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Trends-Mar 2007
To prepare for the much hyped and debated Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program, the Department of Homeland Security has issued a final rule for rolling out the initiative. The TWIC program, expected to begin this month, attempts to enhance port security by checking the background of workers before they are granted unescorted access to […]
Read MoreGlobal Logistics-March 2007
Across virtually all industries and geographic regions, manufacturers share one common goal: to increase profitability by reducing costs. A growing number of manufacturers, both in the United States and around the world, have embraced global sourcing as a fast-track method for achieving that goal. Global sourcing first took off in the 1980s and has increased […]
Read MoreGlobal Logistics-February 2007
Pursuing profitable growth pays off. That’s the valuable lesson the global air cargo industry learned in 2006, says Giovanni Bisignani, CEO of the International Air Transport Association (IATA). IATA’s recently released 2006 data shows air cargo growth increased from 3.2 percent in 2005 to 4.6 percent in 2006. Although the increase remains below the historical […]
Read MoreTrends-February 2007
While DHL is a fixture on airport runways around the world, the company debuted on a different kind of runway earlier this month, as the official express carrier and logistics provider for IMG Fashion’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York City. As part of its deal with IMG Fashion, DHL operated shipping service kiosks for […]
Read MoreTrends-Jan
Every January begins anew with equal amounts retrospection and anticipation. The logistics and supply chain segment is no exception, and so we offer the following predictions for 2007. 1. ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS As housing prices begin to drop, interest rates rise, and high energy costs remain static, many observers place the United States economy on the […]
Read MoreGlobal Logistics-Jan 2007
Following nearly 15 years of fiscal sputtering, Japan’s economic engine is now shifting into drive. For a country whose automobile manufacturing sector established itself as the vanguard for just-in-time manufacturing and logistics in the 1970s, it is not surprising the government has taken a page out of its own supply chain legacy to fuel economic […]
Read MoreTrends-January 2007
While U.S. shippers and logistics providers continue to debate the merits of RFID technology, North Asian companies are plowing ahead with RFID projects. The development and deployment of RFID technology in China, South Korea, and Japan is growing rapidly, finds new research from global consultancy Frost & Sullivan. All three countries are in the growth […]
Read MoreTrends-January 2007
Intermodal transportation is currently under great scrutiny in the supply chain. Pundits debate whether intermodal is a cost-saving method that can help ease supply chain capacity issues, or a second-tier solution fenced in by customer service concerns and a finite supply of railroad track in the United States. Like many aspects of today’s supply chain […]
Read MoreGlobal Logistics—December 2006
Chinas Truckload Market Opening Up While China has long been a hotspot for low-cost sourcing and manufacturing, logistics companies have largely stayed away from competing in its domestic transportation market. But Wisconsin-based trucking and logistics company Schneider National Inc. is looking to break the mold and tap into one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. Schneider […]
Read MoreTrends-December 2006
Global trade works in interesting ways, especially when it comes to port activity. While some pundits predict freight will be diverted to alternate ports on the East and West coasts to avoid traffic at the ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach, others see continued growth at the Southern California ports, based on stateside and transshipment demand […]
Read MoreGlobal Logistics—November 2006
Global Trucking Woes High fuel costs and a shortage of truck drivers aren’t concerns for fleet operators only in the United States, finds a new study from GE Capital Solutions. Nearly 70 percent of trucking industry leaders in Canada, the United Kingdom, and France also feel high fuel prices and the driver shortage place their […]
Read MoreTrends-November 2006
Despite the hot and humid San Antonio weather, last month’s CSCMP annual conference served as a refreshing reminder of the breadth and depth of the modern supply chain industry. More than 3,000 attendees assembled from October 15 to 18 to gather food for thought on global logistics, sourcing, supply chain technology, transportation, and warehousing best […]
Read MoreGlobal Logistics—October 2006
Global Transportation Providers is Bigger Better Despite the billions of dollars spent on supply chain mergers recently, shippers don’t necessarily think bigger is better when it comes to global transportation, finds a new survey of logistics executives from 52 global firms such as Bayer, Honda, and Pfizer. Many shippers feel one provider—regardless of size—cannot offer […]
Read MoreTrends-October 2006
To scan 100 percent of containers entering or leaving the United States or not to scan 100 percent? That was the question facing the Senate last month. After much debate and several amendments attempting to require 100-percent container scanning, the Senate in September approved final passage of the Port Security Improvement Act of 2006. It […]
Read MoreGlobal Logistics—September 2006
Ocean Shippers Get Global Guarantee Companies that source products from China—and who’s not on that list these days?—have to balance shipment time with cost when selecting an import transportation mode. Traditionally, the choices were either to use air freight for speed but spend more, or cut costs by using ocean shipping and deal with slow […]
Read MoreTrends-September 2006
Shippers today face a variety of concerns: high transportation costs; port, rail, and highway congestion; labor shortages; and complex security issues. Despite these challenges, they are finding ways to develop strategies and tactics that improve supply chain efficiency, finds a new report by University of Denver logistics expert Paul Nuzum. Forward-thinking companies are overcoming transportation […]
Read MoreGlobal Logistics—August 2006
U.S. Businesses Sing Singapores Praises Though Singapore is a small country, it is starting to carry a great deal of clout among global businesses. U.S. enterprises are just beginning to recognize the city-state’s emerging potential as a strategic logistics location. Motorola recently announced it would invest $60 million over the next two years to make […]
Read MoreTrends-August 2006
The Supply Chain Planning (SCP) market has stabilized and is poised for compounded annual growth of 2.4 percent over the next five years, according to ARC Advisory Group. The market will grow from $1.05 billion in 2005 to more than $1.18 billion by 2010 (see chart), predicts the Dedham, Mass.-based think tank in its report, Supply […]
Read MoreGlobal Logistics—July 2006
Logistics and Technology On the Rise in Latin America As an emerging logistics market, Latin America has a lot going for it: low-cost labor, proximity to the United States, and abundant natural resources, among other attributes. Soon, it will add access to sophisticated logistics technology to the list, thanks in part to a new agreement […]
Read MoreTrends-July
Put more than 700 supply chain executives in one room for an executive conference, and you’d expect the dialogue to center on such topics as reducing inventory, increasing visibility, speeding global distribution, and other standard best-practices fare. You’d also expect the keynote speaker to be a supply chain luminary or respected old-guard business leader. But […]
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