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Peter Hartman
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Upgrading Order Fulfillment Systems Boosts Warehouse Efficiency

Q: Is it possible to speed product flow in response to customer demands and cut inventory processing costs at the same time? Hartman: Many automated systems installed several years ago were not designed to handle escalating customer requirements, such as higher accuracy, more complex traceable orders with multiple SKUs, and more on-time deliveries. Nor did […]

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Phil Van Wormer
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Tracking Warehouse Inventory on the Move

Q: Despite technology advances in end-to-end supply chain visibility, the warehouse is still a “blind spot” for many companies. What can be done to improve visibility within the four walls to bring the same level of excellence achieved in other areas of the supply chain? Van Wormer: Over-the-road transportation fleets have gained tremendous productivity through […]

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Ravi Pappu
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RFID Delivers the Power to Transform Markets

Q: The business cases for achieving improved visibility throughout the supply chain have been identified. What technologies should logistics providers consider to get there? Pappu: Physical objects are becoming coupled with a myriad of radio technologies to drive a communications revolution. For instance, location information from GPS satellites 16 miles above the earth is being […]

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Tom Heine
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Data in a Flash: Utilizing EDI

Q: Where did EDI come from? Heine: Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) has been used in various forms since the 1960s. Today, all Fortune 1000 companies use EDI, as do millions of other businesses. In the transportation field, big retailers led the way in implementing EDI. In the mid-1980s, EDI standards emerged, and each type of […]

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J. Kenneth Hazen
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Third-Party Services Can Simplify Global Trade Complexity

Q: Why do companies have such a hard time embracing global trade management? Hazen: Companies may not understand the complexity behind constantly changing regulations. The diversity of individual governments and cultures presents difficulties in embracing global trade management. Companies spend significant resources dealing with basic needs to ensure a successful, seamless process with each trading […]

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Choosing the Right Tools for the Job

Q: What does the profusion of cloud-based value chain applications and services tell us about the future of supply chain automation? O’Leary: We believe EXTOL and other technology vendors will continue to offer both cloud-based and on-premise delivery of supply chain automation products and services, for the foreseeable future. Cloud-based offerings bring new delivery options […]

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George Kontoravdis, PhD
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The New Breed of Cloud-Based TMS

Q: How can today’s manufacturers deal with increasing regulations, demand volatility, and shifting global trade currents? Kontoravdis: We live in exciting and challenging times. The Internet is bringing new ways of collaborating, communicating, and transacting across borders. At the same time, globalization brings economies and supply chains closer than ever before. Recently, supply chain issues […]

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TMS Helps Shippers Rise Above the Status Quo

Q: What supply chain technology challenges or issues do today’s business leaders face? McCarrick: One of the biggest challenges facing business leaders today is how to effectively and efficiently control cost. Freightquote.com works with shippers to find the optimal pricing solution to assist them in better controlling their transportation budget. For example, many of our […]

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Achieving Air and Ocean Freight Flexibility

Q: There has been a trend of airfreight traffic shifting to freight forwarding by sea. How can air freight compete? Zinner: The shift toward ocean freight is purely cost-driven. The real question is how to make air freight a less expensive and, therefore, a more competitive option. Both air and ocean shipments often have the […]

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