Articles

3PL

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6 Strategies for Finding the Right 3PL Partner

RFP season is upon us. It’s the time of year when shippers request bids and plan their optimal logistics strategy for 2018. Shippers are increasingly involving 3PLs in the request for proposal (RFP) process for access to tens of thousands of pre-qualified carriers, industry expertise, and advanced logistics technology that provides supply chain visibility and […]

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H.O.W. | How to Turn Data Into Supply Chain Action
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H.O.W. | How to Turn Data Into Supply Chain Action

To keep ahead of today’s complex, fast-moving supply chain, shippers need tools that enable them to make smart, data-driven decisions and be proactive, not just reactive. Fortunately, transportation management technology now provides organizations with greater visibility and control over their supply chain than ever before. MORE TO THE STORY: 4 questions to put big data […]

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Why the Rise of the 4PL Is Good News for Your Business

On-demand delivery, trade uncertainties, siloed information…for today’s supply chain managers, the list of concerns is long. Current industry and geopolitical trends are complicating matters further. Companies are juggling more products and suppliers, leaving supply chains increasingly vulnerable to disruption. In the grocery industry alone, the average number of SKUs skyrocketed from 9,000 in the 1970s […]

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Finding the Right Strategy for Each Situation
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Finding the Right Strategy for Each Situation

Denis Reilly’s father worked in distribution for 38 years. So when Reilly started college at the University of Tennessee, it was no surprise that he was drawn toward that school’s renowned logistics program. “It was a natural fit,” he says. “Even some of my summer jobs were in logistics, with Union Carbide.” MORE TO THE […]

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4PLs Will Benefit Most from Supply Chain Digitalization

Will digitalization reshuffle the deck in the marketplace of logistics services? Yes, say the IT experts at cloud-based supply chain management solutions provider AXIT, a Siemens company. A new paper published by the firm highlights how the digital transformation is affecting the industry. The authors believe that the fourth-party logistics (4PL) provider model will be […]

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Jeff Luthman
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VMI Solutions Carried Out by 3PLs in the Life Sciences & Pharmaceuticals Industry – MD Logistics

Third-party logistics (3PL) providers specialize in maximizing their customers’ supply chain processes. Recently, 3PLs have innovated their practices to extend pharmaceutical supply chains for special projects, such as packaging and kitting. Vendor-managed inventory (VMI) is a natural evolution of these extended services. Q: What is VMI in the life sciences and pharmaceuticals industry? A: Pharmaceutical […]

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What’s the most interesting or unusual supply chain problem you’ve solved?
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What’s the most interesting or unusual supply chain problem you’ve solved?

How to ship toy motorcycles made out of magnets and tubes to retail stores around the country without them falling apart. They were used as a display for a toy kit. Our solution was to put them in a small cooler, fill the cooler with water, freeze the entire contents of the cooler, and ship out. Upon arrival at the retail store, they were thawed, dried, and displayed. It worked beautifully.

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The Key to Seamless Order Fulfillment: Combine the Digital with the Physical in EDI and 3PL Outsourcing

Consumers today have been conditioned to purchase anything from anywhere in the world and expect to have it delivered within two days at no cost. For suppliers, meeting the expectation is a tough order to fill. Retailers are continually seeking to manage their suppliers better, improve product availability to consumers, streamline replenishment, and reduce stock-outs […]

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Brandon C. Bennett
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5 Ways to Execute a High-Performing Demo Program for Medical Devices – SEKO

Now more than ever, healthcare supply chains are key differentiators for best-in-class manufacturers. Leading companies effectively use their supply chains as a competitive advantage to drive revenue growth and achieve cost containment goals. At the same time, logistics practitioners face a unique and growing set of challenges that directly affect the bottom line. Current pressure […]

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Rob Kriewaldt
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Recent Industry Disruptions Challenge, Improve Retail Logistics and Supply Chain – WSI

American consumers are now living in an era of supply chain domination, in which we sometimes sacrifice privacy for convenience, or a few extra dollars for speed. Amazon drones drop small packages on our doorstep the same day. Meals arrive on urban doorsteps via tiny robots moments after placing the order. Naturally, the retail industry […]

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Rob Kriewaldt
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Need Flexibility? Seek Out Full-Service 3PLs – WSI

The retail and supply chain worlds have changed—and are changing—rapidly. Soaring end-user consumer demand for same-day delivery of goods and companies’ desire for increased visibility of their supply chains are two instrumental factors in the ever-morphing industrial real estate industry. Companies want and need instant, flexible warehousing options with skilled, efficient labor to handle and […]

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3 Ways Your 3PL Can Help You Overcome E-commerce Challenges

To meet consumer demands, e-commerce requires adaptable and flexible supply chains, no matter how short the lead time. Companies can support this fast-moving supply chain by leveraging a collaborative 3PL relationship. By collaborating with a knowledgeable third-party logistics (3PL) provider, shippers can add both scale and visibility to their supply chain. With greater control, companies […]

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