Articles

Viewpoint: Logistics & Supply Chain Analysis

Non-Asset-Based IMCs: Adapting Yet Again

BNSF Railroad’s decision to eliminate rail-owned intermodal equipment by June 2006 is easy to understand. By only accepting private trailers and containers for transit, BNSF’s cost savings and bottom line should swell. Both Wall Street and shareholders applaud the railroad’s move. Will traditional non-asset-based intermodal marketing companies (IMCs) be a casualty of BNSF’s decision? Strong […]

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Sourcing in China? Give BLPs a VIP Role

As global sourcing continues to lengthen the inbound supply chain, companies are placing more focus at the beginning of the chain, where product originates. The growing number of manufactured products originating in Asian countries such as China presents challenges for manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers that are sourcing inventory there. Companies have not fully developed […]

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Automate, Optimize, Audit for Smart Supply Chains

While politicians argue about the domestic effects of outsourcing manufacturing operations, logistics professionals know the practice only increases our responsibilities. The frenetic pace of global trade, coupled with the impact of outsourced manufacturing around the world, has transformed delivery of products into a complex engineering task that is quickly creating new jobs. Academia is already […]

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Keeping an Eye on RFID Challenges

In The Prince, savvy politician Machiavelli asserts, “there is nothing more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than taking the lead in the introduction of a new order of things.” That 16th-century admonition should serve as warning to those who espouse the advancement of RFID. The swirling hype, promises of opportunity, and […]

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Distribution Takes Center Stage

A paradigm shift has occurred within the supply chain, and distribution is taking center stage. In the midst of a total revival from its undistinguished past, distribution is now more instrumental than ever to an organization’s success. Traditionally, distribution took a back seat to manufacturing and other supply chain activities—not surprising given its historical perception […]

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Turning Returns Into a Competitive Advantage

Growth of direct-to-consumer sales through catalogs, television, and the Internet continues to explode. Business-to-consumer retail e-commerce sales in the third quarter of 2003 totaled $13.3 billion, a 27-percent increase over 2002, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. While direct shopping makes it easy and convenient for customers to buy merchandise, it does not allow them […]

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Uncle Sam to Food Importers: Register

This past August, Friday the 13th meant more than just bad luck for food importers. Those companies not registered under the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) new Bioterrorism Act faced a slew of problems—including delayed deliveries, fines, and heavy scrutiny of all cargo—by failing to meet the Aug. 13 registration deadline. Set forth in February […]

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Maintaining Profit Margins in Food Service Distribution

Inbound freight programs, onboard computers, computerized routing systems, warehousing management systems, real-time radio frequency, incentive pay programs, global positioning systems, activity-based costing. What do these have to do with food service distribution? The answer is everything. Food service distribution is a highly competitive industry with relatively low margins. Many refer to it as “a penny […]

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