Articles
Knowledge Base
Gaining Alignment With Your 3PL is Key to Supply Chain Success
When choosing a supply chain partner, it is essential that goals, expectations and strategy are all in alignment. In order to achieve this synergy, open and honest communication between business partners needs to be in place to move the relationship beyond one of simply executing services to one of real collaboration. Measurement, monitoring, and corresponding […]
Read More
Integrate Contract Packaging Into Distribution Operations to Cut Costs by 30%
Specific consumer products look exactly the same when they roll off the manufacturing line. To satisfy retailer requirements, however, these identical products are wrapped, sealed, tied and packed in dozens, even hundreds, of different ways for presentation on the retail shelf. Consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies often outsource final packaging to outside contract packagers, adding […]
Read More
Value Added Services Bring Flexibility to the Supply Chain
A new wave of demand for value-added services requires more capabilities of retail vendors and their logistics providers.
Read More
Warehousing Firm Thrives on Modernization
Customer satisfaction based on timely, accurate, and cost-effective services has always been our mission,” exclaims Fred Ferber, president of Ferber Warehousing. Just ask one of the more than 650 clients who have faithfully utilized Ferber’s warehousing facilities. One example is Jason Twymon, project manager, IAC, who was in a quandary on how he was going […]
Read More
Time to Reconsider Your 3PL Strategy
Third-party logistics companies come in many different forms, and for a while there was not much barrier to entry into the marketplace— particularly the less-than-truckload segment. Until even recently, the following recipe could be utilized to form a 3PL: Ingredients: Freight to leverage Growth potential Industry knowledge Technology— in any form Instructions: Take one former […]
Read More
TMS Evolved: Intelligent Execution Tools That Add Context
Evolution is inevitable, isn’t it? It makes sense that transportation management systems should evolve as well. While the concept of Moore’s Law does not necessarily apply to TMS advancements in its short lifespan, there are current improvements available that are making shippers stand up and take notice. The newest improvement has been the ability to […]
Read More
It’s Time to Start Looking at the Future and Preparing for the Long Haul
The challenges of the current economy and the availability of capacity have driven truckload prices to their lowest point since 2005. While most shippers have seen great opportunities with the decline in pricing, the market is changing. As recent research from Noel Perry and FTR Associates indicates, market pricing bottomed out in the second quarter […]
Read More
Ready for the Rebound
One good thing about difficult times is they drive people to take action. It’s easy to be nonchalant about counting pennies when dollar bills are everywhere. But when things get tight, lip service surrounding efficiency and automation just won’t do. Tomorrow’s leaders are using the recession to address manual processes, paper and other inefficiencies. Using […]
Read More
Immediate Steps Toward Supply Chain And Transportation Integration
Finally! Now, there is much more action toward integrating the transportation function into the Supply Chain. For years, there has been the realization of the high volume of money being wasted associated with transportation expenses—inbound, outbound and "plant-to-plant." Let’s look at some industry numbers: Overall inbound, production-related and outbound transportation is often the 3rd highest […]
Read MoreWhy Shippers Should Care About Total Landed Costs
The unprecedented economic downturn, combined with the very unpredictable changes in key supply chain variables over the last few years, shows why shippers should take a more holistic approach when making network configuration decisions. The dramatic spike in fuel prices last year serves a perfect example. The fuel ≥crisis≤ was a catalyst that forced companies […]
Read MoreIt’s 2009. Do You Know Where Your Freight Dollars are Going?
The last two years have proven to be very stressful ones for most supply chain managers. Hundreds of firms have failed and thousands of jobs have been lost throughout the industry. Most managers of virtually all functions are under more pressure to meet corporate goals than ever before. According to the recent CSCMP State of […]
Read MoreMeasure Your Way to Exceeding C-Suite Expectations
With organizational performance demands at an unprecedented high, the C-Suite is scrutinizing every cost of doing business and looking for places to cut costs while enhancing customer service. Constantly changing corporate goals and the mandate to do more with less adds stress to heightened business goals. One thing is clear: Changes made to your business […]
Read MoreMake Sure TMS Stands for ‘Time-to-Market Savings’
Broad agreement exists nowadays among logistics managers that Transportation Management Systems (TMS) are a useful—many would say powerful—addition to their arsenal of tools. After all, a good TMS will automate quoting, tendering, billing, and a host of other shipping activities. It will optimize modes, routings, and costs while providing unprecedented visibility to shipment status and […]
Read MoreHow to Close the Supply Chain Value Gap
When it comes to IT investments in Supply Chain Management, what you see isn’t always what you get (WYSIAWYG for short!). Studies indicate that there’s a huge gap between what customers in various industry groups perceive as required investments and satisfaction with the delivered IT solution. Nevertheless, in today’s competitive and vulnerable economy, it becomes […]
Read MoreA Slice of Time for Logistics
As the global economy shrinks and slows down, manufacturers, suppliers, retailers, and merchandisers have to squeeze every ounce of efficiency from their operations. In the rush to cut costs, however, they sometimes overlook the impact that time has on the ability to sell more products or to be more efficient. Time is a precious commodity […]
Read MoreGrowth and Structure of the Third-Party Logistics Industry
In these challenging economic times, it may be difficult to think of industries that achieve meaningful growth irrespective of the economic cycle. Historical trends, however, suggest that the third party logistics (“3PL”) industry has been able to accomplish just that. During the last recession, gross revenues for the domestic industry grew 17.8% from $65.3 billion […]
Read MoreDetermining When to Outsource Supply Chain Management Services
In today’s highly competitive and dynamic global business environment with vastly extended supply chains, companies can often be confused by the many logistics options and sources available to them when seeking to implement a highly visible supply chain management (SCM) solution. Before making a decision on how to best integrate advancing technologies into your company’s […]
Read MoreTechnology + Execution = World Class Global Transportation Management
Several years ago Active On-Demand’s parent company, Active Aero Group (AAG) made the commitment to become the preeminent on-demand global transportation manager and backed it up with a multi-million dollar investment to expand our already industry-leading technology systems. We knew then that our technology had to be linked with exceptional personnel execution and expertise as […]
Read MoreWaco. We Do.
Greater Waco is a growing dynamic market in Central Texas with a diversified economy. In Waco, we do a lot of different work, make a variety of products and can get them easily to markets throughout North America and around the globe. We also do the things necessary to help businesses compete. Hence, Waco We […]
Read MoreLogistics Partnerships: Are You Ready to Be a Partner?
According to the most recent GMA Study, manufacturers will expend nearly 7% of their sales on logistics costs. Many of those companies will look to the experts in the logistics marketplace to assist them in controlling and reducing said costs. Many of these manufacturers and others will potentially compile comprehensive RFP’s in the coming year […]
Read More