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Second-Generation Logistics Software: Accessible Anywhere
Q: What is the latest logistics software trend? A: Transportation management systems (TMS) have morphed into communication hubs with Web and mobile access. The PC user interface for employees—while still crucial—is becoming much less important than it once was. Q: How can that be? The first generation of software focused on employees adding and viewing […]
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GTM Solutions Keep Businesses Plugged In
Q: Why is it difficult for organizations to integrate true end-to-end global trade management? A: True end-to-end global trade management (GTM) means managing and optimizing all the functions required to move goods across international borders. Organizations may argue that they are already doing GTM, when in fact they are only undertaking disparate pieces, such as international […]
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World-Class Logistics Operations Require Multi-Party Processes and Technology
Q: How can supply chain technology help businesses improve logistics operations? A: The majority of IT solutions available today constrain logistics operations performance. Most logistics problems are inter-enterprise, but the majority of logistics technology solutions are enterprise-focused. As a result, too much of the coordination still takes place over email and phone, and only involves […]
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Taking Control of Transportation Spend Management
Q: Cloud computing is fast becoming a reality of everyday business life. How can companies get started in leveraging interconnected shared logistics platforms, and why does it save time and money? A: As enterprises strive to show almost-immediate return on investment, they seek solutions that are globally accessible, scalable, and require minimal up-front investment. Maintaining […]
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Maximizing Global Logistics Management Effectiveness
Q: What are the biggest challenges shippers face with globalization in today’s market? A: Many shippers face the challenge of orchestrating an end-to-end process and managing interplay with third parties, such as customers, suppliers, ocean carriers, freight forwarders, customs brokers, and government agencies. Doing so effectively is difficult, regardless of whether the shipper is importing […]
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Bringing Clarity to Visibility Solution Investments
Q: How do you define visibility? A: Visibility is understanding the location and current status of key assets—whether on-time shipments or inventory stockouts. Visibility boils down to three elements: orders, shipments against orders, and inventory. Q: Why is supply chain visibility such a challenge for companies? A: Visibility is hard to quantify. Companies may make […]
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KPI Data Creates Improvement Opportunities
Q: What are the latest logistics software innovations? A: Improving how key performance indicators (KPIs) specific to freight are developed, measured, and managed seems to be a growing theme with leading software providers. KPIs are used to collect and measure actionable data to help improve accurate shipping decision-making and processes. The key word is actionable. […]
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Leveraging Lean and Labor Management
Q: In the context of retail, what is lean labor management and what does it entail? A: Lean has origins in manufacturing, but some of its concepts apply in the retail space—notably, reducing waste and increasing quality. Using these lean components as a foundation for labor management increases productivity and reduces costs in a warehouse […]
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The Right ERP Solution Puts All the Pieces Together
Q: How can today’s manufacturers deal with increasing regulations, demand volatility, and shifting global trade currents? A: Success for manufacturers today depends on agility. The one certainty with global trade currents, regulations, and demand is that they will change, and your ability to adapt defines your growth potential. A well-implemented enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution […]
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Automated Routing: The Path to Optimization
Q: What guidance can you offer firms exploring routing and scheduling technologies for the first time? A: Automation is a great benefit of logistics technology—though not the only one. Technologies that automate time-consuming, repetitive jobs free us up to do what humans excel at: spotting and dealing with change and exceptions. It can take numerous […]
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Collaborative Trade Communities Keep Companies Competitive
Q: What is the primary advantage of Collaborative Trade Communities? A: The way they function is much simpler than how most companies do business today. We spend a significant amount of effort and time tracking what our supply chain partners are doing. This includes sending instructions and entering them into corresponding systems, communicating and updating […]
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Technology Enables You to Be Positively Different
Q: How can logistics technologies be utilized as a competitive differentiator? A: Most companies prefer to attract customers by providing unique brand-driven customer experiences and services rather than competing on price. Strategic and practical use of the right technologies enables sharp pricing competitiveness, creates better customer experiences, reduces expenses, and raises productivity. The evolution of […]
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Logistics in Alaska: Taming the Last Frontier
Shipping to and from the wilds of Alaska requires the expertise and specialized equipment offered by intrepid transportation providers.
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Wind Power: Generating Logistics Opportunities
The wind power industry continues to grow, expand, and excel domestically—and equipment manufacturers and specialty transportation providers are growing with it.
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Understanding INCOTERMS 2010
An Inbound Logistics article in October 2003, “Understanding Incoterms,” does an excellent job of explaining the concept of Incoterms, why they are necessary and how they work. We’d like to bring this article up-to-date with a discussion of the changes to Incoterms that began in January 2011. To recap, Incoterms are an internationally accepted set […]
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South Carolina: Invested in Logistics Excellence
Businesses reap big benefits when they locate manufacturing facilities in South Carolina, an established leader in logistics, supply chain, and distribution.
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Software as a Service: Changing the TMS Landscape
In 2009, a major cable manufacturer was faced with rising LTL costs, a disorganized supply chain, and a severe lack of reporting capabilities. The recovering freight market forced carriers to raise rates, and the manufacturer was told by its LTL carrier base it was at a "less than optimal operating ratio." The shipper needed a […]
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Global Supply Chain Strategy: Decision Points
As a former sea captain, I will never forget the first time I approached a junction buoy. This buoy is essentially a fork in the road, floating on the water, which marks where a waterway splits into two channels and indicates the preferred channel to transit. The options were: steer to the preferred channel and […]
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Responsive and Flexible Logistics Management Solutions for 2012 and Beyond
For many companies, the biggest challenge is that the world is changing, and they are asking, "How should we respond to the rapid growth in Asia and other emerging markets and manage the longer supply chains? And, how do we react to volatile fuel pricing and unpredictable demand, security issues and changing regulations affecting the […]
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The Role of Cloud-Based LTL Content in Smarter Supply Chains
Cloud computing is quickly coming into its own: Its virtual, service-oriented, location-independent architecture is used across a whole host of industries to provide on-demand content for accurate decision making. The U.S. freight industry is quickly catching on to the value of actionable content delivered via the cloud, which easily lends itself to supporting effective supply […]
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