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Global Logistics-Apr 2009
The ocean shipping industry is awash in a sea of confusion. Some liners are putting vessels on furlough to squeeze capacity and offset operating expenses. Others are shifting assets to demand, leaving equipment shortages in underperforming lanes. Shippers beset with their own swelling costs continue to demand make-or-break pricing, while some carriers risk running aground […]
Read MoreTrends-2009
When consumer spending dips, few companies target high-income shoppers as a potential revenue stream. But few companies can walk in Walmart’s shoes, and the retailer has both attracted more consumers and convinced them to buy bigger-ticket items. With a fresh new logo to boot, Walmart is cleaning up in more ways than one. Its stores […]
Read MoreGlobal 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 […]
Read MoreGlobal Logistics-Nov 2008
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 […]
Read MoreTrends-November 2008
Outsourcing demands spin third-party logistics providers in countless directions, a reality manifest in the array of value-added services today’s players bring to the market. Look no further than where 3PLs have evolved from—warehousing, transportation, forwarding, freight payment, truck lease, chemical, automotive, electronics—and the level of complexity, breadth of resources, and geographic scope they now wield. […]
Read MoreGlobal Logistics-Oct 2008
In tough economic times you can’t nickel-and-dime logistics process improvement. That, in itself, is a lesson for struggling retailers. The United Kingdom arm of Woolworths, the original five-and-ten discount chain, knows this reality firsthand, and is making supply chain management and leadership top priorities as it looks to reverse its fortunes. Beset by rampant stockouts […]
Read MoreTrends-October 2008
The New York City Department of Education (DOE) is learning the fundamentals of transportation and vendor management the hard way—and it shows. Facing a $300-million budget deficit, this past spring the DOE decided to revamp its decades-old milk purchasing arrangement and consolidate suppliers, according to the June 18, 2008, edition of the New York Post. “Our […]
Read MoreGlobal Logistics-September 2008
Building on successful efforts in China, India, and the United Kingdom, FedEx Express is introducing its first domestic offering in Latin America—FedEx Express Nacional. The new service, which debuts Oct. 6, 2008, provides domestic next-business-day shipping, online tracking and tracing, and a money-back guarantee to businesses across Mexico. “Adding domestic service to our portfolio of […]
Read MoreTrends-September 2008
On Aug. 10, 2008, JDA Software signed a definitive agreement to acquire i2 Technologies for approximately $346 million, uniting two key rivals in the transportation management system (TMS) space. While the implications for current customers won’t become manifest until JDA releases its much-anticipated product roadmap, it is clear that the situation for mid-sized companies seeking […]
Read MoreTrends-August 2008
West Coast ports have endured their fair share of growing pains lately, what with congestion and capacity recurring quandaries for stateside shippers and consignees. Still, the ports are moving forward with efforts to increase throughput efficiency by spreading existing traffic across more hours and optimizing valuable port assets. PierPASS’ OffPeak program, for example, has diverted […]
Read MoreGlobal Logistics-August 2008
Logistics service providers are no strangers to handling mission-critical projects. So when natural disasters strike, they serve an important role helping first responders and humanitarian relief agencies bring food and supplies to those in need. They may also bank some valuable experience for helping commercial shippers manage their own supply chain adversities. Cyclone Nargis, which […]
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