Articles | January 2013

Feature Stories

Supply Chain Management: The Great Equalizer

In a business world defined and dictated by change, supply chain management balances challenges and competitive advantage. Companies large and small are leveraging transportation and logistics best practices to act as great equalizers.

Demand-Driven Logistics: Remote Control

Adopting demand-driven logistics can increase visibility, drive supply chain efficiency, and offset any market advantage your competitors might have.

Transportation & Distribution: Geared to Demand

Schwan’s Home Services optimized its distribution network by using a hybrid insourced/outsourced model; and Sun-Maid Growers of California used collaborative distribution to create better economies of scale in its transportation operations.

Technology: The Leading Edge

Innovative technologies are helping companies improve visibility into their supply chains and gain better control over inventory, service, and cost.

Materials Handling Equipment: Flex Appeal

The materials handling landscape is shifting to accommodate traditional brick-and-mortar and Internet retailers’ changing needs.

Workforce Management: The Human Factor

Solid workforce training, appropriate metrics, and well-designed incentive programs give companies an advantage in building their supply chain labor pool.

Site Selection: You Are Here

Choosing the right location for your distribution center can give your business significant edge. Here’s how the pros decide where to go.

Trimming Your Transportation Spend

Leveraging IT, reconsidering warehouse processes, and conducting periodic network optimization projects are just three of many strategies that enable shippers to not only trim costs, but ensure that transportation spending supports overall business goals.

Resilient…Responsive…Determined: Rails Focus on the Future

At the annual RailTrends conference, industry experts shared insight on trends, opportunities, and challenges facing North American railroads.

A Reader Profile Reunion: Where Are They Now?

Visit with three supply chain professionals who were featured in the Reader Profile column in 2007-2009, and find out what they’re up to these days.

Logistics Leadership: Secrets to Success

Logistics professionals seeking to become supply chain executives can gain insight from the perspectives of four logistics experts, who share their knowledge about the skills and experience needed to climb the logistics career ladder.

Transportation Advocacy: Shippers Stand Up for Their Rights

Logistics and supply chain professionals are finding a greater need to speak out and educate government officials on key issues affecting transportation, logistics, and supply chain.

U.S.—Mexico Trade: Two-Way Traffic

The emergence of integrated third-party logistics (3PL) solutions, expanded and improved intermodal service offerings, and creative collaborations to optimize transport resources has prompted many companies to expand operations in Mexico.

Comfort Zone: A Better, Faster FTZ

The Alternative Site Framework designation is changing the Foreign Trade Zone landscape, allowing shippers a more expedient process for streamlining the supply chain.

Southeast Asia: Region on the Rise

Southeast Asian nations – particularly Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand – represent a region of rapid economic growth, thanks to high U.S. import volumes. Infrastructure and regulatory challenges could impede progress, however.

Transportation Liability: Busting Seven Common Myths

Understanding transportation liability is not just for lawyers any more. Shippers need to pay closer attention to contract language and the details of shipper and carrier insurance policies.

Locking Down Supply Chain Security

To ensure cargo security in the global supply chain, understanding the challenges, studying best practices, and putting a comprehensive plan in place are critical components.

Loadboards & Exchanges: Finding the Perfect Match

Shippers, carriers, brokers, and third-party logistics (3PL) providers use electronic loadboards to communicate opportunities, whether it's freight to be shipped or trucks to be filled.

Take Your Pick

Companies choosing between voice-directed and pick-to-light technology often find that the right choice is a combination of both.

Project Logistics: Handling the Big Challenges

Project logistics requires specialized knowledge, experience, and equipment. Shippers of oversized loads, heavy equipment, and other unusual items rely on service providers to move their project cargo.

Is Your 3PL Financially Healthy?

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Conduct a financial checkup of your potential 3PL partners before you sign the contract.

Inbound Logistics’ Winter Reading Guide 2013

Whether you want to casually brush up on your supply chain management techniques or drastically reorganize your purchasing processes, you’ll find the knowledge you need in the pages of these supply chain resources.

Case Studies

Casebook

Cloud-Based WMS Fires Up Supermercados Supply Chain

Peruvian supermarket chain drives DC network realignment with a new cloud-based software as a service (SaaS) warehouse management system (WMS).

DC Solutions

Improved Warehouse Operations: Cause to Celebrate

A warehouse control system that integrates voice-directed picking technology, a high-speed sortation system, and scanning technology streamlined party goods supplier Oriental Trading Company’s picking, packing, and shipping operations.

I.T. Toolkit

Inventory Replenishment: A Push in the Right Direction

Close-out retailer Tuesday Morning implemented Interlink’s WHSe-LINK warehouse management system to receive, store, and allocate its daily inbound shipments of unique SKUs.

Reader Profile

William Gregory: Into Africa

As global supply chain coordinator at satellite communications technology provider VT iDirect, William Gregory tunes into signals from trading partners in Africa to ensure regulatory compliance.

Commentary

3PL Line: Third-Party Logistics PerspectivesTom Stricker

Five Signs Your Production Logistics Needs Help

Production logistics can increase an operation’s efficiencies and save companies money by creating the right blend of technology, equipment, and disciplined processes to ensure materials get where the are needed to keep production flowing, writes Tom Stricker of HK Logistics.

Checking InKeith Biondo

Supply Chain Force Multipliers

By providing end-to-end visibility, demand driven logistics practices deliver competitive advantage and solve supply chain challenges for businesses of all sizes, writes Publisher Keith Biondo.

Checking InFelecia Stratton

The Great Equalizer

Supply chain management makes a difference by empowering companies to do more with less, and project a stronger competitive force, writes Editor Felecia Stratton.

EcoDevTim Nowak

St. Louis: New Gateway to Asian Markets

For new businesses or those seeking to grow trade relationships, St. Louis represents a gateway to Asian markets, writes Tim Nowak of the World Trade Center St. Louis.

Green Landscape: Supply Chain SustainabilityEmily P. Davis

Wasting Away to Meet Sustainability Goals

An average distribution center generates or handles anywhere from 100 to 1,000 tons of solid waste each year that could be reduced, reused, or recycled. Emily P. Davis of Exel/DHL Supply Chain Americas outlines five keys for helping waste management and other sustainability programs succeed.

IT Matters: Logistics & Supply Chain TechnologyEric Breen

Yard and Dock Management Tools: An Extra Set of Eyes in Your Facility

Yard and dock management systems use real-time and physical data to assist facilities in efficiently managing operations such as loading dock visibility, live and staged trailer coordination, and turn time management, writes Eric Breen of 4SIGHT.

Smart Moves: Supply Chain Careers & Education AdviceJuan D. Morales

Training Tomorrow’s Logistics and Transportation Executives Today

Education providers are introducing supply chain education programs to prepare students to be the logistics and transportation executives of the future, writes Juan D. Morales of Stanton Chase International.

Online ExclusiveViewpoint: Logistics & Supply Chain AnalysisJeffrey B. Graves

Maximizing Productivity in E-commerce Warehousing and Distribution Operations

Continuous e-commerce growth has prompted an increasing number of retailers to use third-party logistics (3PL) providers for handling their direct-to-consumer fulfillment. Jeffrey B. Graves of Sedlak Management Consultants explains that for retail logistics executives, assessing 3PL capabilities that best fit their company’s requirements can be a challenge, yet critical for optimum return on investment (ROI)

Viewpoint: Logistics & Supply Chain AnalysisFoster Finley

Surveying the Home Delivery Landscape

Retailers and shippers need to find ways to meet consumers’ changing demand for home delivery services, while maintaining adequate margins and finding new avenues for continued growth, writes Foster Finley of AlixPartners.