Articles
Partnership
Performance-Based Negotiations: Simulation as Support for Decision-Making
Performance-based logistics (PBL) contracts have the potential to reduce cost to the buyer, while also increasing capability. This is contingent on the right set of metrics and cost targets being developed to ensure the right contractor incentive. Today, less than five percent of work performed in both government and private sectors is under PBL deals. […]
Read MoreCrafting Logistics Provider Contracts That Cover All the Bases
Before committing to a logistics service provider partnership, logistics managers must ensure they understand all the contract’s parameters. One way to accomplish this is by outlining the terms of the agreement before signing the contract. George Muha, regional director of third-party logistics service and solutions provider Transportation Insight, offers this advice on key factors to […]
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Is Your 3PL Financially Healthy?
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Conduct a financial checkup of your potential 3PL partners before you sign the contract.
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Connectivity-Visibility-Optimization: Three Keys To a Successful Supply Chain Trading Partner Network
2013 has been called the Year of the Network by numerous supply chain and transportation industry thought leaders. A well-oiled trading partner network allows one-to-many and many-to-many partners to collaborate and communicate using a single source of truth garnered from real-time information. Harnessing this collective power provides a competitive advantage as well as the flexibility […]
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Redefining the Race to Profitability Through Innovation
Every manufacturer, supplier, and U.S. business is feeling the effects of today’s tough economic conditions. It has never been more important to control costs and operate efficiently. The pressure is on for manufacturers to reduce waste, and operate in a truly lean manner. These facts are even more prevalent in the automotive sector, where profitability […]
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How to Foster a Long-Term 3PL Partnership
When companies begin working with a third-party logistics provider (3PL), they are generally looking to address a functional pain point. The partnership is transactional and fills an operational gap. But the true value of 3PL partnerships can grow infinitely greater when shippers take a long-term approach that focuses on sustainable gains rather than short-term savings. […]
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3PL Partnerships: From Tactical to Strategic
It was déjà vu all over again as I sorted through the responses to this year’s Top 10 3PL Excellence Awards survey and 3PL Perspectives research. Like last year, and the year before, and the year before that, a sizable percentage of survey respondents said they select logistics partners based on their ability to secure […]
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3PL Partnerships: From Transactions to Trust
In business context, transactional relationships are often laden with legal conditions—unlimited liability, implied agency, utmost good faith. Even with assurances that a partner will do the right thing, it all comes down to costs and consequences. For many years, the supply chain operated in a similar fashion. Third-party logistics providers (3PLs) demonstrated their value by […]
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Failure is Not an Option: Questions and Answers with Brian Hancock
As the world’s largest distributor of products to the world’s largest restaurant company, Martin-Brower is under extreme pressure to deliver to McDonald’s accurately, on time, every time. Inbound Logistics met with Brian Hancock, president, North America, for Martin-Brower, to discuss the unique supply chain supporting the Golden Arches.
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Great Partnerships: 3PLs and Shippers
Many companies have traded old-style transactional relationships with 3PLs for collaborative partnerships that stand the test of time.
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