Articles
Supply Chain Management
It’s Time to Embrace Supply Chain Chaos
As someone who has worked in supply chain and logistics management for more than one decade, I find a duality in watching all the attention cast on our corner of the economy over the past year. On one hand, it’s nice to see society at large recognize the giant global operation behind making and delivering […]
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The Road to the Circular Economy
As the world realizes that the linear economy is unsustainable, companies are under pressure by regulations, investors, consumers, and employees to lower their carbon footprint and transition to a circular economy.
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Data-Driven Supply Chain Optimization
Q: What is data-driven supply chain optimization, and why is it important? A: Data-driven supply chain optimization applies prescriptive analytics in mathematical programming and operations research (OR) to provide decision support for supply chain decision-making at the strategic, tactical, and operational levels. By properly capturing the decisions to make (decision variables), the performance metric to […]
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Pop Quiz: Supply Chain Educators Answer 6 Pressing Questions
For much of the decade prior to the pandemic, the number of students in supply chain programs couldn’t match industry’s need for supply chain professionals. “The biggest challenge was convincing students it was a real career path,” says Brian Fugate, chair of the department of supply chain management at the University of Arkansas. As the […]
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Thriving on Change, Growth, and Opportunity
Fresh out of grad school, Thad Bedard moved to the San Francisco Bay area hoping to become a professor of American literature. But teaching jobs were scarce. “To make ends meet, I started working as a warehouseman,” recalls Bedard. “I enjoyed the industry. The work challenged a lot of my preconceived notions about business.” He […]
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NOTED: The Supply Chain In Brief
The latest mergers & acquisitions, logistics contracts, sustainability initiatives, humanitarian logistics efforts and more. Good Works The Coca-Cola Company, based in Atlanta, donated $1 million to the Technical College System of Georgia Foundation’s Commercial Truck Driving Program. The donation funds driver training programs and helps ensure more drivers are in the pipeline to fill trucking […]
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What pandemic-era adjustment will have the greatest supply chain impact?
The acceleration of digital twins. The ability to digitally model a company’s manufacturing and distribution network will allow it to quickly assess the impact of large and small disruptions and take appropriate actions. —Allen Jacques Industry Thought Leader Kinaxis The use of data analytics to help suppliers really understand consumer behavior. Suppliers decided to eliminate […]
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Say Yes to the YMS
Companies sometimes overlook how important the yard is to their success. Without proper management, facilitated by a yard management system (YMS), pile ups can lead to delays, fees, and a full shipment of stress.
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Why Procurement Is the Key to Preparing for the Next Supply Chain Crisis
There is no clear sign when the global supply chain crisis will end. It began during the COVID-19 pandemic, worsened with the surge in demand that followed the lifting of national lockdowns around the world, and further deepened amid recent global events. Some corporate leaders contend that the crisis, triggered by these exceptional events, could […]
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Supply Chain Helps Meet ESG Goals
As corporations become increasingly focused on ESG initiatives, their supply chain and logistics partners respond with tools and services designed to help them grow sustainability and other goals.
Read MoreA New Fix for Broken Supply Chains?
Less-than-truckload (LTL) are prone to delays, damages, and inefficiencies, finds new data from Drive Research and Flock Freight.
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Intermodal is Just the Ticket
With rail facility and infrastructure upgrades nailed down and intermodal network improvements on track, these ports and sites are riding high on intermodal’s advantages.
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Driver Shortage: Don’t Fall For It
The talking point that states the trucking industry is facing a driver shortage to explain the state of supply chain is a lie. Don’t fall for it. There has been a “shortage” of drivers for well over 20 years so be sure you are getting honest answers when digging into your supply chain issues.
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Orchestrating a DC Strategy That Won’t B Flat
Distribution center technology and equipment working in harmony can keep any supply chain sharp.
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Managing Working Capital Amid Product Shortages
Distributors can’t seem to catch a break. First they faced a liquidity squeeze when COVID-19 raged onto the scene, triggering a dislocation in the supply and demand for products. Now, as they enter the third year of the pandemic, distributors are grappling with wide-ranging shortages of goods and commodities across the supply chain that show no sign of abating.
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Omnichannel Commerce & Drop Shipping Fulfillment in the Retail Industry
Implementing a drop shipping solution comes with its share of challenges for a 3PL provider, as these types of orders differ from a standard parcel shipment. Here’s what to consider.
Read MoreIs There a Logistics Professional in the House?
Even if you’re not a huge Star Trek fan, you’ve got to love Dr. McCoy—and the line he repeated so often that most of us could probably say it in our sleep: “(Darn) it Jim, I’m a doctor, not a _______.” When you think about it, it’s incredibly funny, because when bad things happen, the […]
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Streamlining Supply Chains During Widespread Port Congestion
Hub Group’s customer-focused approach led by dedicated, problem-solving freight engineers provides the supply chain solutions that shippers need when faced with even the most challenging conditions.
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Digitally Transforming Your Supply Chain? Here’s How to Make It Meaningful
How to make supply chain digitalization meaningful.
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Lean Isn’t Mean and Agile Isn’t Cheap
Back in 2014, I wrote a column extolling the benefits of a lean and agile supply chain, also known as a hybrid strategy. Depending on your product or service, your supply chain may tilt more one way or the other, or it might be segmented but still exhibit characteristics of both. For example, if you […]
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