Articles
Supply Chain Management

Trends—January 2012
Supply Chain Outlook: What’s Ahead? With the drop of the ball every New Year, it’s only natural to take out the Magic 8 Ball and divine what supply chain trends loom large on the horizon. Inbound Logistics editors and writers thumbed through their notes, clicked through their digital Rolodexes, and checked with sources to ascertain […]
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Purchasing Managers: Minding Everyone’s Business
As key players in the supply chain, purchasing managers have to think about innovation, growth, and cost-savings in all aspects of the company’s business.
Read MoreThe Invisible Discipline
For all of its name recognition, supply chain management can be almost invisible within an organization.
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Safeguarding Your Supply Chain Against Rising Fuel Prices
Rising fuel prices have affected most supply chains through fuel surcharges or increased component and operating costs. By planning ahead and evaluating where your supply chain activities are performed, as well as your current processes, you can face these challenges head-on and reduce the impact on your operations and the bottom line. Prepare your supply […]
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Healthcare Supply Chain Costs: A Tough Pill to Swallow
Organizations all along the healthcare supply chain are taking a dose of smarter procurement and logistics practices to cure high costs and treat ailments in other areas of the business.
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How to Ship in Alaska
The "last frontier" can be a daunting place for shippers moving freight unless they select the right airfreight forwarders to work with. Alaska is twice the size of Texas and has 640 square miles of land for every mile of paved road. When waterborne transport isn’t an option, freight moving in and out of Alaska […]
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How to Manage Peak Season Variability
August is usually the busiest time of year for global manufacturers, retailers, steamship lines, and transportation and logistics intermediaries as they begin ramping up inventories and capacity to manage the holiday freight surge. In 2011, however, a sluggish economy, continuing changes in consumer buying habits, and leaner ocean carrier fleets conspired to toss peak season […]
Read MoreReading the Signs
When forecasting the future, it’s easy to be distracted by external indicators that sound significant. In supply chain management, indicators external to your enterprise, but internal to your supply chain, deserve your attention
Read MoreBuilding Efficiency Into Your Supply Chain
When it comes to supply chain efficiency, information is king. The more you know, the better you can manage the process and engineer improvements. Ellen Fontaine, general manager, strategic planning and business development, at Georgetown, Ky.-based third-party logistics provider VASCOR Ltd. offers this advice for boosting supply chain efficiency. 1. Seek opportunities to optimize. Optimization […]
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Delivering a Slice Of Fresh Supply Chain Solutions
To help manage rapid expansion, Papa John’s orders an inbound/outbound logistics operations solution—with the works.
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Managing the Three V’s of Logistics
As the logistics sector’s impact continues to broaden across geographies and industries, a variety of factors are adding pressure on companies to improve logistics efficiencies. Three of the most prevalent supply chain challenges are: Timed temperature control. With goods now being transferred across greater distances than ever before, temperature control is a growing industry concern. […]
Read MoreLean on Me
Analyzing economic forecasts is like untangling spaghetti. But one thing is certain—recent economic trends are putting more pressure on supply chains.
Read MoreManeuvering Freight Through Challenging International Areas
Do your 2011 business plans include shipping to areas where civil unrest or natural disasters have occurred? If so, be flexible and make strong connections, advises Larry Wenrich, vice president, government sales for Lima, Pa.-based Pilot Freight Services. Here are his tips on shipping to and from difficult areas. 1. Locate an airport with customs […]
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3PL Capability is Key to Logistics Cost Reduction
MORE TO THE STORY: How to Find a 3PL-Third Party Logistics Provider Logistics, inventory and transportation costs continue to climb, according to the 2011 State of Logistics report released by the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP). Although overall economic conditions improved slightly in 2010, internal supply chains continue to account for double-digit cost […]
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Distribution Network Optimization: Repairing Cracked Supply Chain Design
After its acquisition by Belron SA in 2007, vehicle glass manufacturer Safelite polished its supply chain to a shine. Now it clearly sees increased distribution efficiency, enhanced customer service, and lower costs.
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Rallying CFO Support for Your Supply Chain Initiatives
Chief financial officers are not accustomed to making money from the supply chain. Most CFOs, in fact, could use an education on the benefits of supply chain efficiency and visibility. So how should you approach your CFO to get buy-in for your next major supply chain visibility initiative? Present your case the right way. Here […]
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Trends—June 2011
Restaurants Change Supply Chain Menus Rising food prices, increasing transportation costs, and consumer demand for affordable meals are forcing restaurants to squeeze costs from their supply chains. Some chains are looking to offset an estimated four-percent rise in commodity prices internally, rather than simply passing costs along to customers. Here’s a buffet-line perspective of how […]
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Excellence in Supply Chain Execution
Our clients in industries such as automotive, aerospace, hi-tech, retail and consumer goods are emerging from one of our nation’s most trying economic times. Faced with serious pressures to cut costs and boost profits, many companies have re-examined how they source, store and deliver their products. Flexibility, innovation and the ability to operate with virtually […]
Read MoreFinance & The Supply Chain: Show Me the Money
Innovative supply chain management delivers financial benefits to your bottom line.
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Managing Risk in a Chain of Fire
Supply chain dominoes keep falling far and wide. In addition to man-made disruptions such as political instability, piracy, terrorism, and war, natural disasters such as the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan on March 11, 2011, and the tidal waves that rippled throughout the Pacific ring including Alaska and Hawaii, have rattled the world over […]
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