Articles
Supply Chain

Richard Foley: Charging Hard Against Chargebacks
Richard Foley is logistics manager at SDI Technologies in Edison, N.J. He has held this position since 2014. Responsibilities: Inbound and outbound transportation. Experience: Traffic manager, Chronar Corporation; distribution manager, Fleer Corporation; international trade show coordinator, R.E. Rogers; domestic traffic manager, Conair Corporation; corporate logistics manager, NBTY. Education: AAS, business administration, Mercer County Community College, […]
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East Coast Warehouse & Distribution CEO Jamie Overley: Driven By Results and Big Dreams
When East Coast Warehouse & Distribution hired Jamie Overley as chief financial officer in 2007, the owners were seeking a leader who could attract and manage capital, and control costs. They got one. Three years after he joined the company, Overley was promoted to CEO. Since then, he has been leading East Coast Warehouse—based in […]
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Trends—March 2016
Trucking Companies Hit the Brakes on Driver Wages The capacity crunch that has plagued the trucking industry since 2013 appears to be easing as poor economic growth in the fourth quarter of 2015 has trucking companies lowering their freight estimates. Only one-third of carriers expect to have any increase in freight volume in 2016, according […]
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Global Logistics—March 2016
What Keeps Supply Chain and Risk Managers Up at Night? Every type of business risk has an impact on the supply chain. And when risk becomes reality, risk managers and supply chain managers work in tandem to keep goods and materials flowing. In 2016, companies need to be prepared and ready to meet the following […]
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Crossborder E-commerce Into the U.S. Just Got A Lot Easier, U.S. Retailers Should Take Note and Plan Accordingly
E-commerce retailers worldwide are celebrating the passing of a new bill, which sees the U.S. de minimis rate increase from $200 to $800. Below the new threshold, the U.S. does not require any formal customs procedures, and no duties or taxes need to be paid by the consumer. This creates a huge opportunity for e-commerce […]
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Three Keys to Global Supply Chain Prowess
The world’s increasing interconnectedness presents opportunities for supply management professionals to be more efficient and effective as they work to help companies achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. That same interconnectedness, however, poses three serious challenges that must be addressed if we are to continue to be successful. The ongoing security threat to companies’ networks, computers, […]
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Flying High With Electronic Air Waybills
On March 1, 2016, 15 airlines introduced the single-process approach for one of the industry’s most important transportation documents: the electronic Air Waybill (eAWB). Developed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), in collaboration with industry stakeholders, the eAWB is a digital version of the paper air waybill (AWB). The air cargo industry still relies […]
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Saving Green While Going Green
While good for the environment, supply chain sustainability can also be good for the bottom line if incorporated into a company’s supply chain strategy. In the past, most companies were concerned primarily with forward logistics processes, and, to some degree, returning product to suppliers. Today, companies also focus on reverse logistics processes, not only from […]
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Global Trade Management Systems: You’ve Got the Whole World in Your Hands
Shippers grab hold of GTM solutions to streamline imports/exports, ensure trade law compliance, and keep shipments moving across borders everywhere on the planet.
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Leveraging Collaborative Logistics for Increased Visibility
Q: How can value chain partners cooperate to create and share efficiencies? A: Significant efficiencies can be realized across the supply chain when all stakeholders (enterprise, vendors, carriers) can collaborate in real time through a standardized logistics execution platform. This type of interaction is also known as collaborative logistics. The cornerstone of collaborative logistics is […]
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Improve Your Supply Chain’s Stability During the Next Procurement Event
Q: Why is now the right time to consider a transportation procurement event? A: The transportation industry consistently faces capacity volatility, demands for improved service, and relentless focus on cost containment. Two years ago, shippers witnessed on-time delivery fall as low as 80 percent while the spread between contracted and spot rates exceeded 25 percent. […]
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They Might Be Giants
E-commerce and logistics technology help small and midsize businesses compete like the big guys.
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Whiskey, Bartender—and Make it Quick!
An automated storage and retrieval system, with a WES chaser, keeps distillery operations flowing.
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You Are Never Too Cool for School
When I was in college pursuing an English degree (it doesn’t matter how many years ago), I learned the rules of grammar, how to punctuate a sentence correctly, and the difference between it’s and its. I could diagram a sentence like no one else. And those skills were enough to lead me to my dream […]
Read MoreOptimizing Freight Spend
Managing your transportation budget is the key to shedding excess cost. Working in today’s competitive market provides many options to help slim down freight spend. As freight transportation continues to change, service providers are using technology to improve and meet the dynamics of the supply chain. Tim Quinn, director of procurement for Freightquote, offers the […]
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Michael Fries: No Small Potatoes
Michael Fries is senior business intelligence logistics analyst at U.S. Foods in Rosemont, Ill. He has held this position since 2014. Responsibilities: Analyzing data on inbound operations and carrier performance to support process improvement. Experience: Member service representative, Alliant Credit Union; project coordinator, Best Messenger Service; supply chain coordinator, CF Industries; logistics sourcing analyst, ITW. […]
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Trends—February 2016
UAV Operators Wait As FAA Guidelines Drone On Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announced in 2013 that Amazon Prime Air would use unmanned drones to deliver packages to your door in 30 minutes or less. The online retailer has since claimed that it is only waiting for the government to make drone package delivery legal. Unfortunately, […]
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Global Logistics—February 2016
Global Infrastructure Projects: Building for the Future A $305-billion transportation infrastructure bill passed the U.S. Congress at the end of 2015, but the United States isn’t the only country looking to spend big money on infrastructure projects, according to the 2016 Global Infrastructure Report from CG/LA Infrastructure. The report details 100 infrastructure projects in 71 […]
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Corporate Citizenship Starts With the Supply Chain
In recent years, a noticeable paradigm shift has taken place in the business world. Driven by the realization that business and society can no longer intersect at the crossroads of profits first and society second, business is adopting a new order that puts the interests of society on a level that is at par with […]
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