single digits. Motor freight carriers are challenged to improve service levels, reduce damage, optimize pick-up and delivery, and significantly improve shipment visibility. To date, mobile communications solutions aimed at […]
Read MoreWireless Capabilities: A Must-Have for Fleet Operators
Wireless technology has become a mainstay for today’s distribution, wholesale, and retail fleet operators—especially in the area of last-mile delivery. The ability to communicate information in real time is key to controlling costs and maintaining efficient operations on the road. Wireless technology’s features and options, as well as its service and hardware costs, continue to […]
Read MoreTechnology Smooths Transportation’s Bumpy Ride
We’ve come a long way from the horse-and-buggy era when a transportation company’s biggest expense was feeding horses. Today, fuel costs nibble away at profits, and the transportation industry’s operational base is severely threatened. Fleet owners, as well as less-than-truckload (LTL) and delivery companies, face increased manpower and fuel expenses. Currently, the U.S. national average […]
Read MoreChoosing a WMS That Won’t Get You Fired
Many companies—Nike, Hewlett-Packard, Sainsbury’s, MFI Furniture Group, Molnlycke Health Care, and Heinz’s Portion Pac division, among others—have suffered well-publicized Warehouse Management System (WMS) failures in recent years. When Nike’s $400-million WMS project went awry, the company lost $100 million in one quarter and its stock plunged 20 percent. MFI Furniture’s WMS bugs forced it to […]
Read MoreTransportation Operations Planning: How Do You Rate?
Many companies are quickly falling behind their competition as they continue to run transportation operations without the process and technology sophistication required to manage the volume and velocity of today’s transaction levels. With increasing customer demands for service, speed, and price, and escalating levels of aggressive competition, there is no better time to evaluate your […]
Read MorePrinting on the Go Can Help Profits Flow
Companies are investing in mobile computing systems at record levels to cut costs and improve efficiency in distribution, direct-to-store deliveries, and route accounting operations. Getting the most bang from these investment bucks does not necessarily depend on implementing the hottest new smart phones, software applications, or 3G wireless network services. Often, a small incremental investment […]
Read MoreThe New Reality of Hosted Solutions: Less Can Be More
Technological complexity, rapid change, and escalating IT costs are forcing fleet managers to examine the way they collect and manage driver, vehicle, and delivery information. As a result, a new fleet management model is emerging. Increasing numbers of small and mid-size businesses are evaluating the benefits of using a hosted solution to ease the headaches […]
Read MoreDiscrete Manufacturers Adapt to Global Economy
Supply chains are the lifeblood of discrete manufacturing—the production of distinct items. As manufacturing operations continue to transform to global enterprises, discrete manufacturers face new challenges. Orchestrating the movement of parts and components around the world is becoming as intricate as brain surgery, driving discrete manufacturers to information technology (IT) solutions to help manage global […]
Read MoreThe Million-Dollar Question: ERP or WMS?
Few supply chain decisions impact your company’s day-to-day business, financial health, and customer relations more than selecting and implementing a warehouse management system (WMS). The million-dollar question is whether to choose your enterprise resource planning (ERP) system’s warehouse module, or a specialized WMS. Today, the lines between traditional ERP and WMS vendors are blurring. ERP […]
Read MoreCan Bar Codes and RFID Co-Exist?
Last year, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology became a media favorite, spurred by Wal-Mart and U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) policies requiring suppliers to ship goods that can be tracked using RFID. Such attention makes it seem as if bar-code technology—today’s standard for data collection—will become obsolete overnight. This is not the case, however. Although […]
Read MoreDoes RFID Pass the Return on Assets Test?
Proponents rarely discuss RFID without claiming dramatic inventory savings. These savings, however, require businesses to invest in RFID and wait to reap returns. When evaluating investments—such as RFID—aimed at reducing inventory and working capital, consider the impact on Return on Assets (ROA), a proven indicator of an investment’s financial impact. ROA is calculated as revenue […]
Read MoreDo You Need WMS Best Practices? 10 Telltale Signs
Most supply chain managers can share more horror stories than Stephen King. When you have to deal with demanding customers (aren’t they all?), and super-tight shipment schedules, every so often things are bound to get a little dicey. But if you’ve reached the point where just looking at your warehouse sends chills down your spine, […]
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