Articles
Supply Chain Management

Trends and Predictions for 2013 and Beyond
2012 was another banner year for many in the third-party logistics (3PL) sector. Shipper procurement strategy has continued to evolve, and there are certainly some notable trends that will shape future decision-making with respect to shippers, asset-based providers, and 3PLs alike. Technology, innovation, and transparency seem to be on the minds of many in our […]
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Inbound Logistics’ Winter Reading Guide 2013
Whether you want to casually brush up on your supply chain management techniques or drastically reorganize your purchasing processes, you’ll find the knowledge you need in the pages of these supply chain resources.
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Supply Chain Management: The Great Equalizer
In the supply chain, all things are never equal. Success and failure hinge on your capacity to adapt and respond to change. It’s a matter of creating innovative products, developing a means to deliver them to market, and jockeying for competitive position—in effect, matching supply to demand in the most efficient and economical way possible. […]
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Demand-Driven Logistics: Remote Control
Adopting demand-driven logistics can increase visibility, drive supply chain efficiency, and offset any market advantage your competitors might have.
Read MoreImproving Supplier Compliance
Developing an effective supplier compliance program requires a well-defined plan. To achieve success quickly, it is crucial to initiate the plan with the right suppliers. Peter Wharton, IBM’s team lead for commercial product marketing, offers this advice for ensuring supplier compliance. 1. Define a successful supplier compliance strategy. Clearly define the stakes and risks, and […]
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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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Trends—January 2013
It’s a Smaller World After All The shrinking distance between demand and supply is triggering a trend toward inter-regional supply chains and creating a globalization tipping point, according to research by Philadelphia-based third-party logistics provider BDP International, its Centrix consulting unit, and Temple University’s Fox School of Business. Real-time communication technology has greatly increased global […]
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Supply Chain Force Multipliers
For years, I’ve wanted the Logistics Planner issue theme to focus on the concept of using inbound logistics as a force multiplier. When I entered the conference room for the Planner issue strategy meeting this year, I was ready to make my case. But when I presented my idea to the editorial team, I was […]
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The Great Equalizer
Tension and drama always permeate the conference room when the Inbound Logistics team gathers to decide the theme of the Logistics Planner issue. This year was no different. While we did agree to focus on how demand-driven logistics, or supply chain management, drives competitive advantage, we couldn’t agree on how best to present that idea. […]
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Measuring the Value of Collaboration
Structured, achievable supply chain collaboration that drives savings relies on the relationship between purchasing and inbound logistics departments. Without real collaboration, two distinct decision-making processes exist based on separate performance metrics and personnel incentives. Buyers determine what orders to place. Logistics planners determine how to route the shipments. Buyers strive to avoid stock-outs while keeping […]
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What Sandy Showed Me
As the editor of Inbound Logistics, my job is to provide information about keeping product moving from source to selling point. In my nearly 30 years in the industry, I have read, written, and edited many articles about supply chain disruptions. But words are just words. It was quite different to experience disruption with my […]
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How to Drive Visibility Through a Supply Chain Network Control Tower
As supply chains become increasingly stretched geographically and functionally, the challenge of driving visibility through layered and disparate networks becomes infinitely greater. When it comes to managing compliance among third-tier suppliers in Asia, speeding asset turns at a domestic distribution yard, or keeping track of carrier partners and shipments on the ground, at sea, and […]
Read MoreComplying with Export Regulations and Requirements
Companies seeking to expand their markets by selling products overseas can easily become confused and overwhelmed by export regulations and filing requirements. Scott Byrnes, vice president of marketing for East Rutherford, N.J.-based global trade management solutions provider Amber Road, offers these tips for managing export compliance. 1. Gain support from the top. An organization must […]
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Emily Ross: Good Blood
Emily Ross has served as senior supply chain manager at Haemonetics Corporation, Braintree, Mass., since 2008. Haemonetics provides blood management devices and software used by plasma and blood collection centers and hospitals. Responsibilities: Transportation sourcing for North America and international subsidiaries; sourcing 3PL warehousing services; operational support. Experience: Marketing coordinator, The Rex Lumber Company; associate […]
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Trends—October 2012
Greyhound Races to Expand Package Delivery Greyhound Lines has long provided time-critical parcel delivery service, though its relevance over the past few decades has been largely overshadowed by the growth of expediters such as FedEx and UPS. Now, to better synchronize its PackageExpress business, the iconic intercity passenger bus company has tapped One Network’s demand-driven […]
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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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Global Logistics—October 2012
China Opens Door-to-Door Delivery to FedEx, UPS Federal Express officially contracted its name to FedEx in 2000 to facilitate an easier translation as it expanded the brand globally. United Parcel Service (UPS) has built similar acronym appeal and currency in the countries where it operates. So China’s recent decision to grant both couriers authority to […]
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Understanding the Implications of Related Party Transactions and Transfer Pricing
Many multinational organizations are embracing tax-effective supply chain management to reduce costs and increase margins. Supply chain managers need to understand the ramifications of these tax-based strategies when it involves the transfer of tangible goods to their own foreign subsidiaries or parent companies. Reducing taxes is a desirable outcome, but not when it runs afoul […]
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Return to Sender: Managing Reverse Logistics
Most e-commerce businesses focus time and money on providing customers with efficient and flexible delivery options. Many companies, however, neglect to extend this attention to the return of unwanted goods. While many factors influence customer loyalty, a well-run returns process drives repeat orders and improves consumer satisfaction. Eighty-five percent of consumers surveyed by research firm […]
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Eliminating Wasted Motion
At some point in our careers, most of us have felt we’ve wasted time or effort accomplishing a job that should have been easier, more efficient, and possibly safer to do. One way to help workers make better use of their time and effort is to identify and eliminate sources of wasted motion. In a […]
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