Articles
Supply Chain Perspectives
How the 2024 Presidential Election Could Impact Supply Chains
The importance of efficient and resilient supply chains cannot be overstated, and with the 2024 presidential election rapidly approaching, supply chain organizations are starting to feel the weight of political uncertainty.
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2024 Elections Could Shake Up the Global Supply Chain—Here’s Your Voter’s Guide
With elections in roughly 50 countries worldwide and U.S. voting day right around the corner, supply chain executives must understand how major shifts in trade policies could impact their operations. Here are some tactics for using supply chain design to prepare for election outcomes.
Read MoreFour Profitable Strategies in the New Supply Chain Landscape
The realm of supply chain management stands at a crossroads, challenged by recent global disruptions that exposed vulnerabilities.
Read MoreIs There a Logistics Professional in the House?
Even if you’re not a huge Star Trek fan, you’ve got to love Dr. McCoy—and the line he repeated so often that most of us could probably say it in our sleep: “(Darn) it Jim, I’m a doctor, not a _______.” When you think about it, it’s incredibly funny, because when bad things happen, the […]
Read MoreSurvival of Companies Depends Entirely on Managing Supply Chain’s 5 V’s
They include: visibility, volatility, velocity, vulnerability, and viability.
Read More4 Supply Chain and Logistics Trends to Watch in 2022
It’s been a historic and challenging couple years in supply chain and logistics. As we approach 2022, we’re still facing extraordinary demand, fleets are doing the best they can short-handed, and the current infrastructure is backed up, leading to delays and rising prices. I wish I could say we’ll round the corner once we get […]
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Truck Driver Health Should Drive Business Decisions
Truck drivers are vital to the flow of the supply chain yet this key resource is being drained at an alarming rate. The average life expectancy for long-haul truck drivers is 61 years. As the current truck driver workforce ages and with fewer young people choosing a career as a truck driver, it leaves the […]
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Why the ‘Shareconomy’ Is the Future of Logistics
The idea of a global shared economy—which has given rise to businesses such as Uber, Lyft, and Airbnb that share resources among user bases—is projected by PwC to generate revenue of at least $335 billion by 2025. An increasingly popular concept made possible by new technology platforms, fueled by the idea of collaborative consumption, the […]
Read MoreDownload the Inbound Logistics Planner App Today
Find the right solutions, carriers and partners to drive efficiency in your supply chain operations and enable your enterprise to navigate the twists and turns, ups and downs of the coming year. The Logistics Planner, 25 years strong, is updated this month with profiles of leaders in transportation, technology, logistics, supply chain management, education and […]
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Supply Chain in the Cloud: How Tech Is Reshaping Logistics
In warehouses, on roads, and in corporate offices, technology is evolving every facet of logistics. From basic improvements like streamlining operations and increasing process efficiency to fully automating delivery trucks, technology is enabling much smarter, simpler supply chain management. Below are three emerging technologies reshaping the logistics industry: RFID Technologies The replacement of traditional barcodes […]
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6 Simple Metrics for Tracking and Improving Carrier Performance
While transportation service providers vary in size and ability, having an overall strategy to track carrier performance can drive long term operational and financial stability. By relying on simple data captured over time, over the road shippers are better positioned to make informed decisions on the fly or in future bids to ensure their desired […]
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Reduce Supply Chain Costs with Consolidated Procurement Strategies
For sourcing agents and organizations involved in procurement, supply chain efficiency is a pressing concern. In addition to physical factors like the layout of the unit and machine capacity, procurement contracts and the manner in which they are implemented can account for a majority of supply chain and manufacturing costs. Working hand-in-hand with product design […]
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Getting Distribution Centers in Peak Season Shape
While the annual peak shipping season begins in August and lasts through the winter holidays, the work for supply chain and logistics distributors certainly doesn’t end come the new year. In fact, the National Retail Federation’s monthly Global Port Tracker report indicates that cargo volume for January 2017 is forecast at 1.53 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent […]
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How to Beat Amazon at the Retail and Supply Chain Game in 2017
In a recent omni-channel benchmark study, Retail Systems Research identified the top three omni-channel technology investments for retailers in 2017: Distributed Order Management – 46% planning a change, 14% with net-new budgeted projects Enterprise Content Management – 42% planning a change, 17% with net-new budgeted projects Enterprise Wide Inventory Visibility – 37% planning a change, […]
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Panama Canal Expansion Re-Routes Logistics for U.S. Businesses
Panama has completed the monumental $5.25-billion overhaul of the Panama Canal, which will have far-reaching implications for any business that employs or is part of an international supply chain. The Panama Canal can now accommodate ships that are one-third larger than before. These megaships carry 45 percent of the world’s cargo and will be able […]
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Communication Insights Boost Shipper-Supplier Relationships
Shippers who acknowledge that they have the power to enable their own supplier base to satisfy their needs as well as their customers’ are on the right track. In particular, North American importers would be well served to emphasize stronger communication practices with Asian exporters to boost supply chain efficiency. Stronger communications go beyond monitoring […]
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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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Houston, We’ve Got a Problem
The Intermodal EXPO, held in Houston, Texas, in September 2016 as part of IANA’s 25th anniversary, includes some particularly unique historical aspects. For example, this is the second year the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) and National Industrial Transportation League (NITL) will hold separate shows. The divorce was prompted by many issues—primarily low attendance […]
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Empower Users to Create and Update Labels for Supply Chain Efficiency
The single most important aspect of label design is the ability to convey the correct information, to the correct audience, in a consistent and concise manner. The two keywords here are “correct” and “consistent.” When labels are inaccurate or information is out of date, serious breakdowns in the supply chain can occur. This is often […]
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Using Tunnel Scanning to Meet
E-commerce Challenges
The recent increase in the number of consolidation warehouses operated by e-commerce companies that receive orders from many different suppliers in relatively small quantities creates challenges from an ID reading perspective. The small size of their typical order means that consolidation warehouses usually do not have the leverage over their suppliers that would enable them […]
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