Articles
Global Logistics

Jason Shefrin: Asset-Light, By Design
Jason Shefrin is executive vice president, global sourcing, at InterDesign Inc., a major designer and producer of housewares and home fashions. He has worked for the Solon, Ohio-based firm since 2011. Responsibilities: Product development, quality assurance, vendor management, global supply chain operations, logistics and transportation management. Experience: Senior consultant, Cleveland Consulting Associates (CSC Consulting); founding […]
Read More
Global—February 2014
Serving Returning Customers In a fickle economy, retailers want consumers to be less discreet about their discretionary spending. One way they can encourage that is to make it easier for customers to return impulse buys or unwanted holiday gifts. But returns can add significant costs, especially when it involves cross-border business. Take, for example, online […]
Read More
Cross-Border Trade: Made in Mexico
Got the nearshoring bug? Here are the challenges, benefits, and secrets to success for manufacturing south of the border.
Read More
Cargo Security: Protecting the Supply Chain
Whether on a truck, in a warehouse, or at a port, your shipments are vulnerable to theft. Learn how to reduce that risk and keep your valuable cargo safe.
Read More
Automotive Logistics: The Upside of Resiliency
Assembling supply chains that are both lean and resilient helps carmakers steer through risks and disruptions without taking a hit.
Read More
The Direct Sales Supply Chain: Where There’s a Will There’s Amway
George Calvert, chief supply chain and R&D officer for Amway, calls on Inbound Logistics to talk about the direct sales business and how Amway’s supply chain is adapting to globalization, new technology, and changing consumer behavior.
Read More
Perishable Logistics: Cold Chain on a Plane
Careful planning for perishable air cargo helps shippers keep their cool.
Read More
Risk Mitigation: Supply Chain Safety Net
Meeting demand without overinvesting in safety stock can be a real balancing act. Risk mitigation strategies protect shippers from landing hard when supply chain disruptions occur.
Read More
FTZ Basics and Benefits
Foreign Trade Zones can help global shippers maximize savings and minimize operational costs. Speeding customs clearance and eliminating paperwork seals the deal.
Read More
Weathering Climate Change and Supply Chain Risk
Companies have become more aware than ever of the considerable risks that climate change poses to their businesses and supply chains. A current or future risk related to climate change was identified by 70 percent of the 2,500 companies responding to Reducing Risk and Driving Business Value, a 2012 survey conducted by the Carbon Disclosure […]
Read More
Heroic Logistics Saves the Day for DC Comics
The DC Comics team leaps into action to create special 3D covers for 52 titles, fighting evil production setbacks along the way.
Read More
Know Thy Partner: Beyond C-TPAT
The globalization of supply chains has caused a major shift in trade partnerships. Partners are changing more rapidly than in years past. Relationships tend to be more focused on who can supply products cheaper, faster, at better quality, and U.S. companies are looking worldwide for competitive parts’ sources. With this new globally spread supply chain […]
Read More
Five Ways to Drive Efficiency In International Logistics
If your international supply chain partners aren’t able to operate at optimal efficiency, they pass increased pricing on to your company. When partners don’t meet your expectations, it’s difficult to standardize the logistics flow, which reduces efficiency and decreases their level of commitment to your goals. Add the extra time your personnel spend working through […]
Read More
Maximize Nearshoring Value to Minimize Supply Chain Complexity
Latin America—particularly Mexico—continues to gain favor as a sourcing hotspot. Its close proximity to the U.S. border has always been a draw, but recent developments have shifted the global trade landscape in favor of the Western hemisphere. Nearsourcing may never entirely replace production in Asia, but trading partners in the Americas should be an essential […]
Read More
163 Ways to Supercharge Your Supply Chain
Supply chain gone stale? Inbound Logistics compiled these actionable tips to help revitalize your warehousing, 3PL, trucking, and global logistics operations.
Read More
Global Logistics—January 2014
Supplier Risk Threatens Expansion Nearly seven out of 10 business leaders believe supplier risk analysis will become more complex as they expand into new global markets, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit report Strategies for Managing Customer and Supplier Risks, sponsored by Dun & Bradstreet. Adverse events associated with suppliers are becoming more frequent and […]
Read More
Panama Canal Expansion: Changing the Channel
A wider and deeper passage may encourage shippers to consider alternate sourcing and routing options.
Read More
Global Logistics—December 2013
Can India Overcome Supply Chain Obstacles? Supply chain management, the regulatory environment, rural markets, and e-commerce remain India’s obstacles to growth, according to Rick Blasgen, president and CEO of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP). "India could accomplish more if it had better infrastructure and the ability to scale up to get products […]
Read More
Magaly Garza Takes on the World
Magaly Garza has worked as international business manager at Vienna, Va.-based home automation and security technology vendor Alarm.com since February 2013. Responsibilities: International operations, including support for supply chain, marketing, pricing, legal, sales, and other areas. Experience: Marketing manager, Cerveceria Cuauhtemoc Moctezuma (now partly owned by Heineken); trade manager, Wine and Spirits Shippers Association; account […]
Read More
Putting Stock in Retail Analytics Tools
For Kleenex maker Kimberly-Clark, managing inventory at retail stores in China was nothing to sneeze at—until it found an analytics solution that delivers comprehensive stock data.
Read More