In the January 2003 issue of Logistics Management we offered five New Year's resolutions for the logistics profession. Most such resolutions are made in earnest and then abandoned in haste. But let's do things right and grade how well we've done on these resolves one year later.

1. Resolved: To collaborate more aggressively. More and more shippers and their logistics service providers are at least trying to work more collaboratively. And on the national scene, the shipper members of the National Industrial Transportation League have assimilated carriers as fellow members in the organization. On the other hand, though, comprehensive collaborative programs like CPFR have yet to appear on the radar screens of most logistics professionals. Grade: B-
2. Resolved: To gain greater visibility. Visibility over shipments in the pipeline remains an elusive goal for most companies. Though most managers intuitively understand the advantages of knowing where their shipments are at all times, most are still reluctant to invest in the time and technology needed to make it happen. With the increasing emphasis on supply chain security, expect the adoption curve to accelerate next year. Grade: C
3. Resolved: To spend more time thinking. This one needs some explanation. The idea is that with the unrelenting pressure to do more with less, we have little time to think about how to do our jobs more productively. Now, obviously, we can't get into the minds of our readers. But the logistics managers we meet seem to be operating at the same breakneck pace today that they were at the beginning of the year. There's just no time to think these days, it seems. Grade: C-
4. Resolved: To improve on a capability or develop a new one If the articles appearing in Logistics Management this past year are any indication, logistics managers have been quite successful on this front. We've reported on a range of successful shipper innovations centering on customized delivery programs, direct shipping breakthroughs, creative technology implementation, and much more. Grade: A
5. Resolved: To keep blocking and tackling. This evergreen competency often gets neglected among the glitter of new technology and management fads. But it's something most logistics managers have become good at. Whether that's because they have a well-crafted strategy for mastering the basics or they're in a reactive mode in order to survive, who can say? Either way, waste and inefficiency keeps getting squeezed out of the logistics pipeline. Grade: B+

Compared to most New Year's resolutions, we've done pretty well. No, it's not one of those grade-inflated, straight A report cards. But as resolutions go, it's pretty darn good. Now it's time for everyone to kick back for a few days over the holidays and figure out what resolutions to make for 2004!