Archive: Aug 2005

Monitoring LTL Carrier Performance

If you don’t evaluate your less-than-truckload (LTL) carriers monthly, start now. The only product an LTL carrier has to offer is service, so monitoring is crucial. Every aspect of your evaluation should reflect on how the carrier provides—or fails to provide—the service you require and expect. Joe Heilig, senior transportation specialist for EnVista, a logistics […]

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Going Mobile: The Time is Right

In today’s fast-paced world, with online stores, just-in-time inventory, and micro-managed supply chains, near real-time supply chain event reporting is critical. Consumers who shop online from the comfort of their bedroom—or in front of the TV with wireless access to a home shopping network—are not satisfied waiting in the dark wondering when packages will be […]

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Non-Asset-Based IMCs: Adapting Yet Again

BNSF Railroad’s decision to eliminate rail-owned intermodal equipment by June 2006 is easy to understand. By only accepting private trailers and containers for transit, BNSF’s cost savings and bottom line should swell. Both Wall Street and shareholders applaud the railroad’s move. Will traditional non-asset-based intermodal marketing companies (IMCs) be a casualty of BNSF’s decision? Strong […]

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More Lift, Less Drag

There is an inexplicable failure on the part of many in Washington, D.C., to understand that airlines are in business to make money, according to Air Transport Association of America President James May. May’s recent comments to The Wings Club of New York piqued my interest as I sometimes get the impression that our airline […]

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Cool Stuff, Blazing Speed

When consumers need the hottest new gadget, they need it cheap and they need it now. That’s why logistics leaders such as Hewlett-Packard power up their supply chain to deliver the goods. Now that’s cool.

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SCM: Pharma’s First Aid Kit

Pain points plague the pharmaceutical industry—skyrocketing expenses, stringent regulations, costly product development. Is supply chain management the cure?

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Fast Forwarding

Globalization and security concerns are thrusting the air cargo industry into full throttle. From their unique perspective as both service provider and shipper, airfreight forwarders air their views about the growing challenges facing global businesses.

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James Carlin: A Strong Man for the Job

When a construction worker on a job site drops a hammer, and no one on the street below gets hurt, James Carlin is one person to thank. His company, Strong Man Building Products Corp., Fairfield, N.J., distributes tarpaulin and netting used in construction, including the huge nets contractors drape over scaffolding to protect their job […]

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Protecting High-Value Cargo

Q: My company moves sensitive, high-value instruments throughout North America for hospitals, universities, and government facilities. Because these instruments are difficult to handle, we use special riggers to install them. Given these instruments’ specialized nature, when damage occurs during transit and the instruments must be repaired or replaced, it means significant costs and delays. We […]

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ERP and SCM: Making the Marriage Work

Once a cozy nook for enthusiasts, supply chain management has turned into a major focus for enterprises worldwide. That’s why IFS North America has extended its services from pure Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) to offer component supply chain software. “ERP and supply chain management need to work hand-in-hand,” notes Cindy Jaudon, president of IFS North […]

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