Articles
Commentary
The Great Equalizer
Tension and drama always permeate the conference room when the Inbound Logistics team gathers to decide the theme of the Logistics Planner issue. This year was no different. While we did agree to focus on how demand-driven logistics, or supply chain management, drives competitive advantage, we couldn’t agree on how best to present that idea. […]
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Maximizing Productivity in E-commerce Warehousing and Distribution Operations
As e-commerce continues its rapid growth into virtually every market sector, retailers are anxious to expand their presence online to capture this market share. Between 2006 and 2010, global online retail sales grew by 16.3 percent annually, according to Global Online Retail 2011, published by Datamonitor. Online retail sales for 2010 alone showed an annual […]
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Redefining the Race to Profitability Through Innovation
Every manufacturer, supplier, and U.S. business is feeling the effects of today’s tough economic conditions. It has never been more important to control costs and operate efficiently. The pressure is on for manufacturers to reduce waste, and operate in a truly lean manner. These facts are even more prevalent in the automotive sector, where profitability […]
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Measuring the Value of Collaboration
Structured, achievable supply chain collaboration that drives savings relies on the relationship between purchasing and inbound logistics departments. Without real collaboration, two distinct decision-making processes exist based on separate performance metrics and personnel incentives. Buyers determine what orders to place. Logistics planners determine how to route the shipments. Buyers strive to avoid stock-outs while keeping […]
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Logistics: It’s Where The Jobs Are
Effectively managing human capital is more vital than ever to businesses and organizations, and higher education will continue to play a critical role in training the next generation of transportation and logistics management (TLM) leaders. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects increases in TLM occupation employment growth and replacement needs, which are on the rise […]
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Playing the Waiting Game
We all want to do our jobs, and are paid to do so. Often, however, we must wait for information or materials from suppliers, supervisors, other departments, and even customers. While we wait, we can get distracted and end up wasting even more time. In Lean terms, waiting is one of the eight wastes. Identifying […]
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3PLs Create a Unified Supply Chain Voice
The International Warehouse Logistics Association (IWLA) created its new Public Policy Center to ensure third-party logistics (3PL) providers are knowledgeable players in the public policy arena. Its goal is policy creation that makes sense and benefits all businesses, employers, and employees throughout the supply chain. The IWLA and its active, policy-aware members have experience leading […]
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What Sandy Showed Me
As the editor of Inbound Logistics, my job is to provide information about keeping product moving from source to selling point. In my nearly 30 years in the industry, I have read, written, and edited many articles about supply chain disruptions. But words are just words. It was quite different to experience disruption with my […]
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Why Innovation Matters for Rugged Mobile Technology
The proliferation of smartphones and tablets is giving many logistics IT and operations leaders pause. They are questioning what these mobile computing trends mean to their operations, and their potential impact on traditional rugged mobile computing for supply chain and logistics applications. Behind the innovation in smartphones and tablets is a deep understanding of how […]
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Are You in the Dark About Labor Visibility?
This is an extremely challenging time for logistics companies. Margins that were already razor-thin continue to be squeezed due to rising costs and constant pressure to cut prices to stay competitive. At the same time, customer expectations are higher than ever as they demand faster delivery requirements and shorter lead times. In logistics — already […]
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Air Freight Collaboration and Agility
In response to a sluggish airfreight market and generally lower cargo volumes and capacity, airfreight forwarders (AFF) are using strategic business practices and concepts to assist them in effectively managing airfreight shipments for optimal efficiency, performance, and results. By implementing collaborative and flexible logistics practices and remaining agile, managing air freight today can be a […]
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Why Supply Chains Need Business Intelligence
Companies that want to effectively manage their supply chain must invest in business intelligence (BI) software, according to a recent Aberdeen Group survey of supply chain professionals. Survey respondents reported the main issues that drive BI initiatives include increased global operations complexity; lack of visibility into the supply chain; a need to improve top-line revenue; […]
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Retailers Rebalance Time vs. Cost?
For retailers and their value chain partners, practicing inbound logistics provides two competitive advantages—the ability to keep prices low, because matching demand to supply optimizes inventory-to-sales ratios and creates other economies; and the agility to use time as a competitive advantage by serving customers faster and more completely. In the past, retailers emphasized keeping costs […]
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International Shipping: Moving at the Speed of Technology
New technologies for planning, managing, tracking, and securing shipments are continually evolving. With new digital options always just around the corner, organizations of all sizes must stay informed of the latest advances. When it comes to international shipping, technology is especially important—not only because tremendous growth is expected, but also because the processes involved are […]
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4 Steps to Reducing Emissions in the Supply Chain
Businesses around the world have increased efforts to manage and reduce their carbon footprint. These companies also realize that carbon management in the supply chain is an essential capability—the next great step in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. By collaboratively engaging with their supplier networks, companies can mitigate GHG emissions and improve supplier relationships, while […]
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Holiday Rush Planning: How to Mitigate Risk in a Volatile Market
In today’s globalized supply chain, extended manufacturing and transportation lead times dictate that retailers complete most holiday season planning in June and July. These plans are based on the best available intelligence at the time, including consumer forecasts, retailer promotions, and the competitive landscape. Within the build window for seasonal holiday demand, the industry is […]
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Sorting Out Savings Opportunities in Your E-Commerce Warehouse
The continuing growth of e-commerce has created challenges for distribution centers (DCs). Parcels are smaller, lighter, and harder to handle on the same conveyors and sorters. And shipping and logistics firms have amped up the pressure, adding dimensional charges as a penalty to those that ship lightweight goods. But from the shipper’s perspective, the less […]
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Embarking On an IT Modernization Journey
Planes, trains, and automobiles represent just a few possibilities to consider when moving an object from Point A to Point B. To secure a competitive advantage, shippers must ensure the transportation services they buy are safe, modern, reliable, and competitively priced. Many transportation providers have realized these goals by investing in an information technology (IT) […]
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“Sell By” Dates Cost Shippers Billions in Wasted Perishable Goods
Every milk carton and other perishable packaged food item bears date-stamped tags such as "Display Until," "Best Until," and "Sell By." Did you know that these dates are not intended for consumer use, and do not indicate when the food is spoiled? They are only intended for retailer use. Yet billions of dollars worth of […]
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Mitigating Facilitation Risk
Facilitation is a unique risk for logistics professionals and companies. It is unlawful for logistics professionals or providers to facilitate transactions with any person or entity sanctioned by the U.S. government. The U.S. Justice Department has pursued facilitation cases against half a dozen logistics companies in recent months, and penalties include up to 10 years […]
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