Articles
Supply Chain
5 Steps to Protect Your Supply Chain From Cyber Threats
With cyber threats affecting organizations worldwide, warding off cyber attacks and protecting against cyber espionage is becoming a top priority across industries. Manufacturers, distributors, and organizations, however, are not doing enough to make supply chains more resilient and prepared. Whether your business is large or small, a startup or 40-year veteran, major security issues stem […]
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Finding Untapped Value in Product Returns
The little-known, but dark secret of e-commerce is this: On average, for every three packages a retailer ships, one will be an eventual return. Retailers must shift their focus to processing the continuously increasing number of returns. As retail grows more reliant on analytics, retailers are seeing previously untapped value in data about who is […]
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Blended Synergy: The Balance of Automation & Expertise – Unyson
Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is becoming an important innovation across many industries and is beginning to catch the attention of many supply chain professionals. The idea of robots in the workplace might conjure up likeable characters such as Rosie from the Jetsons, Vicky from Small Wonder, or Bender from Futurama. Or maybe you went directly […]
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Working Alongside Robots: No Longer Science Fiction
Working alongside robots in warehouses is the way of the present, rather than the way of the future. The recent ProMat and Automate conferences, in Chicago, featured robotics and automated materials handling equipment. “Solve for X,” the theme of the conference, emphasized the need for manufacturers, warehousing and third-party logistics companies to embrace change to […]
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Planning for the IoT and the Future of Your Supply Chain
The rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) has been noticeable across every aspect of everyday life, from controlling the lights in our homes to tracking the way we shop. It’s no surprise that it’s also having a huge influence behind the scenes of the supply chain, altering and improving processes from end-to-end to enable […]
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Warehouse Management & DC Optimization: Measuring What Matters
Selecting the best metrics at your company’s distribution centers requires the right tools, careful study, and constant collaboration.
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TMS Solutions: The Big Picture
Transportation management systems streamline the information exchange between shippers and carriers, so freight moves reliably, efficiently, and at the best possible cost.
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The St. Louis Region: Big Developments, Bright Future
An abundant, skilled workforce, outstanding multimodal transportation options, and plenty of space for expansion all fuel growth in the area’s logistics sector.
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What You Need to Know About Selecting a Dock Appointment Scheduling System
Q: What is dock appointment scheduling? A: Dock scheduling is a means for managing the timeliness of inbound and outbound transportation (truck traffic) at your loading docks in order to maximize the efficient operation of those docks. Q: What is the difference between Appointment Management and a Dock Scheduling System? A: Appointment management usually takes […]
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Supply Chain Complexity: What’s Behind Supply Chain Disruption and Why You’re Not Achieving Consistent ROI Improvement
In a 2016 Gartner survey, 63 percent of supply chain leaders reported “increasing supply chain complexity” as the highest risk to business continuity. A second survey from Gartner identifies supply chain complexity as #4 in the list of obstacles to achieving supply chain goals. As supply chain leaders face these challenges, they should focus on […]
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How Small Retailers Can Compete with Retail Giants
Q: What is the biggest thing for shippers to consider in their supply chain? A: The one constant trend is the growth in the way we reach consumers. E-commerce sales increased 15.6 percent in 2016, and there are no signs that this trend will slow in the future. Direct to consumer is here for the […]
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Does Your TMS Provide you a ClearView?
Q: What are you seeing as the biggest opportunity for TMS functionality? A: Transportation management software (TMS) was developed for the simple task of enforcing carrier routing and producing a shipping label. Web rating, or rate shopping, was a major advancement to the TMS technology industry 10 years ago. Today, very few TMS companies offer […]
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Advice for Transportation Departments on Gaining Corporate IT Buy-in for TMS Solutions
Q: What pushback should transportation leaders anticipate from IT when proposing a TMS implementation? A: Corporate IT departments are frequently ambivalent about cooperating; sometimes even actively working to undercut the proposed initiative because there’s a perception that any new enterprise software deployment adds significantly to IT’s workload during implementation, integration, and thereafter with respect to […]
Read MoreIs a 3PL Not the Best Fit for You?
Q: While some companies have chosen to rely on 3PLs to manage their logistics, Progressive Converting made the choice to keep its logistics in house. Why? MR: Progressive Converting (Pro-Con) is a service provider to the major paper companies. As such, controlling all aspects of the supply chain is critical in delivering value to our […]
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Managing Yard Work
By growing driver productivity, weeding out inefficiencies, trimming detention costs, and seeding visibility, yard management systems can fertilize your supply chain.
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The Mighty Pallet: A Supply Chain Powerhouse
The workhorses of the supply chain, recycled, repaired, and re-used pallets help shippers save money while getting the job done.
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Cosmetics Supply Chain Puts Its Best Face Forward
Countless SKUs, fickle consumers, and multi-channel distribution drive cosmetics companies to take on a supply chain makeover.
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Customized App Puts Bat Distributor in the Big Leagues
When a paper-based process slowed a baseball bat distributor’s growth, the company took a swing at a digitized system, and hit a home run.
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New Packaging Innovation Center
UPS and Sealed Air Corporation announced the opening of a Packaging Innovation Center in Louisville, Ky. The center will help solve the packaging and shipping challenges of e-commerce retailers by maximizing efficiency, minimizing waste, and reducing shipping costs. “One of the biggest challenges UPS customers have with e-commerce, and across other industry segments, is […]
Read MoreMaersk Line Deploys Its First Second Generation Triple-E
On April 27, 2017, Madrid Maersk, a 20,568 TEU container vessel and the first second generation Triple-E, made its maiden voyage. Its first call was the Port of Tianjin in China. Maersk Line has deployed Madrid Maersk in its Asia – Europe service network. Madrid Maersk is the first in a series of 11 second […]
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