Articles
Supply Chain Technology
Infrastructure: The Weakest Link
A supply chain is only as strong as its weakest links, which today are found in down-to-earth, practical transportation modes—rail, ocean, and trucks—and their support systems. Too many infrastructure links that enable supply chains to operate in the United States are old and antiquated. They are partly clogged with overcapacity, breaking down, or simply just […]
Read MoreAs the World Shrinks, The Supply Chain Grows
In Detroit, the good old days of General Motors viewing Detroit-based Ford and Detroit-based Chrysler as its main competitors are long gone. Even the days when Volkswagen and Japanese auto manufacturers became apparent competitors to the Big Three’s largely myopic corporate managers have disappeared. These were days of nostalgia and naivete; a great deal else […]
Read MoreERP and SCM: Making the Marriage Work
Once a cozy nook for enthusiasts, supply chain management has turned into a major focus for enterprises worldwide. That’s why IFS North America has extended its services from pure Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) to offer component supply chain software. “ERP and supply chain management need to work hand-in-hand,” notes Cindy Jaudon, president of IFS North […]
Read MoreThe Care and Feeding of Your Global Supply Chain
When an enterprise goes global, the nature of its supply chain has to change—not once, but continually. Nationwide may be big but worldwide is much, much bigger, with more factors exponentially governing the health of an enterprise operating a complex global supply chain. Scaling up to manage a global supply chain means dealing not just […]
Read MoreInside the Automated Warehouse
The traditional functions of a warehouse are well known. Unlike its predecessors, however, the modern warehouse is an assemblage of highly evolved automation technologies, making it a core part of the supply chain. Today’s warehouse activities include crossdocking, palletizing, kitting, tagging, and identifying products, as well as storing them in the most time- and space-efficient […]
Read MoreThe Three Sides of SCE Implementation
In part one of this two-part article (April 2005), we explored relationship building among partners in a Supply Chain Execution (SCE) software implementation. The players in that successful SCE implementation included: Major Brands, an alcoholic beverage distributor that sought an SCE system to cut costs by improving inbound and outbound shipment processing, and refining picking […]
Read MoreCollaborate for All-Star SCE Implementation
Building relationships among partners in a Supply Chain Execution (SCE) software implementation is like getting an all-star team to work together. Each player can be great, but it is the combined teamwork that makes the difference when the game begins. To achieve success, roles and objectives have to be clearly defined, and teams must work […]
Read MoreRFID: Setting the Standards
Anyone who thinks RFID and all it entails will quietly fade away is going to be terribly disappointed. Any new technology or strategy operates like a dog preparing to lie down—it goes in circles. First we circled around Wal-Mart and the Department of Defense mandates. Now we are circling around establishing standards for the RFID […]
Read MoreRFID Mandates: Gorillas in the Mist
Embracing a new technology can sometimes feel about as good as a hug from an angry gorilla. Implementing RFID within a customer-mandated time frame is a good case in point. Rushing to implement is less wise than doing finely tuned planning, regardless of the scale of the demand. RFID is not just about tags, readers, […]
Read MoreTalking Tactics with IBM
The global outsourcing trend has generated enough excitement in the media and the business community to heat a small Midwest city for a year. At issue is the concern that outsourcing strips away many U.S. jobs, and does detriment to America’s general long-term economic well being. The fact that outsourcing is by no means new […]
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