Articles
Thought Leaders
Shippers Seek 3PL Efficiencies Amidst Capacity Constraints – DLS Worldwide
Q: What efficiencies that you offer as a 3PL are in the highest demand this year where we’ve seen tremendous capacity constraints? A: From a high level perspective, we always take a collaborative approach on which core competencies we can offer and streamline for our clients. We work with a very diverse group of customers/shippers, […]
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Data by the Truckload – U.S. Bank
Q: With increasing access to data, it can be difficult to hone in on the information relevant to shippers. How can they determine which data to analyze? A: Whether it’s orders, shipments, tracking and shipping status reports, or freight invoices, shippers have abundant access to data. And although technology is supposed to make it easy […]
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Transportation Management at the Border – Landstar
Q: How have trends in U.S./Mexico cross-border operations shaped today’s supply chain? A: There is a continuous rebalancing that occurs within the U.S./Mexico cross-border transportation services environment. For years now, there has been an imbalance of freight shipments moving north to the United States vs. freight moving south into Mexico. Some of this is attributable […]
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VMI Solutions Carried Out by 3PLs in the Life Sciences & Pharmaceuticals Industry – MD Logistics
Third-party logistics (3PL) providers specialize in maximizing their customers’ supply chain processes. Recently, 3PLs have innovated their practices to extend pharmaceutical supply chains for special projects, such as packaging and kitting. Vendor-managed inventory (VMI) is a natural evolution of these extended services. Q: What is VMI in the life sciences and pharmaceuticals industry? A: Pharmaceutical […]
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Learning from the Fast Fashion Groundbreakers – Amber Road
Q: Speed-to-market has become the top market pressure for retailers. What can other industries or CPG manufacturers learn from "fast fashion" leaders like H&M, Uniqlo, and Zara who are able to go from concept to shelf in weeks? A: Attaining raw speed requires an overhaul of your supply chain. To truly match the clock speed […]
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How to Choose a TMS Vendor That’s Right for Your Company – Fortigo
Q: What are some important things to consider when selecting a TMS solution? A: Deploying a Transportation Management System (TMS) can be complicated, time-consuming, and expensive. Fortunately, this does not need to be true, thanks to systems with a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) delivery model, which help you navigate the process of selecting and deploying a TMS […]
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Today’s Options in Technology To Improve Your Transportation Program – KDL
Q: What have been the technology changes in transportation? A: As we have seen in other industries like Netflix with entertainment content or Airbnb with hospitality, we are also seeing innovative technology, i.e. Uber Freight, trying to disrupt the transportation industry. All of these technology advancements benefit everyone that is in our industry. For a […]
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Silicon Valley is Helping the Logistics Industry Grow Smarter, Instead of Bigger – ClearMetal
Q: How can shippers and service poviders cut through the clutter of tech talk around AI and machine learning? A: The most important thing to remember is that machine learning is not a generic box you can buy from just anyone, plug in and have work. The shipping industry is so complex and nuanced that […]
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U.S./Canada Trade Remains Strong, With Plenty of Opportunity for Growth – Purolator
Q: What trends are you seeing in U.S./Canada cross-border trade? A: I see tremendous opportunity on both sides of the border. For one thing, imports from Canada are growing, largely due to the stable U.S. dollar. We seem to have turned the tide on the currency volatility of the past couple years, allowing Canadian manufacturers […]
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What You Need to Know About Selecting a Dock Appointment Scheduling System
Q: What is dock appointment scheduling? A: Dock scheduling is a means for managing the timeliness of inbound and outbound transportation (truck traffic) at your loading docks in order to maximize the efficient operation of those docks. Q: What is the difference between Appointment Management and a Dock Scheduling System? A: Appointment management usually takes […]
Read MoreWhat to Expect From Your 3PL
Q: As supply chain operations continue the migration from an afterthought in the warehouse to a priority in the boardroom, what are some questions a shipper should ask before adding a 3PL to their supplier base? A: It largely depends upon what level of partnership a carrier is seeking. Managing spot capacity is very different […]
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Supply Chain Complexity: What’s Behind Supply Chain Disruption and Why You’re Not Achieving Consistent ROI Improvement
In a 2016 Gartner survey, 63 percent of supply chain leaders reported “increasing supply chain complexity” as the highest risk to business continuity. A second survey from Gartner identifies supply chain complexity as #4 in the list of obstacles to achieving supply chain goals. As supply chain leaders face these challenges, they should focus on […]
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How Small Retailers Can Compete with Retail Giants
Q: What is the biggest thing for shippers to consider in their supply chain? A: The one constant trend is the growth in the way we reach consumers. E-commerce sales increased 15.6 percent in 2016, and there are no signs that this trend will slow in the future. Direct to consumer is here for the […]
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Does Your TMS Provide you a ClearView?
Q: What are you seeing as the biggest opportunity for TMS functionality? A: Transportation management software (TMS) was developed for the simple task of enforcing carrier routing and producing a shipping label. Web rating, or rate shopping, was a major advancement to the TMS technology industry 10 years ago. Today, very few TMS companies offer […]
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Advice for Transportation Departments on Gaining Corporate IT Buy-in for TMS Solutions
Q: What pushback should transportation leaders anticipate from IT when proposing a TMS implementation? A: Corporate IT departments are frequently ambivalent about cooperating; sometimes even actively working to undercut the proposed initiative because there’s a perception that any new enterprise software deployment adds significantly to IT’s workload during implementation, integration, and thereafter with respect to […]
Read MoreIs a 3PL Not the Best Fit for You?
Q: While some companies have chosen to rely on 3PLs to manage their logistics, Progressive Converting made the choice to keep its logistics in house. Why? MR: Progressive Converting (Pro-Con) is a service provider to the major paper companies. As such, controlling all aspects of the supply chain is critical in delivering value to our […]
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The Answer to Logistics Problems is Always in the Data
Q: How can data solve logistics problems for shippers? A: The right data can create the intelligence required to know where to begin to solve many common problems. These can include freight costs that are too high, transit times that are too long or not charging enough for freight. Many shippers have good rates, but […]
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The Advantages of a Pop Up Supply Chain
Q: How can I keep up with volume surges with minimal disruption? A: If you find yourself looking at a significant volume surge that is temporary, it is a good time to think about a pop up supply chain. Surges like this can put strain on the current infrastructure you have built and disrupt daily […]
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Can Exception Management be Automated?
Q: Managing exceptions in freight settlement is, by definition, a manual process even when a shipper has a transportation management system (TMS) and freight payment/audit solution in place. Why can’t exception management be automated? A: The truth is, it can be, and to a surprisingly high degree. Significant exceptions such as large discrepancies in rates […]
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The Wave of New Technologies in Logistics Requires Data Management Excellence
Q: Technology seems to be having its moment in the logistics space. What do things like the Internet of Things, Big Data, and Blockchain mean for shippers and logistics providers? A: These elements are becoming critical parts of modern supply chains because they allow companies to harness data they might already have, or incorporate previously […]
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