Over the years, one of our toughest tasks has been getting shippers to share their logistics success stories. But since we launched the Best Practices in Logistics Management Awards in 2004, we've been able to turn an arduous chore into a more fruitful process by giving readers an avenue for sharing their experiences.

It's worked so well that I was blown away by the number of insightful entries we received. Two weeks after we launched our submissions website, well over 70 readers had taken the time to share their success stories. After our first round of reviews, we found ourselves with 35 very strong contenders.

We'd like to thank all of you who took the time to communicate your stories in such thoughtful detail. The submissions clearly indicate the pride you take in your work and provide further evidence of the commitment you have made to promote education through peer experience.

Now it's time to reveal the top three winners of the 2005 Best Practices in Logistics Management Awards. The Gold Award goes to medical-device maker Boston Scientific; the Silver goes to International Rectifier, a manufacturer of integrated circuits; and the Bronze goes to Lexmark International Inc., best known for its laser printers. Their stories begin on Page 29.

With logistics managers struggling to perform a kind of high-wire act, balancing high service levels with tight cost controls—not just at home but around the world—we gravitated toward entries that showed how to achieve that objective by implementing fairly simple solutions.

Our winners found that collaboration was key to their success. A case in point: When Boston Scientific needed to maximize its Ireland-to-Boston shipments of a hot-selling product, Karen Weinstein-Millson and Saron Hines called their manufacturing and logistics partners to the table to analyze the situation.

A frank discussion with a freight forwarder over coffee revealed that the shipper's box design didn't optimize available space on the airline's pallets. "We were shipping a lot of air," recalls Hines.

That discussion led to a box redesign, which in turn led to changes in manufacturing planning, which led to better sterilization procedures, and ultimately to substantial savings, Hines says. "It's amazing how simple solutions can be when there's straightforward communication," adds Weinstein-Millson.

If nothing else, the winners' stories should prompt you to pick up the phone and ask your key service providers how you can work together to improve logistics processes. Who knows? A solution that could bring about significant savings might cost you only as much as a cup of coffee.

Michael A. Levans, Chief Editor