Articles
Technology
Trends—November 2015
GHS: Label It a Problem Fewer than 50 percent of the nearly 150 supply chain professionals from internationally based chemical companies responding to Loftware Inc.’s recent GHS Readiness Survey have met the latest Globally Harmonized System of Classification (GHS) labeling requirements. The United Nations originally adopted the GHS in 2002 to ensure hazardous materials are […]
Read More
Why Parcel Sorting Automation Can’t Wait
Shoppers have embraced e-commerce, and, for retailers, it has been a boon. The volume of products that people are buying online is skyrocketing. U.S. retail e-commerce sales for the second quarter of 2015 totaled nearly $84 billion, an increase of 14.1 percent from the same period in 2014, according to the Department of Commerce’s Census […]
Read More
The Sweet Smell of Success
A data makeover gives Elizabeth Arden more visibility into its fragrance products, and saves dollars and scents.
Read More
Super-fast Fulfillment
When it comes to ASAP, quick-thinking shippers redefine what’s possible.
Read MoreAnalyzing Lift Truck Fleet Data
Collecting and analyzing lift truck data is critical to optimizing materials handling equipment (MHE) fleet utilization and maximizing cost savings. Good data helps fleet managers budget short- and long-term costs, determine correct fleet size, and evaluate whether to lease or buy new equipment. Allen Polk, director of business development for Kenco Fleet Services, offers the […]
Read More
Global Logistics—October 2015
Ocean Containers Talk Back What would Malcom McLean say if “the box” talked back? Now it does. CMA CGM recently debuted the Bougainville as the first containership with connected container technology that transforms the box into a smart asset. The initiative is part of a collaborative project between the French steamship line and Traxens, a […]
Read More
Measuring to Manage or Barely Managing to Measure
Respondents to a Bain & Company survey say they run their supply chains only half as efficiently as top supply chain performers such as Toyota, Dell, and Home Depot. In fact, top-quartile performers spend just 4.2 percent of revenue on supply chain costs, compared to almost 10 percent for average performers in the same industry. […]
Read More
Trends—October 2015
Amazon Dash Turns the Tide When Amazon debuted its Dash Replenishment Service (DRS) and buttons in spring 2015, it gave consumers a taste for how the Internet of Things (IoT) can simplify even mundane tasks. The underlying DRS architecture enables connected devices that measure consumable usage to automatically order physical goods from Amazon when supplies […]
Read More
Intelligent Technology Provides Visibility into Supply Chain
As more and more companies scale and expand, managing transportation is quickly becoming a challenging factor of growth. More so, companies need to have complete visibility into their entire transportation process in order to operate as efficiently and effectively as possible. While many TMS providers can promise transportation management, intelligent transportation technology also provides organizations […]
Read More
Using Analytics to Differentiate Your Customer Service
Differentiated service is about making your company easier to do business with, anticipating the needs of your customers, and having products available when needed. For example, when I travel last minute, I expect my preferred rental car provider to have a vehicle available for me when I arrive. I don’t think about their current demand, […]
Read More
Leveraged Platforms: The More Efficient Road Ahead
Q: What is a leveraged platform? A: A logistics services provider leverages its platform to employ the same best practices to manage its own supply chain needs as it does for its own client base of direct shippers. By augmenting their global scale with a vast network of local stations, these service providers are better […]
Read MoreImproving Fleet Safety with On-Board Video
Transportation is vital to a supply chain that efficiently manages the flow of goods—physically connecting manufacturers to their customers to provide them access to their favorite products. A break in that link—such as late deliveries, or damaged or stolen goods—can be detrimental to the success of a business, negatively impacting supply chain relationships and, in […]
Read More
Just Another Brick in the Mall
Travel around the world, and you see up-and-coming economies sporting many shiny new buildings, airports, ports, and factories, while more mature economies display aging legacy infrastructure. It’s the nature of progress. You see the same parallel in retail operations, where newer e-commerce models seem to overcome legacy brick-and-mortar models. But not entirely. Yes, e-commerce is […]
Read More
Trends—August 2015
Warehouse Performance: It’s a Whole New Game One new way to save money on warehouse labor costs is to turn work into a game. No, we don’t mean a chucking-things-across-the-warehouse-floor kind of game, but creating competition through gamification. It’s a way to drive down warehouse labor costs by increasing employee performance and morale. The process […]
Read More
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 More
A 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 More
Turning 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 More
Trends—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 More
Working 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 More