July 2, 2009 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

If you’re not already familiar with the Annual State of Logistics report conducted by the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP), it’s a resource well worth knowing. Now in its 20^th year, the report tracks year-over-year U.S. logistics costs across key cost categories of inventory, transportation carriers, and logistics administration. In most years, the total costs rises by a point or two. But in 2008, they dropped precipitously—down $49 billion, or 2.5 percent, over the previous year. Still, the 2008 total logistics expenditures of $1.3 trillion are nothing to sneeze at.

Our sister publication, Logistics Management, did a thorough overview of this year’s report. And we encourage reviewing John Schulz&rs...Read More

June 12, 2009 | Link This | Email this | Comments (1)

We live in turbulent times. Surely, you’ve read numerous articles and heard any number of experts intoning on this subject. But without being melodramatic about it, we are in fact subject to a higher potential for disruptions to our supply chain than ever before.

The reasons are fairly obvious to anyone working in our profession: supply chains are longer and more geographically dispersed; a slowing economy has impacted carrier transit times and shipping frequencies; political and labor unrest has heated up in certain key sourcing parts of the world; and now even the ancient scourge of privacy has reappeared.

But despite the obvious heightened potential for supply chain disrupt...Read More

May 8, 2009 | Link This | Email this | Comments (1)

Travel budgets—or more accurately the lack thereof—are hurting attendance at industry events everywhere. I just returned from the annual meeting of the Institute for Supply Management (http://www.ism.ws/) in Charlotte, where the attendance was down about 40% from last year. That’s too bad, too, because as always ISM put on a solid educational program, this year featuring many sessions on how supply chain managers can help their companies work through the tough economy.

Things will turn around. According to the economic gurus at ISM, for examp...Read More

February 12, 2009 | Link This | Email this | Comments (1)

Industry events and gatherings of professional associations are the lifeblood of magazine editors. We regularly attend these meetings, viewing them as an essential source for articles and information (to say nothing of the enjoyable social networking that takes place).

Now, maybe not everyone places the same heavy emphasis on these gatherings that we do.  But most people I talk with at such events indicate that they’re having a personally and professionals rewarding experience.

Thant’s why we were surprised (and a bit saddened) to le...Read More

December 31, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

Bloggers and writers of all stripes with any kind of public forum can’t resist the temptation to send their out their best wishes and hopes for the coming year. Here are my 10 (mostly serious) supply chain wishes I would like to see come true in 2009.

1. A sharp economic upturn.  This is really the basis of every wish that follows. Applying the philosophy that a rising tide lifts all ships, better economic times will have a resounding material and psychological effect on