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How to Prepare for the Digital Future
Digitization is rapidly transforming the ocean container shipping industry, according to INTTRA, an ocean shipping electronic marketplace. In a new whitepaper – Blueprint 2032: How Technology Transforms Ocean Container Shipping – INTTRA reports that the pace of technology innovation is accelerating as businesses seek new and more efficient ways to optimize. “Digitization is now a […]
Read MoreThe Search for Digital Solutions That Drive Down Costs
Senior executives have set their sights on digital and automated solutions that drive down costs and plan to invest in a number of key areas over the next two years, according to the 2017 State of the Outsourcing, Shared Services, and Operations Industry report by HfS Research and audit, tax, and advisory firm KPMG LLP. […]
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Enhancing Supply Chain Continuity: What We Learned from the Port of Tianjin Explosion
Just as the Chinese word for crisis contains the characters for danger and for opportunity, a disaster in China was the catalyst for creating an enhanced business continuity management system and a more robust supply chain offering. Challenges in supply to China There are challenges in supply of gases and chemicals to China. Import/export lead […]
Read MoreHow to Get Accurate Counts from Your Scales
In any business venture that sells vast amounts of product at a time, fast and accurate counting methods are essential. The smaller the product and the more items processed at once, the harder it is to keep track of accurate counting. This can waste time and money in incorrect counts. In the past there wasn’t […]
Read MoreATA Seeks Trucking Industry’s Future Leaders
American Trucking Associations opened the application window for its premier industry leadership initiative, LEAD ATA. Heading into its fifth year, LEAD ATA is searching for the 2018-2019 class of diverse trucking industry leaders looking to grow their careers and meet other ambitious trucking professionals. “LEAD ATA continues to be an avenue for trucking professionals to […]
Read MoreSupply Chain Management: Soft Skills Required to Maintain Relationships
Supply chain management is often viewed as solely a statistical endeavor, but soft skills are often required in maintaining buyer and supplier relationships, according to new research from Penn State. Researchers suggest that levels of trust between companies may be an important influence on how they operate and perform. “In business settings, we tend to […]
Read More3 Main Sources of Supply Chain Complexity
The concept of “less is more” does not so easily apply to supply chain management. As organizations look to increase revenues by expanding their product portfolios, they’re also introducing complexity and risk into their supply chains. While it might seem like a good idea to just reduce your portfolio overall, that’s not always an option. […]
Read MoreGelnius Launches Supply Chain Management Software
Gelnius’ new technology platform has the ability to save money based on customers achieving reduced transportation cost and better management of administration overhead, as well as cost savings linked to visibility of all freight transactions on a single platform, managing non-compliant suppliers and improved reporting, business intelligence, and supply chain visibility. This Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution […]
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Why Supply Chain Visibility Is Vital to Company Success
If you manage or help coordinate a logistics operation, you likely wear many hats throughout the workweek to keep things running smoothly. Your role might require you to keep track of an inventory, confer with carriers, optimize shipping methods and routes, monitor performance reports and activity, and apply management skills to move efficiencies into action. […]
Read MoreStudy Finds Growing Demand for Retail Click and Collect
Nearly one third of shoppers purchased products online and subsequently picked them up at a store during the 2016 holiday season, according to a study conducted by Bell and Howell. The 2017 Click and Collect Retail Consumer Preference Study reveals consumers’ preferences and behaviors when it comes to this practice. As part of the study, […]
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Biggest Vessel on the U.S. East Coast Calls
At 1,200 feet long and 158 feet wide, the containership COSCO Development is the biggest containership to call The Port of Virginia and the U.S. East Coast. The vessel can carry 13,092 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). The previous record was held by the MOL Benefactor when it sailed to Norfolk International Terminals last summer. By […]
Read MoreICS Aims to Reduce CO2 Emissions from Global Shipping
On behalf of the international shipping sector, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) agreed to urge the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to adopt dramatic CO2 reduction objectives to match the ambition of the Paris Agreement on climate change. In a submission to IMO member states, being made in conjunction with other shipping organizations, ICS will propose […]
Read MoreCommentary: How to Compete with Amazon’s Lower Free Shipping Threshold
Amazon recently announced another slash to its free shipping requirements and is now down to $25. Amazon understands their data better than any retailer in the industry. The company is quite literally built on the ability to understand and take action on data, be that customer buying patterns, price optimization, or competitive information. This move […]
Read MoreSupporting the Next Generation of Logistics Leaders
When Inbound Logistics began its commitment to advancing logistics and supply chain education, traffic and transportation were taught as subsets of business courses. Today, global supply chain courses are available in countless schools, and through distance learning programs worldwide. To celebrate that achievement, Inbound Logistics – in association with our partners at APICS – proudly […]
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Supply Chain Commentary:
5 Ways Shippers Can Go Green
I’ve been in the custom shipping and transport case business for decades. Because my team isn’t limited to working with any one industry segment, we’re able to observe subtle industry fluctuations, trends, and movements—everything from changes in the popularity of certain shipping materials to the types of things being shipped most often. Lately we’ve noticed […]
Read MoreE-commerce Logistics: Warehouse Slotting and Space Utilization
Slotting – determining the locations of your SKUs in your warehouse – used to be an easy concept. But in the new world of warehousing focusing exclusively to a large degree on e-commerce sales, this is no longer simple. E-commerce sales in the United States grew to over $348.9 billion last year and it is […]
Read MoreWhitepaper: Who Pays for Customs Compliance Violations? It Could Be You.
The new whitepaper “Customs Compliance– Has Your Business Taken the Necessary Steps?” is an in-depth overview of the compliance process – including areas of particular vulnerability and recommendations for improving internal compliance management. You could be held accountable for customs compliance violations. And we don’t just mean your company but you – personally. A landmark […]
Read More5 Ways to Prevent Forklift Accidents
Forklift accidents have a devastating effect on warehouses – and they happen more often than you think. In the United States, there are nearly 97,000 serious forklift-related injuries each year – 100 are fatal. Whether an accident results in an injured worker or loss of product, an accident always puts a spotlight on safety. Every […]
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Celebrating the Greatest Logistician of All Time: Mom
Who’s the greatest logistician of all time? Mom, of course. Logistics is about taking care of those hundreds of invisible details that make supply chains (or life!) go smoothly. This Mother’s Day, let’s remember all the little things Mom does to demonstrate her love and make our homes and our lives happier, healthier and “fully […]
Read MoreSpring Cargo Numbers Signal Better Year for Great Lakes-Seaway Shipping
Spring cargo numbers from the St. Lawrence Seaway and U.S. ports are signaling a better year for Great Lakes-Seaway shipping. According to the latest figures from the St. Lawrence Seaway, total cargo shipments via the Seaway from the start of the shipping season (March 20 through April 30) reached 3.7 million metric tons, up 8% […]
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