Articles

Viewpoint: Logistics & Supply Chain Analysis

Jim Barnes

Building Strong Supplier Relationships: Procurement Takes the Lead

As external forces change the expectation of procurement to be more than just the cost police, it’s up to procurement professionals to embrace the role as strategists and advisors. As a leader, it is important to cultivate and maintain good supplier relationships to ensure profitability. Companies struggle in relationships with suppliers for many reasons. For […]

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Malysa O’Connor

The Perfect Order Has Evolved—Has Your Workforce Management Strategy?

If you’re like most shippers, maximizing customer satisfaction and loyalty is at the top of your list of business goals. To accomplish these objectives, your organization must be dedicated to the pursuit of the “perfect order.” The question remains: What really is a perfect order? The perception of the perfect order continues to evolve and […]

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Brett Conner

Naughty or Nice—Which Retailers and Delivery Services Will Make the Grade this Holiday Season?

The holiday retail season is upon us, and already the first lumps of coal have been delivered, with retailers such as Neiman Marcus and Walmart experiencing unwanted downtime on their websites over the Black Friday weekend. And as we move away from Black Friday, and closer to Christmas day 2015, the pressure will shift from […]

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James Kilkelly

IT Asset Disposition Is the Future of Reverse Logistics

While forward logistics optimizes the flow of goods from the producer to the consumer, reverse logistics inverts that flow from the consumer back to the producer. Most often, this includes warranty recovery, value recovery, repair, redistribution, product recalls, used parts, and replacement materials for refurbishment, service, or product contract returns, and end-of-life recycling. In a […]

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Gary C. Smith

Product Philanthropy: An Efficient Way to Move Unwanted Inventory

While businesses have made great strides in inventory management, many have yet to adopt a truly efficient, cost-effective process for moving unprofitable stock. Discounting merchandise eats into profits and devalues the corporate brand. Liquidating is even less profitable and more laborious. As a result, many otherwise efficient operations end up housing idle stock far longer […]

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Dave Manning

Driver Shortage Threatens to Slow Intermodal Growth

The shortage of qualified drivers threatens the intermodal industry’s continued growth. The challenge for intermodal is not only hiring enough professional drivers, but also retaining them. For many transportation companies, attracting and retaining drivers are the biggest challenges. The extreme number of multi-hour delays along the intermodal chain, combined with the impersonal treatment drivers receive […]

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Karmen Gilbert and Jason Malmassari

Supply Chain + Marketing = Successful Consumer Promotions

More consumer-facing companies are using promotions as a way to attract and retain customers, try new product concepts, and meet consumer demand.Examples include limited-time food offerings in restaurants, holiday-inspired product colors, and co-branded promotions at big box retailers and grocers. These promotions give marketers, product developers, and salespeople an additional avenue to express creativity and […]

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