Articles

Supply Chain Management

Lori Harner

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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Top 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 […]

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IN 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

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

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

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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Randy Ofiara

3 M’s to Cut Supply Chain Costs

As the global supply chain settles into the COVID-19 technology-driven and customer-centric decade, there’s no time to pause and reflect on what has happened. Now is a time for action. Pick up the pace and ensure your processes are leaner and faster, and you are equipped to meet your customers’ expectations.

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Taking Up Space

Mark Wiese works at the NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida as manager of the deep space logistics Gateway program. Responsibilities: Provides project management expertise and strategic vision for spacecrafts, launch vehicles, and integration services to advance NASA’s Gateway lunar orbiting platform. Oversees integration of commercial logistics missions to the Gateway. Experience: Management, logistics, and […]

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IN BRIEF: New Services & Solutions-August 2020

Products Safe Load Testing Technologies’ new Tilt Testing Tool evaluates load stability for over-the-road transportation. Detachable for easy handling, the tool lets shippers validate a load’s stability by tilting it. Shippers who want to remove lithium-ion powered recorders and trackers from their loads due to safety concerns have a new option with the Tive Solo 5G Non Lithium-Ion […]

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Matt Tiedens

Setting Up a Successful RFP

Managing a Request for Proposal (RFP) process can be daunting. Prequalify respondents, then keep things focused for the best results. Q: How do I extend invitations to the most qualified providers? A: The most qualified providers will reveal themselves through a Request for Information (RFI) process or reference. Preceding the Request for Proposal with an […]

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How to Make Supply Chains “Antifragile”

Cost savings has been the number one priority for heads of procurement and finance across industries. Unfortunately, there is a common misconception that this must be achieved through lean, just-in-time processes and a focus on limited inventory. COVID-19 exposed just how quickly this can create shortages in critical industries like food and manufacturing — in […]

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Yard Automation Addresses Three Weak Spots to Build Supply Chain Resilience

While there aren’t many quick fixes when it comes to mitigating global supply chain disruption, supply chain leaders will turn to solutions that directly address the biggest weaknesses throughout the supply chain that have been highlighted as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak: demand, labor, and energy. Automation brings resiliency and velocity to areas of […]

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How Will the Future Unfold?

How Will the Future Unfold?

As the coronavirus continues to disrupt global supply chains, Gartner developed three scenarios to help chief supply chain officers (CSCOs) prepare for recovery and make preemptive decisions to set up their organizations for success. Gartner polled 833 IT and IT/business professionals and found that 84% of organizations are facing varying forms of disruption—from slight disruptions […]

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More Companies Seek Sustainability Data

An uptick of 24% more companies are asking their suppliers to report environmental data in 2020 through nonprofit CDP Global, with a 34% surge of growth in North America. Suppliers report data on their impacts, risks, opportunities, and strategies related to climate change, deforestation, and/or water security through CDP’s platform. Companies then use the data […]

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Make a New Plan, Stan

Make a New Plan, Stan

More than half of surveyed industry professionals say their supply chain planning process is only “somewhat effective,” regardless of the technology used, finds new research by AIMMS. A combined 28% state that their planning process is “very effective” or “extremely effective,” while 15% say their process is “not so effective,” and 2% say it is […]

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