Articles
Supply Chain Management
Demanding Response
Inexpensive transportation and sophisticated IT tools allowed us to operate extended supply chains. But that tide may be turning.
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Freight Forwarders: The Vital Link in Logistics Communication
Building a logistics system for today’s sourcing needs requires a quantum leap from past shipping practices, in which companies too often neglected transportation in their strategic planning. A poorly constructed or outdated supply system with inadequate communication can create unnecessary delays and expense caused by information snags, missing or ill-prepared shipping documents, and inappropriate cargo […]
Read MoreStrengthening Your China Operations
The consumer goods industry has been hurt by the economic chill on both sides of the Pacific. In the United States, declining sales, inventory cutbacks, and limited credit are affecting demand. In China, the decline in exports has caused significant instability, widespread factory closures, and growing unrest among a labor force that has lost millions […]
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Deere Customer
Any devoted demand-driven logistics practitioner might take issue with the catchy headline on a recent Bloomberg BusinessWeek article: "Low Inventory Angers John Deere Customers." The article quotes unhappy dealers who can’t get equipment from Deere as quickly as they want. One reports losing "half a dozen deals a month." Farmers aren’t happy, either. The culprit, […]
Read MoreUsing Social Networking for Logistics
Many companies are tapping into the power of Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and other sites to promote their products and services, talk directly to customers, and educate the industry. If you are ready to delve into the world of Web 2.0, consider these tips, compiled with help from social networking guru Tim Richards, operations manager at […]
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Brought!
In tough times, logistics managers react to demand and respond to adversity. Every day, your customers and CEOs raise new questions and challenges, which you meet through creativity, innovation, and a "bring-it" attitude. A logistician’s resilience is valuable when opportunities are ripe, but it’s invaluable when problems persist. This indomitable bring-it attitude was pushed to […]
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On the Road | Introduction: Off the Beaten Path
Cluttering pages with supply chain strategies, logistics lexicon, elusive acronyms, and, periodically, run-on sentences, is habit forming. But it comes with my job. So does reverie. In between pulling and parsing source information, then writing, the mind wanders. There’s no shortage of distractions. Press releases, phone conversations, e-mails, RSS feeds, and Google have a way […]
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What’s the Difference?
Does an LLP perform the same service as a 4PL? Can you run a just-in-time operation without being lean? When push comes to pull, are logistics and supply chain management interchangeable? Industry experts explain the source of some common misperceptions regarding supply chain and logistics lexicon.
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Ready for the Rebound
One good thing about difficult times is they drive people to take action. It’s easy to be nonchalant about counting pennies when dollar bills are everywhere. But when things get tight, lip service surrounding efficiency and automation just won’t do. Tomorrow’s leaders are using the recession to address manual processes, paper and other inefficiencies. Using […]
Read MoreSeven Deadly Supply Chain Sins
If there is one IT system that provides the greatest immediate benefits to a company, yet also poses the greatest challenges to implement, it has to be supply chain management. It is also the most risky to work with because failure and success are so visible to your trading partners. Supply chain management (SCM) has […]
Read MoreScale-Ability
Can being proficient in supply chain practices position you to benefit when the economy picks up and your sales take off? Matching demand signals to your supply line will help you save money, but it’s only half the story. It is a very big half, considering our never-ending quest to be cost effective or to […]
Read MoreOutsmarting Scope Creep
Scope creep. What is it? Will it hurt you? How can you avoid it? Scope creep occurs when the boundaries of an original project agreement begin to wander. It’s not uncommon to venture outside the lines and consider new ideas and approaches, but if scope creep is not effectively managed it can lead to budget […]
Read MoreFujifilm: A Matter of Perspective
Seeking a carrier to serve its LTL customers in the west, Fujifilm sought a partner that could see the larger supply chain picture.
Read MoreVendor Compliance: What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger
You just landed your first big customer. No more selling to mom-and-pops. You alert your suppliers and increase your raw materials inventory. You step up production and increase your finished goods inventory, anxiously awaiting the purchase order. Then suddenly it hits you: in order to get the purchase order you have to comply with a […]
Read MoreOptimizing Your Supply Chain: A Model Approach
A wide array of technological tools are just the do-it-yourself kit companies can use to model, then optimize, their supply chains.
Read MoreSCM & Logistics: What’s the Difference
Are logistics and supply chain management the same thing? How are they alike? How do they differ? IL readers weigh in with their opinion, and Dr. Edward J. Marien tries to make sense of it all.
Read MoreWinning Supply Chain Strategies: Adversity Breeds Creativity
While a slow economy drives many companies to wait out the siege, others do everything but. These winning companies look to the future, building supply chains based on creativity, velocity, collaboration, and speed. Here are their strategies for success.
Read MoreTapping Into SRM for Supply Strategy and Procurement Execution
Manufacturers today have an opportunity to leverage their supply base for competitive advantage. Unfortunately, most do not have the tools required to tap this value. For the last decade they have focused mainly on growth issues such as supply chain planning and customer relationship management. As the engine of growth has stalled, manufacturers are casting […]
Read MoreSelecting A Supply Chain Management System
Choosing supply chain management (SCM) software can be the single most important decision a logistics manager can make. This solution can be one that drives your business to 99.8-percent fulfillment levels or drives it into the ground. Blinco Systems Inc. (www.blinco.com) offers this 10-point checklist to use when interviewing vendors and evaluating SCM software packages. […]
Read MoreIs Your Supply Chain Achieving Customer Loyalty?
Business logistics executives face four major challenges: Achieving dramatic reductions in time-to-market. Creating value for shareholders. Marketing their supply chain as a competitive edge. Earning customer loyalty. Organizations must focus time, attention, and dollars on these areas. While many companies have plans to achieve challenges one through three, market leaders know that without true customer […]
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