Articles

Supply Chain

Keith Biondo
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Politically Direct

Yep, we went there. Supply chain leaders on both sides of the Mexico-U.S. border attending a recent summit hosted by Inbound Logistics and Inbound Logistics LATAM introduced the issue of The Wall and NAFTA while discussing the impact on trade of Brexit and the populist trend that sparked it. Some might consider discussing such a […]

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Diane Mitchell
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What Is Your Shipper-Logistics Provider Relationship Costing You?

Two to three years is the average logistics provider relationship. The leading reason a shipper becomes dissatisfied with its provider is the lack of strategic initiative. Strength in planning and execution simply does not provide enough value to maintain a relationship over the long term. Innovation—the application of better solutions that meet new requirements, unarticulated […]

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Barry Matherly
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Reshoring Resources Bring It All Back Home

As U.S. firms continue to reshore, new supply chain opportunities are arising for both shippers and providers. To capitalize on these opportunities, manufacturers and their logistics service providers should understand the reshoring trend and the resources that are available to assist them with both the reshoring decision and the process of returning jobs. Since 2010, […]

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GOOD QUESTION | How would you define a 4PL?
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GOOD QUESTION | How would you define a 4PL?

A 4PL is the conductor of the orchestra. It oversees disparate pieces of the supply chain and brings them into harmony to achieve efficiency and, ultimately, applause from the shipper client. Larry Hall Principal and Founder Logistics Planning Services (LPS) A 4PL manages logistics functions, such as a mix of a private and/or dedicated fleet, […]

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Cyrus Hadavi PhD
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Self-Improving Supply Chains Have Arrived

Imagine a world where supply chain planning systems can mold themselves into their environment, adapt, and improve as the business changes. Imagine systems that can monitor user behavior as well as customer and supplier anomalies, and advise accordingly. These are self-repairing supply chains. Imagine no more. With advances in processor speed and abundance of memory, […]

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Lamar Johnson
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How to Attract the Best Supply Chain Talent

Everyone in the supply chain management field feels the crunch for frontline, technical, and management talent. Today, leading companies are expanding their talent search from traditional technical sources, such as engineering programs, to include a new area: business schools. The demand for technically oriented people who understand business and possess soft skills such as communication, […]

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Melanie Nuce
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Black Swan Events: Planning for Supply Chain Resiliency

Major supply chain disruptions, commonly referred to as "Black Swan" events, are high-impact, low-likelihood occurrences that are typically not on your everyday radar. But knowing exactly where your product is in the supply chain is never more important than during these instances. The effects of a hurricane, flood, fluctuating oil prices, political unrest, and port […]

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Keith Biondo
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Working at People Speed

Elon Musk describes the manufacturing operation for the new Tesla as so complex that no humans will participate in building the car. "You really can’t have people in the production line," says Musk. "Otherwise, you’ll automatically drop to people speed." Drop to people speed? Will supply chain impatience—a term I coined to define an inexorable […]

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Prepping Your DC for Peak Season

Are you ready for the holidays? Today’s retailers and their logistics partners need to ask and answer that question well in advance of the holiday season. Mark Sibley, vice president of customer support for BEUMER Corporation, offers this advice to prepare your distribution center before holiday orders come rolling in. 1. Start early. Don’t start […]

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Cross-Border Champion
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Cross-Border Champion

MORE TO THE STORY: Lowdown on Long Island John Costanzo works in the thick of the world’s largest trading relationship—the one between the United States and Canada. At Purolator International in Jericho, N.Y., a wholly owned subsidiary of Canadian company Purolator Inc., the core mission is helping U.S. businesses move goods to customers north of […]

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Peter Schuele: Injecting Life Into Supply Chains
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Peter Schuele: Injecting Life Into Supply Chains

Peter Schuele is head of global supply chain and distribution at the life science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, which operates as MilliporeSigma in the United States and Canada. He has held this position since 2015. Responsibilities Managing 130 distribution centers around the globe, as well as the supply chain models for the company’s […]

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