Articles
Logistics I.T.
International Shipping: Moving at the Speed of Technology
New technologies for planning, managing, tracking, and securing shipments are continually evolving. With new digital options always just around the corner, organizations of all sizes must stay informed of the latest advances. When it comes to international shipping, technology is especially important—not only because tremendous growth is expected, but also because the processes involved are […]
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Embarking On an IT Modernization Journey
Planes, trains, and automobiles represent just a few possibilities to consider when moving an object from Point A to Point B. To secure a competitive advantage, shippers must ensure the transportation services they buy are safe, modern, reliable, and competitively priced. Many transportation providers have realized these goals by investing in an information technology (IT) […]
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Inventory Tracking: Crunching the Numbers
With store replenishment lagging behind sales growth, potato chip maker Golden Flake deployed a mobile inventory-tracking solution to satisfy its craving for stock visibility.
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Filling the Cloud with High-Quality Data
The millions of dollars spent on supply chain software are squandered if data flowing through it lacks integrity. An attractive, feature-laden application is like a Ferrari—it only runs well when the right fuel flows through the engine. In this case, data is the fuel that powers this impressive vehicle. Without it, only the glitzy exterior […]
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The Future of Predictive Analytics Looks Certain
One recurring talking point at the Council of Supply Chain Management Professional’s (CSCMP) September 2012 conference in Atlanta was the importance of predictive analytics. This subset of statistics captures patterns within large volumes of information to predict supply chain behavior and events—in effect, forecasting future demand based on past demand. The emergence of cloud networking […]
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Visibility is the Key to Mitigating Supply Chain Risk
As last year’s tsunami in Japan and massive floods in Thailand demonstrated, natural disasters and other events a world away can wreak havoc on supply chains, forcing sudden and major disruptions in business operations. While it may be impossible for a company to entirely escape the consequences of a widespread deluge, volcanic plume or labor […]
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SaaS-Based Transload Management Systems Enable Transport Efficiencies
Q: Why are rail shippers turning to transload facilities to ship products to receivers? A: Transload facilities bring significant economic advantage to shippers who are not directly served by railroads, but desire the cost-effectiveness of rail shipping. Transloading operations provide the capability to transfer products between transport modes—primarily truck to rail. Typically, products are transported […]
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Shared Technology Resources Hold the Key to Supply Chain Optimization
Q: How can value chain partners cooperate to create and share efficiencies? A: While it is understandable for each supply chain partner to maintain its own information technology, many companies rely on more than one IT system—along with spreadsheets and email—to manage supply chain operations. To further complicate matters, every transaction in the complex global […]
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Information Access Differentiates Transportation Providers
Q: What are the most important elements of an information technology (IT) strategy for participants in the transportation chain? A: Strategically, there is only one IT goal: to differentiate your service from your competitors. Tactically, you need to figure out how to deploy mobile computing for customer- and employee-facing iPad and smartphone applications. Today, information […]
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Putting Labor Management Systems to Work
Many companies dismiss labor management systems as too expensive or unnecessary. But these misconceptions may cause them to miss out on big benefits.
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