Accurate Product Data Drives Supply Chain Systems
Retail and consumer goods organizations spend a lot of money to deploy supply chain applications that will help them operate more profitably while delivering the ideal experience to shoppers. But the fact is software investments do not deliver on their potential unless the data they’re using is accurate. Accurate product data comes from well-crafted, consistent […]
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Panama Canal Expansion to Spur East Coast Shipping Boom
After nearly 10 years and $5.4 billion, worldwide shipping is in for a major shakeup. With the nearly triple-the-size expansion of the Panama Canal completed in late June 2016, a vastly increased quantity of goods will be able to easily traverse one of the world’s most important waterways. This change comes amid a slump in […]
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Cargo Becomes Intelligent So Do Ports
Having all supply chain players connected to an intelligent cargo system maximizes the use of port infrastructure and keeps everyone informed on the “where is my cargo?†question. Accessing and sharing information on cargo through new technologies will not only smooth flows but it will also secure them.
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Supply Chain Management Takes Center Stage
The supply management function is in the spotlight as a key driver of profitability. Approximately 82 percent of all chief procurement officers (CPOs) report directly to their CEOs, according to CAPS Research. CPOs have reach, influence, and responsibilities that go far beyond the cost containment practice of the past into virtually all areas of a […]
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An Intermodal Resurgence
After a rough winter threatens to derail intermodal, the industry gets back on track.
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Hazmat Transportation: Have a Safe Trip
When moving hazardous materials, shippers can’t just send them packing. From preparing for compliance to keeping employees in the loop, here’s how shippers plan for risk-free travels.
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Intermodal Transport: The Little Engine That Could
MORE TO THE STORY: Kia Motors: I Think I Can Join an Inland Port Intermodal or OTR? Make It Happen Chug, chug, chug. Puff, puff, puff. After two years of steady acceleration, intermodal transportation in North America hit a slowdown in 2016. Intermodal volume in the second quarter of 2016 fell by 6.1 percent compared […]
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Stop the Free-Flowing Expenses of Demurrage and Detention
Q: What are the concealed costs of demurrage and detention? A: High demurrage and detention costs are rampant as ports are becoming increasingly congested and disruptive events such as labor disputes are occurring more frequently. Worse still, these fees accrue on a daily basis, so there’s little room for negotiating the final bill. "Hidden" free […]
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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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Three Returns Strategies for Improving Omni-channel Retail
Omni-channel retail involves much more than efficient order fulfillment. An easy returns policy is just as important—so much so that it can be the deciding factor for a purchase. That said, it’s one thing to enact a favorable returns policy, and quite another to execute it efficiently. Thanks to omni-channel expectations, shoppers want the ability […]
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To Boost Shipment Productivity, Look to the Cloud
Deploying a cloud-based shipment execution system promotes a healthier ecosystem within the company, reduces costs, and pays big dividends via customer satisfaction. When corporate enterprises grow and evolve, their internal departments can develop a silo mentality and become more protective of their information. Because of these informational turf wars, the organization becomes disjointed and less […]
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Accidents Happen: Is Your Transportation Partner Prepared?
When a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit is brought against a commercial transportation company after a motor vehicle accident, creative lawyers are increasingly including negligence claims. Such claims focus attention on how the transportation company hires, trains, supervises, and disciplines its drivers. Falling short in these practices can form the basis for a jury […]
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Global Logistics—October 2016
Overcapacity Problems Sink Hanjin Shipping Right in the middle of the peak ocean shipping season leading up to the U.S. holiday rush, South Korean ocean liner Hanjin Shipping filed for bankruptcy protection in one dozen countries in late August and early September 2016. Hanjin is the world’s seventh-largest ocean carrier, and handles nearly 8 percent […]
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Trends—October 2016
Response to ELD Mandate: Yours, Mine, and Hours The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) deadline for truckers to install Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) is nearly one year away, on Dec. 18, 2017. Small fleets, however, seem to be taking this mandate less seriously than their larger counterparts, according to a survey of 400 carriers […]
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Alan Sargent: A Sweet Confection Connection
Alan Sargent is supply chain and logistics director with Just Born Quality Confections, the Bethlehem, Pa.-based company behind PEEPS®, MIKE AND IKE®, and HOT TAMALES® candy brands. He has held this position since August 2005. Responsibilities: All logistics and transportation functions. Experience: Plant logistics and distribution manager, customer service facility manager, and logistics operations planner, […]
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Leading by Example and Empowerment
MORE TO THE STORY: Perspective Shift When a corporate merger sent Marc Althen to Penske Truck Leasing in 1988, his first assignment there put him in charge of environmental services—an apt role for a chemical engineer who started his career at Chevron. "Then Penske asked me to assume additional responsibilities over the years," Althen says. […]
Read MorePreventing Supply Chain Fraud
The consequences of supply chain fraud can be severe, yet many companies significantly under-scrutinize their processes. Smart companies have practices in place to help pinpoint and prevent fraud. Wade McDaniel, vice president of supply chain solutions, Avnet Inc., offers the following insight and recommendations to help your company address supply chain fraud. 1. Admit you […]
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GOOD QUESTION | What disruptive innovation will have the greatest impact on the supply chain?
Supply chain advancement is a methodology that extracts hidden profit by connecting the supply chain to other core processes of a business: strategy, product life-cycle management, and sales and marketing. Companies that advance their supply chains to this next level of decision-making will be better positioned to adapt to changing customer needs. Robert Martichenko CEO, […]
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Starting a Logistics Love Affair
What is it about our profession that attracts smart, dedicated, hardworking young people who love logistics? I spent some time recently reviewing applications for the annual Inbound Logistics/APICs scholarship, granted to an undergraduate pursuing a supply chain career. Applicants submit an essay describing why they want to enter the field, and what they hope to […]
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Top 5 Things Shippers Need to Know about the Canadian eManifest
Moving data is often as important as moving freight. The Canadian eManifest is an important step toward improving security by receiving cargo and conveyance information before a shipment arrives at the border. The list below compiles the top five items that shippers, their carriers, drivers, and any company involved in U.S.–Canada highway transport should know […]
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