Articles

3PL

Supply Chain and Logistics Services Delivery: Study Reveals Future Trends

KPMG and HfS Research recently released their annual market study on the State of the Outsourcing, Shared Services, and Operations Industry. This study examines topics such as changes to organizational operating and service delivery models and adoption levels, challenges, and opportunities related to process and cognitive automation. The report also provides some interesting insights into […]

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Getting the Most From Your 3PL Provider

As the debate between globalization and regionalization continues, getting the most from your third-party logistics (3PL) provider is more important than ever. Businesses need to be agile and able to not only proactively respond to customers, but also adjust in response to any unanticipated business change. While many 3PLs offer similar services and capabilities, companies […]

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Rob Kriewaldt

Handle With Care: How to Be the Best At Fulfilling Your Clients’ Chemical Handling Needs – WSI

Chemical handling is an important function of a third-party logistics provider. If your firm is looking to source a chemical handling partner or currently handles chemicals and wants to perform better, our guide below illuminates some key factors to finding the best fit. 1. Explain your chemical business thoroughly, so potential providers know their duties. […]

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Why Supply Chain Visibility Is Vital to Company Success

If you manage or help coordinate a logistics operation, you likely wear many hats throughout the workweek to keep things running smoothly. Your role might require you to keep track of an inventory, confer with carriers, optimize shipping methods and routes, monitor performance reports and activity, and apply management skills to move efficiencies into action. […]

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Ocean Freight Visibility on the Horizon?

Ocean Freight Visibility on the Horizon?

Inbound Logistics attended the Digital Difference event in NYC where Maersk unveiled its partnership with Microsoft. What does that mean for ocean shippers? The possibilities are exciting. In the works… Connected vessels: Ships “talk” to each other to improve performance and make shippers’ supply chains more predictable. Actionable data: Shippers can see exactly where their […]

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Frank McGuigan

Consumer Demand Helping Drive 3PL Industry Growth

In recent years, shippers have encountered new standards of velocity, market choice, and cost for their products. Consumers are demanding better variety and greater availability at the lowest possible cost. These demands put increasing pressure on retailers, who in turn, pass that burden on to their suppliers—further increasing complexity and intensifying pressure on supply chains. […]

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Adding Value to Your Supply Chain

Demand to provide the optimal customer experience continues to escalate, and companies must continually seek out better ways to deliver customer satisfaction and retention. Many companies find that value-added logistics services help give their supply chain a competitive edge. Once limited to services such as shrink-wrapping, display building, and rainbow pallets, value-added capabilities now include […]

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GOOD QUESTION | What part of working in supply chain do you find the most rewarding?

GOOD QUESTION | What part of working in supply chain do you find the most rewarding?

We have a material impact on the experience our clients deliver for their customers. The convergence of technology and physical movement makes supply chain automation exciting and rewarding. The ability of leaders in the space to use logistics as a competitive differentiator has made it even more interesting. Chris Lingamfelter President, White Systems For me, […]

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John Watkins

How 3PL Warehouses Can Capitalize on the Escalating Demands of Prospects and Customers

2017 is looking to be a memorable year for the warehousing industry. For the first time since the mid-2000s, 3PL warehouses are not only in demand, but in a position of strength. This will provide 3PL operators with a unique opportunity to build lasting relationships with key customers, suppliers, and retailers of their choice. However, […]

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Sean Riley

Today’s Competitive Supply Chain: Digital, Smaller, More Resilient

Historically, the supply chain and manufacturing industry has been relatively slow to embrace the opportunities presented by the digital revolution. Technology is advancing quickly, and it’s time to buck this trend. Whether it’s recognizing the crucial strategic strength and impact offered by the Internet of Things (IoT), taking advantage of the dramatic increase in automation, […]

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Jeff Luthman

Extending the Life Sciences and Pharmaceutical Supply Chain

In the life science and pharmaceutical area, an inefficient supply chain can cause serious problems including product degradation and late deliveries of life-saving medications. Third-party logistics (3PL) providers specialize in streamlining their customers’ supply chains, merging logistics expertise with state-of-the-art innovations. While manufacturers search for ways to distinguish products in a competitive marketplace, many do […]

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Download the Inbound Logistics Planner App Today

Find the right solutions, carriers and partners to drive efficiency in your supply chain operations and enable your enterprise to navigate the twists and turns, ups and downs of the coming year. The Logistics Planner, 25 years strong, is updated this month with profiles of leaders in transportation, technology, logistics, supply chain management, education and […]

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Leveraging Your Routing Guide

A routing guide plays an important role in setting the strategy for carrier selection. It is essentially a shipper’s guide to choosing a carrier to move a particular shipment. While there are many forms of routing guides, an increasing number of companies switched from paper to online portals and beyond to enhanced transportation management system […]

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Bob Daymon

Going for Brokers

Over the past 18 months, we have seen a significant shift toward shippers utilizing brokers as their primary carriers. Many shippers abandoned the strategy of focusing on asset-based carriers, and now load their routing guides with brokers as the choice of record. We also see brokers being able to meet the detailed requirements of many […]

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