All News

Port of LA Lays Groundwork for Major Supply Chain Enhancements

Thursday, November 15, 2012 · Patrick Burnson When the NITL’s 105th annual meeting & TransComp exhibition convened in Anaheim earlier this week, there was considerable attention paid to the pending expansion of the Panama Canal. Shippers learned that West Coast ports will not remain complacent.

New Cloud-Based Platform Introduced by UPS for International Shipments

Thursday, November 15, 2012 · Patrick Burnson A new cloud-based technology platform that allows shippers to more efficiently collaborate with international suppliers and better manage their inbound supply chains has been introduced by UPS.

Hurricane Sandy and Fiscal Cliff Impact October Retail Sales

Wednesday, November 14, 2012 · Patrick Burnson For the first time in three months, retail sales ticked down slightly as consumers cooled discretionary spending in the face of inclement weather and uncertainty in Washington.

Supply Chain Managers Remain Busy in 3rd Quarter

Wednesday, November 14, 2012 · Jeff Berman Pricewaterhouse Coopers reported that even with a difficult global economy, transportation and logistics activity in the third quarter was strong.

Risk Mitigation is Major Concern for Supply Chain Managers

Wednesday, November 14, 2012 · SCMR Staff A new third-party logistics study highlights supply chain disruptions such as weather, pandemic and energy costs, as well as top strategies for mitigating supply chain risk.

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The Wisdom of Becoming a Preferred Customer

Tuesday, November 13, 2012 · Robert J. Trent and Zach G. Zacharia Research and experience tells us that satisfied suppliers are more willing to provide preferential treatment to customers—treatment that can lead directly to market advantage. But what does it take to become a “preferred customer” and capture that edge?

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Supply Chain Visibility: More Trust than Technology

Tuesday, November 13, 2012 · Mike Giguere and Brad Householder Achieving supply chain visibility has been an elusive quest for many companies. Simply throwing more data or technology at the problem has not seemed to work. What’s needed instead is a structured approach that identifies the goals of enhanced supply chain visibility,…

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Why Working Capital Should Matter to You

Tuesday, November 13, 2012 · Dr. Heimo Losbichler, Dr. Farzad Mahmoodi Working capital is one of the most powerful and least understood drivers for supply chain managers to improve a company’s cash flow and profitability. In pursuing initiatives to achieve sustainable working capital improvements, supply chain managers need to look beyond their…

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How Steelcase Took Control of Supply Risk

Tuesday, November 13, 2012 · Thomas V. Scannell, Sime Curkovic, Robert Lundquist, and Michael Isaac Operating in a dynamic global environment, Steelcase Inc. recognized it needed to get a better handle on supply risk. The solution was an initiative called the Global Procurement Process. This comprehensive approach to risk management is built on two core principles: “begin…

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Open Innovation: Putting External Knowledge to Work

Tuesday, November 13, 2012 · Delphine Manceau, Pierre-François Kaltenbach, Line Bagger-Hansen, Valérie Moatti, and Julie Fabbri Innovation is no longer the sole preserve of the R&D department. These days, companies draw practical inspiration and profitable ideas from far and wide— from suppliers, academia, competitors, customers, and through crowdsourcing. So who is now responsible for driving…

USPS Expecting Record Holiday Season Shipping Volumes

Saturday, November 10, 2012 · Patrick Burnson Like the duopoly of UPS and FedEx, the United States Postal Service (USPS) is calling for a very active holiday shipping season, expecting 385 million packages to be shipped, which represents a 20 percent annual gain and would be a USPS record.

Port of Los Angeles Prepares for the Future

Saturday, November 10, 2012 · Patrick Burnson When the NITL’s 105th annual meeting & TransComp exhibition convenes in Anaheim this week, there’s bound to be considerable attention paid to the pending expansion of the Panama Canal. Shippers will learn that West Coast ports will not remain complacent.

UPS/TNT Deal May Not Be Done

Saturday, November 10, 2012 · Jeff Berman Various media reports issued last week indicate that UPS will take steps to make its case to European Union (EU) antitrust regulators, regarding its planned $6.7 billion acquisition of Netherlands-based TNT NV, a provider of mail and courier services and the fourth largest…

Obama To Confront Ongoing Supply Chain Concerns During Second Term

Thursday, November 8, 2012 · SCMR Staff A divided Congress. A pending fiscal nightmare scenario. A mountain of national debt. And two increasingly dug-in political parties who seem not to have the word “compromise” in their lexicon.

With Patient Health at Stake, Medical Equipment Industry Must Improve Supply Chain Visibility

Thursday, November 8, 2012 · Armin Meissner and Robert Krueger There are few industries as tightly interwoven with life and death issues as medical equipment.