Articles
Thought Leaders
U.S./Canada Trade Remains Strong, With Plenty of Opportunity for Growth – Purolator
Q: What trends are you seeing in U.S./Canada cross-border trade? A: I see tremendous opportunity on both sides of the border. For one thing, imports from Canada are growing, largely due to the stable U.S. dollar. We seem to have turned the tide on the currency volatility of the past couple years, allowing Canadian manufacturers […]
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What You Need to Know About Selecting a Dock Appointment Scheduling System
Q: What is dock appointment scheduling? A: Dock scheduling is a means for managing the timeliness of inbound and outbound transportation (truck traffic) at your loading docks in order to maximize the efficient operation of those docks. Q: What is the difference between Appointment Management and a Dock Scheduling System? A: Appointment management usually takes […]
Read MoreWhat to Expect From Your 3PL
Q: As supply chain operations continue the migration from an afterthought in the warehouse to a priority in the boardroom, what are some questions a shipper should ask before adding a 3PL to their supplier base? A: It largely depends upon what level of partnership a carrier is seeking. Managing spot capacity is very different […]
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Supply Chain Complexity: What’s Behind Supply Chain Disruption and Why You’re Not Achieving Consistent ROI Improvement
In a 2016 Gartner survey, 63 percent of supply chain leaders reported “increasing supply chain complexity” as the highest risk to business continuity. A second survey from Gartner identifies supply chain complexity as #4 in the list of obstacles to achieving supply chain goals. As supply chain leaders face these challenges, they should focus on […]
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How Small Retailers Can Compete with Retail Giants
Q: What is the biggest thing for shippers to consider in their supply chain? A: The one constant trend is the growth in the way we reach consumers. E-commerce sales increased 15.6 percent in 2016, and there are no signs that this trend will slow in the future. Direct to consumer is here for the […]
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Does Your TMS Provide you a ClearView?
Q: What are you seeing as the biggest opportunity for TMS functionality? A: Transportation management software (TMS) was developed for the simple task of enforcing carrier routing and producing a shipping label. Web rating, or rate shopping, was a major advancement to the TMS technology industry 10 years ago. Today, very few TMS companies offer […]
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Advice for Transportation Departments on Gaining Corporate IT Buy-in for TMS Solutions
Q: What pushback should transportation leaders anticipate from IT when proposing a TMS implementation? A: Corporate IT departments are frequently ambivalent about cooperating; sometimes even actively working to undercut the proposed initiative because there’s a perception that any new enterprise software deployment adds significantly to IT’s workload during implementation, integration, and thereafter with respect to […]
Read MoreIs a 3PL Not the Best Fit for You?
Q: While some companies have chosen to rely on 3PLs to manage their logistics, Progressive Converting made the choice to keep its logistics in house. Why? MR: Progressive Converting (Pro-Con) is a service provider to the major paper companies. As such, controlling all aspects of the supply chain is critical in delivering value to our […]
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The Answer to Logistics Problems is Always in the Data
Q: How can data solve logistics problems for shippers? A: The right data can create the intelligence required to know where to begin to solve many common problems. These can include freight costs that are too high, transit times that are too long or not charging enough for freight. Many shippers have good rates, but […]
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The Advantages of a Pop Up Supply Chain
Q: How can I keep up with volume surges with minimal disruption? A: If you find yourself looking at a significant volume surge that is temporary, it is a good time to think about a pop up supply chain. Surges like this can put strain on the current infrastructure you have built and disrupt daily […]
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Can Exception Management be Automated?
Q: Managing exceptions in freight settlement is, by definition, a manual process even when a shipper has a transportation management system (TMS) and freight payment/audit solution in place. Why can’t exception management be automated? A: The truth is, it can be, and to a surprisingly high degree. Significant exceptions such as large discrepancies in rates […]
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The Wave of New Technologies in Logistics Requires Data Management Excellence
Q: Technology seems to be having its moment in the logistics space. What do things like the Internet of Things, Big Data, and Blockchain mean for shippers and logistics providers? A: These elements are becoming critical parts of modern supply chains because they allow companies to harness data they might already have, or incorporate previously […]
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Global Trade Network: A Strategic, Competitive Asset
Q: Why do companies have such a hard time embracing global trade management? A: The Amazon effect is wreaking havoc on supply chains globally. Consumers are buying online from everywhere in the world and expecting delivery in one to two days. International shipping presents real challenges for suppliers and shippers attempting to keep up with […]
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Gaining Visibility Through Data
Q: Data impacts the way many organizations make decisions. Can a freight audit and payment system provide added visibility? A: If shippers don’t have valid insight, they can’t make valid decisions. Data analysis and benchmarking can provide this visibility, allowing shippers to identify outliers in performance and cost. Yet most companies don’t have the technology […]
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Most Mid-Market Supply Chains Are Under-Served
On average, mid-market supply chains ($50M to $150M) replace their supply chain providers every two to three years. The two overwhelming reasons why are because they don’t realize continuous return on investment (ROI) improvement and they lack strategic account support. Mid-market supply chain owners are caught in a conundrum: They’re too big for the small […]
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Extending the Life Sciences and Pharmaceutical Supply Chain
In the life science and pharmaceutical area, an inefficient supply chain can cause serious problems including product degradation and late deliveries of life-saving medications. Third-party logistics (3PL) providers specialize in streamlining their customers’ supply chains, merging logistics expertise with state-of-the-art innovations. While manufacturers search for ways to distinguish products in a competitive marketplace, many do […]
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Advantages of Digital Technology
Q: INTTRA recently celebrated its 15th anniversary. Can you describe how digitization in ocean shipping has evolved since 2001? A: Some carriers and shippers moved to adopt standardizing form exchanges early on; then bespoke, single-process products (e.g., rates management), and later ERP systems. Cloud-based Transportation Management Systems (TMS) allowing shippers to avoid expensive in-house implementations […]
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How to Meet Global Shipment Compliance Challenges
Q: What role does technology play in meeting today’s challenges of global shipment compliance? A: Today’s complexities in managing export and import shipments are evident. When U.S. Customs announced the requirement of Sea AMS filing, which is also known as the 24-Hour Rule, it started a wave of technology enhancements throughout the globe requiring all […]
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Visibility is Key to Unlocking Supply Chain Savings by Connecting Inbound and Outbound Activities
Q: What are the benefits of managing inbound freight spend? A: By managing inbound freight spend, shippers can decouple transportation costs from suppliers’ product charges and gain visibility to the lanes, volumes and synergistic opportunities that exist within their outbound network. Leveraging a lead logistics provider (LLP) or transportation management system (TMS) expands visibility beyond […]
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Tips for First-time TMS Buyers
Q: TMS solutions are traditionally complex to implement. Why is that? A: A transportation management system (TMS) has one of the strongest ROIs of any supply chain management software: an average of about 7.5 percent in freight savings, according to recent research by ARC Advisory Group. But they’re also notoriously thorny to implement because most […]
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