Articles
Supply Chain
Thinking Inside the Box Truck
While most people are at least somewhat familiar with box trucks, these little workhorses don’t get enough credit. Also known as straight trucks or bobtails, they are usually 26 feet long and can carry up to 10,000 pounds of freight. They can also come in small (12 ft.) and medium size (14-18 ft.) configurations.
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Vertical Integration: Definition, Examples, and Advantages
Companies can choose many business strategies to meet their supply chain and logistics needs. Each approach has advantages and disadvantages. The best method depends on a company’s specific needs, goals, and circumstances. Vertically integrated corporations, like those in the booming field of vertical aerospace, are giants with a grip on multiple stages of their production […]
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Supply Chain Visibility: What It Is, Importance, and Types
Supply chain visibility is a process that provides customers with information regarding a product or service they ordered. By informing customers of the timeframe and details about a specific product they ordered from a business, the corporation can monitor orders, increase its daily operation efficiency, and avoid customer dissatisfaction. That is just one value of […]
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Bullwhip Effect: Example, Causes, and Impact on Supply Chain
The supply chain ensures that raw materials, parts, and finished products are delivered to customers promptly and efficiently. However, the supply chain is a complex system that various major factors, such as changes in demand, production delays, or supply chain disruptions, can easily disrupt. The bullwhip effect is one of supply chain management’s most significant […]
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Value Chain vs. Supply Chain: Key Similarities and Differences
In business management, understanding the concepts of value chain and supply chain, as well as their similarities and differences, is crucial for optimizing operations and achieving a competitive advantage. Both these terms are often used interchangeably, but they represent distinct aspects of operational management. We’ll explore why organizations must focus on value chain analysis and […]
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Green Supply Chains Come Full Circle
A growing number of organizations are incorporating circular supply chain approaches within their operations. Here’s a look at how they are closing the loop.
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Shippers Gain Confidence
What can shippers expect next quarter? BlueGrace Logistics’ Q3 Logistics Confidence Index finds these key highlights: Anticipated revenue maintained a positive trend, decreasing by only 4% across all shippers surveyed. Inventory levels measured highest at neutral and therefore are not expected to expand or contract for Q3. Order volume (sentiment) increased by 5%. That suggests order volumes […]
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Chemical Logistics: Formulating Solutions
As chemical production increases in the United States, logistics providers drum up solutions to transport these critical shipments safely, efficiently, and accurately—leveraging specialized expertise and experience.
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Optimize Your Supply Chain Balance Sheet
Every supply chain contains both hidden costs and potential savings. Smart shippers and their logistics partners utilize their data to discover cost-saving opportunities that improve profitability.
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Supply Chain Control Tower: Definition, Types, and Implementation
In today’s global economy, effective supply chain management is increasingly complex. Companies face the challenge of ensuring timely product delivery, cost minimization, and consistent quality within a fragmented supply chain landscape. One solution gaining traction is the supply chain control tower (SCCT) model—a centralized hub for monitoring, managing, and optimizing all aspects of a supply […]
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IN BRIEF: New Services and Solutions
On behalf of Stena Line, Stena RoRo designed and ordered two hybrid cargo ships from shipyard CMI Jinling in Weihai, China; delivery is scheduled for 2025. The NewMax ships can be powered by methanol or conventional fuel and increase cargo capacity by 80%. The vessels have been designed for Stena Line’s route between Belfast and Heysham on the Irish Sea.
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VERTICAL FOCUS: Alcoholic Beverages
3 Tiers of the Wine Supply Chain We can’t talk about wine without mentioning the Volstead Act, which made it illegal to “manufacture, sell, barter, transport, import, export, deliver, furnish, or possess” such beverages. Prohibition wasn’t just a temporary blip in alcohol manufacturing; it changed the way the supply chain functions. Prior to Prohibition, the […]
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NOTED: Supply Chain Highlights
Good Works • Trailer Bridge and ATS International held a charity golf tournament that raised more than $104,500 for Habitat for Humanity of Puerto Rico, supporting the organization’s efforts to create and preserve home ownership opportunities for low-income individuals and families on the island. • Technology-driven logistics company TransLoop partnered with Luke Grimes of Yellowstone, Hydroviv, and […]
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Filling the Supply Chain Talent Pipeline
Private sector companies and organizations turn on the spout and team up with colleges and other educational institutions to raise the profile of a career in supply chain, bolster curricula, and help build tomorrow’s supply chain workforce.
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Managing Your Ocean Freight
In today’s post-pandemic new normal, beneficial cargo owners (BCOs) can successfully manage their ocean freight transportation by adhering to some sound rules of thumb, while embracing new best practices for the current market dynamic.
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3 Strategies for Supply Chain Resilience
Supply chain disruptions can cost an organization 45% of its annual profits over the course of a decade, which makes figuring out how to live with disruption critical, as a global economy built on clear predictability is not viable.
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If You Don’t Quantify Risk, COVID Didn’t Teach You Anything
No one would argue after the events of the past three years that supply chains aren’t broken. Wild discrepancies between supply and demand resulted in a crazy roller coaster effect that vacillated between too much inventory and empty shelves. Billions of dollars of goods sat for weeks or more on transatlantic barges while consumers cashed their stimulus checks, ready to spend.
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GOOD QUESTION: How would you describe your job in five words or less?
Keeping it cold, when hot. –Jake McPaul Head of Refrigerated Operations and Product WARP Supply chain innovation evangelist. –Chris Jones EVP Industry Descartes Bringing transparency to carrier negotiations. –Josh Dunham CEO and Co-founder Reveel Fresh challenges around every corner. –Crissy Hatfield Dispatcher Xcel Delivery Services Expanding the potential of automation. –Matt Somerville Director of Sales […]
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NOTED: Supply Chain Highlights
Good Works • As part of Combilift’s celebrations for its 25th anniversary, the Irish materials handling specialist donated its 75,000th truck—an Aisle Master articulated forklift—to Convoy of Hope, a non-profit humanitarian and disaster relief organization. • Maersk Air Cargo donated the airfreight capacity to send 440 pallets of U.S.-donated relief goods to Türkiye in response to two […]
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