Articles

Logistics

Winning, With Integrity

Winning, With Integrity

MORE TO THE STORY: Empowering Women Through Engagement And Inspiration While building a career at 3M and its technology spinoff, Imation, Kirsten Hall never considered joining her family’s business, Logistics Planning Services (LPS) in Woodbury, Minn. "But I realized in 2010, when Mom and Dad were getting ready to step back, that I had been […]

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Joanne Wright: Turning Data Into Insight

Joanne Wright: Turning Data Into Insight

Joanne Wright is IBM’s vice president of supply chain. She has held this position since 2013. Responsibilities: Strategy, execution, and business results for IBM’s manufacturing, engineering, procurement, logistics, fulfillment, and client solutions across more than 170 countries. Leveraging big data, analytics, and social media to create a world-class supply network. Experience: Numerous senior leadership positions […]

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Trends—December 2016

Trends—December 2016

Happy New Year! Time for Your Annual Supply Chain Health Check Throughout the course of 2016, your supply chain was plugging away, receiving and handling new product lines, efficiently fulfilling e-commerce orders during slow times and peak periods, dealing with returns, and processing shipments to your stores and/or retail customers to ensure timely and accurate […]

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Global Logistics—December 2016

Global Logistics—December 2016

TPP is Dead. Is NAFTA Next? A number of important policy issues are still up in the air for the United States, but President-elect Donald Trump has made one thing clear: The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is done. The TPP—a proposed free trade agreement between the United States and 11 Pacific Rim countries—became a target during […]

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Jim Blohm

Visibility is Key to Unlocking Supply Chain Savings by Connecting Inbound and Outbound Activities

Q: What are the benefits of managing inbound freight spend? A: By managing inbound freight spend, shippers can decouple transportation costs from suppliers’ product charges and gain visibility to the lanes, volumes and synergistic opportunities that exist within their outbound network. Leveraging a lead logistics provider (LLP) or transportation management system (TMS) expands visibility beyond […]

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Andrew Lynch

How Specialized Transportation Can Improve Customer Service

As a shipper, what does it look like to deliver on stellar customer service? Your buyers are looking for undamaged, on-time, seamless orders. But you are only able to control a portion of this. Somewhere along the way, a truck driver, warehouse worker, or dispatcher is involved in delivering on your customer service promises. Typically, […]

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John Lash

How Precise Forecasting Tames Item Proliferation

Accurate forecasts enable better planning, lower inventory and manufacturing costs, and improved service levels. By limiting line item proliferation, precise forecasting reduces errors significantly for new product launches. New products lack the history required for traditional demand planning methods. In the same way that the financial industry uses algorithms to sort through masses of market […]

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Thomas W. Derry

Pursuing a Certificate? Learn Before You Act

People who are successful in their profession consistently challenge themselves to learn more, regularly attend professional meetings to network with peers and mentors, and seek out opportunities to expand their education. Are you thinking about pursuing a certificate or certification in the supply management profession to enhance your knowledge and improve your career possibilities? Here’s […]

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Keith Biondo

Blockchain Supply Chain?

Anyone doing business in a global environment knows that a lot of friction in trade activities is directly related to finance: regulatory and compliance speed bumps, fraud, letters of credit, manual and fax-based documentation. In trade finance, the sheer number of borders, intermediaries, regulatory authorities—and lack of technology—can sometimes stall your product, no matter what […]

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GOOD QUESTION | When choosing a carrier/supplier, what’s more important: cost or customer service?

GOOD QUESTION | When choosing a carrier/supplier, what’s more important: cost or customer service?

While reducing operational costs is top of mind for businesses, customer service comes first to ensure rising expectations are met with improved visibility and accuracy—especially in today’s increasingly competitive environment where loyalty must be earned and options are many. Steve Rice Director of Product Management, TAKE Supply Chain Bang for the buck. There are a […]

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Using a Systems Integrator for DC Automation

Implementing materials handling automation within a distribution center requires an experienced systems integrator, which acts as a matchmaker to ensure the software communicates fully and freely with the facility’s equipment. Systems integrators are also responsible for the deployment’s speed, progress and outcome; they are the keepers of schedules and standards, the maestros who ensure that […]

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