Articles
Supply Chain

When Worlds Collide
In retail there are two worlds or approaches: online and traditional. It appears the online retailers have been winning in the market with all types of consumers, even in manufacturing and industrial products. But don’t count the traditional retail world out yet. Good supply chain management practices, along with blended approaches to serving the customer, […]
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Deconstructing Global Supply Chains
Despite a shift toward regionalization, the era of complex supply chain ecosystems is far from over.
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Today’s Technology, Tomorrow’s Demand
The late actress Carrie Fisher said, “instant gratification takes too long.” Her prescience is spot-on. Consumers don’t just want convenient, personalized products and services—they want them immediately. Speed and flexibility are the most significant aspects of meeting this heightened sense of “must have it now.” Consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies are in a fierce race […]
Read MoreTariffs Sting U.S. Supply Chains
The tariffs President Donald Trump imposed on Chinese goods have caused sharp increases in expenses for some companies, and even businesses that have yet to feel the sting of the duties on imported Chinese goods are taking a closer look at their supply chains to see how they can minimize the damage. As businesses scramble […]
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Six Ways to Develop Character in Leaders
One of my hardest days in the military came in Baghdad during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. I was leading a Special Operations Planning Team and we were using an event tracking system to predict where, what type, and when acts of violence would occur. We predicted a huge rise in attacks with little end […]
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A No-Fail Mentality and Sheer Force of Will
Many years ago, a few days into a new job as an analyst at Sears, Roebuck and Co., Jeff Cohen was working at his desk when the chief financial officer, Ed Liddy, walked by. “He stopped, introduced himself, and sat down to chat for a few minutes,” Cohen says. “I don’t remember what we talked […]
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Mark Bakker: Change Agent
Mark Bakker, head of supply chain operations, Americas, HP Inc. Responsibilities: Manage supply chain operations for owned and channel inventory for commercial and retail markets for the Americas; meet financial goals for the printing, graphics, and personal systems product categories. Experience: Vice president, supply chain operations, Asia Pacific and Japan; director of operations, EMEA; director, […]
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Supply Chain Automation Surges
Supply chain automation is gaining ground, particularly in warehousing and middle- and last-mile logistics.
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Project Logistics: Taming the Details
Whether they involve moving endangered animals or perishable delicacies, special projects demand teams that know how to plan thoroughly, collaborate with multiple partners, and prepare for every eventuality.
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Using Technology to Cut Freight Costs
The bad news: Tight capacity and higher freight rates are the new normal. The good news: There are ways to handle the impacts far better than your competition. Aside from securing reduced freight rates from your carriers, here’s how you can cut freight expense while improving service: Coordinate business intelligence Improve load planning Provide carriers […]
Read MoreThe 10 Most Read Articles 2018
Inbound Logistics reveals the 10 articles that drew the largest audience and reader response during 2018.
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Pay Your Own Way
New supply chain finance strategies let shippers and carriers keep cash in their wallets.
Read MoreTransport Decision Makers: Prepare for the Future
What is happening and what will happen to trucking capacity and costs? Here’s the data you need to help plan for the coming months.
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Customs Broker vs. Freight Forwarder: Use a Customs Broker for Added Compliance – A.N. Deringer
Having a consistent point of contact that is familiar with your account, your product, and your business, can help you avoid a lot of headaches associated with importing.
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Using FTZs to Treat Pharma Challenges
Every day, pharmaceutical manufacturers navigate complicated regulations while managing costs and reducing risk. Foreign trade zones (FTZs) can help, but only if manufacturers understand what they are, their potential benefits, and how to best use them. FTZs—areas in or next to U.S. ports of entry under the control of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) but […]
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Consumer Electronics FTZ – MD Logistics
The Challenge MD Logistics has partnered with a leading global supplier of mobile and consumer electronics products since 2007, when a newly acquired product line prompted the company to seek third-party logistics (3PL) services. A majority of their products originate overseas and therefore require numerous customs filings as well as costly annual duty and brokerage […]
Read MoreNOTED | The Supply Chain in Brief-2019
Green Seeds DHL rolled out a new fleet of electric delivery vans to serve U.S. markets, moving closer to its target of operating 70 percent of first- and last-mile delivery services with clean transport modes by 2025 and eventually reducing logistics-related emissions to zero by 2050. Equipment manufacturer Workhorse Group produced the fleet of 63 […]
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Improving Ocean Shipping: Blockchain Reaction
Waves of hype surround blockchain technology. What are the true implications for the maritime industry?
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Leveraging Logistics Communities to Find Capacity in a Tight Market – Kuebix
Finding truckload capacity is on everyone’s minds as the capacity crunch and driver shortage worsens. In fact, the Kuebix team surveyed over 550 logistics professionals in December 2018 to find out what they believed would be the biggest challenge for supply chains in 2019 and the capacity crunch/ driver shortage easily scored the highest with […]
Read MoreTrends on the Horizon in 2019
The four trends that will have the greatest impact on operations in North America in the coming year, according to DHL Supply Chain: 1. Warehouse robotics come of age. Robotics are already proving their value in select warehouse applications, but the technology is expected to reach a tipping point in 2019. Expect the technology to […]
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