Three Top Myths About Foreign Trade Zones Dispelled
When supply chain and logistics managers think Foreign Trade Zone—the program that allows companies to defer paying customs duties, fees, and taxes on merchandise imported into the United States until consumed, used in construction, or leaving the zone—several adjectives come to mind. Usually those descriptors are not: smooth, cost-effective, and easy to manage. Instead they […]
Read MoreRetailers Try I.T. On for Size
As retailers shop for ways to adapt to e-commerce and changing consumer behaviors, logistics technology provides the perfect fit.
Read MoreConsumer Electronics and Reverse Logistics: Play It Again
Shoppers return between 11 and 20 percent of consumer electronics devices, according to industry experts. While returns are the beginning to device recovery, all the steps in the reverse logistics process, including repair/refurbishment and remarketing, can be improved. Recognizing the importance of reverse logistics in maintaining and growing profit margins, many consumer electronics manufacturers and […]
Read MoreWhen Government Oversight of Motor Carriers Fails, Shippers Pay
While overall truck accident rates have been trending lower over the past several years, avoidable carrier accidents are still common. Comprehensive safety compliance reviews (CRs) by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) protect lives and property. In the year after a CR is conducted, crashes decrease 16.3 percent, according to […]
Read MoreWe’re All in This Together: Teamwork in a Lean Workplace
While some Lean practitioners focus on manufacturing pioneer Taiichi Ohno’s Seven Wastes (transportation, inventory, motion, waiting, overproduction, overprocessing, and defects), many add an eighth waste: behavioral waste, or under-utilized employees. It takes a real change management effort to successfully implement a Lean program—especially when it involves changing workers’ habits. Someone who has been doing a […]
Read MorePorts-to-Plains Corridor: A Pipeline for Progress
Stretching from Texas’ U.S.-Mexico border to Alberta, Canada, the Ports-to-Plains Corridor represents a vital trade conduit for North America’s energy and agriculture heartland.
Read MoreHealthcare Logistics Gets a Shot in the Arm
Transporting temperature-sensitive flu vaccines to developing countries can be a headache. A logistics partner that stays cool under pressure provides a cure.
Read MoreUtilities & Site Selection: Powering U.S. Manufacturing Growth
Ensuring adequate and affordable energy for new manufacturing and distribution facilities can challenge site selection teams. Many energy providers now offer resources to plug them into locations that will help their operations shine.
Read MoreScantastic Bar-Code Tracking Tools
New product traceability requirements are making bar codes an essential part of many supply chains.
Read MoreGlobal Logistics—August 2013
America’s Global Image: Taking a Closer View Yahoo! News paints a pretty grim picture of how outsiders perceive the United States: "Who loves ya, baby? If you’re the United States of America, the answer is fewer and fewer people around the world," according to a recent blog by the online news aggregator. Yahoo! might consider […]
Read More