Home is Where the Heart (of Economic Development) Is
As state and local authorities survey investments in transportation and distribution infrastructure, one glaring omission interrupts their planning—a lack of oversight and assistance from the federal government. What are they doing about it?
Global Logistics—June 2006
Global Air Cargo Flying Steady Manufacturers, retailers, and distributors shipping goods around the world have kept air cargo carriers busy lately—and the effort is showing up on carrier balance sheets. This increase in global trade, coupled with the airlines’ successful efforts to reign in costs, is starting to pay off. "Recent air cargo data from […]
Don Dickey: Living the Wi-Life
Don Dickey keeps an eye on his product, and his product keeps an eye out for you. Dickey is vice president of logistics and customer support for WiLife, maker of the LukWerks Digital Video Surveillance System. The Draper, Utah, startup markets LukWerks to consumers and small business owners, who use the package of video cameras, […]
Choosing an Intermediary? Buyer Beware
Q: Can importers be held responsible for unauthorized fraudulent acts committed by a customs broker working on their behalf? A: The U.S. Court of International Trade faced this question during a recent case where a textiles manufacturer hired a freight forwarder to act as its importer of record and to file entries on its behalf. […]
Paying by the Drink at D/C Expo
If you missed this year’s Distribution/ Computer Expo, May 23-25 in Chicago—and judging from the poor attendance level, it’s likely you did—you missed seeing the supply chain technology industry line up to pay by the drink. No, I’m not talking about vendors’ after-show bar habits, but rather the industry’s embrace of pay-by-the-drink software solutions. More […]
Slamming the Brakes On Supplier Misbehavior
Tired of dealing manually with vendor shipping violations, aftermarket auto chain Pep Boys shifts to an automated compliance system to steer suppliers in the right direction.
Last Mile Logistics: Key to Competing in the Retail Race
For U.S. retailers with broad global supply chain operations, “last mile”—the portion of transit from the final delivery center to the customer’s door—is really the last hundreds of miles from the destination port to the store. This crucial part of logistics, which accounts for the majority of a shipment’s cost and complexity, is becoming increasingly […]
Trends-June 2006
Collaboration isn’t just a supply chain buzzword, it’s fast becoming an essential tool for logistics success, according to new research from Boston-based Aberdeen Group. With ever-increasing logistics complexity and global supply chains becoming the norm, it’s more important than ever for supply chain professionals to share information and best practices across their networks, finds the […]
Selecting the Right Cargo Security Seals
Between terrorist threats and criminals looking to swindle goods, cargo security seals have grown increasingly more important—and more sophisticated. Companies can now choose from a variety of mechanical and electronic seal options to protect their freight. To help narrow the choices, Erik Hoffer of CGM Applied Security Technologies Inc., a unit of New Jersey-based Digital […]
How To Be A Better Shipper
Shippers utilizing the services of cross-border carriers, third-party logistics providers, or other intermediaries to transport freight across international borders should always demand a high level of service. But service is a two-way street. Here are some ways you can help your carriers provide timely pickup and delivery, while ensuring a seamless flow of goods up […]
Freight Transport Free-for-all
How can shippers tell whether they are contracting with a legitimate carrier when carriers and third-party logistics providers (3PLs) offer so many different deals? What exactly constitutes a 3PL? And who monitors transportation entities today? These questions, and others, plague shippers in today’s deregulated transportation environment. It is not always easy to tell whether a […]
Transportation Operations Planning: How Do You Rate?
Many companies are quickly falling behind their competition as they continue to run transportation operations without the process and technology sophistication required to manage the volume and velocity of today’s transaction levels. With increasing customer demands for service, speed, and price, and escalating levels of aggressive competition, there is no better time to evaluate your […]
Warehousing Bounces Back, Shows New Vitality
More than 100 years ago, Mark Twain said rumors of his death had been greatly exaggerated. As a veteran supply chain management professional, I see a parallel between Twain’s quote and erroneous reports about warehousing’s decline. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, as information systems grew more advanced, pressure to eliminate or minimize the […]
Less is Less and Less is More
Two important trends will impact your warehouse operations in the near term. First, retailers will seek to trim inventory even further to increase profits without reducing customer service standards. Wal-Mart, for example, recently announced its intention to cut $6.5 billion in inventory off an already lean 2:1 inventory-to-sales ratio. The goal? “Theoretical Zero Inventory.” The […]
Revamp a DC During Holiday Season? Child’s Play for Gymboree
I kid you not—children’s clothing retailer Gymboree installed a new high-speed sorter during its busy holiday season. Now the company is back on its game.
Warehousing: The Safety Zone
Increased warehouse worker productivity. Fewer safety claims. Lower workers’ comp costs. Soaring employee morale. You have just entered … The Safety Zone.
Gainsharing in the Warehouse: Power from the People
Programs that properly motivate and compensate workers can send warehouse productivity soaring.
U.S. Site Selection: Building for the Future
Bigger isn’t always better. Many smaller regions are investing in infrastructure and transport capabilities to attract logistics and distribution activity.
Cross-Border Transport: Keeping Free Trade Safe and Sound
Cross-border shippers who implement and enforce sound security compliance procedures can live happily ever NAFTA.
Global Logistics—May 2006
Technology Key to Global Supply Chain Success With the continued growth of global trade and the increased risk and complexity associated with global supply chains, technology solutions are more important than ever for enterprises operating worldwide. In particular, Global Trade Management (GTM) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions will be at the forefront of successful […]
Harry Miranda: The Paper Chase
Every time you pick up a copy of Inbound Logistics you’re touching the work of Harry Miranda. As director of logistics for St. Ives, South Florida, he is in charge of moving paper and ink into the plant where this magazine is printed, then for getting finished copies into subscribers’ hands. Since August of last […]
Microsoft’s New SCM Dynamic
While many already use Microsoft software to manage transportation and logistics, the company is now making a splash with specialized supply chain solutions. Microsoft is beefing up its business application offerings for small- to mid-size businesses (SMBs) with the release of several enhanced products, including the Microsoft Dynamics suite, designed to empower customer relationship management […]
Electronic Invoice Savings That Will Floor You
Drowning in a sea of manual invoices, flooring supplier Mohawk Industries turns to electronic invoicing. Now, when it comes to paying suppliers quickly and accurately, Mohawk mops up.
Trends-May 2006
While the avian flu virus is clearly wreaking havoc with the world’s bird population, and is being hyped as a potential deadly threat to human health and safety, it could also do a real number on the global supply chain, as a recent simulation by MIT’s Center for Transportation and Logistics illustrated. In an “experimental […]
Evaluating Inland Ports
Are you considering using an inland port instead of the usual coastal port? That’s a decision many companies are analyzing as they face high fuel and transportation costs, as well as congestion at larger ports. Choosing an inland port may not work for every company, but it can help achieve greater supply chain management success […]
Printing on the Go Can Help Profits Flow
Companies are investing in mobile computing systems at record levels to cut costs and improve efficiency in distribution, direct-to-store deliveries, and route accounting operations. Getting the most bang from these investment bucks does not necessarily depend on implementing the hottest new smart phones, software applications, or 3G wireless network services. Often, a small incremental investment […]
With Six Sigma, Hershey’s Kisses Errors Goodbye
To sweeten operations at its sales fulfillment warehouse, Hershey’s turns to Six Sigma. Using the rigorous process analysis methodology, the facility improves productivity and throughput while cutting labor costs.
Stakeholders Share New Value
The CEO of Procter & Gamble, A.G. Lafley, does not talk much about shareholders; instead he talks about “stakeholders.” I wondered precisely what he meant, so I did a little online research. The original meaning of the word stakeholder was a person who holds money while its owner is being determined—a trustee for a minor, […]
A Smart-Money Move
Technology retailer CDW hit the jackpot with its new Las Vegas distribution center. The facility’s automated technology and room for expansion are a winning combination.
Transportation Management Systems: Pulling It Together
Transportation management systems attract companies with the promise of bringing structure and efficiency to polarized processes. But it’s crucial to weigh the positives and negatives before pulling the product from a wealth of choices.
Global Logistics—April 2006
Chinese Embrace Logistics Training For years, the global logistics industry has flocked to China to take advantage of its abundant cheap labor and inexpensive warehouse and manufacturing sites. China, however, has just begun to embrace the importance of logistics in its own business community."The Chinese realize they are far behind the industrialized world in terms […]
James Renaud: Getting Ready for Liftoff
When work goes well for James Renaud, rockets soar into space. Literally. As director of development operations for Boeing Company, Renaud is in charge of the group that builds prototypes of Boeing products, such as the Delta IV launch vehicle that blasts satellites into orbit. “Having a successful launch makes my day,” Renaud says. Renaud’s […]
Knock on Wood Packaging Materials
Q: We are importing several containers of roof tiles from Spain. The pallets used for the shipment contain paper documents certifying that they were treated to ward off insects and other vermin. The shipment arrived at the destination port, but Customs informed us that the paper documents are not an acceptable proof of treatment. They […]
Follow the Freight, Find the ROI
While the threat of cargo terrorism steals headlines (Dubai Ports World debacle anyone?), U.S. shippers are equally challenged by more common cargo perils such as vandalism, breakage, spoilage, transport accidents, and theft. In fact, the FBI estimates losses from cargo theft at $50 billion in the United States alone, according to Denis duNann, CEO of […]
Pharmaceutical Logistics: Countering Counterfeits
To comply with a Florida regulation for tracking pharmaceuticals through the supply chain, wholesale distributor H.D. Smith implements an electronic pedigree solution.
Freight Payment: Getting Back to Basics
At the beginning of the new millennium, many freight payment companies added the latest “whiz bang” gadgetry to their information systems or freight payment products. Now, those companies’ disappointed customers want their providers to get back to basics. Although information tools remain important, freight payment basics are now the priority. Today, shippers seek a freight […]
Trends-April 2006
Though the hubbub has died down and the media have decamped from East Coast ports, the defunct Dubai Ports World deal is still reverberating throughout the shipping industry. Most significantly, the deal has served as an impetus for Congress to more closely examine the broader issue of port security and port operations. Capitol Hill leapt […]
Devising a Logistics Budget
A logistics budget that is off the mark can cause problems, as well as lost profits. If you don’t plan properly, logistics costs can spiral, leading to an end-of-fiscal-year disaster. Here are 10 tips for devising your logistics budget, from Michael Bravo, senior director of finance, APL Logistics America. 1. Watch the calendar. When it […]
New ‘Lifestyle’, New Logistics Challenges
The proliferation of “lifestyle centers”—one of the biggest trends to hit retail real estate in decades—is having a significant effect on retailers’ logistics and distribution networks. Lifestyle centers—typically 150,000 to 575,000 square feet in size—are vibrant, upscale, Main Street-style shopping areas with aesthetic extras such as plazas, fountains, decorated walkways, and landscaping. They are often […]
2005: Happy or Unhappy Anniversary?
Last year marked the anniversary of several laws and events that revolutionized transportation regulation in the United States: The 10th anniversary of the Interstate Commerce Commission’s (ICC) demise. The 25th anniversary of deregulation in the railroad industry. The 25th anniversary of partial deregulation in the motor carrier industry. The 28th anniversary of deregulation in the […]
The New Reality of Hosted Solutions: Less Can Be More
Technological complexity, rapid change, and escalating IT costs are forcing fleet managers to examine the way they collect and manage driver, vehicle, and delivery information. As a result, a new fleet management model is emerging. Increasing numbers of small and mid-size businesses are evaluating the benefits of using a hosted solution to ease the headaches […]
Crafting a Strategy to be Proud of
Hammered by pressure from Home Depot, cabinet maker Mill’s Pride overhauls its logistics strategy, and shuts the door on untimely deliveries and customer complaints.
Lessons From the Neanderthals
What do global trade, cavemen, and a TV commercial have in common? Stay with me. Did you catch the FedEx ad about a caveman using Brand X Pterosaur to ship an important stick? Instant classic! The commercial humorously shows that good transportation was as important then as it is now. Oddly enough, new research by […]
Material World Goes High-Tech
American Mills weaves together an inventory management system to improve DC operations and speed its home textile products to store shelves.
India: Asia’s New Frontier
Global pioneers are peeking around China’s corner and beyond the Himalayas into Asia’s next major logistics hotspot—India.
Curing Health Care’s Ills
SYMPTOMS: hemorrhaging costs, swollen inventory, impaired visibility & tracking, technological paralysis. DIAGNOSIS: unhealthy supply chain management and related complications. RECOMMENDED TREATMENT: take control of costs, exercise better visibility, optimize infrastructure…and call me in the morning.
Nebraska: America’s Emerging Logistics Center
Strategically positioned in the center of the country, with a business-friendly climate and well-educated workforce, Nebraska offers an ideal location for transportation, logistics, distribution, and warehousing companies. The state has become a manufacturing growth center and an emerging distribution hub.
Global Logistics—March 2006
3PLs Manufacturers Eyeing Eastern Europe Go east—to Eastern Europe, that is—has become the new mantra for multinational manufacturers looking to establish low-cost production sites. The accession of Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Romania, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia to the European Union (EU) has opened up new growth opportunities in the region. […]
Shane Grutsch: Oil’s Well That Ends Well
If your next order of french fries, chicken nuggets, or onion rings is cooked to a golden crisp, you might have Shane Grutsch of Restaurant Technologies Inc. (RTI), Minneapolis, to thank. More than 10,000 U.S. foodservice establishments use RTI’s patented system to manage their cooking oil. RTI provides and maintains equipment that automatically feeds oil […]
Fostering Flexible Fulfillment
As customers pressure their suppliers to create new products, new variations of products, and new services attached to those products, the supply chain can become severely strained. It may not be enough to handle increased supply chain pressures merely by optimizing existing hardware and software solutions. An increasing need for real-time and synchronized processes exists […]
Where’s the Beef? Check the Onboard Tracking Unit
Vehicle location technology helps a foodservice supplier feed hungry customers, and a truck leasing firm feed customers hungry for information.
Speeding Warehouse Operations
If speeding warehouse operations was one of your New Year’s resolutions, obtaining more accurate inventory information should be your first step. It is easier to quickly move orders out of the warehouse if you have accurate, high-quality data on inbound shipments, according to Steve Sensing, group director of customer logistics, Ryder System Inc. Sensing offers […]
Discrete Manufacturers Adapt to Global Economy
Supply chains are the lifeblood of discrete manufacturing—the production of distinct items. As manufacturing operations continue to transform to global enterprises, discrete manufacturers face new challenges. Orchestrating the movement of parts and components around the world is becoming as intricate as brain surgery, driving discrete manufacturers to information technology (IT) solutions to help manage global […]
Optimize ‘Obnoxious Freight’ With DC Bypass
Companies must continually think of ways to improve supply chain and distribution networks to bolster the bottom line and enhance service levels. With so many products today manufactured overseas, the ability to maintain a streamlined network, despite market volatility, is a key competitive edge. These challenges are magnified for retail and consumer package goods companies […]
Heavy Metal Control and Savings
When automaker Mitsubishi Motors began buying directly from steel mills, a logistics challenge loomed. It found a metals specialist to keep the coils rolling.
Learning for Earnings
When this magazine made its commitment to logistics education in 1990, few undergraduate or graduate logistics studies programs were available. That is not the case today. Logistics undergraduate, post-graduate, and continuing education programs have expanded a hundredfold. MIT, for example, has seen an application growth of 20 percent annually over the last five years, reports […]
Logistics Goes to the Head of the Class
Ten years ago, logistics education meant learning how to drive a forklift. Today, schools focus on teaching total supply chain management, and graduates are quickly snatched up by recruiters who know smart logistics managers can help the bottom line.
Reducing Complexity
Increasing globalization and demand for diverse product offerings puts supply chain complexity at an all-time high for many manufacturers and retailers. Some degree of complexity is inevitable, but too much causes a logistics double-whammy: increased costs and decreased efficiency. Companies are taking a hard look at product mix and processes to find ways to keep it simple.
Global Logistics—February 2006
Tough Talk on China Trade Policies On the heels of news that America’s trade deficit with China rose to $201.6 billion, the Bush administration announced its plan to step up enforcement of U.S. trade laws governing China. The move was widely lauded by businesses and lawmakers. Following a six-month, top-to-bottom review of America’s trading relationship […]
John Depew: High-Flying Logistics
As manager of distribution for a magazine publisher, John Depew faces an odd concern: his display racks won’t stand still. That’s because the “racks” are seatback pockets on commercial aircraft. Working for American Airlines Publishing, Depew’s job is to move newly published in-flight magazines from the printer in Jonesboro, Ark., to some 200 airports, making […]
Keep Your Business Out of Harm’s Way
Q: I am a logistics provider. In addition to a policy that protects me from cargo damage claims, I have a general liability policy that covers bodily injury and property damage claims. I know I could face a claim if someone trips and falls while visiting my office, but I rarely have visitors, and my […]
Sourcing Out of Africa
It’s easy to say that world trade will expand based on available global resources, but it’s harder to do. We have become all too used to thinking of Asia as the prime—and almost exclusive—new supply chain market. But it is a big world, and suppliers will need even more resources if trade is to double […]
Wood Work: Carving One System from Many
A wood panel maker goes against the grain, replacing numerous, mismatched systems with an integrated ERP and SCM suite.
Premium Freight Makes JIT Fit
Just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing is a tremendous advantage—when everything works perfectly. But what happens when the supply chain falls out of sync—when an overseas supplier has equipment problems, environmental factors delay deliveries, or defective parts are discovered on the assembly line? How do suppliers avoid chaos and keep JIT production rolling? One solution is premium freight—last-minute […]
Building a Warehouse Without Going Broke
A warehouse construction project is always a major undertaking. Whether you are retrofitting an existing DC or constructing a new one, it is crucial to pay attention to details so your project is done on time and within budget. Here are some tricks of the trade for controlling costs and ensuring a smooth project. Design […]
Substituting Trucks for Air Shipments: A Questionable Practice
Recently, a U.S. District Court in Arizona rejected a freight forwarder’s attempt to issue an airbill for a partial truckload shipment because the shipment was moved by truck—neither the shipper nor the forwarder ever intended to move it via air. This decision has broad implications for the trucking and brokerage industries as it is one […]
The Million-Dollar Question: ERP or WMS?
Few supply chain decisions impact your company’s day-to-day business, financial health, and customer relations more than selecting and implementing a warehouse management system (WMS). The million-dollar question is whether to choose your enterprise resource planning (ERP) system’s warehouse module, or a specialized WMS. Today, the lines between traditional ERP and WMS vendors are blurring. ERP […]
Fuel Surcharges: True Financial Assistance Or Sheer Profit Center?
As the news media continues to report on the rise in world oil, gasoline, and diesel prices, as well as the effects of a devastating hurricane season, you might be forgiven for thinking that fuel surcharge announcements by less-than-truckload (LTL) and small package carriers are justified. Not so forgiving are manufacturers, retailers, and industrial shippers […]
Orange Seeks Agent
Freed from its corporate parent, orange beverage maker Sunny Delight forms a 3PL partnership to juice up its supply chain.
Marking Our First Quarter Century
25 years is a long time to be doing anything. That’s why we recognize anniversaries, sometimes with cards like the one marking Inbound Logistics’ 25th year.You’ll find it in the front of this magazine. Looking at that card, and reading its sentiments, took me on a trip down memory lane, back to our first issue. […]
More Goes In So You Can Get More Out
Most magazines are designed to be read. The Logistics Planner issue is also designed to be used—again and again. The Planner—and its complementary digital and web profiles—help you find and source the solutions you need to be a true supply chain innovator. Many readers tell us they read the Planner profiles from A to Z […]
Hot Solutions in Cold Storage
To break the ice in its first cold storage 3PL facility, Frozen Assets implements a new WMS and wireless handheld data capture technology.
Innovation: A Fresh Eye on the Supply Chain
Innovation is in. Just ask Bill Ford, star of the Ford Motor Company commercials touting the company’s “new mission—innovation.” Innovation is also at the core of IBM, which invests billions of dollars in research and development every year and has been the leading patent-generating company in the United States for more than a decade. “Innovation […]
Innovation: From Vision to Execution
Innovation is in. Just ask Bill Ford, star of the Ford Motor Company commercials touting the company’s “new mission—innovation.” Innovation is also at the core of IBM, which invests billions of dollars in research and development every year and has been the leading patent-generating company in the United States for more than a decade. “Innovation […]
Innovation: Igniting New Ideas
Transforming a supply chain through innovation and ingenuity starts with understanding what you’re trying to accomplish. “Setting clear, aggressive goals in a collaborative way is the best thing organizations can do to foster innovation,” says Judith Anderson, partner and founder of consulting firm Anderson & Rust, Allendale, N.J. Critical success factors that enable companies to […]
Innovation: The 3PL Connection/The Creativity Factor
Third-party logistics providers (3PLs) are often powerful enablers of logistics and supply chain innovation. “Due to their exposure to ample transportation and fulfillment challenges, 3PLs have developed creative ways to get product to the shelf,” says Accenture’s Bill Read. “3PLs have multiple customers with problems and opportunities across industry verticals, and can provide insight into […]
Innovation: Insider Insights
In April 2005, at a Princeton, N.J., conference of trucking technology suppliers and users, Alain Kornhauser declared the just-in-time era dead. “Just-in-time logistics is inherently deterministic,” said Kornhauser, a Princeton University professor, and founder and chairman of mobile transportation solutions provider ALK Technologies. He then held up a mobile phone. “This is the new paradigm,” […]
Balancing on the Rim
Like gravity, the lure of Asia’s rock-bottom costs and abundant labor force has a powerful pull. But companies need to closely examine potential pitfalls of sourcing halfway around the globe. Taking that first step into the Pacific Rim means walking a tightrope between the benefits and risks.
Supply Chain Security: Tapping Into C-TPAT
Many companies embrace C-TPAT in the fight against supply chain security threats, but just as many shun it. What is C-TPAT? How does it work? What benefits—if any—does it bring shippers and carriers? Here’s a closer look.
Carrier Partnerships: A Matter of Trust
Building trusting relationships with your transportation partners makes the best sort of business sense.
Bulk Logistics: Hefty Freight, Hefty Issues
As transportation costs, congestion, and capacity threaten to derail global supply chains, bulk freight shippers are collaborating with their logistics partners to streamline plant operations and rethink how they align stateside distribution networks to better match supply to demand.
Matchmaking
MORE TO THE STORY: The Load Matcher’s Little Black Book Scoping Out Potential Shippers, like love-scorned romantics, are willing to try almost anything to find a bigger pool of suitors and more capacity. Carriers, by contrast, are continually looking for ways to get the most out of their freight dates while avoiding costly deadhead rendezvous. […]
Mexico on the Move: Building New Opportunities
New investments in Mexican transportation and logistics infrastructure create opportunities for U.S. manufacturers and logistics companies.
Bullseye! Finding the Right Site
The economic development stars are aligned. As U.S. companies reassess their distribution networks to combat rising transportation costs and meet customer demands, business development entities now realize the logistics and transportation industry offers an opportunity to add jobs and vitality to local economies, expand and develop transportation infrastructure, and create a new economic livelihood for the future of U.S. industry. The result is a renewed focus on site selection.
Global Logistics—January 2006
"China’s emergence as a global economic power is having a seismic impact on the global logistics market." This statement, from New Zealand-based international property adviser DTZ’s recent Global Logistics Markets report, is not surprising. What is surprising is just how far China’s impact reaches when it comes to the international industrial landscape. "The negative impact […]
Operations Network Design: A New Solution for an Old Problem
Tools for optimizing distribution networks have long been available, yet most of these applications still have an important limitation: they can’t fully model network requirements at the operations level. This limitation often leads to recommendations that cannot be implemented. What is needed is a new approach that enhances the current process by incorporating site-level detail […]
Global Trade Management: Redefining the Successful Execution of International Logistics
With nearly 30% of the world’s gross domestic product currently crossing borders, it is clear that global trade is an integral and growing part of business that is here to stay. As a result of this globalization, businesses have created a new concept to define the challenges and opportunities unique to the new highly globalized […]
Heather Fryar: Life on the Strategic Side
Airplane components, laundry detergent additives, offset printing equipment, and men’s formal wear have one thing in common: Heather Fryar. As logistics manager for St. Louis-based Sequa Corp., Fryar oversees inbound and outbound transportation strategy for the parent company’s seven business units. That means improving transportation processes and cutting costs among operations that manufacture a diverse […]
Managing the Supply Chain in Reverse
Those of us who enjoy changing gears manually when we drive don’t hesitate when we have to shift into reverse. But not all reverse actions are comfortable. Taking in, sorting, and repairing or redistributing returned goods is an onerous task for many manufacturers and retailers. Unlike goods moving out of the factory, goods coming back […]
Injecting Zoom Into Distribution
Kawasaki shifts to a ‘multi-enterprise’ SCM system to rev up product flow and keep dealers and customers humming.
Minimize Total Landed Cost: Strategize, Model, Act
Total landed cost is the sum of all costs associated with making and delivering products to the point where they produce revenue—usually your customer’s door. So, if you employ tactics to reduce costs in all discrete functions from manufacturing through delivery, you’ll have a lower total landed cost, right? Theoretically, yes. But in the real […]
Setting Data Standards
The purpose of any automatic identification and data collection (AIDC) system is to provide a quick and accurate way to enter data into an IT system. But the old maxim, garbage in, garbage out still applies. Without a consistent means to represent data within a bar code, RFID tag, XML, or other form of data […]
Can Bar Codes and RFID Co-Exist?
Last year, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology became a media favorite, spurred by Wal-Mart and U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) policies requiring suppliers to ship goods that can be tracked using RFID. Such attention makes it seem as if bar-code technology—today’s standard for data collection—will become obsolete overnight. This is not the case, however. Although […]
Building a China Strategy
Every manufacturing company needs a strategically focused business plan for outsourcing supply chain activities globally. Too often, near-term pressures to reduce product costs or increase overall profitability precipitate outsourced or supplier recruitment activities in product design, manufacturing, and logistics. The decision to source value chain activity in China is certainly no exception. While the pressures […]
Environmentalists: ‘It’s My Way, Not the Highway’
When it comes to balancing environmental concerns with the need to improve and expand the U.S. transport infrastructure, there is a right way and there is a wrong way. Take California, for example. While Governor Schwarzenegger was traveling in China on a mission to forge more trading opportunities, I was touring the part of his […]
Supply Chain Technology: Integrating the Old & New
New supply chain technology can power up existing operations, streamline inventory, and increase revenue—if implemented correctly. Making sure new solutions integrate with existing technologies and processes is crucial. Here’s how it’s done.
Career Solutions: Playing the Job Board Game
Are job boards your winning move? Learn the rules and strategies you’ll need to score your dream job on the web.
Steve Inamorati: Moo-ving up the Supply Chain
Talk about the pressures of supply and demand! With consumers clamoring for natural and organic dairy products, Stonyfield Farm, Londonderry, N.H., has grown by 20 to 30 percent each year. But the company has had a hard time keeping up with growing demand for organic foods. “We’ve experienced an organic milk shortage,” explains Steve Inamorati, […]