Articles
Feature Stories

Finding Cost Savings: It’s the Whole Package
Looking at packaging and freight costs together boxes up logistics and transportation efficiencies.
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Career Solutions: Certifiably Savvy
Want to stand out from the crowd and take your supply chain career to the next level without pursuing a full academic degree? A certification or certificate program might help you make the cut.
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Managing Retail Returns: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Retailers have to cope with all kinds of returns—from apparel that just didn’t suit the customer, to expired products that are no longer saleable, to recalls endangering public safety. Here’s how retailers handle this range of returned goods to recover maximum value.
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Cosmetics Logistics: The Beauty of an Optimized Supply Chain
Makeup and skin care companies follow a multi-step logistics routine to manage retailer requirements and smooth the wrinkles caused by supply and demand friction.
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Same Day Delivery: The Amazing Race
The same-day delivery race puts crowdsourcing, bicycles, and delivery vans on the same team.
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Site Selection: Follow the Signs to Competitive Advantage
The ideal combination of logistics and business assets points manufacturing and distribution site selection decisions in the right direction.
Read MoreThe New 3PL Partnership: More Bang for Your Buck
Sure, third-party logistics providers will tune your transportation transactions. But their real value lies in strategic relationships that optimize your entire enterprise.
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Cross-Border Trade: Made in Mexico
Got the nearshoring bug? Here are the challenges, benefits, and secrets to success for manufacturing south of the border.
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Cargo Security: Protecting the Supply Chain
Whether on a truck, in a warehouse, or at a port, your shipments are vulnerable to theft. Learn how to reduce that risk and keep your valuable cargo safe.
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Materials Handling Meets Big Data
By studying warehouse equipment and labor performance data, you can help your operations achieve top marks for productivity, safety, and equipment utilization.
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7 Steps to Selecting a WMS
In the market for a warehouse management system? The right solution can help improve order fulfillment, boost inventory visibility, and automate data collection. Follow these simple steps for choosing a WMS, and you’ll soon be on your way to an optimized warehouse operation.
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Inbound Logistics Winter Reading Guide 2014
If the polar vortex makes you want to hibernate, wake up your supply chain knowledge with the latest books by industry experts. Best practices and insights on everything from demand-driven processes to global logistics strategies will get you ready to spring into action.
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Automotive Logistics: The Upside of Resiliency
Assembling supply chains that are both lean and resilient helps carmakers steer through risks and disruptions without taking a hit.
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The Direct Sales Supply Chain: Where There’s a Will There’s Amway
George Calvert, chief supply chain and R&D officer for Amway, calls on Inbound Logistics to talk about the direct sales business and how Amway’s supply chain is adapting to globalization, new technology, and changing consumer behavior.
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Controlling Costs in the Healthcare Supply Chain
Increasing regulation, supply chain inefficiency, and product security concerns plague healthcare companies already crippled by rising costs. Treating the ailments with high-tech tools and optimized logistics provides relief.
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Aerospace Logistics: Building for Growth
Supply chain improvements, and specialized service providers, keep the aerospace industry flying high.
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Perishable Logistics: Cold Chain on a Plane
Careful planning for perishable air cargo helps shippers keep their cool.
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Risk Mitigation: Supply Chain Safety Net
Meeting demand without overinvesting in safety stock can be a real balancing act. Risk mitigation strategies protect shippers from landing hard when supply chain disruptions occur.
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Setting the E-Commerce Gold Standard
As chief supply chain officer for flash sales superstar Gilt, Chris Halkyard’s bright idea to optimize the company’s DC network helped spark supply chain efficiency gains.
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FTZ Basics and Benefits
Foreign Trade Zones can help global shippers maximize savings and minimize operational costs. Speeding customs clearance and eliminating paperwork seals the deal.
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