Articles
Supply Chain Management
An All-American Leader
Growing up around a family-owned business, establishing a tireless work ethic, and pursuing an early career as a teacher helped shape Jessica Tyler’s "open book" leadership style. Long before Jessica Tyler became an airline executive, she was an educator. "My earliest understanding of relationships and engagement came from being a teacher and coach," says Tyler, […]
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A Valid Question
Recently I was interviewed for a popular supply chain and logistics blog. The interviewer asked this question: Has the name of the magazine been a deterrent because it doesn’t encompass the full breadth of content you provide? A valid question. My answer: It has not been a deterrent, but sometimes it does need explanation. So […]
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From a Modest Beginning
Having covered logistics for more than four decades, Inbound Logistics has promoted and encouraged companies to adopt demand-driven logistics practices, and reported their progress driving the evolution of traffic management to supply chain management. The key development in that process was accepting a sea change in business management: Don’t plan and push your product at […]
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Managing Transitions Effectively to Enhance Project Success
Q: Why is transition management so critical? A: The effectiveness of the transition depends on how well the change is managed. It is essential to have a documented project plan and a dedicated project manager with experience across multiple disciplines. Their job is to manage the process, hold the team accountable, and develop a formalized […]
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137 Tips for a Fully Charged Supply Chain
Inbound Transportation 1. Dive in with your suppliers. Ask what cost and efficiency benefits your vendors are providing by using their carriers or shipping schedules. The customer pays one way or another, so push for carriers that demonstrate service and reliability, not those who move operational or cost inefficiencies from a vendor’s dock to the […]
Read More4 Ways to Include Deskless Logistics Workers in Your Digital Strategy
Supply chains are undergoing unprecedented restructuring driven by competition, demand shifts, and trade wars—circumstances further accelerated by COVID-19. The resulting pressure on profits forces logistic functions and companies to evaluate ways to innovate, lower costs, and increase long-term resiliency. Logistics industry leaders are meeting this challenge by embracing digital transformation through innovative digitalization plans. But […]
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Scaling SCM Ecosystems—Boardroom Insights
Q: Can you reflect on your last customer transformation experience and the takeaways from that engagement? A: Modernizing ecosystems while keeping up the ongoing business operations is the reality of every business. The current ecosystem, future solution expectations, and resource models are the drivers that determine the program’s pace. Practical challenges in the transformation include: […]
Read MoreHow to Identify the Blind Spots in Your Supply Chain
As the global economy has become more interconnected, supply chains are increasingly complex and distributed. This allows companies to work with a broader range of suppliers and source materials on demand, which has made supply chains more efficient and reduced costs. However, modern supply chains also pose more daunting logistical challenges than they used to—with […]
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Surging Optimism Buoys SMBs
Despite the upheaval businesses experienced in 2020, optimism has now surged past pre-pandemic levels, and many leaders from small to mid-size businesses (SMBs) report being well-positioned for growth in the year ahead, says Umpqua Bank’s annual report. Key findings from the survey include: Positive Outlook Positivity has roughly doubled since 2020, with expectations for economic […]
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Going the Distance
As we move into 2021, social distancing is a top priority for C-level executives. While they manage their business with social distancing, the protocols aren’t ideal for productivity, finds a survey by consulting firm West Monroe. More than half say they primarily work remotely to avoid social distancing, and 40% say it’s the biggest hindrance […]
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Blockchain Brings Value to Touchless Supply Chains
With supply chains forced to operate on thinner margins, digital transformation is leapfrogging business priorities. The time to act is now. But onboarding proven technology to confront COVID-19-related challenges can feel as daunting as the pandemic itself.
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The New (Ab)Normal: Reshaping Business and Supply Chain Strategy Beyond COVID-19
What businesses have done during the chaos of the pandemic, and what they are likely to do in the coming months and years to ensure they survive the virus and thrive afterwards.
Read MoreEnergy Management: The Next Step in Supply Chain Optimization
When considering new ways to optimize their supply chain, many large enterprises—like UPS, Amazon, Walmart, and FedEx—first focus on technology enhancements. Hyperautomation, artificial intelligence (AI), edge computing, 5G, and virtual reality are the latest ways to fine-tune transportation, shipping, and logistics to meet customer demand and improve profitability.
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Control Tower Capabilities—Redefined
Q: What is a control tower? A: There are many definitions of a control tower in the market today. Some are analytics overlays without a network to get data or application intelligence. Some provide one functional area (e.g. planning) and encompass internal operations and maybe tier 1 providers. These can sound helpful but won’t get […]
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Reshoring Starts with Mapping Suppliers
When the book How COVID-19 Changed Supply Chains is written, it will include chapters on reshoring—bringing manufacturing back to the United States—and nearshoring—bringing them closer to home. But there won’t be a chapter titled “How COVID-19 Ended China’s Manufacturing Dominance.”
Read MoreTop Hat and Tales
Stephanie Carter is the co-founder, president, and chief executive officer of Wallaroo Hat Company, a Boulder, Colorado-based manufacturer of stylish sun-protective hats, founded in 1999. Responsibilities: Supply chain logistics, overall operations, design, manufacturing, marketing, and human resources. Education: B.A. in Spanish and French language and literature, cum laude, New York University, 1989; J.D., University of […]
Read MoreIN BRIEF: New Services & Solutions-October 2020
Products To address the safety issues in chocking trailer tires, Rite-Hite has released a Global Wheel Chock that, when paired with Approach-Vu, audibly and visibly alerts personnel that a trailer is approaching. The chocking system integrates with the Dok-Lok Style Light Communication System and is available with Rite-Vu auxiliary communication lights, approach detection system, and camera engagement […]
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Hopping on the Transformation Train
Global disruption has failed to halt shippers’ digital transformation plans: 52% of companies say they will increase their spending on digital transformation, and those concerned with economic disruption are 20% more likely to invest in digital transformation, according to a global research study from IFS. However, these numbers aren’t consistent across all geographies or industry […]
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Getting Out of the Woods
COVID-19 radically changed the workplace and how supply chains operate. Shippers that scale their technical infrastructure and put the customer first will thrive, says a study by Reuters Events and CalAmp. Other key findings include: Preparedness: Shippers say their logistics solution providers are managing the uncertainty of customer demand, scoring them an average of 72/100. […]
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Supply Chains Need Long-Term Resilience
Before COVID-19 struck, supply chains were praised for their just-in-time capabilities. Now entirely new levels of supply chain resilience are needed, according to the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals’ (CSCMP) 2020 State of Logistics Report. In 2019, the U.S. economy achieved 2.3% growth, and the logistics sector grew to $1.65 trillion in expenditures. Productivity […]
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