Articles
Technology
Be a Logistics Superhero
In recent months, there has been a steady stream of articles bemoaning the increasing costs and challenges within the logistics industry. You hear about driver shortages, rising labor costs, lack of available real estate, oversize package regulations, increased shipping rates, and additional governmental regulations. CSCMP’s annual logistics study charted a 3.1 percent increase in 2014 […]
Read MoreA Fresh Route for Latin American Produce
More than 21 million metric tons of fruits and vegetables were imported into the United States in 2013, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Approximately 35 percent of that produce comes from Central and South America. While Latin American perishable exports have grown dramatically in recent years, some logistical shortcomings prevent maximum cold […]
Read MoreHow to Wirelessly Enable Your Supply Chain
Just in time is challenging enough. It’s even more so when it involves high-value assets such as construction, forestry, and agricultural equipment. That was the case at one major U.S. manufacturer who supplied those kinds of equipment. For years, the company’s supply chain used specialized containers to shuttle work-in-process inventory between multiple suppliers and manufacturing […]
Read MoreTurning Back the Pages: 20 Years of Top 100 3PLs
Where were you in 1996? Working your way up the transportation ladder? Starting a career in the logistics field? On the outside looking in? Still in high school? Grade school? Every once in a while it’s fun to throw it back—to an earlier time and reflect on where we come from, where we’ve been, cause […]
Read MoreTrends—July 2015
ShippingPass vs. Prime: The Fight for Last-Mile Rights Walmart and Amazon are a study in contrasts, from corporate culture to omni-channel strategy. One promises everyday low prices; the other prioritizes selection and speed. But all things being different, they are chasing the same thing—customer satisfaction. Both retail leaders have found a common battleground when it […]
Read MoreWorking With the Right Enterprise Logistics Provider Makes Good Companies Significantly Better
In any economy, the key for manufacturers, distributors or retailers is competitive advantage. When companies lack competitive advantage—or worse yet, experience competitive disadvantage—a difficult economic environment amplifies the pain. Principal reasons many good companies have struggled with this issue are limited exposure to best practices, technology, tools, training and internal resource capacity. Companies are increasingly […]
Read MoreCloud Inspections: Improving Productivity, Safety, and Reducing Costs
How important are inspections to your business? Does your business need to track the condition of materials moving through a process to avoid disputes over who might have damaged what? Do you have a private fleet that requires vehicle inspections? Or do you need to inspect finished products, either at the factory, or when they […]
Read MoreWhat “Digital Business” Means for your Business
Q: You recently attended your 11th Gartner Supply Chain Executive Summit. This year the key theme was Digital Business, a core ingredient for supply chain transformation success. What is Digital Business? A: Digital Business is a concept that encompasses the people, processes, and enabling technologies of the supply chain of the future. It all starts […]
Read MoreThe Shape of ‘Things’ to Come
What the Internet of Things means for the supply chain—now and in the future.
Read MoreSupply Chain Visibility: Chasing the Big Picture
As technology brings supply chain data into focus, the ability to access and interpret business information moves from nice-to-have to must-have.
Read MoreTrends—June 2015
Highway Trust Funding: Déjà vu All Over Again? News that U.S. Congress and President Obama are about to finalize a two-month extension to the lame duck Highway Trust Fund has elicited mixed reaction from industry. Some are optimistic because legislators were able to push through a bill without undue delay, especially as summer construction work […]
Read MoreConnected Vehicles & Smart Infrastructure
While the future of transportation may not include the flying cars from "The Jetsons" or "Back to the Future," it is still light-years beyond our current travel methods. We are all familiar with the litany of concerns regarding our land-based transportation system, including inadequate infrastructure, traffic congestion, energy usage, pollution, and safety. On a recent […]
Read MoreGamification: A New Way of Tracking and Improving KPIs
Harnessing and optimizing new technology has always been a cornerstone of the logistics sector. Dating back to 1781, when James Watt patented the first continuously rotating steam combustion engine, logistics has evolved by capitalizing on technological breakthroughs and innovations. So, perhaps it is only appropriate that an industry initially built on the back of the […]
Read MoreThe Kings of ACE
When it came time to face the ACE, HW St. John bet on an automated solution that streamlines processes and deals customers a winning hand.
Read MoreTraditional Supply Chain Models Will Be Extinct in 2025, Thanks to These 10 Disruptors
When 2025 rolls around, traditional supply chain models will be extinct, according to the 100-plus thought leaders and partners behind the U.S. Roadmap for Material Handling & Logistics. This open community spearheaded by MHI includes material handling and logistics practitioners, suppliers, academia, associations, publications and government. Each has a stake in the future of the […]
Read MoreBreaking Down Big Data
Big data is a big deal, but what is it? Inbound Logistics asks four industry experts to file their report on big data and its benefits.
Read MoreBuilding Operational Excellence Through EDI
While many companies leverage EDI (electronic data interchange) to comply with trading partner requirements, few take advantage of EDI to drive operational excellence. Limiting EDI use to fundamental transactions, such as purchase orders and invoices, leaves money on the table and misses an opportunity to strengthen customer service and overall competitiveness. Companies achieve the greatest […]
Read MoreTake a Stand: Try a Platform Approach to Data Exchange
Today’s fast-paced market compels companies to streamline operations and create a business model that provides customers faster, better, and smarter service. In particular, companies involved in last-mile logistics services need to make the most of their data assets to power real-time data transformation and exchange from core systems to customers and partners. These real-time data […]
Read MoreData in a Flash: Utilizing EDI
Q: Where did EDI come from? Heine: Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) has been used in various forms since the 1960s. Today, all Fortune 1000 companies use EDI, as do millions of other businesses. In the transportation field, big retailers led the way in implementing EDI. In the mid-1980s, EDI standards emerged, and each type of […]
Read MoreIN BRIEF: New Services & Solutions-May 2009
Products Shippers can fully utilize the space inside a trailer with the Ancra Cargo AutoDeck system, which adjusts the height of each beam to create a customized decking solution. The automated system reduces losses resulting from cargo damage because pallets don’t have to be stacked on top of each other, and increases load averages by 10 to […]
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