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Global Logistics-March 2009
Distant are the days when Thomas Jefferson’s fledgling U.S. government launched a series of covert operations to chase North African pirates back to their Barbary Coast hideaways in an effort to protect maritime trade. Today, piracy is the common term for downloading music or videos without paying copyright fees. But a brash new breed of […]
Read MoreGlobal Logistics-February 2009
The threatening economic cloud hovering over the United States is spreading eastward and casting a pall over European trade as it continues its global path. The continent is bracing for a gloomy forecast as pressures build, consumerism wanes, and mandates to reduce transportation costs flood corporate boardrooms. The current global downswing will stress transport rates […]
Read MoreTrends-February 2009
Boeing is making supply chain management a critical pivot as it tries to steer its way out of an economic vortex. As demand for new aircraft ebbs, and a machinist’s strike and failed component installation hamper the launch of the 787 Dreamliner program, the company is reconsidering its global supplier network. The Chicago-headquartered aircraft manufacturer […]
Read MoreVR Training Combats Trucking Industry’s Critical Driver Shortage
To many of us, truck driving and virtual reality (VR) using simulation are at the opposite end of the technology spectrum. However, VR using proper simulation is the solution to a major problem that exists in the world of trucking and freight movement. That problem is replacing the professional drivers who are retiring. We will […]
Read MoreGlobal Logistics-January 2009
It’s not easy gold-mining new business prospects offshore. For small companies without the capital, resources, and partners to survey the globe, stake a claim, and dig in, making cultural inroads and chasing business contacts presents a challenge. FedEx knows a thing or two about spanning the world and helping small and medium-size businesses (SMBs) expand […]
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Green Shipping: Taking it Portside
Ports play an important role in reducing the global carbon footprint of maritime shipping, says a new report by the International Transport Forum (ITF). Greenhouse gas emissions from shipping currently represent around 2.6 percent of total global emissions. Without reduction measures, this share could more than triple by 2050. The International Maritime Organization has set […]
Read MoreGen Z Shifts Operations Into Hyperdrive
The transition to an autonomous supply chain is underway as Gen Z enters the workforce. Leaders should look to hire Gen Zers and consider these steps when digitizing, says a Gartner report: Automation: Identify and automate all repetitive, non-value-added tasks, like procure-to-pay and customer claim management. Robotic process automation is the primary technology for this. […]
Read MoreTrends-December 2008
Pacific Coast ports have anchored U.S. trade during the past two decades, but shifting globalization and sourcing tides are altering domestic transportation currents. These changes are gradually recasting the U.S. intermodal footprint with potentially long-lasting implications, suggests a recent report by Drewry Supply Chain Advisors. Intermodal routings linking major West Coast port gateways with the […]
Read MoreGlobal Logistics-December 2008
Imagine what it would be like to slice inventory in half, cut out 2,000 suppliers, and whittle almost $500 million in total costs from your supply chain. With the help of IBM’s Integrated Supply Chain organization, Australia’s leading telecommunications player, Telstra, is bringing this demand-driven vision to reality. In September 2006, Telstra entered a strategic […]
Read MoreGlobal Logistics-Nov
In a move that will get CN a little closer to its customers, the Montreal-based Class I is acquiring three principal railway subsidiaries of the Quebec Railway Corp. (QRC) and a QRC rail-freight ferry operation. The purchase comprises 540 track miles of rail line CN formerly owned in eastern Ontario, eastern Quebec, and northern New […]
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