Articles
Feature Stories
From Cost to Profit: Service Parts Logistics
Some companies pay little attention to service parts logistics. Others are tapping its potential to increase revenues and reduce operating expenses. Here’s how to transform your service parts operations from a cost center to a profit-driven business.
Read MoreOptimization: Game On
Like the Mousetrap game, optimizing logistics requires precision timing, nerves of steel, and a little bit of luck to reach your goal. While you may not care about catching mice, you certainly care about speeding shipments, reducing inventory, delighting customers or just plain cutting costs. Here are the strategies of several logistics leaders who put their optimizing game face on and play to win.
Read MoreTransportation: Negotiating Contracts Without Getting Soaked
To stay competitive, companies must continue to optimize all modes of transportation. Here is a look at one particularly complex mode—ocean.
Read MoreStrategy and Process: DaimlerChrysler Corporation
As part of an ambitious optimization effort, DaimlerChrysler Corporation realigns and rebuilds its supply chain organization to kick innovation and efficiency into high gear.
Read MoreCross-Functional Teams: Petter Supply Company
An optimization project using cross-functional teams helped Petter Supply Company boost performance, reduce inventory, and cut costs.
Read MoreSpeeding the Process: The J.R. Simpot Company
To support a rapidly expanding business, J.R. Simplot used 3PLs to optimize a seamless merger and warehouse transition—while maintaining customer service expectations—all in 90 days.
Read MoreFlexibility: AM General
Cutting-edge technology helps AM General optimize supply chain operations, enhance manufacturing flexibility, and add horsepower to marketing efforts.
Read MoreScalability: Sportsman’s Warehouse
By optimizing warehouse operations and implementing an ERP system, Sportsman’s Warehouse meets aggressive growth and expansion goals.
Read MoreSupply Chain Strategies: On-Demand is In Demand
“We’ve always had a supply chain. But until fairly recently, it was an adjunct to the ‘real’ business. Something to be managed rather than used as a strategic weapon. “The supply chain was plumbing. It was back office—the unglamorous work of negotiating contracts, procuring parts, getting them to the people making the products, then loading […]
Read MoreBusiness Continuity: Ready, Set, Prepare
From labor slowdowns, port congestion, and power outages to wildfires, hurricanes, and terrorist attacks, we’ve seen no dearth of disasters that can shatter a company’s supply chain and transportation networks. Here’s how to plan for supply chain continuity—no matter what the obstacle.
Read MorePanama Gold
Increasing congestion at West Coast ports, greater demand for predictability in the supply chain, and growing capacity constraints magnify the importance of the Panama Canal as a viable alternate route. Are global shippers and supply chain partners ready to take the all-water plunge?
Read MoreThe Real Story on RFID: 5 Questions for 6 Experts
RFID experts answer your questions about compliance, ROI, costs, and implementation.
Read MoreBuild to Scale: Bringing PLM to the Masses
As globalization continues to level the playing field, smaller enterprises embrace PLM solutions as a go-to-market strategy for managing and scaling growth, and enhancing visibility and communication within the supply chain.
Read MoreEnvironmental Compliance: Seeing Green
The EPA’s 2007 low-emission diesel engine specifications loom large in the minds of shippers and carriers. Will the industry take the high road and embrace the eco-friendly policies?
Read MoreSupply Chain Security: It’s Everyone’s Responsibility
Issues surrounding supply chain security top the corporate priority list these days. Do governments bear the burden of keeping the global supply chain safe, or, by working together more effectively, can the private sector get the job done? Which is steeper—the cost to implement security procedures, or the price we pay for being unprepared? Differing opinions, strategies, and outlooks abound. Two industry experts share their thoughts on mitigating the risks of today’s threats to supply chain security.
Read MoreSupply Chain Roundup 2004: What worked. What didn’t. What’s next?
Supply chain management received a great deal of attention in 2004. What does it all mean for the logistics industry? Here, a look back at the year’s top trends, including homeland security, RFID, using data to improve results, transportation capacity constraints, the war, and more.
Read MoreMaterials Handling Strategies: A Fork-Free Future?
While forklift trucks may be the tried and true solution for many materials handling operations, forklift-free applications are attempting to shake up manufacturing with the emergence of carts and dollies. Thinking of going forklift-free? Make sure you have all the facts before jumping in.
Read MoreCareer Solutions: Hiring a Logistics Problem Solver
Executives and recruiters in the supply chain industry spend a lot of time interviewing prospective employees. And while many logistics candidates look good on paper, their resumes don’t always reveal the level of problem-solving skills they possess. Companies need to hire logistics problem-solvers—people who can walk into an operation and help make its problems disappear. […]
Read MoreSupply Chain Careers: An Inside Look
Whether you are a supply chain newbie—fresh out of school perhaps—or an industry veteran, chances are you give great thought to the future of your logistics career. Every industry—pharmaceutical, services, automotive, even the military—needs purchasing, operations, and logistics managers. The demand for supply chain managers is rising, and will continue to increase due to the […]
Read MoreSpeeding Global Shipments
The increasingly complex nature of supply chains makes velocity imperative in the global air/expedited freight sector. From port congestion to increased security measures to demand for visibility, here’s an inside look at what’s driving the need for speed.
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