Articles
Supply Chain

Assessing U.S. Shipments and Spend
A tighter truck market, increase in national shipments, and accelerated factory output are among the highlights of the Q3 2017 U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index, which measures quantitative changes in shipment and spend activity (see chart) based on data from transactions the company processes. Highlights include: An 8.3-percent jump in U.S. Bank’s national spend index, […]
Read MoreIndustrial Companies Map Data Gap
Eighty-four percent of industrial companies face a disconnect between data from connected devices and strategic decision making and operations, limiting the Internet of Thing’s (IoT) digital transformation potential, according to a research study conducted by IFS, a global enterprise applications company. Only 16 percent of survey respondents consume IoT data in enterprise resource planning (ERP) […]
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Young Professionals and Supply Chain: So Happy Together
The opportunity for interesting work, as well as development and advancement, top the list of requirements for young professionals, according to the 2018 CSCMP/Penske Young Professionals Survey of 300 supply chain professionals younger than 30. The average young professional responding to the survey has worked in the supply chain sector for about three years and […]
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6 Strategies for Finding the Right 3PL Partner
RFP season is upon us. It’s the time of year when shippers request bids and plan their optimal logistics strategy for 2018. Shippers are increasingly involving 3PLs in the request for proposal (RFP) process for access to tens of thousands of pre-qualified carriers, industry expertise, and advanced logistics technology that provides supply chain visibility and […]
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Supply Chain Commentary: How to Reduce Supplier Inventory Costs
Managing supplier goods can be a complex process with multiple stakeholders. You have planning that drives forecast and production scheduling, and procurement that purchases materials based on forecasts. Operations oversees the flow of incoming goods and warehouse management receives inbound shipments. While the titles and roles may vary among organizations, the basic supplier workflow is […]
Read MoreChina Ups Delivery Service to the U.S.
Two leading express companies are joining forces to leverage their complementary networks, service portfolios, technologies, and logistics expertise. China’s Ministry of Commerce approved a planned joint venture between UPS and SF Holding, the parent company of SF Express. The agreement allows UPS and SF to collaborate on developing and providing international delivery services from, initially, […]
Read MoreMore Temperature-Sensitive Medicines Moving by Ocean
Over the years, the ocean freight market has been fraught with capacity and wildly fluctuating rates. By 2016, the market underwent a series of consolidations including a bankruptcy of a major container carrier. In addition, rates fell to historic lows but began to recover towards the end of the year. Meanwhile, air freight rates remain […]
Read MoreDebt: A Rising Risk in Your Supply Chain
Of all the sources of risk supply chain managers face on a daily basis—cargo theft, natural disasters, long lead times, and unpredictable demand—none is currently at an inflection point quite like debt. This topic was addressed in a recent webinar by two leading authorities on corporate financial health: Dr. Edward Altman, Professor of Finance, Emeritus, […]
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H.O.W. | How to Manage Your Carrier Relationships After the ELD Mandate
As the mid-December deadline approaches for the implementation of the Electronic Logging Device (ELD) mandate for most commercial truck drivers, shippers are, not surprisingly, worried about how it will affect their supply chain capacity. MORE TO THE STORY: 4 ways to manage capacity post-eld Under Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration rules, most trucks built after […]
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H.O.W. | How to Transform the Supply Chain for Omnichannel Retailing
As retailers transform their market strategy to embrace new e-commerce and marketplace channels, their supply chain must be ready to pivot as well. Some brick-and-mortar merchants are adding online sales, direct and through partners, while some online retailers are investing in physical stores. Either way, e-commerce will continue to play a larger role in retailers’ […]
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H.O.W. | How to Turn Data Into Supply Chain Action
To keep ahead of today’s complex, fast-moving supply chain, shippers need tools that enable them to make smart, data-driven decisions and be proactive, not just reactive. Fortunately, transportation management technology now provides organizations with greater visibility and control over their supply chain than ever before. MORE TO THE STORY: 4 questions to put big data […]
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The New Era of Smart City Logistics – MHI
Let’s talk about your company’s futureproof strategy to meet the challenges and opportunities of Smart City Logistics head-on. Oh, wait. You don’t have one yet? You’re not alone. According to the fourth edition of MHI’s Annual Industry Report, “Next-Generation Supply Chains: Digital, On-Demand and Always-On” (available as a free download at www.MHI.org) a full 50% […]
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New Pallet Program Better by Half
Fun food manufacturer Jel Sert finds pooled half-pallets provide full supply chain benefits.
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Leadership: Fashion Leader
How does a retail supply chain resemble the infrastructure of a nuclear submarine? We don’t know, but Brent Beabout sure does. He spent 13 years as an active-duty U.S. naval officer, a career that culminated in the role of engineering officer on one of those powerful undersea vessels. Then he moved on to some major […]
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Stop, Look, Listen
We all know the best way to approach an unguarded railroad crossing is to stop, look, and listen. That same advice applies when examing the economy, which will likely roar through 2018 at full speed. While it is tempting to climb aboard and enjoy the ride, that is the exact wrong approach from a supply […]
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Marianne McDonald: Stand and Deliver
Marianne McDonald is vice president, global transportation for Avnet, a $17.4-billion global technology distributor headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. Responsibilities: Global transportation services, carrier selection, contracts supporting 40 warehouse locations (owned and 3PL), day-to-day global trade compliance operations, and import/export execution. Experience: Global transportation leader, Avnet; director of global logistics for Coca Cola, Toys “R” Us, […]
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Transportation Trends: Turn up the Air
The airfreight market has been flying high, but headwinds persist.
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Making Strategic Carrier Decisions for Shippers With a New TMS – MD Logistics
To better serve customers, MD Logistics implemented a game-changing TMS.
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The Amazon Effect: No Longer a Phantom Menace
Retailers strike back at the Amazon empire by providing e-commerce customers with same-day and faster delivery.
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