Articles
Supply Chain
Why do you use a third-party logistics provider?
We use 3PLs in regions where it is too costly for us to perform services in-house at the service level we require. 3PLs tend to have more density in the regions we use them in, and they can leverage their other partnerships to give us the service level we need at the best possible cost. […]
Read MoreWorld Cup Nets Big Numbers
1 million fans in the stands. 2 billion TV viewers. 32 teams. 64 matches. It all adds up to scoring a logistics planning goal at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Read More
Readers Choice: Top 10 3PL Excellence Awards 2018
From truckload capacity constraints to the intricacies of trade compliance, the global supply chain presents shippers with an ever-shifting set of logistics conundrums. That’s when they turn to the experts: third-party logistics (3PL) providers. MORE TO THE STORY: Ones to Watch About the Survey Respondents What Is More Important? In Their Own Words: A Sampling […]
Read More
Pork Processor Brings Home the Bacon
To ensure the path from pigs to people is the shortest possible, Smithfield Foods cooks up a sizzling supply chain.
Read More
Transplace TMS Causes Chemical Reaction
Transplace’s technology and expertise help Brenntag streamline operations and realize greater visibility.
Read MoreNews & Trends Impacting Manufacturing
The Myth of the Summer Slowdown Manufacturers have long believed that buyers also ramp down during the summer. Though that was true in the past, in today’s digital-driven, ultra-competitive global supply chain, procurement teams can’t afford to take any time off. In fact, data on the buying activity on the Thomas Network at Thomasnet.com finds […]
Read MorePreparing for the Digitization of Logistics
By 2019 there could be 224 million digital shoppers in the United States, and according to research by McKinsey, about 70 percent of those shoppers will choose the cheapest form of home delivery. Why? Because of increased consumer preferences and the evolution of warehouse-to-home delivery systems. As we move beyond traditional deliveries and into a […]
Read MoreInnovative Partnership Reduces Claims and Decreases Time in Transit for Home Delivery – SEKO Logistics
An electronics store faced with consistent freight forwarding damage claims turned to SEKO Logistics for an unconventional solution.
Read MoreSwitching Gears: Positioning Your Business to Take Advantage of Tax Reform in Your Financial Reporting
It could be the best of times – or the worst of times – depending on how you incorporate certain elements of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) into your financial reporting. With proper planning and forecasting, businesses across the manufacturing and logistics industries may reap substantial benefits under the new tax law. However, […]
Read MoreGaining Control: Why European Time Slot Management Makes Sense in the United States
Inefficiencies at the dock can cause long lines of trucks outside a warehouse, congestion on access roads, delayed deliveries, and long driver wait times, all with the potential of accruing steep detention fees. European logistics managers deal with these inefficiencies—resulting from space constraints and too few docks for trucks—on a regular basis. Typical European shipper […]
Read MoreDriving Your Shipping Business Forward With Analytics
Inbound logistics is a complicated affair, carefully managing the movement of raw materials, components, and finished inventory throughout the production process before it goes out into the wider supply chain. Shipping in particular can be very costly, so great effort is put by shippers into ensuring vessels operate at capacity and as efficiently as possible. […]
Read MoreHumans Are What’s Wrong with the Global Supply Chain
Most business is driven by an incentive to grow. The global supply chain follows a different narrative. Growth costs more than is affordable for the steamship line whose business it is to transport cargo, and there’s no way for these carriers to differentiate from competitors. Instead, carriers cut their costs and increase their margins. The […]
Read MorePreparing for the Rough Road Ahead: Taking a Long-Term Look at How the Driver Shortage Is Affecting LTL
According to the American Trucking Associations (ATA), the industry expected a driver shortage of more than 50,000 at the end of 2017. Unfortunately, it’s projected to only get worse. By the ATA’s projections, the shortage could extend to more than 174,000 drivers by 2026. Here are some of the leading factors affecting the shortage and […]
Read MoreTech Drives Trade Growth, Say Upbeat SMEs
Small and mid-size enterprises (SMEs) struggling for equal footing in the global economy increasingly look to cross-border trade for growth, seeing technology as a way past obstacles in shipping and compliance, according to new research from Shipa Freight. Shipa Freight’s global study of 800 SMEs from developed and emerging markets shows smaller companies are remarkably […]
Read MoreThe Key to Logistics Visibility: Connecting Things
The Internet of Things (IoT) attempted to improve logistics visibility by connecting fleets to help gain control over shipments. However, these solutions miss the mark on other logistics issues including end-to-end transport, shipment conditions other than location, stolen cargo recovery, and overall accuracy. Instead of connecting the fleets themselves, the key is to connect to […]
Read MoreSMEs Reveal Global Trade Obstacles
Small and mid-size enterprises (SMEs) face numerous international trade obstacles, finds a Shipa Freight study. Forty-two percent of respondents say the costs of shipping abroad are too high, or they lack an accurate picture of costs, while 40 percent find it difficult to understand documentation requirements. A significant minority say their cargo has been held […]
Read More
Ports Too Busy to Worry About Trade Tensions
Despite trade tensions, port business in the United States and Asia is booming, reports the latest Global Kuehne + Nagel Indicators (gKNi). U.S. ports are experiencing increased container volumes, with heavy traffic in Los Angeles, Long Beach, and New York/New Jersey, according to real-time data collected by LogIndex, part of the Kuehne + Nagel Group. […]
Read More
10 Ways to Drive Supply Chain Performance With Big Data
Is more always better? When it comes to a shipper’s supply chain and big data, more data doesn’t necessarily equate to better productivity. How you leverage and utilize the influx of data is what’s key. Use these tips to utilize big data to drive performance in their supply chains. 1. Eliminate silos. With various divisions […]
Read More
IoT, Robotics, Machine Learning to Transform the Supply Chain
Transport and logistics businesses are investing in Internet of Things (IoT)-based smart technologies to help them take advantage of the wealth of opportunities the Fourth Industrial Revolution offers. The sector is prioritizing IoT, machine learning, and robotics to increase efficiencies across the supply chain, according to research data collected by Inmarsat, a provider of global […]
Read More