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Global 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 […]
Read MoreTrends-July 2006
Global supply chains are becoming longer, deeper, and more connected, but as the past five years have proven, they are also more vulnerable to disruptions that threaten the fluidity of foreign trade. The challenge for global shippers is to create a cross-enterprise blueprint that incorporates security and contingency planning as core business practices, said economist […]
Read MoreGlobal Logistics—June 2006
Global Air Cargo Flying Steady Manufacturers, retailers, and distributors shipping goods around the world have kept air cargo carriers busy lately—and the effort is showing up on carrier balance sheets. This increase in global trade, coupled with the airlines’ successful efforts to reign in costs, is starting to pay off. "Recent air cargo data from […]
Read MoreTrends-June 2006
Collaboration isn’t just a supply chain buzzword, it’s fast becoming an essential tool for logistics success, according to new research from Boston-based Aberdeen Group. With ever-increasing logistics complexity and global supply chains becoming the norm, it’s more important than ever for supply chain professionals to share information and best practices across their networks, finds the […]
Read MoreGlobal Logistics—May 2006
Technology Key to Global Supply Chain Success With the continued growth of global trade and the increased risk and complexity associated with global supply chains, technology solutions are more important than ever for enterprises operating worldwide. In particular, Global Trade Management (GTM) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions will be at the forefront of successful […]
Read MoreTrends-May 2006
While the avian flu virus is clearly wreaking havoc with the world’s bird population, and is being hyped as a potential deadly threat to human health and safety, it could also do a real number on the global supply chain, as a recent simulation by MIT’s Center for Transportation and Logistics illustrated. In an “experimental […]
Read MoreGlobal Logistics—April 2006
Chinese Embrace Logistics Training For years, the global logistics industry has flocked to China to take advantage of its abundant cheap labor and inexpensive warehouse and manufacturing sites. China, however, has just begun to embrace the importance of logistics in its own business community."The Chinese realize they are far behind the industrialized world in terms […]
Read MoreTrends-April 2006
Though the hubbub has died down and the media have decamped from East Coast ports, the defunct Dubai Ports World deal is still reverberating throughout the shipping industry. Most significantly, the deal has served as an impetus for Congress to more closely examine the broader issue of port security and port operations. Capitol Hill leapt […]
Read MoreGlobal Logistics—March 2006
3PLs Manufacturers Eyeing Eastern Europe Go east—to Eastern Europe, that is—has become the new mantra for multinational manufacturers looking to establish low-cost production sites. The accession of Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Romania, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia to the European Union (EU) has opened up new growth opportunities in the region. […]
Read MoreGlobal Logistics—February 2006
Tough Talk on China Trade Policies On the heels of news that America’s trade deficit with China rose to $201.6 billion, the Bush administration announced its plan to step up enforcement of U.S. trade laws governing China. The move was widely lauded by businesses and lawmakers. Following a six-month, top-to-bottom review of America’s trading relationship […]
Read MoreGlobal Logistics—January 2006
"China’s emergence as a global economic power is having a seismic impact on the global logistics market." This statement, from New Zealand-based international property adviser DTZ’s recent Global Logistics Markets report, is not surprising. What is surprising is just how far China’s impact reaches when it comes to the international industrial landscape. "The negative impact […]
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