Articles
Supply Chain
Next-Generation Innovations: Digital, On Demand, Always On
Manufacturing and supply chain professionals face many challenges but, according to the 2018 MHI Annual Industry Report, Overcoming Barriers to NextGen Supply Chain Adoption, the top ones are increasing customer demands on supply chains (73 percent) and hiring qualified workers (64 percent). Eleven technologies are working together to create next-generation supply chains that can meet […]
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2018: A Year to Remember
Most Likely to Have Lasting Impact The new NAFTA Jose Minarro Senior Vice President of Customs in Mexico Transplace “The rules of origin for several industries will change. Revisit eligibility to claim NAFTA or USMCA duty rates in the future and perform a comprehensive rules of origin and regional value content analysis for every product.” […]
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Tis the Season to be Agile – WSI
If you work with a capable 3PL, you may rest assured that you already have the supply chain agility needed to meet any challenges the New Year may bring.
Read MoreGood Question: What are your top supply chain predictions for 2019?
Uber Freight and other new platforms will power increasingly connected truckers and LTL providers into the gig economy. Steve Dowse SVP, Product Management Blume Global Supply chains will continue their evolution from the traditional lean standard strategy to more of a flexible and elastic supply chain to meet market and logistics fluctuations. These changes will […]
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Continuing Education: What’s on the Menu?
No matter how skilled or credentialed, today’s supply chain managers are hungry to learn—and want a variety of options to choose from. With the marketplace growing more complex, continuing education professionals are cooking up new programs and remaking old standbys.
Read MoreA New Combined Approach to Labeling and Artwork Management
Companies have struggled for many years to manage the growing complexities of their supply chains and go-to-market packaging content. Labeling has become more complicated as data requirements continue to expand, and Artwork Management has been challenged to meet an increasing number of demands on a global basis. Additionally, labeling and Artwork Management both face challenges […]
Read MoreMinimizing Airfreight Costs
To combat trade wars, tariffs, and other obstacles, it’s important to optimize your supply chain. One way is to minimize the cost of air freight, which is generally a fast and reliable—but expensive—option. 1. Evaluate lead times and use THE appropriate transport mode. If lead times aren’t tight, consider using slower transportation methods, such as […]
Read MoreDo You Need a Larger Customs Bond?
The answer could very well be yes, according to information provided by Tennessee-based transportation company Averitt Express. A lot of new tariffs have come into effect in 2018, and more are scheduled. These increases are substantial, and if they affect the goods your company imports, you are well aware of how this impacts your business […]
Read MorePlastics Supply Chain Turns Off the Tap
HP Inc. and IKEA are joining the NextWave Plastics global consortium—a collaborative initiative that brings together leading companies to "turn off the tap" of plastic entering the ocean. The goal is not only to scale their own ocean-bound plastics supply chain efforts, but to also extend across industries to make it commercially viable for all, […]
Read MoreInflation Making Waves for Supply Management
New study identifies five areas that can help procurement navigate uncharted waters.
Read MoreSupply Chain Remains the “Next Big Thing”
Symphony RetailAI, a global provider of Artificial Intelligence-enabled decision platforms, solutions and customer-centric insights that drive validated growth for retailers and CPG manufacturers, announced the findings of a benchmark report, “Supply Chain Management 2018: In Service of the Customer.” The fourth annual study, conducted by Retail Systems Research (RSR) and sponsored by Symphony RetailAI, shows […]
Read MoreWhat Will Retailers Find Under The Tree?
A common theme connects several strategies retailers are using to prepare for the holiday season: Enhanced capabilities to seamlessly cater to shoppers in stores, online, and on mobile devices. CBRE’s annual Holiday Retail Trends Guide outlines four trends shaping this season as it unfolds: 1. The optimistic shopper. In a strong economic environment, retailers who […]
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Panama Canal in the Zone
The Panama Canal closed its 2018 fiscal year with a record 442.1 million Panama Canal tons (PC/UMS), which represents a 9.5-percent increase from the previous year. This surpasses cargo projections of 429.4 million PC/UMS tons for FY 2018, as well as the 403.8 million PC/UMS tons registered in FY 2017. The transit of liquefied petroleum […]
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Lori Fellmer Keeps It Moving
Lori Fellmer is vice president of logistics and carrier management with BassTech International, a distributor of specialty raw materials. BassTech supplies inorganic chemicals and engineered polymers to numerous industries, including paint and coatings, roofing and waterproofing, and specialty glass. Responsibilities: Material movement and warehousing, with special emphasis on global sea and air transportation. Experience: Logistics […]
Read MoreGood Question: What was your first job in logistics and what did it teach you?
Summer seasonal order picker. It taught me an order is only as good as its accuracy; without it, all you would have is empty pallets. James Stone Client Sales Representative Echo Global Logistics Manually tracking and tracing previous-day LTL pickups. It taught me every missed pickup has three stories: why the carrier says it’s the […]
Read MoreMeet Your Match
Supply chain management is increasingly recognized as critical to an organization’s success. As a result, it’s harder to come by top-tier talent through traditional methods. Enter SCTalentMatch, a new service launched by veteran supply chain recruiters Don Jacobson and Adam Lenhart that anonymously connects supply chain professionals with employers. Candidates who are actively seeking jobs […]
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Click & Collect Not Clicking Yet
Fewer than half of retailers responding to an OrderDynamics survey provide shoppers with access to basic inventory visibility. Of the 2,000+ worldwide retailers participating in Omni-2000 Research: Global, only a surprising 38.1 percent show basic inventory visibility on product pages. A strict like-for-like, year-over-year comparison finds a 30.7-percent decrease in active online inventory visibility. This […]
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Things are Looking Up for Multistory Warehouses
Multistory warehouses used to distribute e-commerce orders are popping up in densely populated U.S. metro areas, but conditions for developing the structures aren’t as ideal in the United States as in Asia and Europe, finds a CBRE report. The commercial real estate services firm’s analysis finds that New York City, San Francisco, Miami, Chicago, Los […]
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Post Office Dings E-Commerce?
Two recent and important developments will impact domestic and international e-commerce shipments. The first one concerns the U.S. Postal Service’s relationship with Amazon. Let me set the stage. The Postal Service lost $2.7 billion in 2017. U.S. taxpayers guarantee the perennially stressed postal worker retirement fund. And first-class mail receipts are off by $1.8 billion […]
Read MoreHow Shippers Can Achieve Peace of Mind Through Shopping Season
Imagine it is Christmas morning. A family is just waking up and starting to open presents. It is time for the teenager to open her big gift—a new laptop. This was just what she needed, and her parents are glad all their research paid off. Immediately, the teenager takes the computer out of the box, […]
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