Logistics

Retail Imports Expected to Rise in March as Retailers Begin Stocking Up for Spring and Summer

March 13, 2014

Import volume at the nation's major retail container ports is expected to increase 12.4 percent in March as retailers begin to stock up for the spring and the summer season, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

Same-Day Fulfillment: The Value of Speed to Retail

March 12, 2014

SupplyChainBrain

Analyst Insight: Next-day delivery is the new normal. And fulfillment windows are compressing even further as companies like Amazon continue to raise customer expectations. But companies wrestle with what level of service makes sense, and how to justify investments. It's not about making every process in the DC faster. It's a delicate balance of revenue gains and improved customer service against investment and operating costs. - Helgi Thor Leja, Industrial & Electrical Industry Leader, Fortna Inc.

Identifying the Right Metrics Is Your Starting Point

March 12, 2014

SupplyChainBrain

Analyst Insight: Tracking supply chain metrics can help organizations identify opportunities for quality and performance improvement. However, identification is half the battle; organizations must adopt practices that can lead to improvement. One of these practices is the development of close relationships with key suppliers and service providers. Through these relationships, organizations can realize improvements in both performance and quality. - Becky Partida, Research Specialist, APQC

Jobs Available in Supply Chain Management, Logistics

March 12, 2014

SupplyChainBrain

SupplyChainBrain and JobsInLogistics have joined forces in 2014 for the specialized purpose of:

Standards for Sustainability: An Update

March 11, 2014

SupplyChainBrain

Richard Bank, director of the Sustainable Supply Chain Foundation, supplies an update on the organization's efforts to instill voluntary standards for sustainability in the warehouse, as well as other logistics processes.

What Is Driving the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Supply Chain?

March 11, 2014

SupplyChainBrain

Analyst Insight: If 2012 was the year of climbing the emerging market mountain, then 2013 was the cliff. Not just for patents, but also in succeeding across multiple global markets. Quality issues, bad business practices, failure to integrate acquisitions, these were all common threads. Reputable players stumbled. Lesson learned: focusing on core business is the key to success. Many smaller non-core acquisitions such as animal health, devices, and OTC products will continue to spin off. Emerging and core markets will focus on profitability and smart growth, not just volume. - Brian Hudock, Partner, Tompkins International

The Perfect Order Requires Integrated Processes

March 11, 2014

SupplyChainBrain

Analyst Insight: A number of factors are drawing increased attention to the order-to-cash (OTC) process. Achieving a perfect order, one that is filled to completion and arrives at the customer undamaged and properly documented, is under stress from doing new ways of business and increasing customer expectations. - Alex Bajorinas and Jim Morton, both Senior Managers, Ernst & Young LLP

Push to Move Freight onto Trains and Off the Road

March 11, 2014

Washington Post

President Obama announced an initiative to improve the fuel efficiency of trucks. That's a lofty goal, but here's an even better idea: Let's make an effort to move more freight by rail and less by road. Trains are far more energy-efficient than trucks "” and they always will be.

Critical Elements for Revamping Your Network

March 10, 2014

SupplyChainBrain

Analyst Insight: Supply chain complexity and turmoil is on the rise due to growing global markets, increasing customer expectations, rising costs and more intense competitive pressures. Progressive companies understand that supply chain performance has a significant impact on the bottom line and shareholder value, and they must reinvent their supply chain networks on a regular basis in order to remain competitive. However, the traditional way of designing supply chain networks with a focus on cost optimization is giving way to more progressive thinking. - John Spain, Executive Vice President, Tompkins International

An Optimistic Skeptic's View of How to Plan a Network

March 10, 2014

SupplyChainBrain

Analyst Insight: Network planning suffers from an abundance of inappropriate technology, coupled with far too little pragmatic, common sense. Everyone is familiar with the optimization tools that are routinely applied; all are based on long-term shipment forecasts by SKU, by zip code or even finer measurement. Now wait a minute! We can't even forecast next month's demand; how in the world can we forecast demand detail five years in the future? The skills and skepticism of the millennials just may have the solution. - Robert Sabath, Principal Essentialist SCM, Trissential