Articles
Supply Chain
Logistics Technology: 3PLs Span the Gamut
The road to business growth is paved with data. Providing both software and expertise, third-party logistics partners keep small shippers in the fast lane.
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Freight Audit and Payment: An Untapped Source of Working Capital
Q: You said recently, "The art of working capital management has declined." Why isn’t it a focus? A: The no- to low-interest-rate environment following the 2008 market crash made it easy. Debt wasn’t as big of a concern, so many companies let their attention to working capital management slip. Now that the Federal Reserve has […]
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Perfect Security by 2025?
Our annual technology issue highlights evolving approaches that drive supply chain performance. New technology will also bring advances to security. Here’s a look at what I envision for security in 2025: Wi-Fi umbrellas cover entire areas, making any movement or off-baseline measurement (such as heat or sound) cause for alarm once the facility is locked […]
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Leveraging a TMS for Domestic and Global Transportation
Q: What are the biggest challenges facing shippers in today’s economic environment? A: In today’s market, managing transportation domestically and globally in one system with a single workflow is a key factor for a more efficient and cohesive supply chain. Many businesses still use manual methods or multiple systems to manage freight, with no way […]
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What hobbies/activities make you better at supply chain and logistics management?
MORE TO THE STORY: Comments from LinkedIn Supply chain management is like cooking a complicated meal. You must plan well, execute with excellence, and serve perfectly and promptly. Have great tools and multitask. Be creative to create outstanding results. Hannah Kain President & CEO, ALOM Staying active and participating in team sports definitely translates to […]
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Customized and Integrated to Create One Strategic Logistics Platform
Q: Why is it important for businesses to create a customized and integrated strategic platform for logistics operations? Why are businesses struggling to achieve this? A: Changing freight from a tactical necessity to a strategic asset is possible if you have a customized platform for logistics. A customized and strategic platform provides a company with […]
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Protect Your Cargo With Vehicle Tracking
Transit cargo is one of the most vulnerable parts of the supply chain and the level of theft sophistication is on the rise. According to TT Club, a leading international transport, freight, and logistics insurance provider, theft is a top reason for claims. The total value of TT Club claims over a five-year period starting […]
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How the Hub-and-Spoke Model Can Improve Distribution for Rail Networks
Ever since Federal Express implemented a hub-and-spoke model and famously demonstrated its efficacy in Roger Frock’s Changing How the World Does Business, the well-known distribution model has been adopted by organizations in the transportation, healthcare, and aviation industries for the distribution of goods and services. With the success of the hub-and-spoke model in the transportation […]
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Enterprise Labeling for a Connected, Flexible, and Efficient Supply Chain
Looking toward the future, businesses are taking a more standardized approach and respecting the key role that labeling solutions play in the supply chain. Companies are beginning to understand that they need to develop a labeling strategy to meet all of the challenges of today’s global supply chain. This new focus on the strategic value […]
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Richard Foley: Charging Hard Against Chargebacks
Richard Foley is logistics manager at SDI Technologies in Edison, N.J. He has held this position since 2014. Responsibilities: Inbound and outbound transportation. Experience: Traffic manager, Chronar Corporation; distribution manager, Fleer Corporation; international trade show coordinator, R.E. Rogers; domestic traffic manager, Conair Corporation; corporate logistics manager, NBTY. Education: AAS, business administration, Mercer County Community College, […]
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East Coast Warehouse & Distribution CEO Jamie Overley: Driven By Results and Big Dreams
When East Coast Warehouse & Distribution hired Jamie Overley as chief financial officer in 2007, the owners were seeking a leader who could attract and manage capital, and control costs. They got one. Three years after he joined the company, Overley was promoted to CEO. Since then, he has been leading East Coast Warehouse—based in […]
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Trends—March 2016
Trucking Companies Hit the Brakes on Driver Wages The capacity crunch that has plagued the trucking industry since 2013 appears to be easing as poor economic growth in the fourth quarter of 2015 has trucking companies lowering their freight estimates. Only one-third of carriers expect to have any increase in freight volume in 2016, according […]
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Global Logistics—March 2016
What Keeps Supply Chain and Risk Managers Up at Night? Every type of business risk has an impact on the supply chain. And when risk becomes reality, risk managers and supply chain managers work in tandem to keep goods and materials flowing. In 2016, companies need to be prepared and ready to meet the following […]
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Crossborder E-commerce Into the U.S. Just Got A Lot Easier, U.S. Retailers Should Take Note and Plan Accordingly
E-commerce retailers worldwide are celebrating the passing of a new bill, which sees the U.S. de minimis rate increase from $200 to $800. Below the new threshold, the U.S. does not require any formal customs procedures, and no duties or taxes need to be paid by the consumer. This creates a huge opportunity for e-commerce […]
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Three Keys to Global Supply Chain Prowess
The world’s increasing interconnectedness presents opportunities for supply management professionals to be more efficient and effective as they work to help companies achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. That same interconnectedness, however, poses three serious challenges that must be addressed if we are to continue to be successful. The ongoing security threat to companies’ networks, computers, […]
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Flying High With Electronic Air Waybills
On March 1, 2016, 15 airlines introduced the single-process approach for one of the industry’s most important transportation documents: the electronic Air Waybill (eAWB). Developed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), in collaboration with industry stakeholders, the eAWB is a digital version of the paper air waybill (AWB). The air cargo industry still relies […]
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Saving Green While Going Green
While good for the environment, supply chain sustainability can also be good for the bottom line if incorporated into a company’s supply chain strategy. In the past, most companies were concerned primarily with forward logistics processes, and, to some degree, returning product to suppliers. Today, companies also focus on reverse logistics processes, not only from […]
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Global Trade Management Systems: You’ve Got the Whole World in Your Hands
Shippers grab hold of GTM solutions to streamline imports/exports, ensure trade law compliance, and keep shipments moving across borders everywhere on the planet.
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Leveraging Collaborative Logistics for Increased Visibility
Q: How can value chain partners cooperate to create and share efficiencies? A: Significant efficiencies can be realized across the supply chain when all stakeholders (enterprise, vendors, carriers) can collaborate in real time through a standardized logistics execution platform. This type of interaction is also known as collaborative logistics. The cornerstone of collaborative logistics is […]
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Improve Your Supply Chain’s Stability During the Next Procurement Event
Q: Why is now the right time to consider a transportation procurement event? A: The transportation industry consistently faces capacity volatility, demands for improved service, and relentless focus on cost containment. Two years ago, shippers witnessed on-time delivery fall as low as 80 percent while the spread between contracted and spot rates exceeded 25 percent. […]
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