Articles
Thought Leaders
White Glove Services: When It’s Time to Call In a Specialist
Q: When and why would someone need a special commodities carrier? A: Special commodities carriers are experts at performing complex, often delicate, moves that most freight carriers would not typically handle. Customers that utilize special commodities carriers expect an extra level of care, professionalism, and quality of service. Special commodities carriers are selected when the transport […]
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Technology Can Supercharge Your Supply Chain, Here’s Where to Start
Q: What are the most important technology trends in the supply chain? A: With the COVID-19 pandemic still impacting global supply chains, real-time product and shipment visibility has become paramount to disruption planning and customer expectations. According to the most recent Gartner study, "By 2023, 50% of enterprises will have invested in a real-time transportation […]
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Adopt an Integrated TMS to Tackle Supply Chain Complexity
Q: Why should I consider a transportation management system (TMS) now? A: Rates and capacity in all modes will be volatile for months to come. Without the ability to manage rates and carriers, you’ll likely pay more for shipping than you should. Manual tracking or relying on forwarders, brokers, or carriers for updates means you’ll […]
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Supply Chain Continuous Improvement Requires Collaboration, Trust, and Tolerance for Failure
Q: How can a 3PL affect continuous improvement of their partners’ supply chains? A: Ruan’s approach to effective continuous improvement (CI) is centered around creating value within our partners’ businesses. CI begins with a clear understanding of each unique supply chain and baseline performance measures. Although tools and techniques vary, the first steps involve analyzing […]
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Deploy a Robotics-Driven Fulfillment Solution to Reach Peak Productivity
Q: 3PLs and retailers are planning for volume surges ahead of peak season. What is driving this? A: This peak season, as consumers regain financial confidence, e-commerce is expected to exceed a level of volume that exacerbated the supply chain the previous year. Warehouses are already experiencing painful labor challenges including high turnover and shortages […]
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Reducing Inbound Freight Costs and Improving Accounting
Q: How can our company account for inbound freight costs on our month-end accrual reports? We prefer to route our own freight and use our own third-party carriers for these collect orders. A: Unfortunately, you are experiencing an industry-wide issue. Pre-rating based on purchase order information can pose a real risk. Your purchase order may […]
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Rail Transportation: What Shippers Need to Focus On
Q: How have the recent rail mergers changed the rail landscape for shippers? A: Shippers have been averse to rail mergers due to concerns of a reduction in competition, imposed routing limitations, and an increase in service disruptions. The two most recent mergers between the CSXT-Pan Am Railway and Canadian National-Kansas City Southern are still […]
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Using Data Insights to Optimize Logistics and Transportation
Digitizing decision-making is a crucial step to leveraging data to make positive impacts in an organization. Logistics and transportation data are critical in enabling proactive decision-making that informs supply chain initiatives. Q: How does logistics data impact the rest of the organization? A: Logistics is one of the few sources of information that shows the […]
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Manage Rates With On-Demand Quoting, Reverse Auction Tools
Q: Should shippers go to the spot market even when they have contracts? A: Shippers that have contracts, regardless of the mode, are seeing rates continue to climb. General rate increases are continuing in LTL and TL trucking, for example. So it’s a good idea to take advantage of the spot market for one-off loads […]
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How E-Commerce Is Changing Retail; Ways to Optimize Fulfillment
Q: With the pandemic causing a huge surge in e-commerce demand, how has this peak season compared to those in the past? How has Hub Group positioned itself to deliver? A: We’ve seen a surge in e-commerce this year—both from an industry and from a company point of view. In 2019, we saw around 5% […]
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TMS Solutions Optimize Transportation Networks and Mitigate Disruption
Q: I already have an ERP and WMS. Why do I need a transportation management system (TMS)? Can one TMS support my global operations? A: A transportation management system (TMS) focuses on optimizing the transportation segment of the supply chain. While there might be some overlap with ERP and WMS, the TMS works on the […]
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The Role of WMS and MES in Empowering Warehouse Resiliency
Doug Mefford has more than 25 years of experience in the supply chain industry, from inventory control to operational leadership within an omnichannel distribution operation.
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WMS Must-Haves: Adaptability, Scalability for Efficiency and Profit
Q: What do you consider to be the primary commercial advantages of a contemporary WMS? A: The DNA of a WMS should be adaptable, fast, affordable, and scalable to offer a low entry point into the warehouse versus Tier 1 solutions, while at the same time providing a platform that expands exponentially according to the […]
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2021: Next-Generation In-Transit Visibility
To optimize visibility for all customers using in-transit visibility solutions, Tive has launched the Open Visibility Network (OVN) starting with project44 and FourKites. Q: What is the Open Visibility Network? Is it open to anyone (tech providers, carriers, shippers, etc.)? A: The Open Visibility Network is the collection and sharing of critical shipment data across […]
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Robotic Automation: Now Is the Time to Deploy
Q: Are you seeing growing interest in the use of robots in distribution and warehouse operations? A: Absolutely. Since the early onset of the pandemic last year, there has been a notable increase in the number of companies looking into adding robotics and automation to their fulfillment operations. The pandemic caused a dramatic shift to […]
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Managing Transitions Effectively to Enhance Project Success
Q: Why is transition management so critical? A: The effectiveness of the transition depends on how well the change is managed. It is essential to have a documented project plan and a dedicated project manager with experience across multiple disciplines. Their job is to manage the process, hold the team accountable, and develop a formalized […]
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Converging Order and Logistics Management on One Platform
Q: Order management systems relate closely to supply chain management by better matching demand to supply. What are the new developments in OMS? A: Today’s technology empowers brands to offer a range of diverse, quality products, as well as customizable delivery or omni-channel fulfillment options to their customers. Doing so cost-effectively has always been a […]
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E-Commerce Trends Drive Automation Initiatives
Q: Do you think the adoption of automated systems will increase with the accelerated e-commerce penetration rate? A: Based on what we have seen in the past several months, the answer is a resounding yes. Someone a long time ago said, "necessity is the mother of invention." I recently had a 3PL prospect, who is […]
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New Directions in U.S.-Mexico Trade and Logistics
Q: Why is trade with Mexico so important and where do you see the opportunities? A: Mexico is already the United States’ second largest trading partner, with two-way trade in goods totaling over $615 billion per year. The recent implementation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), combined with global sourcing strategies resulting in more nearshoring […]
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The Three Trends Driving Supply Chain Efficacy in 2021
Change is the one constant in supply chain management. And today, shippers need a flexible, agile, and data-driven process to control freight spend. Given the state of last year’s record-breaking e-commerce growth and the uncertainty in the market today, it’s essential to know how a few trends will shape the rest of 2021 and build […]
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