Marquis Management was hit with a huge, sudden influx of crude oil shipments at its terminal on the Mississippi River. The company scrambled to find a planning and execution system that could cope with the surge of business.
Encompass Supply Chain Solutions, a provider of forward and reverse logistics services for a wide range of finished goods and replacement parts, is doubling the size of its distribution facility in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
The big merchandiser looked to Genco to provide a system for the rapid and efficient processing of merchandise that's designated for redeployment, return to vendor and liquidation.
The big maker of flatscreen TVs cuts logistics costs and boost sales, by offering product discounts in exchange for bulk buys by retailers. A partnership with C.H. Robinson makes the program work.
When Esquire Express got into the same-day delivery market 25 years ago, it primarily moved documents for law firms, says President Steve Howard. The internet killed that business, but it also created a new market in same-day delivery of tangible goods. Esquire has thrived by partnering with 3PLs and their retail clients to deliver the same day.
Today's supply chains are so complex and change so rapidly that optimization efforts often are overtaken by events, says Mike Comstock of Grand Canal Solutions. Planning needs to become much more dynamic, with analytics adapted to make optimization a continuous process, he says.
The goal for 3PLs always is to negotiate a win/win contract with existing and new customers, says Mike Bautch of Universal. He offers insights and examples on how to create win/win relationships that keep improving over the years.
Supply Chain operations increasingly are impacted by corporations' quality assurance and quality control programs, says Laurel Nelson-Rowe, managing director of the American Society for Quality. She discusses the importance of these programs in protecting brand reputations and ensuring customer satisfaction.
John Reichert, director of supply chain execution solutions at Tecsys, discusses factors driving increased demand for 3PL services and describes the type of provider best positioned to leverage this growth environment.